Selûne

Symbol of Selûne

**Selûne** (pronounced: /sɛˈluːnɛ/ *seh-LOON-eh* or: /sɛˈluːneɪ/ *seh-LOON-ay*), also known as the **Moonmaiden**, was the goddess of the moon in the Aegirrimian pantheon. She held the portfolios of the moons, stars, navigation, navigators, wanderers, questers, seekers, and non-evil lycanthropes. Hers was the moons' mysterious power, the heavenly force that governed the world's tides and a mother's reproductive cycles, caused lycanthropes to shift form, and drew one to the brink of madness, and back again. Her nature, appearance, and mood all changed in turn with the phases of the moon. A portion of her name was shared by one of the moons of Aegirrim, Lun.

*"Let all on whom my light falls be welcome if they desire to be so. As the silver moon waxes and wanes, so too does all life. Trust in my radiance, and know that all love alive under my light shall know my blessing. Turn to the moon, and I will be your true guide."*

— The words of Selune, which all novices were charged with.

## Description

In both her avatars and her religious artwork, Selûne appeared in many forms, like the phases of the moon. One was a dusky-skinned human woman with long limbs; perfect and exquisite beauty; wide, radiant, lime-green eyes; and long, ivory-hued hair that fell to her knees. Another was an ethereal young girl of slender frame, dark eyes, and dark hair, wearing diaphanous robes colored white or resembling dappled moonlight, which trailed her "moondust" or "moon motes". A third was a matronly middle-aged woman, plump yet fair and aging gracefully, with gray-streaked dark hair. This one sometimes lived among mortals; the most notable such avatar was the innkeeper **Luna**. A simple depiction of the goddess was of a woman's face on the disc of the moon.

She was also ever changing, ageing but ageless. If watched over time, her appearance seemed to grow to full radiance or to age and fade away, in keeping with the waxing or waning of the moon. Such changes only affected her external appearance and did not reflect any change in might, at least to mortal eyes. But, over time, she did indeed wax and wane in power and prominence.

In any form or state, whenever she was in darkness, Selûne's avatar continually emanated a faint blue-white glow like moonlight.

## Personality

Again like the cycles of the moon, Selûne had many and changing moods and natures. Her faithful, coming from many walks of life, viewed her in countless different ways, and she reflected this. Sometimes she was enthusiastic, vivacious, joyous, and majestic, given to action and dance. At other times, she was subdued, motherly, and almost poetic or tranquil and embracing. Then she was remote and weighed down by sadness at defeats and tragedies, even those that happened long, long ago. Finally, she could be aggressive and fierce, but cold, and with little mercy for her enemies. These shifting personalities made her versatile. Nevertheless, she was viewed as a calm power.

At all times, Selûne was caring and accepting of most beings, and forgiving of most of her followers' faults. She was both ageless and ancient. She was quietly mystical and, as a being of chaos, well used to change. She had a serene and peaceful nature and was slow to anger; she would not fight if she could help it, but nor did she hold back if she must. She was fiercely protective when confronted by evil. The one constant was her eternal conflict with Shar.

She was generous and freely bestowed gifts and blessings on mortals. She also made few demands of her followers. When beseeched by her clergy, she always responded.

## Abilities

When manifested as an avatar, she could cast a wide variety of magical spells, except those of the plant sphere and any that conjured darkness. She would avoid reversed and injurious forms of healing spells and necromantic sphere spells, unless absolutely necessary. She could freely cast divination spells, even alongside other spells. Her spells all had a similar appearance, beginning as streaks of moonbeams and only revealing their true effect when they struck. She radiated *protection from evil* to a distance of a 100 yards (90 meters), and no good summoned creature within this range could be dispelled or banished. Meanwhile, a *holy word* from her automatically banished evil extraplanar beings.

She could not be damaged by electricity and light spells, and could not be affected by illusion, enchantment, or *charm* and charm sphere spells. No lycanthrope could attack her. She could not be detected or revealed by divination magic unless she willed it.

If pressed into battle, Selûne was an awesome warrior, fighting with divine fury but with martial and magical skill in coordination.

She typically manifested as trails of dancing motes of light, similar to will-o'-wisps, commonly called "moondust" or "moon motes", which could shed moonlight where there should be none. In this form, she guided travelers lost in the night or journeying over hazardous terrain, and came to shine for her faithful when light was needed for a delicate action. These moon motes occasionally exuded a radiant, sparkling, pearly-hued liquid known as "drops fallen from the moon", which was the holy essence of Selûne and was prized by the faithful.

To indicate her favor or presence or to help mortals, Selûne might send owls; weredragons or song dragons; certain breeds of good lycanthropes or other shapechanging creatures; or one of her loyal planetar servants known as the Shards, or lesser beings known as slivers. Other signs were the colors blue and silver and the appearance of moonstones. For example, a Selûnite captured by Sharrans who spied a moonstone ring on one of their fingers would understand there was a spy in the cult. Selûne would also create *moonfire* for her faithful during a ritual, which could enchant items or the worshipers themselves.

