Sehanine Moonbow

Sehanine Moonbow: Daughter of the Night Skies, Goddess of Moonlight, the Lunar Lady, Moonlit Mystery, the Mystic Seer, the Luminous Cloud, Lady of Dreams

Symbol: Full moon with an opaque, milky crescent moonbow
Home Plane: Arvandor (The Crescent Grove)
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Portfolio: Death, Dreams, Journeys, Moon Elves, Mysticism, Selûne (The Moon), Stars, The Night Sky, Transcendence
Domains: Chaos, Elf, Good, Illusion, Knowledge, Moon, Travel
Worshipers: Diviners, Elves, Half-Elves, Illusionists, Mhaornathil, Moon Elves, Opponents of the Undead
Aliases: Angharradh
Cleric Alignments: NG, CG, CN
Favored Weapon: “Moonshaft” (Quarterstaff)

History/Relationships: Whereas Corellon Larethian’s symbol is the crescent moon, Sehanine Moonbow (Pronounced SEH-ha-neen MOON-boe) is the Elven goddess of the moon or, more specifically, the full moon. She governs divinations, omens, and subtle magics and protects against madness. She watches over the dreams of the Elves, keeping them from harm while in reverie, and sending omens to protect them from future dangers.

Sehanine watches over the passage of Elven spirits from the world, and she is the protector of the dead. The Daughter of the Night Skies is also a guardian and guide to those Elves whose days in the world of mortals are finished and who seek to travel from the lands they know and love to distant refuges such as Evermeet. She also watches over such refuges and ensures they are kept safe from intrusion.

Sehanine governs long journeys, both physical and spiritual, and in Elven cultures that proclaim the reality of reincarnation, Sehanine and Corellon work together to guide the spirit to its best subsequent incarnation as it works its way toward perfection. Although Sehanine is venerated by all the Fair Folk, including Half-Elves and a handful of benevolent Drow, she is particularly revered by Moon Elves, who view her as their protector, and Sun Eves, who are the most withdrawn from the world of all the Elven subraces. Tel'Quessir seeking to explore transcendental mysteries, awaiting passage to Evermeet or Arvandor, or undergoing physical or spiritual journeys pray to the Goddess of Moonlight, as do mystics, seers, diviners, and weavers of illusions.

Sehanine Moonbow is the mightiest of the female powers in the Seldarine. Identified with the mystic power of the moon, Sehanine's tears are said to have mingled with Corellon's blood, and given life to the Elven race. The Elves do not forget this fact.

Sehanine is both the primary aspect of Angharradh and one of the three Elven goddesses -the other two being Hanali Celanil and Aerdrie Faenya- who collectively form the Triune Goddess. This duality tightly binds Sehanine with the two other senior Elven goddesses, and the three collectively serve alongside Corellon in leading the Seldarine, just as the Goddess of Moonlight is said to do in other myths.

Sehanine has excellent relations with all of the Seldarine, and it is her kind-heartedness that soothes the anger of Shevarash in his darkest fury and her welcoming nature that brings Fenmarel back to Arvandor on occasion. The Luminous Cloud has few strong relationships outside of the Seldarine, for her otherworldliness is beyond even most other deities. Sehanine works closely with Selûne, for the two share similar concerns, and the Goddess of Moonlight is a strong ally of Eilistraee, whom she considers an adopted daughter of sorts. Sehanine has also forged alliances with some of the other powers that oversee death, but she has no tolerance for those who practice in the black arts of necromancy.

Sehanine's antipathy for Lolth has existed since the latter was Araushnee, consort of Corellon and the mastermind who nearly engineered the death of the Protector and the defeat of the Seldarine. The Lady of Dreams actively opposes the nefarious schemes of the Spider Queen and the other Drow powers. With the rise of humanity and its rapacious expansion into traditional elven homelands, Sehanine has found her energies increasingly occupied by thwarting the destructive ravages of gods such as Auril, Cyric, Malar, Talos, and Umberlee.

Sehanine rarely concerns herself directly with events in the Realms, aside from weaving illusions around secret Elven retreats, and guiding Elves going to those lands. Her power waxes and wanes with the phases of the moon, growing strongest when the moon is full and weakest when it is new. As befits the Elven goddess of mysteries, Sehanine Moonbow is cloaked in secrets and illusions, and rarely speaks her mind directly, preferring instead, to communicate through a process of dreams, visions, and other mystic experiences. The Goddess of Moonlight is truly spiritual and ephemeral being who evades any attempt to define her and whose serenity surrounds her like a mantle of moon dust.

