The Moonweaver

Sehanine, the Moonweaver
Symbols of the Moonweaver.
Deity information
Type	Prime Deity
Title	The Moonweaver The Moon Weaver
Province	Illusion, Love, Moonlight, Night, Tides
Common symbol	Crescent moon turned upward, strung like a bow
Gender	Feminine
Pronouns	She/her/hers
Alignment	Chaotic Good
Home plane	Arborea (presumably) Tengar (originally)
Realm	She wanders between Arborea and the Feywild
Worship
Worshipers	Halflings, Elves
Holy day	Night of the decade's largest full moon
Associated domains	Arcana Moon Nature Trickery Twilight
Vestiges	Star Razor Jewel of Three Prayers Moon's Mirror
Appearances
First seen	"Traveler Con" (2x108)
Last seen	"A New Age Begins" (3x121)
Stream	Campaign Two (1 episode) Campaign 3 (1 episode) Exandria Unlimited: Divergence (1 episode)

Sehanine, the Moonweaver, is a chaotic good deity of moonlight and the autumn season, the patron of illusions and misdirection, as well as the goddess associated with the tides due to her lunar attributions. Widely worshipped within halfling and elven culture, she is largely considered to be the deity of love and protector of the trysts of lovers. Those who work in secrecy and trickery often ask for her blessing. While both moons are her domain, Catha is widely associated with Sehanine, possibly as her creation, and there are those who believe the red moon Ruidus is ruled by another god or power.

As an NPC, The Moonweaver has been played by Matthew Mercer in Critical Role, by Liam O'Brien in Liam's One Shot: The Song of the Lorelei, and by Brennan Lee Mulligan in Exandria Unlimited: Divergence.

Appearance

Depiction of Sehanine appearing to an adventurer in a dream, by Nguyen Minh Hieu from Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep.

She is most often depicted as a young girl with light blue skin and white hair. Her body and limbs create the edges of the shadows.

When she appears as an adult woman, she has black and white hair, deep-blue skin like the ocean, twin moons for eyes and a warm smile. She wears a black silk gown.

In her purest essence, the one that resembled the most her appearance in Tengar, she was like a distant pearl lost amongst a bit of a dark blue horizon, and her presence brought forth lycanthropic urgings.

Commandments of the Moonweaver

“

Commandments of the Moonweaver

• Seize your own destiny and pursue your own passions.

• Let the shadows protect you from the burning light of fanaticism and the absolute darkness of despair.

• Walk unbridled and untethered, forging new memories and experiences.

”

– 

from the Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn

[!h]

Fan art of the Moonweaver, by Elaine Ryan.

"The Moonweaver sends her will as the goddess of moonlight and the autumn season, as well as the patron of illusions and misdirection." Many consider the Moonweaver to be the goddess of love. It is very difficult to encounter lovers on a tryst, as the Moonweaver creates the shadows for these secret meetings to take place. "Those who work in darkness and trickery often ask for her blessing." There is no official holy day for the Moonweaver; however, her worship is greatest on "the night of the decade’s largest full moon." Elven astronomers record the moon’s cycles and how during these cycles the moon gets closer and further away from Exandria, and they can forecast these days with considerable precision. Many haughty elves use this celebration as a pardon to be mischievous; some youthful elves use outfits and illusions to play tricks on their peers.

Sehanine is frequently found in the realm of Arborea or wandering in the Feywild.

Worship

Followers of the Moonweaver were traditionally taught to channel her power in "glades" or abbeys, although others discovered their connection to her by themselves, under her light.

Sehanine is widely worshiped in Lyrengorn and in the Verdant Expanse. A large temple dedicated to the Moonweaver can be found in Syngorn.

She has a smaller but nontrivial following on the Bladeshimmer Shoreline, the Rifenmist Peninsula, and in the Stormcrest Mountains. Many of the Ashari in Vesrah worship her due to her control of the tides.

