Jessar, or the Dark Maiden, was a demigod of the dark side of the moon and an enemy of fellow deities Selûne and Sharess.[1]
History[]
Sometime before the 14th century DR, Jessar's essence was bound and imprisoned within an enchanted artifact – the obsidian amulet of the Dark Maiden. The goddess's freedom was tied to a moon eclipse, and in the late 14th century DR, Jessar had an opportunity to escape her prison. When a moon eclipse was near, the Dark Maiden was strong enough to send out telepathic calls to mortals. Jenna Darkstar, a notorious robber and criminal of Ravens Bluff, was someone who filled who seductive call. With a single touch, she became possessed by the Dark Maiden.[2]
When the eclipse loomed near, Armen Moonsilver, the High Priest of Selûne from the northern city of Silverymoon traveled to Ravens Bluff and, with the blessings of the local Temple of Selûne he assembled several groups of adventurers of the Living City to be sent into the mountains in the Vast to follow the Dark Maiden's whispers and retrieve the obsidian amulet, hidden in one of the several nearby places: the Cave of the Howling Winds, the Caverns of Darkness, the Griffon Peak, or the Thunder Peak.[1]
No male could touch Jessar's amulet as they would immediately be turned to dust, their souls and bodies consumed by the deity. Women who touched the amulet became possessed by her, and only a woman armed with a special silver gauntlet could postpone Jessar's freedom and buy herself enough time to deliver the amulet to the Temple of Selûne to be destroyed.[2]
The adventurers only had time until the moon eclipse to recover the amulet, and after scouring across the mountains, the amulet was found. It was unclear how Jessar was released, but several accounts of the events existed. One version stated that the goddess consumed enough power from Jenna Darkstar to break free and promise to wage war on Selûne, Sharess, and the city of Ravens Bluff. Others claimed that an adventuress was able to grasp the amulet in time and deliver it to Armen Moonsilver, who, along with several priests of the church, attempted to destroy the amulet. However, Jessar's cultists infiltrated the temple, and one of the priests touched the prison, sacrificing his life to feed and free the Dark Maiden to menace the planes and Ravens Bluff.[2]
Appendix[]
Appearances[]
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Jim Alan (June 1998). Night of the Lunar Eclipse. Living City (RPGA), p. 2.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Jim Alan (June 1998). Night of the Lunar Eclipse. Living City (RPGA), pp. 13–14.