Sehanine Moonbow’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. Along with her consort, Corellon Larethian, Sehanine Moonbow rules over all of Arvandor, and over all Elves across the multiverse.

Dogma: Life is series of mysteries whose secrets are veiled by the Luminous Cloud. As the spirit transcends its mortal bounds and new mysteries are uncovered, a higher form is achieved and the cycle of life continues. Through contemplation and meditation, communion with the Lady of Dreams is achieved. Through dreams, visions, and omens revealed in sleep or the reverie, the Daughter of the Night Sky unveils the next step along the path and the next destination on the endless journey of mystic wonder that is life and death and life. Revere the mysterious moon, who draws forth tides or being from us all.

Avatar/Manifestations: Sehanine Moonbow appears as a beautiful, fey Moon Elf woman, who is simultaneously youthful and ageless, wearing a diaphanous flowing gown formed of semi-solid gossamer moonbeams. The Lady of Dreams manifests through dreams and waking visions. She grants boons only to worshipers who enter an altered state of awareness, whether it be through meditation, dance, or trance. Sehanine Moonbow sometimes manifests in drugged, drunken, unconscious, or sleeping beings, and causes them to ramble on about random topics in all of the languages that they know.

The foci of such a manifestations need not be worshipers or even Elves, although the Luminous Cloud manifests as such only if at least one worshiper is present. The Goddess of the Moon sometimes manifests in enspelled worshipers when they are sleeping or in a trance state, as to unravel spell effects or to utter cryptic prophecies to those in attendance.

Sehanine Moonbow manifests her pleasure by guiding her followers to precious stones and metals, such as mithral, moonstones, silver, and sunstones, as well as the occurrence of meteor showers, or shooting stare. She makes his displeasure known by causing Selûne to appear to blink, flicker, and wink at those who she is unhappy with.

Agents/Petitioners: Sehanine Moonbow is served by Aasimar, Aasimon (Lights), Agathinon, Ancient Treants, Asuras, Azmyths, Baelnorn, Buraq, Cathshee, Cooshee, Einheriar, Eladrin, Electrum Dragons, Elven Cats, Elves, Feystags, Firestars (Known as Moondancers), Firetails, Frosts, Hollyphants, Incarnates of Faith, Incarnates of Hope, Kholiathra, Ki-rin, Lythari, Mist Dragons, Moon Dogs, Moon Horses, Mortals, Nic'Epona, Pixies, Radiance Quasielementals, Reverend Ones, Seelie Faeries, Silver Dogs, Silver Dragons, Sprites, Sunflies, T'uen-rin, and Tiefling.

Sehanine Moonbow has a single proxy- a genderless Tiefling named Moonsilver. Moonsilver is the grandchild of the unholy coupling of an Elf and a Tanar’ri. Moonsilver’s mother, the direct offspring of the two, was hunted down and killed. Sehanine Moonbow felt derelict in her duties of protecting her followers, and took Moonsilver as her own. The Tiefling has been empowered at become invisible at will, and is currently learning how to teleport via moonbeams.

The Church of Sehanine Moonbow: The church of Sehanine Moonbow is generally perceived as removed from the daily concerns of typical Elven life. Because of this, they are seen as mystical by fellow Tel’Quessir, and mythical by N’Tel’Quessir. Her priests and priestess’ serve as guides between this life, and the next life, in Arvandor.

Sehanine Moonbow’s temples are soaring monuments open only to Elves, and a handful of pious Half-Elves. All temples contain a lot of circular architecture, and complete symmetry. The central chambers usually have domed roofs, which are either transparent, or retractable, as to allow the light to Selûne to shine down into the chambers. Older temples often have large rock formations, which are used to track the positions of Selûne, and other celestial bodies. Newer temples substitute these large formations with gardens that represent the passage from the Material Plane to Arvandor.

Novice priests and priestess’ are called The Mooncalled. Fully consecrated priests and priestess’ are called The Heavenly. Other ranks used by the church include Stargazer, Moondancer, Sky Seer, Vision Seeker, Omen Teller, Dream Walker, Trancendentalist, Reverent Dreamer and Starsinger.

More than half of Sehanine Moonbow’s clergy is made up of Moon Elves. Slightly more than one quarter of her clergy is made up of Sun Elves. Wild Elves, Wood Elves, and Half-Elves make up a small minority, and individuals from the rest of the different Elven subraces rounds up the list. Sehanine Moonbow’s church is mostly made up of women, as they edge of males ever so slightly in number.

