Shards

The Shards, or simply shards, were a cadre of seven planetar servants of the goddess Selûne the Moonmaiden.

Description
Each of the Shards was female and had long flowing blue hair and pearly white skin with shining aspect. They could display or dismiss their wings as they desired. It was told they were formed from equal parts moonlight and fire.

Creation
Selûne sometimes transformed favored petitioners into shards as a reward for their faithful service in their mortal lives. The Shards were selected from among her highest-ranked priestesses.

Activities
The Shards were sent by the goddess to show her favor or presence or to give aid to mortals, such as by bestowing gifts or boons.

The Shards could be summoned by the church of Selûne in the sacred ritual of the Conjuring of the Second Moon, conducted only during Shieldmeet, which occurred every four years. This required a coordinated chant performed in every temple of Selûne in Faerûn, and the confluence of the energy of this devotion summoned the Shards. The priests could have the Shards do their bidding, usually to battle the minions of Selûne's arch-nemesis and twin, Shar, but only for a single night. However, at dawn, the Shards always took one mortal priestess to join their number before departing the world.

A few Shards would return to the material plane to visit old lovers, and children could be born from these unions. In some parts of Faerûn were aasimar and other supernatural bloodlines with ties to the Moonmaiden.

A Shard guarded the House of the Lady temple in Immersea, Cormyr, around 1358 DR.

Base
The Shards dwelled at the Gates of the Moon, the realm of the goddess Selûne.

Magic
The spell known as shard blessing aura was named for the Shards.

Trivia
The seven Shards were depicted in relief structures guarding the moon phase gates of Moonshadow Hall in Yhaunn.

On occasions, Shar managed to corrupt some Shards, transforming them into angels of decay.

Appearances

 * The Wyvern's Spur
 * Mistress of the Night (mentioned only)