#latherna

[bloody-kissezz]

Perhaps a controversial opinion, but I do not think death deities should be good or evil. I think they should be true neutral. Death does not discriminate, it does not care if you were evil or kind, it comes to us all. No matter who you were in life, death is the one inevitably we all face. Even the gods die, no one is immune.

This is a huge reason I prefer the Raven Queen over Kelemvor. In the past, the deities of death have been mostly evil aligned, so Kelemvor was quite the switch up. But I still think it’s a wrong choice. Death does not take sides. This is in no way hate towards Kelemvor, I just personally believe the Raven Queen embodies the portfolio better. Tho I can definitely see the appeal of a god of death who is strictly good.

The Raven Queen is not just the goddess of death, but also life and fate. These things are bound to each other. They cannot exist without the other. And like death, she is incredibly mysterious. We do not fully understand her motives. We do know that she is highly fascinated by the memories of mortals and often seeks them out. She studies the emotions in these memories and may help these mortals to deal with their pain and grief.

Though shar is the deity of grief and loss, she does so in an exploitative way. I’d like to think of the raven queen as heavily being tied to these themes as well, though without taking advantage of people in mourning. She sees their memories, she sees their pain, and may guide them through the process of grief. Her temples would be places where her priests would prepare the dead for their final stage, and guide those lost in grief and sorrow. Unlike Shar, she would value the memories of the dead instead of taking people’s memories to “relieve pain”

She would embrace the sorrow that comes with death, and urge those in mourning to accept the pain that comes with it, while also appreciating the joy of their lives and memories. Life is a gift, but so is death. They are both bound to each other. Above all, the Raven Queen is the embodiment of balance and fate. She weaves the threads of destiny as Lolth once did.

“I am no good nor evil, simply I am”

This lyric from ptolemaea by Ethel Cain i feel is a good representation of the Raven Queen.

Of course each dm may portray the Raven Queen in their own unique way, but this is the impact she has on my own story and Coronis.

Coronis’ story is still unfinished, but the main ideas of her story remain the same, death, fate, loss, and life.

[popalena-brectanem]

The Moon, The Flame and The Dark

“Will you tell me the story you promised?”

“Which one,” the voice, faint like the wind asks.

“The one where the Flame loves the Moon,” the child beams with glee.

“Allright. Settle in, then,” the voice beckons as the child clambers under the blankets, “before our time there was a Flame, living in darkness, but it was burning hot and bright, red like a drop of blood. It was alright on its own, not really hiding but never really showing from behind the inky black expanse. Until one day it beheld the most beautiful thing anyone has ever seen, a glistening silvery blue orb in the-”

“It’s the Moon isn't it!” the child interrupts.

“Yes, that’s the Moon. And it had bathed everything in silvery light and the Flame fell in love, trying to reach the moon with its flickering arms. Glowing brighter and brighter, thinking: ‘Maybe, the Moon will notice me,’ but the Moon bathed everything with its light. Nonetheless the Flame adored the Moon, burning for it, not yet realising it will never really reach it, because no matter what, it was too far. But there was something connecting them, not just the light they both shed, but the darkness in between. ‘We are the same’ said the Flame, ‘we both shine with a light in the dark. I think we both want the same and stay the same,’ but the Moon didn’t as the Moon never does stay the same, it shines brighter and brighter or diminishes its light, sometimes it disappears completely,” the voice coughed and the roses outside shook with the wind.

“‘What if I cannot do that, what if I diminish into embers and never catch aflame again?’ The Flame was scared and the Moon was gone. So the Flame kept on burning alone, trying to keep the pale light in its heart, but as time went on the Flame grew to love its own light, and then the Flame forgot. It forgot the silver, it forgot the blue orb, it had found a new kinship stronger, closer, the Dark that allowed it to shine, the Dark it could shine its light on, warm it with its presence. And when the Moon swam again in the sky the Flame did not look up as it searched for the Dark in the corners it grew to love, to burn and diminish itself for.”

“So the Flame didn’t love the Moon?” asked the child, puzzled.

“It did, it loved it a lot,” a tear falls to the polished floor of black marble, “but the Moon is in the sky and the Flame is on the ground, they were not meant to be.”

“I’m cold,” the child shiveres.

“Don’t worry, it is not much longer, the Queen will see you soon,” the voice says with tearing eyes, “try to sleep till then and dream of love as it is the greatest thing that could happen to you. Ask for it when you see Her. She may look cold, but She is like the Dark the Flame loves.”

“Your hair looks a little like a flame,” the child's voice trails off as Vezrin runs his fingers through its hair.

“I will see you again,” the voice whispers.

“I never understood why you do this to yourself, it hurts you greatly does it not?” asks the Dream Chaser, voice like a caress that draws you to sleep.

“I’ve been in Your river and I walked these halls, they are cold and scarry I don’t want them to be born scared, not the children,” more tears ricochet from the floor.

“Oh silly Flame, after all this time you still love the Dark don’t you?” says Vezrin as he embraces the Flame.

[popalena-brectanem]

In river Vez his flesh had frozen over, the fresh and freezing water was not made to hold an alive body for long.

In the Fortress of Memories his bones were the only thing laying to rest on the cold stone floors not made for the living.

[popalena-brectanem]

In these dark halls I see her everywhere. I see her in the dark corners, in the Garden of Sorrow, in the pale stars above and even in your mask Matron. She is here, because she is in my heart, the heart that will lead me out and the golden threads that will lead me back to you my Queen. You know my fate, so let me go... for now.