How does it fit into Eberron?
What are its uses?
Ideas? Anyone?
How does it fit into Eberron?
What are its uses?
Ideas? Anyone?
Pure speculation without knowing how they work, but the first things that come to mind are:
- Mourning "survivors." Nobody lived through the Mourning, but these characters didn't totally die. Really neat idea for some Cyran nobility, there.
- Karrnathi elite. Maybe in some instances the ritual that created the Karrnathi zombie works better than intended, resulting in a free-willed revenant. I'd expect these characters to be hardcore Karrnathi loyalists... but then, being a revenant might alter their perception of loyalty and duty.
- Dolurrh escapees. Some people are just too contrary to fade away, and when the planes are coterminous they break on through from the other side.
I fully expect the actual write-up to throw all of this for a loop.
Yeah, I'm hesitant to come up with anything at this point when all we have is a sentence or two of advertising to go on...
This is all just speculation though.
What's a message board for, if not rampant, unfounded speculation?
;)
A Day of Mourning "Survivor", would be a neat concept as well. With your death you forgot what actually happened.
These are all specific cases, and not what I think the race is as a whole.
During the Last War, governments grafted terrifying creatures from another plane to soldiers trying to gain an edge
against their enemies. Once an elite military agent, Lirra of Karrnath is the result of one such experiment gone
wrong—now she must find how deep the conspiracy goes.
Another idea are the Revenant as some kind of a (barbarian?) human group effected or maybe escaped The Keeper's lair in the Demon Wastes.
Wraith428
I was just doing some thinking .... years ago, WotC put out a product called Ghostwalk which allowed players to play dead characters. I wonder ... is this another attempt to rekindle that idea? Is this sort of like adding the Ghostwalk accessory to Eberron?
And before that there was a Ravenloft mini-setting called Grim Harvest for playing free-willed undead. I wouldn't say they're trying to rekindle it, as the fascination of with playing undead has been part of RPGs since the very beginning. This is just the latest version of how to do it in D&D.
I'm interested in their flavor but I'd likely work it in as a case by case basis.
Sure it could be an Aerenai Undying elf, if someone wants to play one that way, it could be a 'survivor' of the mournland, it could be a Karrnathi experiment gone wrong. Perhaps Moradin the Fleshweaver tried to expand his horrizons into undeath but decided he didn't like it. Maybe your soul escaped from The Keeper or Doluurh but you've lost your memories in the process, still you have a sembalence of life.
Or none of these, depends on what the person at the table who wants to use the race wants.
Firstly, in Dragonmarked is it hinted that Zorlan d'Cannith is experimenting with undead cosntruct. This could be adapted into the revenant. The advantage being the tie to one of the dragonmarked houses and loads of story conflicts to draw from (the split of House Cannith, the mixing of undead and construct getting every religion's knickers in a bunch, Kaius not being entirely happy about necromantic experimentation in Karrnath, that is not directly under his control and of course Zorlan's ties to the Blood of Vol).
Secondly there is of course the option of some Mournland abberation. This leaves the backstory wide open, which might appeal to those who like a bit of mystery. Also it would tie brillantly with a campaign involving the mournland (and of course the new Savior Epic Destiny from 4ed EPG).
Lastly, Count Vedim is always experimenting on undead and it wouldn't be a huge leap of imagination to suppose that he dabbled in thinking undead. Maybe you're an experiment let loose under observation as a field test or maybe you escaped or mabe you're a side-effect of one of the more unwholesome experiments, that has so far managed to escape attention.
.Dms could have brought back old villains this way I guess.
Another idea-- slain villain NPC comes back as a revenant PC running with the party. Snarky infighting and valiant unity against a "newer, greater evil" ensue.
White Wolf put out a supplement called Revenant back in the day. It came out after Wraith: the Oblivion, and was basically Crow PCs. Their main schtick was unstoppability. And angst.
