D&D: Sehanine Moonbow, the Other Moon Goddess
Faerun doesn’t have two moons, but it does have two moon goddesses. Sehanine Moonbow, deity of the full moon, death, dreams, and beyond.
When it comes to the night skies of Faerun, many often wonder at them. The stars shine bright, but in the darkness between them lurk the unknown horrors of the Far Realm. But for many, the darkness is a comforting cloak. A cool blanket that protects from the unbearable fire of the sun.
So it is with Sehanine Moonbow, the Daughter of the Night Skies. She is an elven goddess, overseeing death, dreams, heavens, journeys, the moon, stars, and transcendence. Briefly, during the Spellplague (aka 4th Edition) Sehanine was considered the fey aspect of the Faerunian goddess Selune, but, they’re back to being two distinct beings.
And it’s not hard to see why. Where Selune is a goddess of magic and moonlight, Sehanine is more about dreams, omens, and death. Though Sehanine could create powerful magics to benefit herself and her followers, her devotees were often rangers, wanderers, and dreamers rather than mages.
And though Sehanine Moonbow has a well-earned reputation for being an aloof deity, there can be little question of her love for her followers. She takes a protective, nurturing view of the elves. Her love for Corellon’s children makes her more of a parent than the Coronal of Arvandor ever had been.
Sehanine Moonbow created the illusions and mists that protect the isle of Evermeet. She also veiled the mythical city of Rucien-Xan, and the ancient kingdom of Synnoria, allowing her people to live in peace, undisturbed by humanity or the outside world. When you step into an elven vale and enter a timeless world from younger, starlit days, you’re doing so thanks to the care of Sehanine Moonbow.
As a deity, Sehanine Moonbow asks little of her followers. Perhaps her greatest command is that they seek out the undead and destroy them. As a goddess of death, Sehanine Moonbow reviles those who pervert it. Her other commandments include using illusion to hide and protect the elves as well as guiding elves to hidden redoubts.
Happy adventuring!
