Naneatha Suaril was a human cleric of Selûne and the Priestess of High Moonlight of the House of the Moon temple in the Sea Ward of the city of Waterdeep in the mid-to-late 14th century DR.[1][3][4][2]
History[]
Naneatha Suaril was high priestess of the House of the Moon by the Year of the Prince, 1357 DR.[3][4]
Naneatha provided counseling and friendship to Lord Ultas Maernos, who had fallen into a deep depression after the deaths of his family in the Year of the Saddle, 1345 DR, and for atrocities committed as a mercenary earlier in his life. She brought him out of his grief and he found forgiveness in faith, converting to Selûne and becoming a generous patron of Waterdeep's temples by 1357 DR.[6][7]
The Time of Troubles[]
Naneatha and her guards stand by as a goddess is welcomed.
During the Time of Troubles of the Year of Shadows, 1358 DR, a purported avatar of Selûne arrived in Waterdeep and summoned the faithful to the House of the Moon. As high priestess, Naneatha was there to welcome her, and stood behind her as she promised her grace and protection. She also stood by as the avatar ordered the capture of the disbeliever Luna, the tavernkeeper of the Selûne's Smile, who was in fact the true avatar of Selûne. The false avatar claimed the Wand of the Four Moons and used it to knock out Luna. The temple guards took Luna captive.[8][9] Her true identity unknown, Luna was kept as a "special guest"—prisoner—at the House of the Moon for a dozen days. The false Selûne had her completely under her control.[10]
In time, however, Luna's friends Onyx and Timoth infiltrated the temple looking for her. Alerted by the priest Uton, Naneatha confronted the pair, but didn't believe they were friends of Selûne, instead accusing them of being agents of Shar, goddess of darkness and enemy of Selûne. Turning her back on them, she left them to be attacked by a pair of hell hounds. Naneatha later shared her concerns with the false Selûne; they were overheard by the escaped Onyx and Timoth, but not before they were ambushed by Lunatics, the zealot defenders of the faith.[10]
Naneatha becomes the target of Shar's wrath.
Witnessing the battle outside the temple between Onyx and Timoth, who were joined by Vajra and Kyriani, against the Lunatics and their new leader—a brainwashed Luna—Naneatha began to question the false Selûne, who soon revealed her murderous intent. Learning that Luna was truly Selûne and that the false avatar was in fact Shar, Naneatha defiantly shoved her off the temple balcony, falling over herself. However, both were saved by Shar's featherfall spell. Shar took out her rage on Naneatha, hurling a meteor swarm; Naneatha somehow diverted the spell, but not before both were knocked unconscious. Her near self-sacrifice bought time for Luna and her friends to escape.[11][9] Later that night, Luna transformed fully into an avatar of Selûne, and famously battled Shar over the streets of Waterdeep, her light blasting away Shar's darkness.[12][13][14][15]
Aftermath[]
In the aftermath of the Time of Troubles, Naneatha felt guilty for falling for Shar's ploy. To atone for being tricked by Shar, she launched a crusade against Shar's followers[1][2] and had driven them out of the city by 1372 DR.[16] She also promoted the faith heavily, thus increasing the number of followers in Waterdeep and making the House of the Moon one of the top temples in the city.[2] Together with Meleghost Starseer and Xale of the Starry Glen, Naneatha established the Order of the Blue Moon, dedicated to both Selûne and Mystra and continued to firmly support it.[1][17] She also sponsored adventurers who would act in Selûne's name, such as Esta Starchild of the Seekers.[2]
In the Year of the Unstrung Harp, 1371 DR, Naneatha came to the aid of her ally Khelben Arunsun when the newly arisen phaerimm threatened the safety of Evereska. She led a group of her Selûnite priests into battle at the High Moor to support the beleaguered elven soldiers on the ground.[18]
Personality[]
Naneatha was charismatic and carefully considered in her actions. She was proud and known to be more than a match for the haughtiest of the Waterdhavian nobility. She had a flawless sense of fashion and was famed for her expensive, finely made dresses adorned with jewels.[1][2]
She was also a devoted enemy of Shar and her faith.[1] While this was a common trait among silverstars,[19] being duped by Shar herself made Suaril's enmity personal. She could not forgive herself for being tricked[1][2] and she was determined to redeem herself to Selûne.[2]
Description[]
The House of the Moon was known to have the most grandiose ceremonial vestments of Selûne's church. Naneatha Suaril presided over ceremonies in a majestic golden-hued dress with a wide-bottomed hooped skirt and a great fan-like collar ascending from the back of her neck, both stiffened with whalebone. The skirt was set with clusters of pearls and the collar with precious stones.[2][20][21] On formal occasions and when required, she also donned the tiara of stars, a magical diadem sacred to the faith.[2]
Activities[]
As the high priestess, in the annual temple holiday of Selûne's Hallowing, Naneatha Suaril bore the sacred replica Wand of Four Moons—created and blessed by Selûne to commemorate her battle with Shar during the Time of Troubles and kept in the temple by 1369 DR—at the head of the parade.[12][22]
As mentioned above, she crusaded against Sharrans and fittingly most of the senior priests under her learned to become silverstars,[1] a type of cleric who was, even by Selûnite standards, inflexible in their enmity to Shar.[19]
At the House of the Moon, Naneatha employed a great many harpists in the galleries to provide pleasant background music, and also to keep an eye on events below.[23] Naneatha and Alathene were the only ones who—officially—knew all the secret passages through the temple.[24] Naneatha was also the only one to know the name and past of the watchghost that guarded the cimeliarach (treasury).[25]
Relations[]
Naneatha Suaril was a daughter of a minor noble family of Neverwinter. Her younger sister was Lady Wylynd Moonstar.[1][2][26][note 1]
Meleghost Starseer of the House of Wonder had a formal, even cold relationship with Naneatha, though they worked together in establishing the Order of the Blue Moon.[17] One of Naneatha's closest advisors was the archlich Lady Alathene Moonstar, who tended to surprise Naneatha in her private chambers by suddenly appearing at any time. Another was Kyriani Agrivar, friend of Luna and later keeper of the Selûne's Smile tavern.[2]
Rumors[]
It was claimed by some that Naneatha could, with a plea to the goddess, summon the real Wand of Four Moons in place of the replica and wield it with its full power.[12][27]
Rumors claimed Naneatha was in fact a weredragon, but these could never be proved, or even disproved.[2]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ City of Splendors: Waterdeep pages 44 and 62 note that Naneatha Suaril is a sister of Wylynd Moonstar. However, page 62 directs the reader to page 75, but only Naneatha Lharilstar is mentioned there. This is presumed to be in error.
Appearances[]
- Novels
- The Summoning
- Comics
- Selune Rising • Lunatics • Total Eclipse
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Eric L. Boyd (June 2005). City of Splendors: Waterdeep. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 44. ISBN 0-7869-3693-2.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 157. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Ed Greenwood (1987). Waterdeep and the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 29. ISBN 0-88038-490-5.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Jennell Jaquays (1988). The Savage Frontier. (TSR, Inc), p. 12. ISBN 0-88038-593-6.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Who's Who in Waterdeep”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), p. 61. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Who's Who in Waterdeep”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), p. 18. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1987). Waterdeep and the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 48. ISBN 0-88038-490-5.
- ↑ Dan Mishkin (June 1990). “Selune Rising”. In Elliot S. Maggin ed. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons #19 (DC Comics) (19)..
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 156. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Dan Mishkin (August 1990). “Lunatics”. In Elliot S. Maggin ed. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons #21 (DC Comics) (21)., pp. 8–9, 16–18.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Dan Mishkin (September 1990). “Total Eclipse”. In Elliot S. Maggin ed. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons #22 (DC Comics) (22)., pp. 1–9.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), p. 136. ISBN 978-0786903849.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Adventurer's Guide to the City”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), p. 15. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 144. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
- ↑ Dan Mishkin (September 1990). “Total Eclipse”. In Elliot S. Maggin ed. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons #22 (DC Comics) (22)., pp. 22–23.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (June 2005). City of Splendors: Waterdeep. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 45. ISBN 0-7869-3693-2.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Eric L. Boyd (June 2005). City of Splendors: Waterdeep. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 42, 43. ISBN 0-7869-3693-2.
- ↑ Troy Denning (December 2009). “The Summoning”. Return of the Archwizards (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 141–143. ISBN 978-0-7869-5365-3.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Eric L. Boyd, Erik Mona (May 2002). Faiths and Pantheons. Edited by Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 201. ISBN 0-7869-2759-3.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb and Ed Greenwood (1990). Forgotten Realms Adventures. (TSR, Inc), pp. 29–30. ISBN 0-8803-8828-5.
- ↑ Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), p. 137. ISBN 978-0786903849.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Adventurer's Guide to the City”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), p. 29. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 160. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 158. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 161. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (June 2005). City of Splendors: Waterdeep. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 62. ISBN 0-7869-3693-2.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 159. ISBN 978-0786906574.