Worship of the Moonweaver is prohibited in the Dwendalian Empire, but the elves of Bysaes Tyl hold a secret festival in the Pearlbow Wilderness on the night of the decade's largest full moon, and there are shrines to Sehanine hidden in plain sight in the city.

The Moonweaver's Ribbons

Yearly, many travelers from all over Tal'Dorei journey past the Cliffkeep Mountains to witness the Moonweaver’s Ribbons bend around the Elvenpeaks, pulled through the sky by mysterious figures on wyvernback. Special athletes called skyswimmers practice every day for the yearly coming of the Moonweaver’s Ribbons.

"Great streaks of multicolored light that illuminate the northern sky on the winter solstice. The skyswimmers and their wyvern mounts seize the strands of light on their spears and paint radiant, esoteric portraits in the wintry sky, drawing intrepid outsiders from across Tal’Dorei to camp on remote mountains and marvel at their visual poetry."

Greater than the ceremony's creative achievement, it is also a ceremony to the deity known as the Moonweaver. She is the primary deity of the elves of Lyrengorn. "The high priestesses of the moon" claim this yearly ceremony cleanses the land of Lyrengorn, and increases the wild elves' lifespan.

Known worshipers

• Alyxian, the Apotheon
• Eldanwyn, High Priestess in Vasselheim during the Divergence
• Donaea, a white dragonborn woman
• Marsa Saph, elven priest, Nia and Liana's mother
• Luz, a tiefling woman and friend of Rei'nia Saph and her sister, Liana
• Rei'nia Saph
• Nera
• Mollymauk Tealeaf
• Lucius Lorelei
• Nalys Ildareth
• Nusem, a young elven man and a night guide of the Temple of the Pale Light in Syngorn in 812 PD
• Dusk General Okirai
• Some Water Ashari worship the Moonweaver due to her connection with the tides
• Several fey, most of them from the Seelie Court, and some from the Unseelie Court (although the latter only in private)

Both of the main courts of the Fey Realm (the Seelie and the Unseelie) are connected through vows and deals with the Moonweaver and the Arch Heart, since they are the gods that visit most often. Courtless free fey tend to see these Prime Deities as their "roommates" rather than divine figures.

Celestials

• Perigee, a deva

History

Sehanine is among the Prime Deities who fought the Primordials and the Betrayer Gods to protect the mortal races during the Founding.

During the Age of Arcanum, mortal followers of the Moonweaver and the Wildmother forged Dwueth'var; unlike many of the weapons crafted during that era, it was intended to help protect Exandria rather than surpass or fight the gods.

The Calamity

During the Calamity, the Crawling King and his followers tunneled beneath a woodland in the Cyrios Mountains that was home to reclusive elves who worshiped Sehanine, sinking the plateau into a valley. The Crawling King's servants sapped the life and color from the trees at their roots, creating the Pallid Grove. The surviving elves retreated beneath the Pallid Grove, lived in fear of the Crawling King, and hid underground from the destruction of the Calamity. Over time, the Moonweaver's blessings mingled with the elves' natural adaption to the Pallid Grove, eventually forming a new subrace of elves known as the pallid elves.

The human warrior Alyxian, who was born early in the Calamity, first prayed to the Moonweaver for aid at a site just off the coast of what would become Jigow. She sent her blessing in the form of a drop of Catha's moonlight, which coalesced into the amulet that would become the Jewel of Three Prayers as he also became a champion for the Changebringer and the Arch Heart. In addition to the Jewel, he carried a shield bearing the symbol of the Moonweaver. In Alyxian's final battle of that war, he fought alongside a deva of Sehanine named Perigee.

