Moonfire was a magical substance sacred to the goddess Selûne the Moonmaiden.[1][2][3]
Appearance
Moonfire was formed as a product of certain rituals conducted by the Selûnite clergy. If the goddess was pleased by a ceremony, she bathed the milk or wine (or its combination[3]) poured on the altar with moonlight, transforming it into moonfire. This strange matter had an opalescent appearance, glowed with a white light, and felt as soft as silk with a consistency like custard. It could move, flowing like a fluid down from the altar.[1][2][note 1]
Effects
This mass of moonfire crept away from the altar to touch or envelop whatever or whoever the goddess chose with a variety of results, such as enchanting items, empowering the faithful, and destroying undead.[1][2][3]
Some common magical items produced by moonfire were:
as well as various magical shields.[1] On a typical occurrence, magic items worth a total of 5000 to 10,000 gold pieces would be created. Any remaining moonfire fell inert but was still potent and collected by the priests as moonfire salve, with up to six jars.[3] These items were intended for use by the clergy.[1][2]
In certain circumstances, mortals who were faithful to Selûne and were touched by moonfire would receive a magical power.[1][2] Some common examples were:
- Dispel magic, once a month;[1]
- Feather fall, when in moonlight or falling uncontrolled;[1]
- Fly, one night a month, but as often and as long as needed;[1]
- Identify, on objects touched, seven times a month;[1]
- Infravision, for up to 30 feet (9.1 meters);[1]
- Locate object, once a month, but with no limit on time or space;[1]
- Telekinesis, once a night and with no limit on duration, but only in moonlight;[1]
- The power to remove a curse with a touch, once a month;[1]
- Immunity to injury and powers from the moonblades of the elves;[1] and
- Total control over transformations for lycanthropes of any breed for seven months.[1]
Moonfire would do these things only as Selûne willed it. No-one knew of a way to force it to produce a certain result, those who tried to steal it came away empty-handed, and it disappeared when the goddess desired.[1][2]
Beliefs
Nevertheless, the clergy saw moonfire as a holy substance; if stolen, they would go to extraordinary lengths to retrieve it. When moonfire appeared, the clergy considered it a good sign, believing the night was blessed and they were worthy. Those it touched were thought to be marked for a special destiny.[3]
History
Once, High Initiate Courynna Jacerryl and her followers once performed a "night stalk" ceremony in honor of the goddess, who was pleased and produced moonfire. Courynna called this a blessing, and when it touched Maera's hands, Courynna suggested the goddess had something special planned for her. She directed her followers to gather the sacred substance.[3]
Appendix
See Also
Notes
- ↑ Magic of Faerûn, page 17, has the Mystery of the Night ritual be a precursor to producing moonfire. However, while the prior sources discuss moonfire immediately after the Mystery of the Night, it is not necessarily the case that the Mystery produces moonfire. Instead, the conditions described for creating moonfire are the same as those of the night stalk ritual. This article treats moonfire as potentially being produced from any ritual.
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), p. 136. ISBN 978-0786903849.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 slade, Jim Butler (October 1996). “The Winds of Netheril”. In Jim Butler ed. Netheril: Empire of Magic (TSR, Inc.), p. 53. ISBN 0-7869-0437-2.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 Sean K. Reynolds, Duane Maxwell, Angel McCoy (August 2001). Magic of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 17. ISBN 0-7869-1964-7.