The Raven Queen

> You cannot use the gods as a crutch when our existence is not assured.
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The **Raven Queen**, also commonly known as the **Matron of Ravens**, the **Matron of Death**, and the **Duskmaven**, is the goddess of death, fate, and winter; she's also considered the goddess of twilight, inevitability and the passage of time, presiding over the transition between life and death.

## Relationships

### Kismet Dullistra

The Raven Queen first made contact with Kismet upon his first death. A deal was made, and he returned to the world of the living. Thinking the moment to be a hallucination, he did not fully embrace the Raven Queen for some time. Upon being imprisoned for his treason, he reached out to her in his final moments of desperation, and she granted him the power to escape. It was only temporary, and he found himself with only rudimentary cleric abilities afterward.

Since then, he has been a devout follower, learning the craft in Nogvurot upon entering the Empire. In Bysaes Tyl, he kept up a small shrine, and worked as an undertaker for the city. The townspeople avoided him for the most part due to his association with the Matron of Ravens. In 835 PD, he received a sign from the Raven Queen that it was time to move.

Since leaving Bysaes Tyl and joining The Red Thread, Kismet has received a few visions and communications from the Raven Queen. This all took a turn when he was killed by Rilvra Mirimm. In his afterlife, he met the Raven Queen once more, who showed him visions of his past and told him he needs to be stronger before she will speak to him again. She sent him back, however her presence disappeared from his awareness. Since then, Kismet has been slowly gaining confidence without having to rely on her at every turn. He awaits the moment she will make contact once more.

### Valac Darlight

Upon encouragement from Kismet, Valac tentatively began reaching out to The Raven Queen. The first time he visited a temple of hers, she finally responded, inquiring what he wanted. He replied: "Everything", though when she asked what he could do for her in return, Valac cut the connection. Since then, he's been spending time learning more about the Matron from Kismet, as well as getting acquaintanced with the way certain rituals and celebrations are carried out. For some reason, the Raven Queen keeps answering his calls, though he's not a worshipper himself.

## Visions and interactions

The Raven Queen has bestowed a number of visions upon Kismet Dullistra in his time with The Red Thread. Whether for guidance, portents, or reassurance of the path, these visions have been picked apart and examined by most members of the party.

Later in the time, she has started to reach out to more of the members of The Red Thread. Leaving them cryptic messages for them to untangle. While she watches from the shadows, she will occasionally reach out when she sees fit.

### Sydenstar 16th, 635 P.D.

* **Recipient:** Kismet Dullistra
* **Location:** Pearlbow Wilderness

Walking through the Pearlbow Wilderness, Kismet suddenly finds himself alone, surrounded by ravens. Afraid and unsure, he ran, and as the vision ended he was left with a single raven feather. He proceeded to tuck this into the band of his hat.

### Sydenstar 26th, 835 P.D.

* **Recipient:** Kismet Dullistra
* **Location:** The Bloated Puffin, Rexxentrum

After speaking with Verin Thelyss, The conversation rattles him, and desperate for guidance he sets out his ritual to connect with the Matron.

> *A fall breeze hits you from the side, despite you being alone in a room. You feel the ghost of a hand on your shoulder as yet another raven feather falls in front of your face. It hits the ground and explodes into a black smoke that has white specks in it that flows a little bit in front of you and forms the shape of two children.*
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> *You don't recognize these children. But there are two children standing there, their backs facing you before one of the two shatter into a million black glass pieces.  The other, dissipates into smoke once again, gone, like everyone else.*
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> *There are now two ghost hands on your shoulders, not keeping you there, just there.*
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> *The black smoke disappears, the comforting touch on your shoulder fades, and you are left with a singular black glass piece on the floor.*
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The black glass remains tangible, and Kismet keeps it, later showing it to Kaulmyn Beltune. The wizard informs him that it works as a spell component.

### Fessuran 11th, 835 P.D.

* **Recipient:** Kismet Dullistra
* **Location:** Raven Queen Temple, Port Damali