Concerning the Undying angle, I don't think it fits very well. The Aerenal elves specifically use positive energy to animate the Undying. I don't think, that the Shadow origin or general flavour of the Revenants are a natural match for that.
4E is a group game and is running through EB is tough enough, if you cannot count on your party members then you are sol.
Fun fact: "sol" is the Turkish word for left, so this sentence amused me to no end.
What I'm suggesting is more along the lines of the decrypted Ansom, as seen in Erfworld. "You killed me, but I can respect that. Now let's go mess up the Prophecy."
According to the initial D&D screen which shows a picture of the Raven Queen, the Revenant is being introduced as a character race.
How does it fit into Eberron?
What are its uses?
Ideas? Anyone?
You're a Kalashtar who has returned with a vague set of memories. Ultimately, you were brought back with a piece knowledge that is hidden from you until it's need. You got it from a place "beyond the veil" or "outside", a place even beyond the Inspired. This secret is the key stopping their plans for expanasion into Eberron. You're basically have become an informational bomb and/or computer virus designed to crash the Inspired OS. The Dragons of Eberron (re)created you because this is what the Prophecy told them they needed to do to stop the Inspired.
This sounds like a strictly PC race.
For the most part, yeah. However!
Suppose that according to the Prophecy a particular hero and a particular villain were supposed to meet each other in combat during the Last War. Instead, one of them died during the wyvern raid on (was it Thaliost or Karrlakton?), and the other died of disease in a field hospital.
On the Day of Mourning, the hero and the villain both walked out of the mists as revenants. One of them is the PC, and the other is an NPC. The problem? These two nemeses were so fixated on each other that during their brief limbo in Dolurrh, there was some aspect/anima/animosity transfer. The revenants' memories, secrets, and emotions are a tangled blur. They're no longer sure which of them is which, but they know they must meet one last time.
It's like Dead Again, with swords and sorcery!
Sounds good. I meant that unlike tieflings, humans, and so on revenants probably do not have there own city districts in Sharn and don't really have a "home region."
Oh, I got that part, and I agree. I'm just sayin'.
*files away evil plot for when I get a chance to DM again*
I was happy. Wherever I ... was ... I was happy. At peace. I knew that everyone I cared about was all right. I knew it. Time ... didn't mean anything ... nothing had form ... but I was still me, you know? And I was warm ... and I was loved ... and I was finished. Complete. I don't understand about theology or dimensions, or ... any of it, really ... but I think I was in heaven. And now I'm not. I was torn out of there. Pulled out ... by my friends. Everything here is ... hard, and bright, and violent. Everything I feel, everything I touch ... this is Hell. Just getting through the next moment, and the one after that ... (softly) knowing what I've lost... (gets up, walks towards the sunlight, pauses, not looking back) They can never know. Never. (continues into the sunlight)
And what will the hero do when he turns out to be the villian?
"I'm... the bad guy?"
Kinda like Buffy after she got reseructed by her friends...
Can't believe I didn't think of that sooner.
According to the initial D&D screen which shows a picture of the Raven Queen, the Revenant is being introduced as a character race.
How does it fit into Eberron?
What are its uses?
Ideas? Anyone?
An additional idea is you could tie it into Dolurrh's Dawn. I'm pretty fluid in what I'll allow. I've got a stone golem that's racially a warforged (warforged don't exist in that setting, so its a stone golem and has golem resolve as a racial ability and there's no such thing as warforged components). So if someone wants to mechanically have a revenant but play a Karrnathi zombie I'll probably allow it (assuming he can convince me as to why the other nations would allow a zombie to walk around unmolested ;)).
I'll probably allow it (assuming he can convince me as to why the other nations would allow a zombie to walk around unmolested ;)).
As mentioned in Sharn City of Towers, under Galifar Code of Justice: Undead are excluded from the protection of the law, regardless of whether or not they are intelligent. Once a creature has died, he no longer has any status in the eyes of the law.
It's an interesting race though with multitudes of roleplaying opportunities.
I don't really kill my PCs often anyway (I use 7th Sea dramatic death rules) so I think I can pull it off.
