Angharradh: The Triune Goddess, the One and the Three, the Union of the Three, Queen of Arvandor
Symbol: Three interconnecting circles laid out in a triangle that points down
Home Plane: Arvandor (Crescent Grove)
Alignment: CG
Portfolio: Spring, Fertility, Planting, Birth, Defense, Wisdom.
Domains: Chaos, Elf, Good, Knowledge, Plant, Protection, Renewal
Worshipers: Community Elders, Druids, Elves, Farmers, Fighters, Midwives, Mothers
Aliases: Aerdrie Faenya, Hanali Celanil, Sehanine Moonbow
Cleric Alignments: CG, CN, NG
Favored Weapon: “Duskshaft” (Longspear or Shortspear)
History/Relationships:
Angharradh (Pronounced On-garh-rath) is the face of the power who is both three separate goddesses – Aerdrie Faenya, Hanali Celanil and Sehanine Moonbow who are collectively known as the Three – as well as a single goddess – the One – who subsumes their separate aspects. The Triune Goddess presents many faces, depending upon circumstances.
During the spring and during harvest time she is a fertility goddess. She watches over the planting of crops, blessed births, and keeps the land green and growing. In wartime, she is a grim warrior who wields a red sword and mercilessly slays the enemies of the elves. When wisdom is required, the One and the Three is a source of guidance and council.
Among the Fair Folk, Angharradh is worshiped nearly exclusively by Moon Elves and a handful of Half-Moon Elves. The other Elven subraces worship Angharradh’s aspects as separate goddesses, but they rarely give homage to the Union of the Three. Whether Angharradh is truly a combination of the three goddesses or a separate deity in her own right actually lies in the hearts of her individual worshipers. According to Moon Elven mythology, Angharradh was born from the essence of the three greatest goddesses of the Seldarine before the first of the Fair Folk walked the forests of Faerûn. The Triune Goddess arose in the aftermath of a great battle between the Seldarine and the anti-Seldarine, a host of evil powers who had invaded Arvandor at the bequest of Araushnee, Corellon’s traitorous consort. When an arrow launched by Eilistraee at an onrushing Ogre god was subtly warped by the magic of treacherous Araushnee, and felled the Protector instead, Aerdrie struck down the Dark Maiden in revenge. The Seldarine assumed the unconscious daughter of Araushnee and Corellon was to blame for her father’s collapse.
Sehanine’s timely escape from Vhaeraun’s prison allowed the goddess of Moonlight to expose Araushnee’s crimes and the Masked Lord’s complicity, but the Weaver of Destiny defiantly rejected the collective authority of the assembled Seldarine to convene a council to investigate her actions. In response, Aerdrie, Hanali and Sehanine drew together and merged into a luminous cloud before coalescing in the form of the Triune Goddess. Angharradh then restored Corellon to health, taking her place by the Protector’s side and declaring her intention to prevent treachery from ever entering the heart of a goddess of Arvandor again.
As the consort of Corellon and co-ruler of the Seldarine, Angharradh is on excellent terms with the other members of the Elven pantheon. The Triune Goddess has a strong, motherly interest in both Eilistraee and Mielikki, and, more so than Corellon Larethian, maintains strong ties with the paramount goddesses of other human and Demihuman pantheons.
Angharradh strongly opposes the destructive efforts of Talos and the Gods of Fury- particularly Malar, for it was the Beastlord who unleashed the Elf-Eater on Evermeet in DR 1372, the Year of the Unstrung Harp. The Triune Goddess reserves her strongest hatred for Lolth, as the Spider Queen has never ceased her efforts to undermine Corellon Larethian or destroy his progeny, the Fair Folk. As the One and the Three, Angharradh is both three distinct goddesses and a goddess in her own right. While some Teu’Tel’Quessir assume that the aspect of Sehanine is Angharradh’s primary facet – a point of confusion due in part to the belief by other subraces of the Fair Folk that Sehanine, not Aerdrie or Hanali, is Corellon’s consort – in truth all three goddesses are equal and each reflects the duality that is their individual nature and that of the Triune Goddess.
As such, Angharradh’s nature reflects the personality traits of each of the Three, including the impulsive and whimsical nature of the Winged Mother, the romantic and affectionate nature of the Heart of Gold, and the serene and ephemeral nature of the Daughter of the Night Skies. The fusion of the Three was born of Araushnee’s betrayal and the collective threat to Arvandor and the Seldarine. As such, the Triune Goddess exhibits the fierce protectiveness and unbending resolve of the Queen of Arvandor.
Angharradh’s deific realm, the Crescent Grove, rests at the heart of Arvandor. It is said that the Crescent Grove is one of the most beautiful places in all of the multiverse. In the center of the Crescent Grove stands Corellon’s Tower, the palace of the Coronal of Arvandor. The palace, made of marble, crystal, and plant life is a perfect synthesis of artistry and nature. According to myths, Angharradh rules the palace with Corellon Larethian, as his consort.
Dogma: Through unity and diversity there is strength. Be ever vigilant against She Who Was Banished and work together in defending the lands of the Fair Folk from those who would work evil. Celebrate the One and the Three for their collective purpose and individual expressions of life. Through the melding of widely different skills and interest, creativity, life, and artistry are nurtured and new ideas are discovered.
