Selunite Myths and Legends

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[Though the majority of these stories, pamphlets and texts can be found in the Shrine of Selune, a few have been claimed for posterity's sake...]

[tface=GOUDY]On Creation[/tface]

[tface=GOUDY]In the beginning, there was nothing: simply oblivion, a primordial void that went beyond what we might categorize as 'light' or 'dark'. Whether anything existed within this endless span of nothingness is unknown, but if there was, they have long since faded from the memory of God and man both.

After a milennia, in which the swirling void drifted at the whim of chaos, something new emerged from the inky shadows: a two-faced entity, two Goddesses who were so close as to think themselves as one, yet were the very antithesis of each other. Through the will of these Divine beings came the stars, the celestial bodies and the Earthmother, Chauntea. It was the light of silver-haired Selune which shone on their creations, but there was no heat, no warmth- the dark hair of her sister Shar touched where her sister's did not, a reminder of the darkness they had been birthed from. And for a time we cannot chart, the Goddesses existed in peace and harmony.

But for Chauntea, the silence was too much to bear. To create is divine, and Chauntea had inherited the Divine spark from her forbears. From Her fertile soil sprang life in nearly every form- life which soon withered and died without heat and warmth to sustain them. Chauntea was distressed by the cries of the first mortal races, the flora and fauna that died on her limbs, and begged the Two-that-were-One for warmth, that life might exist.

"Yes," said Selune. "For just as we aspired to become more than what we were, so should all be allowed that right."

"No," said Shar. "For we were born of the black and the cold, and it is this state which suits us best."

It was then and there that the Goddesses came to realize they were not of one mind, not one but two, and a simple disagreement grew into a violent conflict. The effects of their tempestuous battle are the likes of which we will never see in this present age, and the aftermath of their conflict can still be seen today, for in their struggle sprang forth the calamities of War, Murder, Disease and more. The advantage swung from one side to the other wildly, for neither twin was prepared to give in to the other.

At a moment of weakness, Selune saw Her chance and took it. The deity reached far, far across space and time both, to a plane of eternal flame. She reached into the searing flames and removed a portion of the immortal flame before casting it into the heavens for Chauntea's benefit. So it was that life and heat were introduced to our realm, and new life flourished on the Earthmother.

But that act did not come without a cost. The fires wounded Selune sorely, and Shar pressed the attack, redoubling her efforts to subdue Her twin once and for all. Her raven tresses uncoiled and twisted, threatening to snuff out the light of the newly formed flame for good. In desperation, Selune reached within Herself and loosed a shard of Her very essence, which ripped through Shar and very nearly weakened Selune to the point of death. This shard of divine essence, a Star born of light and darkness came to be known as Mystra, goddess of magic, bound to Shar and Selune both. Mystra favored Her mother Selune best, and outnumbered, Shar reluctantly agreed to an uneasy truce with Her twin sister.

But vengeance was ever in Her heart, and the two deities have warred ever since. Selune's power, diminished through the creation of Mystra, ever waxes and wanes, while Shar plots Her downfall in the darkness She so loves. [/tface]

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The First Werewolf

[tface=GOUDY]With  the burning star's presence in the celestial body above Chauntea, life  was allowed to flourish, and the Earthmother was content. First came the  plantlife of Ymph, fantastic flowers, towering trees, mushrooms and  thousands and thousands more. Then came the insects, the animals and the  first mortal races who accepted the bounty of nature with gratitude and  grew in number exponentially. And all was well.

With  the passing of time, the mortal races first formed loose tribes.  These  tribes became camps, then settlements, then cities, some carving  out  their own little niche in the wilderness and bending the  environment to their whim, while others lived like the very animals,  donning cloth of fur and leaf and eking out a living in the forests and  caves of the world. As the surface of Toril grew more and more  populated, eventually these races would come into conflict with each  other, merging, conquering and blending together.

The Goddess  Selune soon came to be aware of the eyes of so many mortals turning  skyward as moonlight fell, and weakened as she was, grew curious of  Chauntea's children. A very lucky few would occasionally catch a glimpse of the Goddess' eyes among the stars, and they were suddenly aware of some vague presence there...but could see nothing more. That is, except for Cobeyo Tul'kin. Cobeyo was one of the many hunters of a fledgling nation, (near the region we know now as the Dalelands). One clear night, he paused to drink from a lake and caught a glimpse of Selune's reflection in the water's surface. Mortal eyes were not meant to look on Divinity, and Cobeyo became hopelessly enamored with the lady of the moon. He stopped hunting and foraging, and was rarely seen in the day by his fellows; for he would spend his nights mournfully  stargazing, hoping for one more glimpse of Her celestial presence. He  prayed to a deity he couldn't name, in search of a face no one else had seen, and so it was no surprise that Selune could not hear him.

