Moonstone

Moonstone was an opaque white form of feldspar found in the Realms.

Description
Moonstones took on a milky bluish sheen when polished and were usually cut cabochon for jewelry and ornamentation. A typical specimen had a base value of 50 gp,   but they had a spike in value during the Spellplague era, typically selling for 100 gp.

Moonstones were considered sacred by followers of Corellon, Eilistraee, Hathor, Sehanine Moonbow, Selûne, and Sharindlar&mdash;appropriate for sacrifice, or to be consecrated for use, or recognized as boons or omens when found.

Powers
Moonstones captured light and would glow faintly in darkness after nearby light sources were extinguished. The sorcerer Pelathyon Hawkryn of Impiltur (whose family owned lucrative moonstone mines) was a proponent of what he called "moonstone magic"&mdash;the ability of moonstone dust to substitute for other non-organic components of spells, specifically various abjuration spells, such as walls and barriers, and certain evocation spells where powdered moonstone provided storage of magical energy and the quick release of that energy in a new direction. Careful research was required to determine the optimal amount of moonstone required for each substitution.

Moonstones were essential in the making of items such as a moonstone mask, a lesser staff of Silverymoon, and the legendary moonblades of Evermeet. The powers of a moonblade were dependent upon its moonstone and were nullified if the moonstone was removed.

Reputation
Moonstone was a common stone among the drow, a gem worn by drow of average station. Wearing one was considered a bold choice and marked one as a rebellious youth or a very ambitious priestess.

Rumors and Legends
Legends about lycanthropes said that the mere sight of a moonstone would cause a were-creature to shift to animal form. Though this was not true (in fact, many lycanthropes wore moonstones in jewelry), magic items that affected lycanthropes or warded against lycanthropy often used moonstones in their creation and ornamentation. This may have been related to, or an outgrowth of, the fact that moonstones were considered sacred to Selûne by her followers, many of whom hunted down evil lycanthropes.

If moonstones appeared in a dream, it was considered a warning of danger.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Elfshadow &bull; Red Magic &bull; Star of Cursrah
 * Video Games
 * Baldur's Gate series &bull; Icewind Dale series &bull; Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II''