And those zombies in Karrn are part of the military and have no rights (and no real sense of individuality or purpose beyond serving the throne for that matter). I imagine "Non-Ministry of the Dead undead" are put down fast and hard in Karrnath just like anywhere else.
That would probably be completely untrue during the reign of the Blood of Vol as the dominant religion in Karrnath. That is probably true again, since the split between the state and the religion, however.
I wanna play a revenant with an abberant mark. Or maybe a dragonmark of any house, just to mess with the DM.
A resurrected revenant (elf) from the Vol house, which manifest the mark of death after his resurrection ... interesting.
A resurrected revenant (elf) from the Vol house, which manifest the mark of death after his resurrection ... interesting.
OH SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-A Revenant might be the first sort of undead that still has a chance to unlock the "divinity within", since it's also still a living creature.
(Plus, it'd be really simple these days to be the ultimate messiah of the Blood of Vol. Just get to epic and take Demigod as your ED. Instant culmination of the entire religion.)
I was thinking of having it be a plotline that's initiated by your players. Whenever a player makes revenant they're the very first one. But soon, they start popping up all over the place. Whose behind it? It could definitely be the Blood of Vol.
Ooh, good one. It could also be that the player is some sort of herald for a massive planar invasion from Dollurh (of all places).
A Revenant might be the first sort of undead that still has a chance to unlock the "divinity within", since it's also still a living creature.
Hm, that would have profound implications for their theology, wouldn't it. Having to die first would certainly be a tough sell to initiates, though...
It could also be that the player is some sort of herald for a massive planar invasion from Dollurh (of all places).
"No one move a muscle as the dead come home."
--Shriekback, "Nemesis" (from Oil & Gold)
Sorry, couldn't help it.
Their recent "Who's the Biggest Dragonlance Fan?" or whatever contest would indicate to me that it's going to be Dragonlance. Plus, new Dragonlance novels being promoted.
So .. you took what I wrote seriously? The tongue sticking out didn't give anything away?
So .. you took what I wrote seriously? The tongue sticking out didn't give anything away?
hahahhaha, oh Host and Six no, I was more or less just replying to the other guy without a quote, because it was a general response to people thinking it was any other setting.
I really dislike the ideas about the Aereni Undying and any Karnathi creations because they make it difficult to really make it a race as opposed to a one shot character. The feats associated with the race make it so that you are in a completely different body, both undead and living, and containing a soul that could come from literally any race...even some that don't appear in a PHB!
The only thing in the Campaign Guide that might make me think otherwise about an undead creating process it the Flesh Weaver on page 48. Only really because it actually refers to stealing faces and Revenants are portrayed with mask like qualities. But...eh...I am not in love...I am going with the Arcanix created the Genasi idea they are now a true breeding race so I am not thinking it is a one shot deal. Warforged are not only created occasionally even now but they are, effectively immortal so, again, not a once shot deal race. Revenants don't reproduce...are immortal...so, could still be viable...but I just don't feel it is enough. I don't want them running all over my world but I dont want them to be a one shot character either.
I was looking at the Lair of the Keeper on page 119 as a posibility...especially with the fact that there is a draconic guardian who may or may not be an aspect of the Keeper and the fact that Revenants now have scales. Maybe the Dracolich does things like Merrix d'Cannith with his secret forge...just to see what happens. I like this alot...but why does the Dracolich do it? Are they beholden to him or her?
I was also looking at the Chasm of Forgotten Echoes on page 47. But without a controlling force the creation would be pretty random...I sorta like it though.
Last was another one of those...the Mourning did it. All the deaths on the Day of Mourning and all the different bodies all over the battlefields coupled with the clear presence of necrotic effects and arcane magic definitly make it possible for the formation of semi undead beings with random bodies and misplaced souls.
Thoughts?
If a PC wanted to play a dragonmarked revenant in my game, I think I would let them, but the mark wouldnt work, and it wouldnt cost them a feat to take it.