The All-Hammer and the Moonweaver built the King's Cage as a trap for Torog, the Crawling King. It appeared to be a temple to Torog, but it was a fane that, once the Crawling King had bound himself to it, was instrumental in banishing the Betrayer God. During the Calamity, the All-Hammer believed the Divine Gate must be crafted at least partially by mortal hands and incarnated in Exandria to be able to do so himself. The Moonweaver used her powers to cast powerful magic of concealment that would prevent other deities from finding him, but the Lord of the Hells learned about it and added a curse: not even the All-Hammer himself would know about his mortal avatar, since the latter would lose all memory of his divine identity.

Eventually, during the last decades before the Divergence, the Moonweaver incarnated as a half-elven baby, Liana, wanting to experience mortal life and mortal sibling love to prove how strong it could be. Liana traveled across Gwessar and took care of powerful artifacts to make sure they wouldn't end up in the wrong hands, and during those journeys, as she gave a follower of the Moonweaver a proper burial, she fully realized who and what she was. A few days before the Divergence became effective, the goddess sent a sign to her most recent cleric, Rei'nia Saph (Liana's older sister), making Catha visible for a moment through the ashen sky; that night the clouds fully parted and the crescent moon shone upon Exandria for the first time in two centuries. When Nia (accompanied by several friends, including the mortal avatars of both Bahamut and Moradin) finally located her sister's cache of hidden artifacts in Snowgrave Pass, she found the Moon's Mirror and went to speak with Liana, just in time to see her apparently die; however, when she reached her body, Sehanine herself appeared and revealed to her the truth. The Moonweaver explained to her how much she loved her, and that their love would serve as example for the other Prime Deities, as proof that they could still help their children from beyond the Divine Gate. Nia promised she would be the first to prove it, but not the last, and the goddess of the moon, after saying goodbye, was the first member of the main pantheon to abandon Exandria.

Days later, when Nia and her friends arrived in Vasselheim, she shared the news with the followers of the Moonweaver, and the knowledge of the changes in divine magic started spreading. While they were in the Dawn City, the group discovered that Lord Callister, a servant of the Betrayer Gods, was planning something, and while they were trying to track him Nia Communed with Sehanine using Moon's Mirror; the goddess confirmed that the warlock was still in the city, and revealed to her cleric that she and her friends should try to locate the avatars of the Platinum Dragon and the All-Hammer, since they would be needed to finish the Divine Gate. Almost two weeks later, they fought Lord Callister in an empty chapel dedicated to the Moonweaver, in which the goddess contained the influence of the Lord of the Hells as he tried to affect the Material Plane. At the end of the battle Nia cast Major Image to taunt the archdevil as she and her friends left, using a statue of the Moonweaver as the focus. The goddess, however, manifested some of her power through the spell, making her statue actually move and slap the Lord of the Nine Hells (very shocked about her being still present in Exandria) back to his plane, closing the rift between realms.

The Nine Eyes of Lucien

Just before Lucien Tavelle was resurrected by Cree Deeproots his soul (reconstructed by the Somnovem) briefly met the Moonweaver, who showed him cards and looked surprised when she noticed that Lucien was going to return to Exandria.

Liam's One Shot: The Song of the Lorelei

While the Lorelei siblings were fighting the Iron Woe, the undead creature released a wave of dark energy that filled them with fear, loss and confusion. Noticing that his older sister, Aurra, was succumbing to this magical effect, Lucius used his Luminous Clarity ability to help her resist the effect. When he did that, the Moonweaver (Lucius' deity) whispered in Aurra's ear, encouraging her to stand.

Campaign Two: The Mighty Nein

"Fleeting Memories" (2x14) While Molly was influenced by Zone of Truth, he revealed himself to be a follower of the Moonweaver.

"Traveler Con" (2x108)

Fan art of the Moonweaver's planetar, by Callum Lyall.

At the culmination of Traveler Con, the Traveler disguised himself in sky-blue skin, white hair, and a feminine form. He told the crowd that the Traveler was but one aspect of Sehanine, a new avatar who had guided them to her. At that moment, the clouds parted revealing a full white moon, and the moonbeams turned into white chains that wrapped around the Traveler, pulling him skyward. A white-winged, blue-skinned, angelic figure holding a sword and whip descended, saying that the Traveler spoke in absolute falsehoods and did not represent the Moonweaver or any of her divine children, and began dragging him away in chains to be brought back to the Feywild for further judgement on his blasphemy.

