" The Raven Queen is trapped by her fascination with the past. Hunting down references to the Raven Queen takes you to a wide selection of publications, from the Dragon & Dungeon Magazines to the recently released . [31] Seeming to have disappeared to the rest of Vox Machina, the Raven Queen was still seen by Vax as she gave him an ominous message about future activities of his employment[32] before actually leaving. He only wanted to study death and undeath and wanted nothing to do with any other domains that Aurom had overseen. She told him that life is broken from the start and there is no perfection, that finding ways to better yourself before the end is what gives life purpose. Then they collected mementos, such as trinkets, memories from the living and sometimes the souls of the dead, and brought them back to her. They are a race of shadow fey creatures, though don't confuse them with the drow, they aren't into spiders just ravens. He saw a spark of white and it widened to be the mask of the Raven Queen as she approached him. It's appropriate then that they make their home in the Shadowfell. To say that these two don't like each other is quite the understatement. During that time, you appear ghostly and translucent. Vax asked if he was her enemy, and she confirmed he was the enemy of all. Starting at 3rd level, you also gain resistance to all damage when you teleport using this trait. From the gray, lifeless depths of the Shadowfell plane of darkness, shadow, and death come the Shadar-Kai, elves forever changed by their connection to their home and the power of the Raven Queen who rules it. While perched on your shoulder, the raven can't be targeted by any attack or other harmful effect; only you can cast spells on it; it can't take damage; and it is incapacitated. For seekers of forgotten knowledge and ancient power, we come to the Warlock Patrons in D&D 5e. Domains: Life, Death Holy day Deathwalker's Ward is a set of studded leather armor, one of the Vestiges of the Divergence created for the Champion of the Raven Queen. She is the lawful neutral ruler of Shadowfell, dwelling in a decayed, dark reflection of the world. I rocked up late to the first session with an unread rulebook and a human bard called Nick Jugger. It was believed that her true intentions were only known to the Lady of Pain. Once you use this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. D&D Wiki Copyright 2011-2020 BoLS Interactive LLC. The magic of the Shadowfell makes Shadar-Kai hardier than other elves, and theyre probably the most survivable of all elven subraces. Channel divinity Many great wizards have attempted to understand her motives, but like a raven she has always remained cryptic, keeping her cache of secrets just out of their reach., Alustriel Silverhand, Mordenkainens Tome of Foes (pg. The echoes of raw emotion within these fragments cause ghosts pale echoes and memories to appear from time to time, wandering the vast stone halls, playing out especially painful or otherwise powerfully emotional moments from their lives. She told him that he was always broken and was preyed upon. To summon the strength to defeat Nerull, Nera freed the souls that Nerull had collected all these years, and with each soul she freed, they provided a small boost of power. Hunting down references to the Raven Queen takes you to a wide selection of publications, from the Dragon & Dungeon Magazines to the recently releasedExplorer's Guide to Wildemount (2020). The Raven Queens obsession with memories (particularly tragic ones) leads her to send her Shadar-Kai agents on missions to capture and retrieve such memories, souls, or information she desires. [1] Moreover, both Corellon and Lolth considered her actions to be treason, so they erased the memory of her existence from all elves. [8], The Prince of Frost hated the Raven Queen for her role in the loss of his beloved, Sharaea. It was a rocky start but I had a blast and now, the better part of a decade later, I play, write, and write about tabletop RPGs (mostly5e, but also PBtA, Forged in the Dark and OSR) games for a living, which iswild. At first, the party mistook her for Vesh (due to Kashaw's part in the ritual), but she was revealed during Vax'ildan's contribution to be, in fact, the Raven Queen. The goddess appeared before him and seemed to agree to those terms. To gain godhood, she needed her followers to pledge their souls to her so that she could create a link between the Feywild and Arvandor, which is a big ask in our opinion. A pointer is a short summary that points to published material. Worshipers She identified him as "fate-touched," and told him he could be anything. The powerful fey woman had fallen in love with a mortal hero, causing him to grow jealous, and she feared for the safety of her mortal lover if she tried to deny him. Later, as a part of Vax's resurrection ritual, Vex'ahlia made a bargain with the Raven Queen to hunt down Orcus in return for her brother. She said that his deeds would determine whether he could be fixed. If you want to play a character class that needs a high score in a spellcasting-ability modifier (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma), then your fate is a little more in the hands of the dice when you roll up your character. Lolth's story has several similarities to the Raven Queen's, except with a much different ending. Because these strong emotions were often based in grief, sadness, and torment, her existence was bleak and unpleasant. one of these days I gotta