Did we know this? (Raven Queen...)

[Camelot]

I'm kind of with you. I don't object to her alignment too much (though I do agree that I'd prefer a more "real" unaligned than "evil light"). My main objection to her story is that the pantheon has way too many gods who used to be mortals (or at least, not gods).

Vecna. The Raven Queen. If you ignore my article and go by Divine Power, Bane. (Divine Power is wrong, of course. ) Asmodeus wasn't a mortal, but he still wasn't a god. Frankly, I think having more than one--maybe two, if you allow for Asmodeus being a corner case--dilutes the concept. It makes the mortals-turned-gods less special, and it makes the gods look weak. (Sure, it's "only" four, but that's two too many, at 20% of the pantheon.)

I'd rather have either seen the Raven Queen with a different origin, or I'd like to have seen 4E return Vecna to his status as an ancient archlich/undead bogeyman, perhaps with the power of a demigod.

I actually think it makes much more sense for there to be more "new" gods than "old" gods. It makes the universe feel so much older and mysterious, and shows that even gods have to worry about their own lives. It also gives hope to PCs who want to achieve godhood, encouraging DMs to let their homebrew campaign worlds grow.

 

[The Little Raven]

I'm kind of with you. I don't object to her alignment too much (though I do agree that I'd prefer a more "real" unaligned than "evil light"). My main objection to her story is that the pantheon has way too many gods who used to be mortals (or at least, not gods).

I like her because she died. She didn't become uber-powerful and become a deity in life (like DP Bane; I do like your version better, Ari), nor did she cheat death by becoming undead (Vecna), or even serve and betray a god to take his place (Asmodeus). She died. She moved to the afterlife and was then enslaved by the evil grim reaper. This afforded her a chance to live again, this time as a powerful immortal being, all because a god took a fancy to her. And as the new goddess of death, she has a greater bond and knowledge of her domain because she has experienced it firsthand and lives again to tell the tale.

A dead god of death... very Osiris.

As for her leaning towards Evil more than Unaligned because of her desire to follow in Nerull's tyrannical footsteps... The oppressed love the oppressor and cannot wait to follow their example.

 

[Ghostbustin' Fool]

Didn't bits of this first appear in Manual of the Planes?

FWIW Scribble, I have these kinds of "canon-brain-farts" all the time. ...Probably because I'm not religious about keeping up with it, mind you.

HA! I get it!

Sorry about that, long time lurker, first time poster. The Raven Queen is definitely the shizznit and I love reading everything about her.

 

[DracoSuave]

Open Grave actually included a lot about the war between the Raven Queen and Nerull.

 

[DracoSuave]

I'm kind of with you. I don't object to her alignment too much (though I do agree that I'd prefer a more "real" unaligned than "evil light"). My main objection to her story is that the pantheon has way too many gods who used to be mortals (or at least, not gods).

Vecna. The Raven Queen. If you ignore my article and go by Divine Power, Bane. (Divine Power is wrong, of course. ) Asmodeus wasn't a mortal, but he still wasn't a god. Frankly, I think having more than one--maybe two, if you allow for Asmodeus being a corner case--dilutes the concept. It makes the mortals-turned-gods less special, and it makes the gods look weak. (Sure, it's "only" four, but that's two too many, at 20% of the pantheon.)

I'd rather have either seen the Raven Queen with a different origin, or I'd like to have seen 4E return Vecna to his status as an ancient archlich/undead bogeyman, perhaps with the power of a demigod.

Totally fits the progression of D&D tho... I mean... why have the PCs be able to become demigods if the world doesn't support or show that it is possible in its legends and lore.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I'm not too fond of the official storyline for the Raven Queen, which makes her more Evil than Unaligned. I have my own version, which has a more mythological approach.

Personally I prefer your version.
@Scribble: I am pretty sure I read a dragon article on the origins of the Raven Queen. It was round about the time Klaus posted his version.

 

[Ryujin]

What part of that sentence are you surprised by?

Divine Power gave us a lot of insight into the core world's mythology, including the rise of the Raven Queen. It revealed that she was once mortal, and overthrew Nerull. It probably also mentioned that she left Pluton to go to the Shadowfell, though I can't remember the details.

I can't find any Raven Queen article, but I'm pretty sure everything in that sentance was already known, or at least implied.

There was a pretty good backgrounder article on The Raven Queen in Dungeon 171.

 

[Cormacolinde]

My main objection to her story is that the pantheon has way too many gods who used to be mortals (or at least, not gods).

That's funny because in my campaign, the PCs have recently heard a slightly different story of the origin myth which states quite clearly that all the gods were once mortals who absorbed the essence and power of an extremely powerful being who had created the world and thus became gods.

Of course, they're not sure this myth is fact, and there are indeed "errors" in the story they heard, but this one piece of information is factual in my world.