Jester interceded, sobbing and holding Artagan as he was pulled upward. The angel (a planetar) asked why she wept for him, and Jester responded that she loved him. Artagan forced both her and Fjord (who was holding Jester) free. As he was pulled higher and higher, a different voice emerged from the planetar, implied to be Sehanine herself, which then asked the Traveler if he had learned his lesson. He nodded. The chains broke apart, freeing Artagan, and the different voice from the planetar told the gathered people that if they wanted to find a new god, She would be happy to take them in.

"Long May He Reign" (2x140) After Lucien Tavelle was defeated in Cognouza by the efforts of the Mighty Nein, his soul was received once more by Sehanine the Moonweaver, who did a moon oracle card reading for him, after which a sprout started growing from the Love card, while the goddess explained that maybe "fourth time's the charm", referring to the birth of Kingsley Tealeaf.

Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep

Depiction of an adventurer holding the Jewel of Three Prayers, having a vision of Alyxian with the shield bearing the symbol of Sehanine, by Andrew Mar from Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep, p. 34.

In this adventure, Alyxian wakes from his centuries-long slumber in the Netherdeep and calls out to Sehanine to send those with the power to save him. She and the other gods who blessed him, Avandra and Corellon, propel the Jewel of Three Prayers to the lost temple where Alyxian first prayed to Sehanine and received the Jewel. There the adventurers have a vision of Alyxian and find the dormant Vestige of Divergence.

Within the Betrayers' Rise is a secret hallway with a carving depicting Alyxian at the Battle of the Barbed Fields. In the carving he is accompanied by Sehanine, depicted as a young girl with white hair, and by Avandra as well.

Campaign Three: Bells Hells

"The Fey Key" (3x47) During an argument between Sorrowlord Athion Zathuda and Otohan Thull in the Shiver Keep, the human stated that their fey allies' inconvenience would be worth it when they got rid of the "shadow of the Moonweaver".

"Nice" (3x69) While Laudna and Imogen were in Zephrah, they talked about the former trying to find a god to follow that would "fill" the space that Delilah Briarwood's influence used to have. After misremembering for a moment which god Weva Vudol followed, they started praying outloud to the Moonweaver, feeling she was an appropriate choice given the issues involving Ruidus after the apogee solstice, and wondering what the goddess of the moon thought of that. Laudna even joked that maybe the Moonweaver would speak to them in their dreams, but it didn't happen.

"To Hurt Is to Heal" (3x79) When talking to Fearne about her biological father, Sorrowlord Zathuda, Birdie Calloway explained that during their time as lovers the Unseelie captain made her many dark and poetic promises, telling her that he would take the moon from Sehanine for the faun. Later, when Fearne shared this information with the rest of Bells Hells and Allura Vysoren, they theorized that, given the influence of the Moonweaver over the Feywild, perhaps the Unseelie Court wanted Predathos to devour her so they could fill that power vacuum.

"Broken Roads" (3x92) When Bells Hells returned from Ruidus they discovered that some gods, including the Moonweaver, had sent their followers to fight in the Red Center, and now trophies taken from them adorned pikes in the excavation.

"The Red End" (3x120) One of the people leading the holy army that went to Ruidus to potentially re-seal Predathos was Dusk Captain Okirai, a follower of the Moonweaver. He was the one who interacted with Bells Hells, and eventually who agreed to escort them to Vasselheim after learning that the gods wanted them to go, despite carrying with them the vessel of Predathos (Imogen). When they returned to Exandria, Okirai grabbed his holy symbol (like many others), sensing that his goddess had felt the arrival of the God Eater.