Avatar/Manifestations: Angharradh appears as a female elf of unearthly beauty and grade who is gloriously gowned and shining with gems the color of starlight. In times of war she appears in a suit of gleaming silver Elven plate mail. Angharrad can also manifest in any of the ways employed by Aerdrie Faenya, Hanali Celanil and Sehanine Moonbow.
Agents/Petitioners: The Triune Goddess is served by the same creatures as the Three and demonstrates her favor or disfavor in ways identical to those of the Three.
The Church of Angharradh: Angharradh does not have a very large following of herself, per se. Most of her church is made up of priests and priestess’ dedicated to Sehanine Moonbow, Hanali Celanil, and/or Aerdrie Faenya. However, Moon Elves all believe that the One and the Three are all the same entity, and pay homage to the One, no matter what official clergy they are involved with.
Angharradh’s church is almost exclusively made up of Moon Elves, since they are the only Elven subrace to recognized her as her own distinct deity, and yet, a reflection of the Three who compose her. Few Sun Elves join the Angharradhan church, as they do not know what to make of her, and believe her to be a Moon Elven misinterpretation of who Sehanine Moonbow is. Among other Elven subraces, there is no worship of Angharradh.
Novices in Angharradh’s church are called Triune Seekers, while full blown priests or priestess’ are called Trimorphs. There are very few Triune Seekers, or Trimorphs, as most priests or priestess’ of Angharradh are already priests or priestess’ of one of the Three who make up the One, and thus, already have specific titles.
Day-to-Day Activities: Priests of Angharradh serve the Triune Goddess much like the clergies of Aerdrie Faenya, Hanali Celanil and Sehanine Moonbow. Most priests of the Triune Goddess are affiliated with one aspect of the Three, and their activities reflect their association with that particular aspect. A handful of female Moon Elven priestesses are practitioners of the ancient secrets of totemic magic. These mysterious Elves create small wood or stone charms inscribed with pictorial symbols that can pass special magical abilities on to their owners. Totem-sisters are also considered wise women and sages and are often consulted on important issues.
They also serve as priests of Aerdrie Faenya, Hanali Celanil and Sehanine Moonbow, as well as their single embodiment, Angharradh. Totem-sisters craft beneficial totemic images of their tribe and are considered great sources of wisdom and comfort. They attend births, bless young children, help with planting and harvest, and bless warriors going into battle. Particularly successful totem sisters are sought out by other tribes and apsiring totemic practitioners for advice and counsel.
Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: Members of Angharrad’s priesthood celebrate the holy days and important ceremonies of one of the Three, depending upon which aspect of the Triune Goddess they particularly venerate. The only holy day celebrated exclusively by those who pray to Angharradh is the Melding of the Three, a quadrennial ceremony held on Cinnaelos’Cor, more commonly known in the Calendar of Harptos as Shieldmeet. While this holy day is more generally observed by Elves in honor of the Protector, the Teu’Tel’Quessir celebrate the tripartite aspects of Angharrad and the unification of the Three that have led to centuries of peace in Arvandor and Elven realms in Faerûn. In addition to singing great hymns to the Triune Goddess, Angharrad’s faithful often assemble to invoke great feats of cooperative magic on this day.
Major Centers of Worship: The Hall of Trifold Harmony is a soaring temple of green and white marble in the Elven city of Taltempla, on the eastern shore of the Green Isle. Angharrad’s house of worship is located amidst neighboring temples of Aerdrie Faenya, Hanali Celanil and Sehanine Moonbow in the temple district of Evermeet’s second-largest city, and the ranks of the Triune Goddess’ priesthood are drawn from Moon Elves who serve in the temples of both the One and the Three. The temple of Angharradh is jointly administered by a triumvirate of the most senior Moon Elven priests and priestess’ of the three Elven goddesses resident in the city.
Currently, Renestrae Narlbeth, Blythswana Iliathor, and Faranni Omberdawn, respectively the first, second and fourth ranking clerics in their individual temples, are the caretakers of the Hall of Trifold Harmony. The Hall of Trifold Harmony serves as the center of Moon Elven culture in Taltempla, and the Triumvirate of Angharradh assists the informal ruler of the city, High Mage Gaelira, in ameliorating the infrequent disputes that come up among the temples of the various Seldarine powers venerated in the city.
Affiliated Orders: The Angharradhan church has no special orders specifically affiliated with the Triune Goddess. However, some members of orders affiliated with Aerdrie Faenya, Hanali Celanil or Sehanine Moonbow worship their order’s patron as an aspect of Angharradh.
Priestly Vestments: Angharrad’s priest wear the ceremonial garb of the clergies of the Three. Some priests wear the garb of one aspect of the Triune Goddess, while other priests incorporate pieces of each fashion into their holy vestments.
Adventuring Garb: In combat situations, clerics of the One and the Three favor ornate, gleaming suits of Elven chainmail or, in rare situations, Elven plate mail. Their preferred weapons include long and short bows, long and short swords and spears, although most are trained in a wide range of weapons. Shields emblazoned with the symbol of the Triune Goddess are common among the faithful, as are heraldic charges per pall (parted in three, as the letter Y) with the symbol of Sehanine on top, the symbol of Aerdrie in the lower left, and the symbol of Hanali in the lower right as viewed by the shield-bearer. Totem-sisters favor long bows and spears and use only nonmetallic armors
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