The Moonknights

THE CLERGY

Clerics of the Shimmering One value beauty in all forms, especially the inner beauty of people. They also value individualism and the freedom to express oneself through art and ideas. This makes the religion popular among elves.

The Moonknights collect beautiful objects. They often adorn structures built near their temples with such items, while they sacrifice the exceptional pieces. Moonknights handcraft many of these items, but most are collected from the far corners of Tellene. As a result, buildings built near their temples also serve as cultural museums. Worshippers are always welcome to tour these museums free of charge, but they usually charge a fee for outsiders and watch them very closely.

Worshippers are primarily active at night. Nighttime activities include midnight strolls through beautiful gardens or simply dancing in the moonlight. Followers perform a different dance in conjunction with nightly prayers for each phase of all moons.

Every 280 years Tellene’s three moons appear full in a vertical line in the sky and all worshippers converge for a grand ceremony that dates back to early elven history. Ceremonial songs are sung in Low Elven and three magical charms are sacrificed. It takes years to gather the three unique charms representing each one of the moons. After the ceremony, the charms magically disperse to the ends of Tellene, awaiting another 280-year search. As the search for the charms proceeds, Moonknights collect beautiful objects along the way. They display these in the temples and then sacrifice them at the Ceremony of the Three Moons.

Adventures: Moonknights adventure to save beautiful artifacts and destroy lycanthropes. Each requirement presents ample opportunity to explore the world.

Characteristics: Moonknights tend to be more active at night, during the time their goddess is most prominent. While not great artists, they have a strong appreciation for beauty in all its forms.

Background: Moonknights place great importance on the astrological signs attached to the date of their birth and many of them believe that they were fated to join the church.

Races: Elves find themselves attracted to the Raconteur, but they also revere the Shimmering One for her love of beauty. Half-elves worship the Shimmering One in all of her aspects. Few dwarves, hobgoblins or gnomes are found among her faith. Individuals of all other races appear in her worship.

Relations With Other Classes: Moonknights dislike barbarians and shamans. They prefer the company of bards and sorcerers – characters who tend to be physically attractive.

Relations With Undead: Clerics must destroy undead, and those that associate with them, at all costs. Animating, creating, or otherwise associating with undead may bring excommunication from the church. The faith allows for little flexibility with this rule.

Role: Moonknights fill the same role as the standard cleric used to fill within an adventuring party, but when the fight is against lycanthropes, their full range of powers comes into play. They motivate the party vigorously to defeat their shapechanging foes even at great cost.