If they ever found a way to become all-alive again, they would have to pay for the feat at that point.
You could even have the PC actually be kidnapped, and have the other PCs go on a rescue mission, only to find out as they all escape together that it was too late and Vol successfully turned herself into a Revenant and now has an active Siberys Mark of Death.
I really dislike the ideas about the Aereni Undying and any Karnathi creations because they make it difficult to really make it a race as opposed to a one shot character. The feats associated with the race make it so that you are in a completely different body, both undead and living, and containing a soul that could come from literally any race...even some that don't appear in a PHB!
Uh, no. The feats do not do that. The article itself says you can appear however you like, including just like your living self, because it's the same body. Or it's a new body created to look like the old one. Or it's a nwe body that looks nothing like the old one, maybe not even the same gender, and you get to deal with all sorts of fun identity issues.
The point is, the Revenants have a fluff default form that you don't have to use. Which means the feats don't dictate anything more than what you want them to. If you want to be a former Tiefling, and take the Tiefling feats, you can look like a living Tiefling, or a rotting Tiefling, or a human with bird claws, or whatever.
And remember - you only get one Past Life choice. You can't choose to take feats from both Tieflings and Dragonborn for example.
On the other hand, you can choose to take the default physical appearance, take Dragonborn as your Past Life, take Scion of Arkhosia as your PP, and be flying around as a semi-human looking guy with wings! :D
Edit: Oh, and Revenants only have scales because in the default form they're raised by the Raven Queen. Their arms and lower legs have been made to resemble the skin of a bird's legs. In a setting without the Raven Queen it's even more true that you can choose to ignore the default fluff appearance.
It's a DDi race, I imagine article support for both settings (and Dragonlance, once that's announced) will be coming up in the Fall/Winter, and same for the Assassin.
Yes. The Ampersand at the beginning of the month said so. Revs will get periodic feat articles or other articles for new products (so we might get a Rev/DP article in Aug or Sept), and they also stated that the Assassin would have two builds (like normal) in the initial article, and then a third will get added in a new article next early next year.
Instead, you could place them as parallels to the Eladrin. Just as their cities were pulled into the world by the Mourning, the Revenants were pulled from the grave or from the Shadowfell in the same fashion. This will lead to many hilarious moments of the codgy dwarf revevant who just wants to get back to being dead.
Uh, no. The feats do not do that. The article itself says you can appear however you like, including just like your living self, because it's the same body. Or it's a new body created to look like the old one. Or it's a nwe body that looks nothing like the old one, maybe not even the same gender, and you get to deal with all sorts of fun identity issues.
The point is, the Revenants have a fluff default form that you don't have to use. Which means the feats don't dictate anything more than what you want them to. If you want to be a former Tiefling, and take the Tiefling feats, you can look like a living Tiefling, or a rotting Tiefling, or a human with bird claws, or whatever.
And remember - you only get one Past Life choice. You can't choose to take feats from both Tieflings and Dragonborn for example.
On the other hand, you can choose to take the default physical appearance, take Dragonborn as your Past Life, take Scion of Arkhosia as your PP, and be flying around as a semi-human looking guy with wings! :D
Edit: Oh, and Revenants only have scales because in the default form they're raised by the Raven Queen. Their arms and lower legs have been made to resemble the skin of a bird's legs. In a setting without the Raven Queen it's even more true that you can choose to ignore the default fluff appearance.
And Halfling or Gnome Revenants just...grew a little bit? The rest I got...however, I disagree. If they are ported over as Aereni Undying you cannot take the majority of the feats they offer because in your life you were and elf...nothing else, just an elf. I was never under the impression that you could take more than one past life racial power as a feat and am not sure where you got the idea that I was.
The first is: If a PC dies and the party doesn't have the means to resurrect him, he might come back as a Revenant of the same class. Or, if the PC has been killed and raised several times, he might also come back as a Revenant of the same class.
The second is: PC that want to start as a Revenant will have an unknown origin, maybe they are the soul of some great champion of the past awaken to fight its old enemies in the present. Maybe he was a dragonmarked character who died before accomplishing his part in the Prophecy. Maybe he's an ordinary guy that found his Inner Divinity though he might not have been a follower of the BoV. Or he loved life so much that Dolurrh gave him a second chance at life.
I'd say that Dragonmarks on a Revenant works. If the PC that came back as a Revenant doesn't want it to work, I'd say he 'exchange' his dragonmark for the Revenant's unlife, or that he still bears the dragonmark he used to have when alive, but he can trade (retrain) the feats related to his dragonmark for others he wants.
I personally don't like the idea that Revenants are Mournland survivors, or Karrnathi Undead, or Undyings. Though, if my player wants to go with this backstory I'd go with it, it just seems to me that saying Revenants are Mournland survivors crushes the possibilities to have other sources of Revenants.
Rekko
Say, if you pick a Revenant with an Elf past-life, you could be an Undying agent sent out into the world. If you were one with a Human past-life, you could be a Karrnathi undead or a mournland survivor. The feats and classes you pick would differentiate you. For instance, the Undying Elf might be an Invoker, while the Karrnathi Undead would be a Fighter or Warlord. The Mournland Survivor might be a warlock with the vestige pact, gaining power and a semblance of life from the souls of his destroyed countrymen (thank's for the idea, Keith!)
I don't necessarily see one source for Revenant precluding other sources from existing.
Say, if you pick a Revenant with an Elf past-life, you could be an Undying agent sent out into the world. If you were one with a Human past-life, you could be a Karrnathi undead or a mournland survivor. The feats and classes you pick would differentiate you. For instance, the Undying Elf might be an Invoker, while the Karrnathi Undead would be a Fighter or Warlord. The Mournland Survivor might be a warlock with the vestige pact, gaining power and a semblance of life from the souls of his destroyed countrymen (thank's for the idea, Keith!)
Yea, the idea that they come from many different sources is nice and you could develop any number of different backgrounds. I just like things to be a little more defined. What I would prefer, overall, is that Keith put his 2 cents in and I could just go with it. He does what he wants because he wrote the campaign in the first place, has a good idea of what WotC's balancing formula is and actually advances his career with his imaginative fixes and such (at least I am hoping he does).
I got the campaign guide because I am less imaginative, do not seem to have a good grasp on what WotC's balancing formula is (or I would just make my own world and alter races as I chose) and, honestly, don't have enough time to get everything together for the once a week game my friends and I play.
So, in my mind, I have a premade setting (which I like a great deal), some premade adventures and a whole boatload (Forgotten Realms stuff, D&D Insider stuff, etc.) of additional things I need to fit into each. I would like to have them fit for me. It can sound lazy or snotty...I dont really care much, it is as much a compliment as a complaint (again, I like the world). So, I just try to find ways to put things in without too much altering...and allowing for 4 or 5 different iterations of one race irks me.
Yea, the idea that they come from many different sources is nice and you could develop any number of different backgrounds. I just like things to be a little more defined. What I would prefer, overall, is that Keith put his 2 cents in and I could just go with it. He does what he wants because he wrote the campaign in the first place, has a good idea of what WotC's balancing formula is and actually advances his career with his imaginative fixes and such (at least I am hoping he does).
I got the campaign guide because I am less imaginative, do not seem to have a good grasp on what WotC's balancing formula is (or I would just make my own world and alter races as I chose) and, honestly, don't have enough time to get everything together for the once a week game my friends and I play.
So, in my mind, I have a premade setting (which I like a great deal), some premade adventures and a whole boatload (Forgotten Realms stuff, D&D Insider stuff, etc.) of additional things I need to fit into each. I would like to have them fit for me. It can sound lazy or snotty...I dont really care much, it is as much a compliment as a complaint (again, I like the world). So, I just try to find ways to put things in without too much altering...and allowing for 4 or 5 different iterations of one race irks me.
Personally, the primary thing I like about Eberron is the variety. You can be an elf, but are you from Aerenal or Valenar? And if from Aerenal, are you a standard Aereni or a Tairnadal? If a Tairnadal, what kind of Tairnadal? Or are you an urban Khorvairian elf? If so, do you keep to traditions of the past (Undying Court/Keepers of the Past) or newer/non-traditional faiths? Any ties to Phiarlan? Thuranni? Maybe even a Paelion Phiarlan survivor?
And that's just elves.
Personally, the primary thing I like about Eberron is the variety. You can be an elf, but are you from Aerenal or Valenar? And if from Aerenal, are you a standard Aereni or a Tairnadal? If a Tairnadal, what kind of Tairnadal? Or are you an urban Khorvairian elf? If so, do you keep to traditions of the past (Undying Court/Keepers of the Past) or newer/non-traditional faiths? Any ties to Phiarlan? Thuranni? Maybe even a Paelion Phiarlan survivor?
And that's just elves.
I keep hearing that from everyone any time I express a wish to have something concrete to hang a backstory on. So much to choose from...it could be this, it could be that...maybe it's this way and maybe not...all a mystery. I am thinking you all have it right and I have it wrong. Eberron, although I love so many things (the logical conclusion of magic on a society, the lack of killable gods, the interesting religions, the Changelings, Kalashtar, Shifters and Warforged), may just not be the setting for me.
I like knowing how all of it's different fantasy societies see things and create a certain ambiguousness for the players but as a DM I like to know the reality behind people, places and things and do not want to have to worry that something will be published contradicting what I have layed down as fact for my campaign (especially since so little is published as far as settings go). Eberron is set up without any of those concrete facts...and for a reason, I guess I just don't like it when I am DMing. Oh well, another setting will come out eventually and this is far better then the "new and improved" Forgotten Realms for now.
In any case, I don't see the different Elven cultures in the same light as the Revenants. It isn't 5 different races of Elves with 5 different racial origin stories. It's an Elf from Aerenal, Valenar, or the remainder of Khorvair. That can be further broken down by religion, country and/or Dragonmarked House...but, again, all Elves. Warforged can come from different forges but they are all Warforged. Some didn't get made by the exarch of a Rakshasa Rajah deep in the caverns of Khyber. They have an origin story as a race.
I keep hearing that from everyone any time I express a wish to have something concrete to hang a backstory on. So much to choose from...it could be this, it could be that...maybe it's this way and maybe not...all a mystery.
The mystery provides more DM options to make the setting more noir, if they so choose, but it doesn't mean that you can't just pick one of the "maybe it's..." options and stick with it. For instance, you can just say, definitively, that the Mourning was caused by House Cannith experimenting with a magic weapon for the Cyran crown that only a tight circle around the crown (all dead on the day of Mourning) knew about. And that's that. No mystery for you as a DM (incidentally, not the one I use). And you can say that all Revenants are one thing. That's the beauty of Eberron you can have your cake (all the options) and eat it too (decide on an option). Even in 3.5 Eberron, choosing an option on one of the mysteries or multi-optioned parts of the setting didn't invalidate any future releases, but especially with the EPG and ECG being the only two releases, there is no way for you to invalide anything by making a solid choice.
I like knowing how all of it's different fantasy societies see things and create a certain ambiguousness for the players but as a DM I like to know the reality behind people, places and things and do not want to have to worry that something will be published contradicting what I have layed down as fact for my campaign (especially since so little is published as far as settings go). Eberron is set up without any of those concrete facts...and for a reason, I guess I just don't like it when I am DMing.
See above.
In any case, I don't see the different Elven cultures in the same light as the Revenants. It isn't 5 different races of Elves with 5 different racial origin stories. It's an Elf from Aerenal, Valenar, or the remainder of Khorvair. That can be further broken down by religion, country and/or Dragonmarked House...but, again, all Elves. Warforged can come from different forges but they are all Warforged. Some didn't get made by the exarch of a Rakshasa Rajah deep in the caverns of Khyber. They have an origin story as a race.