"A New Age Begins" (3x121) The Moonweaver and the rest of the main pantheon attended the meeting in which Bells Hells and the Matron of Ravens proposed to use the latter's Rites of Catatheosis to turn them into mortals and avoid Predathos. During the conversation, Sehanine was among those concerned about facing oblivion, and she openly stated that the gods, like many other creatures, followed their instincts and saw them as more valuable than others'; when she noticed that Chetney Pock O'Pea hadn't said much she encouraged him to speak, and he told the gods about the fear of the unknown, the finite nature of running away, and challenged them all to live as mortals longer than his four centuries of life, causing the members of the pantheon to whisper among themselves. Eventually the gods present agreed to the plan and through the Matron's ritual, bound their souls to Exandria itself and were reborn as mortals.

Appearances and mentions

• Campaign One
  • "Family Matters" (1x96), mentioned only (first mentioned)
  • "The Fate-Touched" (1x103), mentioned only
• Specials
  • "Liam's One Shot: The Song of the Lorelei" (Sx36) (first appearance) (voice only)
• Campaign Two
  • "Fleeting Memories" (2x14), mentioned only
  • "The King's Cage" (2x69), mentioned only
  • "Devoutness and Dicks" (2x107), mentioned only
  • "Traveler Con" (2x108), voice only
  • "The Neverending Day" (2x125), mentioned only
• Kith & Kin (mentioned)
• The Nine Eyes of Lucien
• Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep
• Campaign Three
  • "Dark Portents" (3x29), mentioned only
  • "The Fey Key" (3x47), mentioned only
  • "A Path of Vengeance" (3x65), mentioned only
  • "Nice" (3x69), mentioned only
  • "The Promise and the Price" (3x77), mentioned only, unnamed
  • "To Hurt Is to Heal" (3x79), mentioned only
  • "Broken Roads" (3x92), mentioned only
  • "The Cradle's Convocation" (3x104), mentioned only
  • "Unseelie Interrupted" (3x106), mentioned only
  • "A Test of Fate" (3x109), mentioned only
  • "The Hallowed Cage" (3x118), in a vision
  • "A New Age Begins" (3x121)
• Exandria Unlimited: Divergence
  • "Give and Take" (E4x01), mentioned only
  • "Seven of Them" (E4x02), mentioned only
  • "Mirror and Key" (E4x03)
  • "By Heart Alone" (E4x04), through Major Image

Quotations

• (to other gods, about divine magic) "If our love for them [mortals] is true, then it will pass the mantle of protection. It will pass through the gate."
• (to Rei'nia Saph, sister of her mortal incarnation) "In all of the vastness of realms divine, no gift was greater than one mortal life with you."
• (to Asmodeus, about abandoning Exandria) "I lied."

Trivia

• Sehanine is frequently found wandering the Feywild. Her connection with that plane allows the light of Catha to shine in the sky of the Fey Realm.
  • When Imogen Temult was speaking with her friends about the gods, she wondered if Fearne Calloway felt some affinity with the Moonweaver, explaining that she thought she was a "fey god" (which was not far from the truth, since Sehanine has great influence in the Plane of Faerie).
• She has strong connections with a fey artifact known as the Moontide Crown.
• When Aldreda Tavelle rejected her brother Lucien in Rexxentrum in 831 PD, he noticed the moonlight shifting across the cobblestone street, feeling an impulse to follow that glow that he resisted. This could have been Sehanine's first attempt of contacting him.
• The wording of one of Sehanine's commandments was changed for the Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn sourcebook. In the original Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting and the Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, it had said, "Let the shadows protect you from the burning light of fanatical good and the absolute darkness of evil."
• In other worlds, such as Toril or Oerth, Sehanine is sometimes referred to as "Sehanine Moonbow".
  • In those same worlds she is very close to Corellon, being considered their creation and/or their wife, and even having a child with them, Tethrin, a minor god of swordfighting.

References

Art: