Selûne's Smile, also known as the Inn of the Crescent Moon, was a tavern and inn devoted to Selûne in the Dock Ward of Waterdeep in the mid–14th century DR.[1][2][3] Uniquely, it was established and run by an avatar of the goddess Selûne, the Moonmaiden. Named Luna, she had chosen to live her life as a mortal.[4][5] It was also the home of the famed adventurers Vajra Valmeyjar, Kyriani Agrivar, Timoth Eyesbright, and Onyx the Invincible.[4]
Services[]
The church of Selûne in Waterdeep used the Smile as a base of operations.[6]
History[]
Original Structure[]
In the 1350s DR, Selûne's Smile was a newly opened inn managed by Luna. Vajra Valmeyjar became its bouncer for a time and developed a good working relationship and friendship with Luna. It was quiet but known for its sociable and friendly atmosphere.[2][3]
However, by 1357 DR, it had grown rather rowdy—when next Vajra entered, she stepped into a brawl, but quelled it by her very presence. She'd been summoned by Luna to help with a task: Cybriana, Timoth Eyesbright, and Onyx the Invincible had been seeking the paladin Priam Agrivar, finally arriving at the Smile. Luna introduced them, and Vajra led them to Priam—the drunken beggar outside, whom they rescued from thugs. They all stayed in the tavern's common room that night.[2] Shortly after they left to find help for Priam, bounty seekers who'd pursued Vajra found and killed two of the thugs outside the Inn of the Crescent Moon.[7] Not long after, Conner and a young boy, who'd been traveling on a distant moor when they were beset by dire wolves, were transported by a shaft of moonlight to the street outside Selûne's Smile, where Luna greeted them.[8] Conner and the boy stayed at the inn.[9] After defeating the monstrous Imgig Zu and foiling his invasion of the Realms, the victorious adventurers Vajra, Priam, Timoth, Onyx, and Kyriani returned to the Selûne's Smile, where Luna placed the powerful Selûne's Eye gem on a shelf over the bar, then bestowed treasures on the heroes. Onyx, however, searched inside a cabinet, which turned out to be trapped with a spell that sent him to sleep[10] for two days.[11]
When bounty hunters kidnapped Vajra from the Smile, Timoth and Conner went after them. Meanwhile, more bounty hunters and a mage came. Their spells and a potion in the drinks left all the patrons unconscious, and they kidnapped the cat child. When Vajra, Timoth, and Conner returned and awoke her, Kyriani told them what had happened, and Vajra and Conner left to go after the boy.[12] Later, there was a celebration in the Smile for Vajra's return.[13]
The companions shocked to find their home destroyed as a target of Shar's rage.
During the Time of Troubles in the Year of Shadows, 1358 DR, Kyriani's magic went awry, and she inadvertently unleashed magic missiles in Timoth's stall. One night, the heroes were relaxing in the tavern when Kyriani tried a simple bloom, but also created a monstrous flower monster inside the tavern; it was quickly burned up by Vajra. Then Onyx arrived and reported seeing an avatar of Selûne in Waterdeep. This was when the heroes admitted knowing all along that Luna was really Selûne. Luna told the truth about herself and tried to show her friends her inner room to prove it, but was shocked to find the whole room missing. Luna was later defeated and captured by the false avatar.[4] While she was missing, the heroes tried to manage the Selûne's Smile, but argued over chores and their worries. They vowed to rescue Luna from the House of the Moon.[14] However, afterward, the vengeful false avatar—revealed to be the goddess Shar—completely destroyed the Selûne's Smile. Standing atop the rubble, she confronted the heroes and tried to kill Luna with the Rod of Oblivion. Fortunately, Timoth and Vajra noticed that, although the physical doorway was gone, the dimensional doorway to Luna's inner room remained and now stood ajar, though some distance in the air. Timoth, Vajra, and Onyx stood on each other's backs to fully open the door and release Selûne's divine power to Luna, transforming her into the true avatar of Selûne.[11] Famously, Selûne battled Shar over the streets of Waterdeep and defeated her.[5][15][16][11] Afterward, Selûne became humble innkeeper Luna once more, and vowed to rebuild the Selûne's Smile.[11]
Interim[]
Afterward, the companions briefly went their own ways, with Vajra and Timoth leaving to fight in a war. Onyx had promised to help Luna rebuild the tavern, but he went off drinking in other taverns where he could have more fun.[17]
