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The Shards, or simply shards, were a cadre of seven[2] planetar servants of the goddess Selûne the Moonmaiden.[1][3][4][5][6][7][8]

Description[]

Each of the Shards was female and had long flowing blue hair and pearly white skin with shining aspect. They could display or dismiss their wings as they desired.[5][6][7][8] It was told they were formed from equal parts moonlight and fire.[1]

Creation[]

Selûne sometimes transformed favored petitioners into shards as a reward for their faithful service in their mortal lives.[9] The Shards were selected from among her highest-ranked priestesses.[10]

Activities[]

Selûne vs Shar

Selûne and Shar battle, as two Shards fly overhead.

The Shards were sent by the goddess to show her favor or presence or to give aid to mortals, such as by bestowing gifts or boons.[3][5][6]

The Shards could be summoned by the church of Selûne in the sacred ritual of the Conjuring of the Second Moon, conducted only during Shieldmeet, which occurred every four years. This required a coordinated chant performed in every temple of Selûne in Faerûn, and the confluence of the energy of this devotion summoned the Shards. The priests could have the Shards do their bidding, usually to battle the minions of Selûne's arch-nemesis and twin, Shar, but only for a single night. However, at dawn, the Shards always took one mortal priestess to join their number before departing the world.[7][8][11]

A few Shards would return to the material plane to visit old lovers, and children could be born from these unions. In some parts of Faerûn were aasimar and other supernatural bloodlines with ties to the Moonmaiden.[10]

A Shard guarded the House of the Lady temple in Immersea, Cormyr, around 1358 DR.[12]

Base[]

The Shards dwelled at the Gates of the Moon, the realm of the goddess Selûne.[1]

Magic[]

The spell known as shard blessing aura was named for the Shards.[10]

Trivia[]

The seven Shards were depicted in relief structures guarding the moon phase gates of Moonshadow Hall in Yhaunn.[13]

On occasions, Shar managed to corrupt some Shards, transforming them into angels of decay.[14]

Appendix[]

See Also[]

Appearances[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 154. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
  2. Thomas M. Costa, Ed Greenwood (March 2007). “Volo's Guide: Outsiders of the Forgotten Realms”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #353 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), p. 68.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Jeff Grubb and Ed Greenwood (1990). Forgotten Realms Adventures. (TSR, Inc), pp. 29–30. ISBN 0-8803-8828-5.
  4. Ed Greenwood, Julia Martin, Jeff Grubb (1993). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 2nd edition (revised), Running the Realms. (TSR, Inc), p. 52. ISBN 1-5607-6617-4.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), p. 135. ISBN 978-0786903849.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 slade, Jim Butler (October 1996). “The Winds of Netheril”. In Jim Butler ed. Netheril: Empire of Magic (TSR, Inc.), p. 52. ISBN 0-7869-0437-2.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 249. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Eric L. Boyd, Erik Mona (May 2002). Faiths and Pantheons. Edited by Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 55. ISBN 0-7869-2759-3.
  9. Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd (March 2006). Power of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 54. ISBN 0-7869-3910-9.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 Thomas M. Reid, Sean K. Reynolds (Nov. 2005). Champions of Valor. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 57. ISBN 0-7869-3697-5.
  11. Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), p. 136. ISBN 978-0786903849.
  12. Jeff Grubb, Kate Novak (February 1990). The Wyvern's Spur. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 225, ?. ISBN 0-88038-902-8.
  13. Don Bassingthwaite, Dave Gross (December 2004). Mistress of the Night. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 13. ISBN 0-7869-3346-1.
  14. Eric L. Boyd (2005-07-12). Vanrakdoom (Zipped PDF). Wizards of the Coast. p. 24. Archived from the original on 2016-08-16. Retrieved on 2009-10-07.
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