Quote: “For Her Glory.”
Holy Symbol: A shattered moon, surrounded by the shadow of the Night Terror.
God Nickname: The Resolute, The Betrayer, Her Hope.
Favored Weapon: A polearm with a long crescent blade; curved or hooked swords.
Honored Blood: Scyldan Garrus, The Nightsinger
Paladin Alpha: Vanessumi Rose, The Twice-Lived
The Moon Father
~ Bio ~
The Moon Father represents redemption, devotion, and sacrifice. Yet those that study him well understand that he and all men are capable of succumbing to temptation and destroying the very thing they love most. Those who worship the Moon Father seek to be paragons of virtue, chivalry, and tenderness. Though it is well known the Moon Father is a capable warrior and defender, he fought only for his love and against the errant wrongdoings of the Terror. “Fight for those who cannot defend themselves, give to those who have nothing. The Moon Father beseeches personal gain and accolade, knowing that true reward is found in one’s own heart, character, and deed.”
~ The Church ~
Devoted of the Moon Father rarely receive visitors, as their temple rests firmly in monster infested lands between Waeldstone and Evermoor. Still, new devotees prove their devotion each year by braving the journey. Those that make the ultimate sacrifice on their travels are considered true kin to Her Hope. The fortunate few who arrive alive are trained by the coast’s finest warrior monks, who travel the coast offering respite and aid to those in need. On nights of the full moon, the church provides an elaborate feast for all in attendance and fasts through its waning.
~ The Temple ~
Long before pilgrims ever reach the Moon Father’s silvery hearth, they face a steep climb through winding cliffs. Fierce weather, loose stone, and a series of nearly three-thousand steps test their commitment before the temple ever comes into view. Names of those who died in service to The Resolute are carved into the pale stones lining the path, accompanied by lilac and ivory flowers that bloom in the moonlight. Upon finally cresting the summit, a long round temple awaits.
Rising up from the dirt before it is the massive statue of a kneeling man. His powerful physique shows the weight of his burden, with one hand on the ground and the other resting on his bent thigh. The head of the statue has been smashed, leaving only a crater in its wake. Beyond it, the temple divides into three separate parts. Its eastern half is built of bright timbers and ashen stone. A high loft pierces the ceiling and remains uncovered for proper star gazing. The western half is carved from obsidian and onyx, dark crystal that looms out over the cliffs. Its walls are tall windows or completely open, allowing the harsh weather to pass through unabated. Within, a great pit descends into the mountain where the faithful face their inner darkness. Perfectly centered between the crescent halves, an ivory tower pierces the sky, where the whole of Avalayle can be seen at its top.
Throughout the temple, masterfully crafted stained glass windows line the walls and form the ceiling. With each passing day, as the moon above waxes and wanes, different panes are lit telling the Moon Father’s story in sequence. Few argue there is greater art along the coast.
Beyond it all, the cliff plummets over a hundred feet to a small landing that leads to an expansive cavern. Within, a wide crater stirs with rainwater as a nocturnal garden bursts with life. Strange luminous creatures lilt in the air and scurry through brush. Faithful come here to heal and purge themselves of their sins and burdens.
~ Interior Locations~
Eastern Hall
The eastern hall is built of pale lumber and gray stone, forming one crescent of the temple. Speckled stone collumns run in two rows, holding a high ceiling, and additional floors to the temple. A high loft cuts through half this space and remains uncovered, so the night sky is visible from the floor. A stone channel is dug into it’s floor, collecting rainwater that waterfalls into a large silver basin below, ringed with tall stones and lilac flowers.
Moonlight Altar
The Moonlight Altar rests in a wing of the Eastern Hall, under the open star loft. Made of pale stone that emmits a soft glow, it reaches waist high, with a crescent cut into the top face. Silk curtains close the loft opening in high wind and are drawn back on clear nights. A silver censer hangs at each end of the block, and burns with with a sickly sweet smell. Milk-wine sits in a silver cup on the altar, and is poured out across the crescent before drank by the faithful. A stained glass window above the altar details the Moon Father being torn out of the Night Terror.
Refectory
The refectory runs adjacent to the eastern hall, and is lined with silk curtain while one massive silver-oak table filled the space. Benches flank it, and welcome the faithful to all meals. On nights of the full-moon elaborate feasts are held, while the waning moon is met with silent mediation and communal fasting.
Central Hall
The central hall is the round body of the temple, containing half of each seperated wing. Set beneath a ring of concentric domes that have been segemented into mechanical parts. The segments open on tracks, and the opened gaps throw narrow beams of light onto the stained-glass murals in the walls and ceiling. The panes light in order as the moon waxes and wanes, so a given night shows only one chapter of the Moon Father’s story. Benches follow the curve of the wall, while aisles connect the various halls and ivory tower.
Western Hall
The western hall is carved from obsidian and onyx, and forms the other crescent, which looms out over the cliffs. The walls are tall windows and open gaps, where wind and rain are welcomed straight into the room. The whole space seems to lean toward collapsing, taking a slight angle toward the craggy shore below. A great pit descends into the mountain below from the center of the room.