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> Kismet and Valac pay a visit to the Raven Queen temple in Port Damali, where Kismet meditates. Feeling the presence of the Raven Queen, he asks a question: Do you have a plan for me? Is looking after the twins the right step? In response, the Matron grants him a vision.
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> *You ask the question and suddenly you feel a rush of vertigo, the cold embrace gently lowering you to the floor as your eyes glaze over in a black. Eventually, you see a piece of black glass hovering in a void of gray space before you see it fall and hit ice. The glass shatters. And as you look into the millions of tiny glass shards. In a feeling of fast motion you are sucked into one of those glass shards and deposits you into a building that is distinctly Dynasty architecture. Looking around, you can see the twins with their Umavi looking down at them, the twins hands intertwined. A coffin behind the Umavi.*
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> *Your feet move on their own till you are standing to the side of the twins to see tears streaking down their faces. Distinctly younger than they are now even as elves. Keldrym looks to the side at Kaulmyn then back to the Umavi, a defiant spark in his eyes that you haven’t seen before.*
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> *“Mother. Forming attachments…. It’s what keeps us human. We won’t lose that ever.”*
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> *After a moment of staring at that scene it dissipates and you are left in a wheat field where you see Keldrym and Kaulmyn in the distance. Walking closer not of your own violation again, you see Keldrym is splattered in blood and Kaulmyn looks to be trying to clean his brother off even if it is a lost cause. Keldrym is smiling, still clearly not down from that bloodlust high. You know, somehow deep down, that he did not have much of anything of himself left.*
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> *Keldrym looks over directly at you and suddenly you are standing on the edge of a river. A very familiar river to you. You know you are not with the twins anymore but reliving something that happened to you. You now understand that the black glass wasn’t supposed to mean just one thing, but symbolised the duality between familial relationships. How they can be so different yet so similar at the same time.*
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> *A familiar figure turns towards you, exactly how you remember her. A figure mere inches shorter than you with that same bob cut that you remember. You walk towards her, begging for her to stay. Blocking her way to the boat that floats in the river. You would not let her go.*
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> *“You’re always getting in the way! Poking your nose where it doesn’t belong. Why didn’t you listen? Why couldn’t you just stay away!”*
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> *She walks forward, drawing her sword and Kismet does not move. She slices across his chest. This younger Kismet falls to the ground as she steps over him, gets into the boat and as the life drains out of Kismet- she leaves.*
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> *Your vision goes black again, and you see that grey space with the million shards of black glass. You get the distinct feeling that the black glass initially was to lead you to the twins, but now it means more than that. It symbolises what you have lost and what they have gained. What you could gain.*
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> *You wake up in the temple again, and you see a familiar piece of black glass now split into two pieces.*
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* **Recipient:** Valac Darlight
* **Location:** Raven Queen Temple, Port Damali

> *Valac follows Kismet's lead, sitting down to mediate. He finds it hard to clear his head and focus on one thought alone, but eventually, he succeeds - and hears the voice of the Raven Queen for the first time in his life call out to him. "What do you want", she asks. Valac is silent for a bit, taken aback, before finally responding, "Everything." The Raven Queen asks him what he could do for her an return, but Valac shakes his head, overwhelmed, and pulls back from the vision. He's back in the Temple, Kismet still meditating next to him.*
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### Quen'Pillar 1st, 835 P.D.

* **Recipient:** Kismet Dullistra
* **Location:** Raven Queen Temple, Nogvurot

> *Kismet goes to the Raven Queen temple, the same one he apprenticed at, to meditate. He has a similar vision as last time of the twins, but Keldrym is happy. There’s a cobblestone street outside of Kismet’s family home, which is not the same as it is in the Dynasty. He gets warm, familiar feelings. He then sees the same river as before, and Valac walking into a lake. Valac turns, and they see that they are joined by red string tied about their throats.*
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### Quen'Pillar 27th, 835 P.D.