Rebuilt Structure[]
On the hottest day of summer later year, Vajra and Timoth arm-wrestled in the Smile as watched on and Onyx collected bets. Little did they know that their contest was magically enhanced, releasing Aviss and Fellandar from their extra-dimensional prison to wreak a path of destruction through the city, beginning and ending at the Smile. A stoneskin-protected Onyx was hurled through the Smile's wall. The villains were re-imprisoned and Vajra and Timoth broke off their match, leaving the winner unknown, an argument breaking out, and Onyx struggling to pay back his bets.[18]
By 1370 DR, Kyriani was proprietress of Selûne's Smile.[19]
Features[]
At the top of the stairs was a door with a crescent-moon handle. Behind this was Luna's special inner room,[4] though her friends thought it no more than a closet. It held a portal that Luna used to communicate with the outer planes. It was also where she stored her godly power. Its dimensional doorway remained in place even when the physical doorway and entire inn were destroyed.[11]
The Smile housed a "mystic nexus point". This allowed a door to be opened within the inn to an extra-dimensional prison holding Aviss and Fellandar.[18] [note 1]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ This "mystic nexus point", in Khelben's words, may be the Selûne's Eye gem, which is itself a pocket-dimension prison. It may also be Luna's inner room with the portal to the planes.
Further Reading[]
- Dale Donovan (April 1998). “Rogues Gallery: The Heroes of Selûne's Smile”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #246 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 70–74.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Eric L. Boyd (June 2005). City of Splendors: Waterdeep. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 87. ISBN 0-7869-3693-2.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Michael Fleisher (December 1988). “The Gathering”. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons #1 (DC Comics) (1)..
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Michael Fleisher (January 1989). “The Bounty Seekers Of Manshaka”. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons #2 (DC Comics) (2)..
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Dan Mishkin (June 1990). “Selune Rising”. In Elliot S. Maggin ed. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons #19 (DC Comics) (19)..
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 135, 136. ISBN 978-0786903849.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (June 2005). City of Splendors: Waterdeep. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 44. ISBN 0-7869-3693-2.
- ↑ Michael Fleisher (January 1989). “The Bounty Seekers Of Manshaka”. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons #2 (DC Comics) (2)., p. 7.
- ↑ Michael Fleisher (January 1989). “The Bounty Seekers Of Manshaka”. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons #2 (DC Comics) (2)., pp. 9–10.
- ↑ Michael Fleisher (February 1989). “The Secret of Selûne's Eye”. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons #3 (DC Comics) (3)., pp. 7–9.
- ↑ Michael Fleisher (March 1989). “Sorcerer's Moon”. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons #4 (DC Comics) (4)., pp. 22–23.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Dan Mishkin (September 1990). “Total Eclipse”. In Elliot S. Maggin ed. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons #22 (DC Comics) (22)., pp. 17–24.
- ↑ Dan Mishkin (December 1989). “Shackles of the Past”. In Elliot S. Maggin ed. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons #13 (DC Comics) (13)., pp. 23–24, cover.
- ↑ Dan Mishkin (March 1990). “The Last Betrayal”. In Elliot S. Maggin ed. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons #16 (DC Comics) (16)., pp. 23–24.
- ↑ Dan Mishkin (June 1990). “Selune Rising”. In Elliot S. Maggin ed. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons #19 (DC Comics) (19)., pp. 1, 23–24.
- ↑ 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 (November 1990). “Lawyers!”. In Elliot S. Maggin ed. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons #23 (DC Comics) (23)., p. 1.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Dan Mishkin (September 1991). “Summer in the City”. In Kim Yale ed. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons #33 (DC Comics) (33)..
- ↑ Steven E. Schend, Sean K. Reynolds and Eric L. Boyd (June 2000). Cloak & Dagger. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 30. ISBN 0-7869-1627-3.