Guest Lodging
On the southernmost side of the western hall, built firmly over solid ground rise the guest lodging. Each chamber holds a proper bed with a wool blankets, silk sheets, a chest, a desk, mirror and a silver basin. A window in the outer wall looks over the grounds, and a small sitting room at the front of the house holds a table shared meals.
Penance Chamber
Those that enter the pit in the western hall make a steep climb 100 feet down into the Penance Chamber. This cramped stoney prison is lightless and fills with fog from holes cut throughout the wall. Only one may enter at a time, and are left in utter isolation until their bloody work is done. Typically, faithful use the space to flog and mutilate themselves, punishing their bodies for their failures and weaknesses, just as the Moon Father did when he betrayed the All Loving Light.
Ivory Tower
The ivory tower rises from the center of each crescent, and pierces the roof of the central hall. A spiraling staricase leads to numerous small chambers as the tower climbs. The first room is a map of the coast cut into the floor, with ample metal moons to mark and display points of interest, and where their monks are stationed. Next, the scroll library awaits, where shelves hold hundreds of cases and a handful of desks to read and write at. A stunning silver chandelier hands low in the space, providing refracting light. Above it, a choral room awaits, where its harpists, lute players and singers can be heard from each hall. At it’s peak, an open platform overlooks the whole of Avalayle. On nights with the full moon the gilded light falls to the open crown, illuminating the runes cut into the floor.
~ Exterior Locations~
The Faceless Moon Father
This kneeling statue stands centered just beyond the 3000 steps, surrounded by a field of packed earth and spotted gravel. It depicts the noble Moon Father on one knee, one hand planted on the ground and the other resting on his bent thigh. The head has shattered inward, a crater claiming where his face once stood. Broken stone lies scattered around it’s base, slowly worn smooth by the weather. Lilac and ivory flowers grow at the knees and along the planted hand.
Cloister
This rustic building is a short walk along the eastern cliffs. Within a modest dwelling provides private rooms for the clergy. Each room holds a bed, chest for storage, and simple desk. A shared washing room at the back of the building holds basins and linen for everyone. A small garden surrounds the building, tended by the Younglings.
Wisteria Courtyard
A silver gate, shaped like an arching crescent, opens from the western yard. Wisteria hangs from the wooden posts in long falls, silver-green by day and deep purple once the night blooming flowerbeds open beneath them. Colorful and vibrant Lunar-Moths gather on the blossoms after dusk, flashing their luminescent wings in silvery ebbs. The Starlight Spring rises from a large fountain at the garden’s edge. Additionally, herbs and medicinal agents are grown around the perimeter.
The Starlight Spring
The Starlight Spring stands in the Wisteria Courtyard as its own fountain, wide and raised on a pale stone rim, with steps on four sides so a person can climb to the water. At it’s center kneels and ivory statue of the Sun Mother bathing, one shoulder bare, the other turned toward the gate. A small vase rests at her shoulder, pouring the water from the fountain through her hair and down her back. The water here is clear, and cold, and used as the sacred drinking water of the church. On auspicious nights, the clergy dip silver cups into the fountain and drink their fill.
Training Yard
Just north of the 3000 steps, before reaching the temple itself, lies a great yard of sparkling white sand. Large boulders and a stone walkway dot the yard, and impressive willow trees and berry bushes floursih throughout the wide space. Each morning and night the sand is combed by the Younglings in paterns that reflect the stage of the moon.
Luminous Barracks
One path through the training yard leads to the Luminous Barracks, a gothic monastery of dark stone set against the cliff. The facade is dour, tall and plain, with pointed arches and a heavy door banded in iron. Stained glass fills the arches, telling the Moon Father’s story in silver, lilac, and ivory. By day the panes throw colored shapes onto the sand and by night the lights behind the glass makes the whole barracks waft a warm soft glow.
Inside, a stone corridor runs the length of the monastery, and private rooms open off both sides. Each Hearth Warden has his own room, fitted with a bed, chest, desk, and a narrow window. A washing room at the end of the corridor holds basins and linen for the house. Each night two members of the faith are tasked with standing guard at the stairs, welcoming any arrivals from the trek below.
Arming Room
The arming room sits opposite the barracks, and is made of weathered wood. Inside, the a flagstone floor is covered with racks of weapons: crescent-blade polearms, curved swords, shields and leather armors. Weapon oil and spare straps sit in a chest by the door.
The Moonglade
Following a set of switchback steps that scale the cliff wall beyond the eastern hall, nearly two hundred feet down the mountain, are the only way to reach the famed Moonglade. At the base of this stairwell a great cavern opens into the mountain, where within a respendent garden fed on rainwater and splashing tide flourishes. Tall soft grasses sway in the breeze in soothing shades of pale green and bioluminescent blues. Lilac and ivory flowers grow tall along the cavern walls and dot the grasses, while strange luminous creatures flit through the air and scurry through the brush.
Near the back end of the cavern is a massive crater, ringed in tall flowering reeds. The crater is deep enough to submerge a man completely, and is filled with water from the weather outside and runoff seeping through the moutain. Glowing flora within gives the pool a silvery-blue radiance, and beckons folk to enter. The faithful come here to heal and forget their burdens a while.
Cliff Lift and Dock
A short winding hike just beneath the western hall leads to rickety lift alongside the cliffface. A wooden cage glides down the cliffs while a winch sits at the top landing. The clergy use it to descend to the sea, where a minor dock runs a few paces into the water. Since the Monster Crisis, it has also been used by High Lords who refuse to risk the monster infested wilds, docking instead to visit the Moon Father. The cage is raised and locked at the top landing when the day ends.
Far Mountain Overlook
Behind the barracks, this mountain path winds further east, before climbing a ridge that overlooks the temple grounds. The trees quickly fade as the peak rises through the clouds, offering a stunning view of the sea to the south, Waeldstone to the west, and Evermoor to the east. Faithful come up here for moments of solitude and reflection, and face the Traitor’s Trance.
The Moon-Horn
The moon-horn stands atop the far mountain overlook, fixed to a crescent wall facing the sea. When blown the sound carries across the mountain, down the 3000 steps and to the sea itself.
Cemetery
The cemetery is a modest burial ground just beyond the overlook. A short descent to a flowering shelf displays inumerous graves marked with small pale stones, and night blooming flowers. a low fog rolls through the high grass here, casting an eerie pallor across the yard. A small workshed provides the tools to tend the grounds in the distance.
The Gloaming Oak
At the furthest edge of the graveyard, half leaning and grown into the cliff wall itself, is a massive tree with with white bark and silver-purple leaves. When in season, it bears a rare fruit with pale pink skin and a dark pit called the Dead Man’s Heart. Monks risk their lives climbing out over the rocky shore to pick them, and serve them during full moons with great pride. The rest fall to the shore below, lost to the sea and gulls.
Gallow Prison
West just a ways from the cemetary rests the gallow prison on a rocky ledge. Prisoners are chained on the open stone, left to harsh the sea wind and weather. The chaining leaves them facing the sheer drop, limbs spread wide and twisted. A single Hearth Warden remains stationed here when the prison is in use, and bring the captive just enough food and water to survive.
~ The Luminous Path~
The Luminous Path is the Moon Father’s order of Hearth Wardens. Paladins, monks and templar knights trained for close combat, who protect the temple, three thousand steps, and common man. They follow the teachings of the Resolute, and dedicate their life to serving the priesthood and annihilating the Sinful Terrors hiding throughout the coast.
Luminous Ones do not follow a dresscode, but instead don circlets and bangles of silver, with opal gemstones and glistening pearls. Most wear white leather armors or plain silk robes, accented only with dark cloaks and the accessories of travel.
Trained with polearms, and curved blades, the Luminous Ones follow a martial art that mixes flowing forms and dance-like movements to distract their enemies, ensuring they’ll never know from which direction they’ll strike. Should they lose their weapons or find them sundered, a Luminous One doesn’t panic. They are equally ready to fight with their fists and legs, and are considered just as deadly unarmed.
Training takes place in the yard before the barracks, throughout the mountain and even in the crashing waves below. Between physical contests are long periods of silent prayer and meditation, nurturing a space in their soul for the Moon Father to flourish. Duels are common, but so is discussion. Though for all their athleticism, they too are tasked with tending the grounds and garden, for it is not enough to be a killer. “One must have the strength to eviscerate evil, and the peaceful heart of a caretaker. The will and capacity to kill is but one small segment of life.” Thus, they find peace, purpose and deeper meaning in the slow processes of gardening and alchemy.
To ensure there dark urges never overtake them, once a month a singular Hearth Warden undergoes the Traitor’s Trance. During this time, the entranced unleashes all their savagery, hatred and violent power on their brethren. The rest of the order is charged with holding them at bay, restraining them without breaking them. When the entranced awakens, they are brought to the Moon Glade for recovery.
~ Extra~
Acts of Service:
Endure any hardship, trial or pain to prove one’s devotion.
Pledge yourself to a beloved and live as their shield and sword.
When the moon wanes completely, a faithful should isolate themselves, reflecting on their weaknesses and shortcomings.
Hike the path to the Moon Father while carrying a torch or lantern. Do not let the flame die and recite every name etched across the journey.
Holidays:
The Full Moon- Honoring the Moon Father’s power, love, and devotion. Showing how one may bolster their community, and aid them when they’re weak.
The New Moon- Faithful isolate themselves, afraid they too may betray their beloved. During this period, they reflect on their shortcomings and purge any bitterness from their heart.
The Sacrifice- Honoring the day the Moon Father shielded the Sun Mother’s light from the Night Terror.
The Descent- A day of facing fears, where folk descend into the “belly of terror” and survive to prove their courage.
The Eternal War- Honoring his choice to fight forever, protecting the people of Evaira.
Aphorisms:
“For Her Alone.”
“Forgive the Wretch, Bolster the Man.”
“With Absolute Devotion.”
“Slay Thy Traitor.”
Attire:
Silver robes with a large black circle on the back, and a small golden one over the heart. Liliac threads run along the hems and seams, and a large baggy hood falls down the back.
Coastal Heralds:
Moths, Rabbits, Wolves.