Finally, Selûne could sense any deed that occurred in the open light of the moon, anywhere in the world. She could also instantly create any magical item that could heal, influence shapechangers, or bestow spells of the Moon domain.

## Activities

She was believed to control the ebb and flow of the tides and to comfort those in need during the night. Her moons shined a light in the darkness, holding evil at bay. She had infused her spirit with the moons, and there eternally watched over the world. Through the moons, she controlled the powers of lycanthropes. Lycanthropy was often known by the euphemism "Selûne's Kiss"; one so touched was said to be "kissed by Selûne".

She was believed to guide herders to good pastures, to aid ships lost on the sea and travelers lost in the wilds, to deliver love to those who sought it and bless marriages, to guarantee the safety of births, and to watch over relationships and connections between people. Selûne blessed all things beautiful purely for the sake of their beauty, and granted visions to people who desired them for good purposes.

Avatars of Selûne most often wandered the Outer Planes, seeking out magical lore or an advantage to help her destroy Shar once and for all. She was reluctant to manifest avatars in Aegirrim, as Shar took joy in obliterating them there. However, Selûne often provided her priests with temporary powers or spells to help them achieve the missions she gave them.

Selûne was in constant conflict with Shar, her sister and the goddess of darkness. Their war was the eternal drama of the sky, vital to the balance of nature: the dark of the night devouring the light of the moons, before the moons was renewed and the cycle repeated. In their never-ending struggle across the sky, Selûne was slain by Shar at every new moon. They fought incessantly to undercut the other.

Babes born beneath a full moon often grew up to exhibit magical talent. Meanwhile, those conceived under moonlight were believed to "have the moon alive within them" and expected to turn to the worship of Selûne.

Folk were encouraged to pray to Selûne under moonlight, for she gained real power at such times. Furthermore, she could guide those who meditated under moonlight, even if they did not pray to her.

## Relationship with Desoladar

Selûne was most commonly associated with the moon's Cidla and Lun, while Desoladar was viewed as an outsider. There are some on Aegirrim who claim that Desoladar was not always present in the Aegirrim night sky and is a more recent addition those earning the moon monikers such as "**The Outsider**" or "**The Untrusted Moon**".

## Divine Realm

Selûne dwelled in a planar realm called the Gates of the Moon. Her realm stood on the plane of Ysgard, also called Gladsheim. In the middle of the Gates of the Moon, Selûne resided in a shining silver hall named Argentil, a place of beauty, quietness, and moonlight.

## Possessions

In battle, Selûne sometimes wielded a *moon blade +3*, in fact a lasting form of the *moon blade* spell. However, her favored weapon was the *Rod of Four Moons* (also called the *Wand of Four Moons*), a four-flanged heavy mace of potent magical power. Selûne's scale mail comprised opalescent, circular scales that glowed faintly with silver light; she donned it only in battle, but might lend it to beings on a quest for her, without losing any of its protection herself.

## History

Selûne was believed to be one of the oldest deities known in Aegirrim. Many legends were told about her, the central one being her conflict with her sister Shar at the beginning of all things. It was told by clerics of Selûne and Shar, but it was repeated in so many religions in Aegirrim it was widely held to be true.

## Symbol

Her holy symbol was a bright pair of eyes of a darkly beautiful human woman, encircled by seven silver stars.

## Worshipers

*Main article: Church of Selûne*
Selûne and her teachings of compassion and guidance were appealing to all folk who lived their lives by the moonlit night sky, and hence her faithful were a very diverse group. She was followed by those who were lost and those who were questing. Sailors and navigators, who traveled by the stars, often prayed to the Moonmaiden to protect them. Others who labored by night at honest work prayed to her for similar reasons. Some sought her for protection in the dark or from the dark forces of Shar. Lycanthropes, whether those of good heart, neutrality, or a few who relished their condition, honored the Moonmaiden as the mistress of their nature. Astrologers, diviners, fortune-tellers, mystics, and those just curious about the future acknowledged her as a ruler of fate. Female spellcasters revered her, particularly those born during a full moon or who had an interest in divination, and a few dedicated themselves to her. She was also worshiped by illusionists, some sages, and good thieves.

In particular, she was commonly worshiped by human women. They looked to Selûne for guidance, courage, and strength, while couples hoped she would bless them with children when the time was right. The church's ideology of female empowerment made her popular with alewives, laundresses, seamstresses, and servants.

Meanwhile, the church's philosophy of self-reliance and finding one's path made her popular with all kinds of mavericks, eccentrics, and outsiders, such as adventurers and outcasts. She was one of those gods worshiped by non-wicked tieflings.

Even those not dedicated to Selûne would pay their respects to her. For example, a band of adventurers on a night-time raid might make an offering to Selûne for guidance. Most goodly folk paid homage to Selûne during the full moon. Even evil thieves would try to placate her.

### Beliefs

According to Shimmering Sea superstition, one who mocked Selûne while aboard a ship would never complete their voyage. The sailors of Enjorra took this very seriously. Furthermore, Enjorrans saw the whole Shimmering Sea as sacred to the goddess.

Moonstones were believed to be sacred to Selûne by her followers. Some folk believed silver to be Selûne's hardened tears.