* **Recipient:** Kismet Dullistra
* **Location:** Florian's Family Home, Rosohna

> *As you breathe in your shaky final breath, the world fades from your eyes. Your struggles and pain fades away. The blue tiefling fades away. Your mind is jumbled? A million memories flash through your mind. You try to grab onto something in your mind, Valac, Valac, Valac.* *The world comes to an end. An endless sea of black, suffocating. Pain, uncomfortableness, anger. All of them course through you at once. The emotions you feel, the emotions of the people you murdered. All of them.*
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> *Suddenly, you gasp for breath. You open your eyes and look around. You are no longer in the bedroom you fell asleep in, the memory foggy in your mind. Looking up you see the Raven Queen with her mask looking down at you. She has come to greet you herself.*
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> *“Child, you have returned to me once more. I can feel some sort of desperation rising up within you, has it not? Naught worry child, I once felt the same desperation that you feel right now.”*
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> *The Raven Queen gives a slight head tilt and sighs. Behind the mask, the mortal who became a god blinks, her eyes soft as she looks down at Kismet.*
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> *“You’ve become stronger. You’ve faced many trials. But my dear Kismet, you are nowhere near ready. Love brings anger and anger brings a waterfall. You understand this don’t you? I have given you my power, yet you barely have the strength to wield it at times. But my faith in you is not misplaced.”*
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> *The Raven queen stands up from where she was sitting on the grass. For a god, it was a sight to see. A god leisurely laying on the grass of the afterlife.*
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> *“Perhaps you would like to see them? I do not mean your loved ones. I know you would protect your loved ones with all your might, but failure happens doesn’t it? Think about it, all the failures you have had to get to this point. List them off one by one. What have they done to you? But think about it my dear child, have you ever thought about those that you killed before?”*
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> *She turns her back to you and walks away into the field. After a moment, a gust of wind blows you over as you stand there, alone. There is no one to greet you in the afterlife. You may have felt alone before in your life, but this time you are truly alone. No one you loved has died, anyone who has died does not care about you.*
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> *After a while Kismet, you see soldiers approach you. Looking up you don’t recognize them at first, it happened so long ago. But now, you recognize the armor, the armor that was pierced, their blood, that is on your hands. They look down at you with unreadable emotions.*
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> *One whispers, “Why?”* *Another whispers, “Why did we deserve this?”* *Kismet, you don’t remember faces, but you can remember the actions of these soldiers.* *Before they can say anymore another soldier, different from the other approaches. She bears no armor but you can very clearly see a whole in her heart. She approaches you with a bowl of soup. It looks freshly made. She carefully takes one of your hands and sets the bowl in it.*
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> *“Because this bitch killed me... my family...”*
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> *One looked at them and said bluntly, “Your family died afterwards.”* *Other around keep whispering things that their murder caused them.*
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> *The woman sighs and speaks, “Do you think you can save the world?”*
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> *Suddenly you remember something. This woman…* *You are back in that miserable prison cell. The soldiers are kicking you, beating you down. While you naught have the strength to fight back. Your hair is a mess, knotted, they tug on it, They crack a rib or two. Bruise your face till you cannot see anymore.*
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> *“Who does this bitch think he is? Someone to defy the Dynasty? What strength does he think he has?” the soldier laughs.* *Leaving you there crumpled. The woman watches them leave then sets a bottle of medicine and bandages next to you before leaving. Another scene flashes.*
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> *The same set of soldiers have you on your knees. One of them sets a bowl of disgusting soup in front of you. The group is chatting away about their day, their married lives. You glance up at them.*
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> *“Bitch! Don’t look at me with your disgusting eyes!”* *The soldier kicks your bowl of soup all over the floor. They all laugh and one smirks and suggests, “Lick it. I order you to lick it off the ground!”* *One knees you down so you are now on the floor. He grabs your hair and demands in a low voice, “Eat.”*
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> *Having no choice, you do just that. Licking up the food off the floor. Everyone around gets a good laugh out of the show. After you are finished, one soldier gives a bored glance to Arathill.*
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> *“How boring, he barely acts out anymore.”*
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> *The soldier scuffs and kicks Arathill in the head for good measure as he walks out. Once their footsteps fade, the woman slides a bowl of soup under the cell bars before walking away.* *Those words were said to you once. Your escape.*
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> *“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” One of the soldiers yell, “THIS BITCH IS INSANE? LOOK AT HIM? DID HE LOSE HIS SANITY?”*
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> *You were being held down by those soldiers. Thrashing and stabbing. Your eyes are deep black. Power flowing through your body.* *You stab another soldier, they fall limp.* *You narrowly avoid a knife to your head. You close your eyes and a powerful aura thrums through your body before it explodes outwards. Knocking all the soldiers back. They scream as they smash into the wall behind you, lifeless. You stand up and slowly walk limply to the door. Not responding, not caring about the screams that surround you in this dark, bloody environment.*
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> *In your vision you see a woman with no armor walking your direction. You hold out your hand to kill her, but your instincts stop you. She asks:* *“Arathill, What are you doing?” She looks down to her fallen soldiers.*
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> *Some upcoming soldiers are yelling for her to back off The rush from behind him without looking he shoots a hole of magic through their hearts. She looks like she’s about to open her mouth again when a dagger plunges into her heart. Instantly, she slumps, hits the floor, and coughs up blood.*
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> *“Arathill, what are you doing?” she sighs to herself softly, “Do you think you have what it takes to save the world? You have to get stronger than this.”*
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> *With that, the light in her eyes fades away.* *She speaks once more to you, now in the afterlife, “Do any of you have what it takes? It’s not just brute strength. Look at the little of what you’ve caused so far. Are you sure? You can’t save everyone.”*
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> *Suddenly the Raven Queen is standing behind her, everyone that is still living hears from this woman, “Once a wise priest said to me: You mustn’t worry child. Few are strong enough to avert Calamity. Do not fret, the end is near.”*
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> *You cannot see the expression behind the mask of The Raven Queen, but she solemnly speaks:*
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> *“I will not greet you again till you become stronger.”*
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> *You feel your body being sucked away before you plunge into the mortal realm.  Back into the bloody pool under your body.*
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### Cuersaar 5th, 835 P.D.

* **Recipient:** Agatha Weber
* **Location:** The Abbey of Equilibrium

> They had a lil chat where Agatha learned that Agatha's soul is meshed with Zekers, something something timelines that she knows about it, yeah she's chill.
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### Cuersaar 13th, 835 P.D.

* **Recipient:** Valac Darlight
* **Location:** Raven Queen Temple, Port Damali

> *A vision takes him, of dry ground, dead trees, a number of crows roosting. The Raven Queen approaches, long black hair and porcelain mask. Valac asks why she is leaving Kismet hanging, and she responds that his strength cannot come from her alone. Valac says that his strength never did, and the Matron replies that she knows. This is something Kismet must learn for himself.* *As Valac pulls himself from the vision, the Raven Queen's voice echoes in his head. "You cannot use the gods as a crutch when our existence is not assured."*
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