Day-to-Day Activities: Sehanine Moonbow’s priests and priestess’ are the seers and mystics of Elven society. They serve as the spiritual counselors to Elves and Half-Elves who seek to embark on journeys, in search of enlightenment, so as to transcend their current state of being. As the protectors of the dead, Sehanine Moonbow’s priests and priestess’ organize and administer funeral rites and guard the remains of the fallen. They seek out and destroy Undead creatures, for Sehanine holds such creatures to be blasphemous. The only exceptions to her wrath are Baelnorn, Reverend Ones, and other good-aligned Undead, who voluntarily prolong their existence into order to further serve their people.

As defenders of Elven homelands, Sehanine Moonbow’s clergy is responsible for weaving and maintaining the illusions that guard those sanctuaries, and for divining potential threats to their continued existence. The prime task of adventuring priests and priestess’ is the retrieval of lost arcane and magical knowledge, especially if it pertains to illusions and/or divinations.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: Sehanine's faithful celebrate a wide variety of holy days, all of which are tied to the position of various heavenly bodies, particularly Selûne. Many of these celebrations occur only once per decade, some once per century, and a few even occur once per millennium.

The most frequent celebrations of Sehanine Moonbow’s faithful are held monthly, underneath the light of the full moon. Lunar Hallowings, as such holy days are known, are marked with personal meditation and collective entrance into Elven communion. On occasion, Sehanine Moonbow manifests through her assembled worshipers, melding their spirits in a true communion of mind and soul. Such holy days are concluded with a joyous freeform dance beneath the most visible manifestation of the Goddess of Moonlight, Selûne, which lasts until the first rays of dawn.

Once per year, Sehanine Moonbow’s faithful gather on the night of the Feast of the Moon for the Mystic Rites of the Luminous Cloud. Similar to, in many ways, the monthly Lunar Hallowings, the Mystic Rites of the Luminous Cloud are notable for the visible manifestation of the Lady of Dreams, whereby the assembled worshipers are enveloped in a mantle of shimmering, silvery light that rises up and darts across the heavens. During such mystical flights across the sky, the sacred mysteries of the Mystic Seer are revealed to the participants, with each participant learning secrets appropriate to his current level of spiritual development.

The church of Sehanine Moonbow is also charged with preparing Elven dead. Elven funeral rites vary widely from community to community, and from individual to individual, reflecting the nature of the departed spirit. If the Elf has simply answered Sehanine's call, as opposed to death by accident or violence, death rituals are more often a celebration that the Elf has achieved the joys of Arvandor, rather than a time of mourning.

In cases of violent, or accidental death, where the spirit is not utterly destroyed, Sehanine's Clerics serve in the stead of the departed spirit in the ritual of Transcendence. A Ceremony of Recovery involves one or more days of meditation and mystic communion with the natural and spiritual worlds. If successful, the Cleric performing the rite channels the lost spirit through his or her own link with Sehanine, enabling the spirit to transcend to Arvandor.

In either case, if the body remains, the method of disposal varies as well. In some communities, the assembled mourners gather with great pomp and circumstance to watch the body be interred in the ground. Other Elven societies bury the body immediately, regarding it as a mere husk from which the life force has departed. After disposing of the shell, they celebrate the spirit of the Elf who once resided there. Still, other Elves believe that burning is the only way to truly rid the spirit of its earthly ties. Not only does it free the spirit for Arvandor, it also prevents anyone from using the body for nefarious purposes.

Major Centers of Worship: While the largest temples of Sehanine Moonbow are found on the Evermeet, in Evereska, and in the woods of the Elven Court, the site most sacred to the Lady of Dreams is the Tears of Aloevan. This is an otherworldly cloud of magic, accessed through a mystical pool of water found in an unearthly sylvan glen at the heart of Ardeep Forest. Much like Qilue Veladorn serves both Mystra and Eilistraee today, Aloevan was once the Chosen of both Sehanine Moonbow, and the Lady of Mysteries.

The moon Elven queen's descent into madness and her eventual death was a tragic loss for both the Fair Folk and the other Human and Demihuman races of the region. It is believed that he death was caused by her inability to control the silver fire that raged within her body. Upon her death, Aloevan's spirit was unable to pass on to Arvandor, and was instead enmeshed within a nimbus of silver fire that hovered between Faerûn and Arvandor. To diminish the madness of their queen, who had sacrificed so much, seven Clerics of Sehanine Moonbow created a special link between the natural world and the spiritual limbo in which Aloevan's spirit was trapped in.