dig more in to the wealth of Lore at the Piazza. [8], Other wizards and necromancers craved the Raven Queen's knowledge and domain over souls. But first, we discuss the trouble that Wizards of the Coast has gotten themselves into and why people keep crying foul over what they perceive as racism in the game. Last seen Welcome to Riddle of the Raven Queen, a D&D 5th edition adventure set in a small elven village in the Cormathyr forest. Her body is made up of a twisting jumble of stolen memories and darkness, and the elven deities Correllon and Lolth both wiped all memories of her from existence as punishment for getting in the way of their own little war for the souls of elvenkind. Realm The Raven Queen lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. This also has the bonus for Greyhawk fans in that Nerull is still alive and on the bottom layer of Carceri where he has his frozen realm. A patron asked me to make an improved version of it and I obliged. Thus, she turns to mortal warlocks to serve her will. The shadar-kai are the most intense of the Raven Queen followers. [23] However, another powerful mage of the Age of Arcanum, Vecna, reconstructed the Ritual of Seeding and attempted it, but the ritual was interrupted and he was all but destroyed. You can see through the raven's eyes and hear what it hears while it is within 100 feet of you. As a goddess of death, the Raven Queen can impart a fraction of her power upon clerics who worship in her name. Thus, she turns to mortal warlocks to serve her will. Raven Queen Type:Deity Portfolio:Death, Memories Gender:Female Alignment:Lawful Neutral Domains:Life, Death Plane:Shadowfell Symbol:Raven's head, in profile, facing left Worshipers:Shadar-kai Pantheon:Elven The Raven Queenwas a powerful elf queen who lived in them time when elveswere united. In the context of the Raven Queen, it's essential to talk about her shadow home, Letherna. When the woman figured out someone was stealing her power while she was trying to ascend, this enraged her and she made a pit-stop mid ritual to bring her wrath down upon those wizards. However, servants, worshipers (cultists), and creatures that are adjacent to the Raven Queen are all great fodder for an adventure. The Prince delighted in usurping some of the Raven Queen's power through his association with freezing death and darkness. The Raven Queen lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. We respect your privacy and will only send one email on Saturday with our posts from the last week. More often than not, the process destroys those who undergo it. It was a long-fought conflict, with many gods almost losing against Khala, but eventually, Khala was defeated and the gods were forced to call on the Raven Queen to bring Khala into death. Vestiges If youre lucky, she may also offer you a deal or a gift in the form of a memory you once thought to be lost. You'll have already used your bonus action on Blessing of the Raven Queen, so you don't have a bonus action left to cast a spell. Whereas in traditional Dungeons and Dragons the Raven Queen is a goddess of death who rules the shadowfell and was featured heavily in the 5e unearthed arcana warlock pacts, this Raven Queen is . [29] Many centuries later, in 812 PD, Vecna returned and successfully completed the ritual. After the banishment of the traitorous Nagpa and the fall, sheer sorrow and loss overwhelmed the Raven Queen. He told her about the fight, and the Raven Queen offered him the eternal rest that she said he had earned. [41], Fan art of Vax'ildan and the Raven Queen, by NLN4. If you enjoy our Deep Dive series considersupporting us on Patreon and following us on Twitter! In current DnD 5e lore, the Raven Queen is the ruler of the Shadowfell, her even being based there. Whenever an enemy creature starts its turn in the area, the creature takes 10 cold damage and their movement speed is reduced by 10 feet. While she is known as a dark and secretive god, it's important to note once again that she is not inherently evil. The Hexblade The current god of the dead, Aurom, saw this as an abomination of life and enraged Nerull. Morrighan frequently heard the singing of a bird which guided her actions. The Lady of Pain was a being of intense power. [1], The Raven Queen was obsessed with collecting and observing mementos and fragments of memories and essences. 5e The Raven Queens followers are expected to serve her will in the world. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit a human would from 8 hours of sleep. Instead, he comes at the Raven Queen sideways, quietly establishing small footholds throughout the Shadowfell and recruiting members to his cause. Check out how this page has evolved in the past. Elves love freedom, variety, and self-expression, so they lean strongly toward the gentler aspects of chaos. She fell deeper and deeper into a divine madness as she contemplated the loss of her kingdom and the failure of her plan. Shadar-kai Prime Deity[1] The Raven Queen reached her hand out to Vax and nodded, agreeing to the offer. The Shadar-Kai have naming conventions similar to other elves tending to favor melodic sounding names, although a Shadar-Kais name will probably still sound harsher than that of a wood or high elf. In addition to directly worshiping the Raven Queen, many warlocks also end up in her service if they find their souls bound to one of the mysterious Hexblades found throughout the multiverse. Vecna's servants constantly battled with the Raven Queen's shadar-kai followers.