Shar

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Shar
Title(s)	Dark Goddess Lady of Loss Mistress of the Night Nightsinger
Power Level	Greater deity
Homeplane	Plane of Shadow
Alignment	Neutral evil
Portfolio	Caverns Dark Dungeons Forgetfulness Loss Night Secrets The Underdark
Worshipers	Anarchists, assassins, avengers, Dark Moon monks, nihilists, rogues, shadow adepts, shadowcasters, shadowdancers
Cleric Alignments	LG NG CG LN N CN LE NE CE
Domains	Cavern, Darkness, Evil, Knowledge
Favored Weapon	"The Disk of Night" (chakram)
Source: Faiths and Pantheons, p. 58

Shar (pronounced SHAHR ^[1]), the Mistress of the Night, is a neutral evil greater deity. Counterpart to her twin Selûne, she presides over caverns, darkness, dungeons, forgetfulness, loss, night, secrets, and the Underdark. Among her array of twisted powers is the ability to see everything that lies or happens in the dark. Shar's symbol is a black disk with a deep purple border. Her divine realm is the Palace of Loss in the Plane of Shadow, and her domains are Cavern, Darkness, Evil, and Knowledge. She is also the creator of the Shadow Weave, meant as a counterpart and to foil the Weave, controlled by Mystra, the goddess of magic.

Contents 1 Worshipers 1.1 Orders 2 Relationships 3 History 4 Dogma 5 Appearances 5.1 Novels 6 External Links 7 Notes 8 References

[edit] Worshipers

Main article: Church of Shar

The clergy of Shar is a secretive organization that pursues subversive tactics rather than direct confrontation with its rivals. In addition to her clerics, Shar maintains an elite order of sorcerer monks who can tap Shar's Shadow Weave. Among her worshipers are the Shadovar (the citizens of Shade Enclave, a floating city which is home to the survivors of ancient Netheril who fled into the shadow plane before Karsus's Folly). Shar holds power over all who use the Shadow Weave.

[edit] Orders

Dark Justicars 

In order to gain admittance to the order of the Dark Justicars, a priest of Shar has to have killed a priest of Selûne.

Order of the Dark Moon 

Shar's secretive monastic order is referred to as the Order of the Dark Moon. They tap into the Shadow Weave through their powers of sorcery.

Nightbringers 

The Nightbringers, or the Avatars of Shar, are an elite Sharran force. They are spirits that infest hosting bodies, possessing them and using the bodies as puppets. Once one is infected with a Nightbringer that person fuses to being as one with the Nightbringer gaining the strength and beauty of Shar. Only females are selected as hosts for the Nightbringers. Though Nightbringer numbers were large within the Avatar Wars, their numbers fell to the hundreds in the modern day.

[edit] Relationships

The creation of the Shadow Weave has made Shar the eternal enemy of the goddess of magic, Mystra. This has resulted in the brewing of a terrible war between these two powerful deities. By her very nature, however, she is opposed to powers of light, the unsecretive Shaundakul, and her own sister. Her only frequent ally is Talona, who may eventually serve Shar to stave off the predations of Loviatar.

[edit] History

Shar is the dark twin of Selûne. She has battled her sister since shortly after their creation. Their primordial feud has resulted in the creation of many other deities. Rather than overtly confronting other deities, Shar seeks to gain power by subverting mortal worshipers to her faith.

[edit] Dogma

Reveal secrets only to fellow members of the faithful. Never follow hope or turn to promises of success. Quench the light of the moon (agents and items of Selûne) whenever you find it, and hide from it when you cannot prevail. The dark is a time to act, not wait. It is forbidden to strive to better your lot in life or to plan ahead save when directly overseen by the faithful of the Dark Deity. Consorting with the faithful of good deities is a sin except in business dealings or to corrupt them from their beliefs. Obey and never speak out against ranking clergy unless it would result in your own death.

[edit] Appearances

[edit] Novels

• Mistress of the Night (2004), by Don Bassingthwaite and Dave Gross. It is the second book in The Priests series.

[edit] External Links

• Sneak Peek: Shar by Sean K. Reynolds, Wizards of the Coast designer
• History of the Sisters of Light and Darkness

[edit] Notes

1. ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition, p. 249. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.

[edit] References

• Eric L. Boyd, Erik Mona (May 2002). Faiths and Pantheons. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-2759-3.

• Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. TSR, Inc. ISBN 978-0786903849.

Ao the Overgod
Major deities of Faerûn
Azuth | Bane | Chauntea | Cyric | Eilistraee | Gond | Helm | Ilmater | Kelemvor | Kossuth | Lathander | Lolth | Malar | Mask | Mielikki | Mystra | Oghma | Selûne | Shar | Shaundakul | Silvanus | Sune | Talos | Tempus | Torm | Tymora | Tyr | Umberlee | Uthgar | Waukeen
Other deities of Faerûn
Akadi | Auril | Beshaba | Deneir | Eldath | Finder | Garagos | Gargauth | Grumbar | Gwaeron Windstrom | Hoar | Istishia | Jergal | Lliira | Loviatar | Lurue | Milil | Nobanion | Red Knight | Savras | Sharess | Shiallia | Siamorphe | Talona | Tiamat | Ubtao | Ulutiu | Valkur | Velsharoon

Current Deities of the Realms
Pantheon of Netheril
Amaunator | Jannath | Jergal | Kozah | Moander | Mystryl | Selûne | Shar | Targus | Tyche