And Revenants are different as a race, not as something from Eberron. As a race, they have the ability through Feats in the Revenant article to be from a bunch of different origins. That's not a facet of Eberron so much as it is a facet of the race. I like that, personally, but if you don't, you can just decide it's one thing, and nothing is going to contradict you. No setting is getting more than two books, so don't worry about it, and Revenants are DDi only anyway.
As an example, before Eberron 4E was released, a lot people of people still wanted to play 4E Eberron, myself included. As such, we created threads and discussed on how to adapt the Dragonborn, the Tiefling, the Eladrin to the setting. Later, more races and classes were added to the lot.
I'll share with you my own idea to include Dragonborn from before the 4E Eberron release.
dragonborns are off topic in a revenant thread
When the Dragons of Argonnessen thought magic to the Giants, the Giants wanted to show their gratitude to their teachers. As such, they used all sorts of magic to create the race of Dragonborn and offer them to the Dragons of Argonnessen as a gift. Most Dragons weren't at all appealed by this abomination and either refuse to receive them, leaving their stock on Xen'drik, accepted politly the gift but transported these things on Khorvaire or amuse themselves killing and torturing them on Argonnessen. A tiny minority of Dragons, however, were delighted of such a gift and were curious as to how these creatures would evolve in the world and what was their part in the Prophecy. As such, many Dragonborns were cast to Khorvaire and started building their own society, or were left in the wilds of Xen'drik growing tribes and battling the Giants who now wanted them as slaves, or on Argonnessen trying to survived and flee to Khorvaire. Though the society of the Dragonborn was a great one, their numbers were no match for the Dhakanni that extended their empire. They got pushed back in Q'barra.
Undying are positive creature that extend their lives and preserve their bodies who still slowly decays. In this way, they never truly die, but are no longer considered alive since they've past the normal length for a lifetime. If someone dies and then becomes Undying, I'd say his soul is either brought back to his body or that the person is resurrected before being shared the secrets to become Undying.
Actually, they do die and become Undying after death. It's in 3.5 and 4e that way.
Just to give my take on revenants...
If you're trying to keep the "Raven Queen has chosen to return you" angle, Eberron has an existing version of this in the Restful Watch. This sect of the SH reveres the Keeper and Aureon, stating that the Keeper is not an evil deity, but rather snatches souls from Dolurrh in order to preserve them from the fading effect of that plane, keeping them until the time is right for them to return to Eberron and fulfill their destinies. This is pretty much the revenant in a nutshell. You died and returned to life, changed by the experience; was it Aureon and the Keeper? And if so, is it the good Keeper of the RW, or the sinister Keeper feared by others? What purpose do you have?
If you're not interested in the "Preserved by the deity of death" aspect, you have the simple fact that we've always said that you can go to Dolurrh and attempt to physically retrieve lingering souls from it - and that this is the only way to raise someone whose memories have faded to the point that they no longer wish to return. It could be that even if a body is reconstituted in the process, it's not quite the same as it was - hence the revenant. Alternately, it could be that the revenant is someone who has resisted the mists and pulled himself out of Dolurrh, perhaps when the planes were coterminous - that he refused to die and dragged himself back to death. So it's not about the action of a goddess, but rather a sheer force of will that refused to die... combined with a coterminous period weakening the walls between life and death.
I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention Mordain the Fleshweaver and Dolurrh's Dawn, but I imagine someone's already done that. I don't see this as a revenant path, however, because Mordain's creations don't have that trapped-between-life-and-death aspect, and certainly aren't presented as having any necrotic energy connection; they are simply people from the past returned in the present.
In any case, I'm sure other people have come up with more creative ideas. But the soul-preserved-and-returned-by-the-Keeper idea already has a defined place in Eberron, so this is an easy match for that; and personally, I like the idea of the soul that has refused to die and physically forced its way out of Dolurrh.