For centuries, Sehanine Moonbow’s Clerics have labored to ease the torment of the mad queen and, in the process, have recreated the long-lost court of Ardeep within the pocket dimension formed from the silver fire Aloevan could no longer control. Aloevan's spirit is now capable of manifesting in a form similar to that of a spectral ghost within the Court of Silver Fire, as the mystic temple is known, but her laughter and tears are still tinged with madness, and only the beneficence of the seven priests enables her to hold on to the last vestiges of her sanity.

During times of solar eclipses, passage between the glen in Ardeep Forest and the Court of Silver Fire is possible. At such times a priest or priestess of Sehanine Moonbow may make his or her way into Aloevan's mystical court, at Sehanine Moonbow’s request, to replace one of the seven Clerics who is ready to pass on to Arvandor. Although many others have sought entrance to Aloevan's court, none have returned to tell the tale, so it is unknown if any who were not called there by Sehanine Moonbow have ever succeeded or not in getting there.

Affiliated Orders: The Knights of the Seven Sacred Mysteries are well known for their service in the defense of various Elven homelands- from Evereska to Synnoria- from N'Tel'Quessir invaders, as well as their ongoing efforts to retrieve and recover tomes of long-lost Elven lore and items of Elven artistry from the ruins of fallen realms. The order is composed of Elves and a handful of Half-Elves, most of whom are of Moon Elven or Sun Elven ancestry.

The order's entrance requirements are kept secret from non-members, but it is generally known that there are seven tiers in the order's hierarchy, and that it can take a century or more of faithful service to Sehanine Moonbow before the next mystery is revealed. Knights of the First Mystery are the lowest ranking members of the order, while Knights of the Seventh Mystery are some of the most powerful agents of Sehanine in the Realms. No Half-Elf has ever risen higher than the rank of Knight of the Fourth Mystery, but it is not known if this fact indicates the difficulty of ascending up the order's rarefied ranks or if it is a manifestation of bias against those who have some degree of N'Tel'Quessir ancestry. The order's preeminent chapter houses are found in the cities of Ruith, on Evermeet, Evereska, and amidst the Tangled Trees settlement of the Elven Woods.

The Sentinels of the Moonbow are a small fellowship of Rangers pledged to the service of the Goddess of Moonlight. Sentinels of the Moonbow watch over animals that may hold the reincarnated spirits of Elves of ages past, and that may once again assume Elven form. These Rangers in the service of Sehanine are also pledged to the tracking and destruction of undead creatures whose existence is a blight upon the land.

Elven Mhaornathil also pledge allegiance to Sehanine Moonbow. These warriors track down and destroy evil undead, with the blessings and aid of the Daughter of the Night Sky. Though Mhaornathil do not have a formal order, it is unheard of for a Mhaornathil to not swear allegiance to Sehanine Moonbow. The Veiled Choir is a mysterious sisterhood of Elven mystics, whose very existence is obscured by a veil of legend, mystery, and rumor. Sisters of the Veiled Choir are renowned for their prophetic abilities, and their visions are revealed in an unending chorus of song. Only a handful of these ancient Elven seers are believed to exist, residing in ancient temples of the Lady of Dreams, whose very existences have long been forgotten by even the most learned of Fair Folk.

Young elves in search of adventure often attempt to find the sisterhood's oracular redoubts, of which, curiously, none are located on the Green Isle of Evermeet. On rare occasions, a lucky and persistent Elf discovers a Veiled Cantoria, but those who seek to simply follow in their footsteps always fail in their quest. The reward for reaching a sanctuary of the Veiled Choir is always the blessing of the Luminous Cloud, and a mysterious prophecy, the unraveling of which may consume the rest of the recipient’s life.

Priestly Vestments: Priestess’ of Sehanine Moonbow favor silver-white, diaphanous gowns, while priests favor togas of the same color. A silver diadem is worn on the head, oftentimes with a moonstone pendant dangling above the brow. Simple sandals are worn on the feet, and a silver lace sash is worn around the waist. The holy symbol of the faith is a moonbar crystal carved in the shape of a small flat disk, approximately three inches in diameter, and such devices are often worn around the neck on a delicate-looking silver or mithral chain.

Adventuring Garb: Clerics of the Daughter of the Night Skies favor mail over leather armor, and most carry round shields, whose unadorned, reflective fronts are polished mirror bright. Such armor is typically fancifully adorned, emphasizing the grace and bearing of the wearer. Senior priests and priestess’ are well known for the elaborate suits of Elven chain mail or Elven plate mail they favor, although many such suits were lost with the fall of Myth Drannor. Sehanine Moonbow’s clergy favors missile weapons, particularly short and longbows of Elven design, and staves. Staves of the Moonlight and Rings of Shooting Stars are particularly prized.