The Raven Queen

Worshipped sparingly, but nonetheless acknowledged, as the Goddess of Death, The Raven Queen is charged with shepherding the souls of the dead from this life to the next.
This is often misinterpreted by uneducated folks into believing that she is the cause of all of the deaths which occur. In reality, The Raven Queen steps in at the moment of an individual's death to ensure that their soul is properly taken care of.
This widespread myth may be why so few individuals openly declare themselves to be her followers. In any case, such followers are often thought of, even by those with knowledge of The Raven Queen's true nature, to have an unhealthy affinity and fixation with the dead and dying.
There are no major temples dedicated to The Raven Queen in Vallanna, although minor shrines may be found in many sites throughout the kingdom. The largest such shrine; the closest that followers of The Raven Queen can call a 'headquarters', is the Shadeveil Mortarium, within the elven city of Seorsa'Emel, which also serves as the city's mortuary. A small shrine building may also be found tucked away in one of the lesser-trafficked backstreets of Valliné's Temple District.
Servants of The Raven Queen are often Shadar-Kai Elves - a subset of Elves who are themselves sworn to her service, and are native to the Shadowfell.

Ancient Elven Origins

The true origin of The Raven Queen may never be known, but it is said that she was once an Elven Queen who sought to attain divinity. Her true name has been lost to time, but it is said that her devotees loved her more than the gods themselves. So it is told, during the schism between Corellon and Lolth, she used the magics and souls of the elven people to elevate herself to godhood.
Her followers, who had become known as the Shadar-Kai, gave of their magical power and souls freely, in hopes that upon her ascension she would unify all elves. Her plan, to forge a path to the divine elven realm of Arvandor; growing her power and influence along the way, was near completion when the treachery of some of her followers revealed itself to her. For their own selfish purposes, they had begun a ritual intended to use the energies of the ascending queen to give themselves magical abilities far beyond even the greatest elven sorcerers. Bringing down her now divine wrath upon these traitors, their ritual was corrupted, but unstoppable, and the Queen and all of her Shadar-Kai were pulled into the Shadowfell.
As a result of this sundering, The Raven Queen herself now resides permanently within the Shadowfell, within a great castle known as the Fortress of Memories, although certainly her influence is felt throughout the lands of the Prime Material Plane. Without her divine work, the souls of the dead would not find their restful way on to other planes of existence.

Divine Domains

Life & Death

Divine Symbols & Sigils

A raven's head, in profile, facing to the left.

Divine Classification

Goddess