But  Shar, Lady of Loss, did. The heart of a mortal was worth less than the tiniest speck of nothing to Her, and yet She was stricken with jealousy. Sensing some small opportunity to do Her twin harm was enough for Shar's purposes. She rode down in the space between the stars, Her voice  carried to Cobeyo's ears on an ill wind.

[COLOR="Black"]"Do you wish to see Selune again, son of Man- the woman of the Moon? Do you wish to look on her face for as long as you like?"

And  Cobeyo was afraid, for the voice cooled his blood and sent a shiver  down his spine. But his desire was stronger still, and he told the  voice, [COLOR="DimGray"]"Yes! With all my heart, I do!" [/COLOR]

The lake rippled and  churned and frothed like the surface of a boiling cauldron of stew, and  then something emerged from the dim depths, carried to him on an  unnatural current. And Cobeyo retrieved it, and saw that this was a vial  of glimmering blue liquid, with a sheen that made his eyes water.

[COLOR="Black"]"Splash this on your skin when the moon is at his fullest, and then you shall see Her  like never before."[/COLOR] With that, Shar withdrew from the forests of  Chauntea and retreated to the darkest but Her eye remained on Cobeyo. She relished the opportunity to see the mortal's love turn to hate, to watch as his amorous sighs turn and anguished cries.

As  the face of the moon grew fuller, Cobeyo's anticipation grew, but he  remained true to his word: he did not open the vial until the  Moonmaiden's face, round and full, could be seen in its entirety through  the trees. Murmuring a declaration of his love for her, Cobeyo drank.  His blood began to boil, his muscles bulged, his joints cracked and his  skin itched, suddenly flush with thick, black hair. His gums bled as his teeth grew to impossible sizes, and Cobeyo turned from man to something else, something no one had seen before.

But none of that  registered with Cobeyo. He was only aware of two things: he could see  Selune more clearly than he could have ever dreamed. His eyesight was stronger, his nostrils were flooded with Her heavenly odor. He had to call out to Her, to let Her know he was here.

[COLOR="DarkRed"]"Sellllllllllllllllllluuuuuuuuuuuuuuune!"[/COLOR]

The Moonmaiden did hear his cries, and was greatly disturbed. She was not alone: tales of the creature spread through the kingdom like a plague. Hunters spoke of a  beast that was once a man, striken by 'moon-madness', devouring man and  beast alike by day and howling through the night. The King- Randal Jeryn I rallied his best men and most cunning hunters and went armed with torches and steel in search of the creature.

Sensing the hand of Her twin at work, Selune parted the clouds and followed the howling to its source to see Tobeyo, who was delirious with delight to see Her. The Moonmaiden questioned Tobeyo directly:

"Union of man and beast- you should not be! Who has done this to you?"

[COLOR="DarkRed"]"My love, I know not- it was a phantom on the breeze who granted me my heart's desire. Please, stay, speak to me- I am your forever!" [/COLOR]

"That will never be, mortal, but you may yet return to your original form. You need only-"

"I cannot bear it! To return to what I was is to lose you! I can never go back- never!"

Selune was troubled. Though Tobeyo's fate had come about by no fault of Her own, She felt a sense of responsibility for him- and an obligation to the lives he had snuffed out in his wandering. So long as Shar's poison ran through him, however, Tobeyo could not be touched by the Goddess- but that did not mean he could not be slain by mortal hands. All they would need is the right tool.

She took the form of an elderly crone, swaddled in tattered rags, and emerged from the trees on the outskirts of the King's hunting party. Amused by the old woman's nerve, the kingsguard allowed her entrance into King Randal's camp- where she pulled a shimmering blade of silver from her sleeve, unlike any they had seen before. Randal's guard moved forward to apprehend the goddess-in-hiding, but the King stopped them with a word.

"You have hunted the wolf that stalks your cattle for weeks and left not a single mark. But this weapon will strike true, so long as you've the will to wield it."

King Randal took the blade, turned it over in his hands. It gleamed like precious gemstones in even the smallest patch of moonlight, it was wondrously sharp and it felt...otherworldly. Still, he doubted. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

The Moonmaiden made a decision then, that would determine the path for our faithful for generations and generations to come. Before, She had been spotted by chance. Now, She chose to reveal Herself for the barest glimmer of a moment- to involve Herself in mortal affairs for good or ill. And King Randal's eyes widened, and he bowed before the Goddess, who turned at once and disappeared into the night.
 
Tobeyo was eventually found and slain, but that story is besides the point. Shar's touch had left a mark, and the curse would linger on in the survivors of Tobeyo's attacks, and in his bloodline. One cannot erase a shadow, only diminish it- and Selune's faithful have worked to do just that, from King Randal up to the present day. [/tface][/color][/size]