Wand of the Four Moons

The Wand of the Four Moons, also known as the Wand of Four Moons and the Rod of Four Moons, was the favored weapon of the Faerûnian goddess Selûne the Moonmaiden.
==History==
The faithful believed that Selûne wielded the Wand of the Four Moons during her first battle with her sister Shar.
In the late 1350s DR, the Wand of the Four Moons was kept at the House of the Moon temple in Waterdeep. During the Time of Troubles of 1358 DR, a purported avatar of Selûne arrived in Waterdeep and summoned the faithful to the temple. Luna, the true avatar of Selûne, sent Vajra Valmeyjar to sneak into the temple and find it, but it and the case it was in had already been removed. When Luna confronted the avatar in a spell-battle, the priests presented the avatar with the Wand of the Four Moons, and she used it to defeat Luna.
A sacred replica of the Wand of Four Moons was being kept instead in the House of the Moon by 1369 DR. This had been created and blessed by Selûne to commemorate her battle with Shar in the city during the Time of Troubles.
Over a century later, circa 1492 DR, this Wand of the Four Moons was believed to have miraculously appeared in Waterdeep following the Time of Troubles, and moreover to have been Selûne's original and to have been wielded by her against Shar in the battle in Waterdeep.
==Description==
The mace had a long straight shaft with four sharp flanges, each depicting a different phase of the moon.
The Wand of the Four Moons kept in the House of the Moon in the 1350s DR was a large golden staff ending in a pointed cross, each displaying a phase of the moon. It was kept in a large blue case adorned with the moon's phases.
==Powers==
After the Time of Troubles of 1358 DR, the Wand of Four Moons had all the magical powers of a rod of security, a rod of resurrection, a wand of paralyzation, a wand of polymorphing, and a wand of lightning combined. It had still more, unknown, powers. It could be wielded as a weapon, and granted its wielder skill in its use.
After the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR, the Rod of Four Moons was a +5 heavy mace with the powers of a defending, disruption, and holy weapon.
==Worship==
A sacred replica of the Wand of Four Moons was kept in the House of the Moon temple in Waterdeep by 1369 DR. Displayed in the temple's Church of the Moon and Stars, it levitated within a warded glassteel case on the dais before the altar's argent frontal. It was identical in appearance to the original and radiated a soft, silvery-blue light. It had no other powers, but some lucky pilgrims saw it drip Selûne's essence or heard the goddess whisper inspiring or helpful words. When Selûne manifested in the temple, she emerged from this replica. It was said to contain some of her power. Two high-ranked silverstars guarded the Wand of Four Moons.
During the annual temple holiday of Selûne's Hallowing, High Priestess Naneatha Suaril bore this Wand of Four Moons at the head of a parade through the streets. It was claimed by some that Naneatha could, with a plea to the goddess, summon the real Wand of Four Moons in place of the replica and wield it with its full power. Selûnite pilgrims came to the temple to see this holy relic.
Based on the Rod of Four Moons, the heavy mace was the favored weapon of Selûnite clerics.
==Appendix==
===Notes===
Three different versions of this item under different names have been presented. As the Wand of the Four Moons, it first appeared as a golden staff in the comic Selune Rising. For 2 edition, Faiths & Avatars presented the Wand of Four Moons as primarily a magical rod or wand. For 3 edition, the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting briefly lists the Wand of Four Moons as a heavy mace, then Faiths and Pantheons presents the Rod of Four Moons as a magical heavy mace, with no spell powers. Waterdeep: Dragon Heist returns it to its original name and makes it a mace. Nevertheless, this article assumes they are the same item, with the differences being due to variation in name and the change in edition and art and to the introduction of the replica.
===Appearances===
* Selune Rising
===References===
Category:Selûnite items
Category:Heavy maces
Category:Rods
Category:Wands
Category:Magic items
Category:Magic weapons
Category:Plus-5 items
Category:Items from Waterdeep
Category:Items from the Sword Coast North
Category:Items from Northwest Faerûn
Category:Items from Faerûn
Category:Items from Toril
Category:Items