What with the a Tear of Selune falling every couple of years, there's bound to be plenty of 'moon minerals' lying about... in craters...
Oddly enough, its a term for worshippers of Selune, a deity of the Forgotten Realms...
-I was talking about the subrace of Humans living on the moon (Selûne), but yeah, there's that, too.
-So, in the end, not all Selûnians are Selûnites, and not all Selûnites are Selûnians.
People live on Selune?
-Yeah. A very advanced culture, too. Want me to copy & paste it all? They're talked about in Realmspace.
You also learn about Elminster's secret 'space station' (and his uber-ancient Red Dragon pal), a Moonshaes barony that got transplanted into space, beady-eyed halflings living on the world closest to the sun, etc, etc...
Oh... and lets not foget the Beholder bartrender...
They're just taking a VERY long time to die. :P
I did find that weird 'march' by millions of people around the shell of the sphere somewhat interesting (along with the sphere itself, which appears to be the universe's largest spellbook...)
I thought those were the Arcane... ;) :D
-Nope. Selûnians aren't Arcane. I'd feel better if at least they were.
He's not giant, he isn't bald, and he doesn't live on the Moon, but he plays a similar role.
There is a Watcher - he works for Mystra (The Seven Sisters, pg.7).
He's not giant, he isn't bald, and he doesn't live on the Moon, but he plays a similar role.
Does Red Hulk punch him in the face?
There is a Watcher - he works for Mystra (The Seven Sisters, pg.7).
He's not giant, he isn't bald, and he doesn't live on the Moon, but he plays a similar role.
-I meant giant, bald Watchers, preferably named Uatu.
-I'd feel bad for a Watcher watching Realmspace, with all of the zaniness and nonsensical stupidity that goes on. And we thought that Earth-616 was bad!
And Dornal is a much better name that Uatu. :P :P
-Yeah. A very advanced culture, too. Want me to copy & paste it all? They're talked about in Realmspace.
LK if you could that'd be saweet.
LK is the best]
Selune is Toril's only natural satellite. Only one side of the moon is ever visible to the planet. The other side, called the dark side, is never seen by Toril inhabitants. Selune revolves around Toril once every 30 days, performing the natural cycle of full moon, three-quarter, half, one-quarter, and new moon, and back again.
With the positioning of Selune's orbit, eclipses happen frequently. Selune, surprisingly, is a relatively cool place, except for the molten mountain tops. The temperature rarely exceeds 60 degrees, while never dropping below freezing. This temperature stability has been related to the moon's magical
blanket that shrouds the side facing Toril. This magical illusion makes Selune appear to be completely uninhabited and desolate. The other side, however, is not blanketed in illusion, and its full splendor is revealed.
The people here are hedonists, demanding the best in everything. One cannot find an uncomfortable chair, a table that doesn't appeal to
the eye, or an earring that doesn't shimmer in the light just so. The clothes worn express this aestheticism as well. Some people call the Selune inhabitants frivolous, foolish, and unworthy of serious consideration. This could be true for the most part, because one of the major religions on Selune is the worship of Leira, the Lady of the Mists and goddess of illusion and untruths. Refer to the FORGOTTEN REALMS" hardback for a complete rundown on this religion.
Selune has several ports by which spelljamming ships can dock. All of these
facilities are on the "dark side" of the moon, thus being efficiently hidden from Toril. Please note that there are absolutely no spacefaring ports on the Toril side of Selune; in fact, the government of Selune prefers that ships never approach this side.
The fifty-some ports are all located at the Leira Trading Center which is on the equatorial line in the center of the moon. From here, the Selunians cannot see Toril, but more importantly, Toril cannot see them. Selune's natives are paranoid of the planet's inhabitants, and usually look toward Toril visitors as spies. It is not uncommon for Torilian merchants and adventurers to be denied access to the rest of the moon from the Leira Trading Center.
When one first enters the docking ports of Selune, one is immediately greeted by almost a dozen dock hands hired to assist the ship into port. These are dedicated men and women, striving to assure that not a speck of paint on any ship gets scratched. Crews may be surprised when the inhabitants welcome them to Leira, and not Selune. The people feel a closer bond to this goddess and thus named their world after her.
Crews are free to roam anywhere, except for a few designated areas. Even then, the only penalty is a polite escort to the nearest non-secret location. This applies to everyone but those who claim to be from Toril. In this case, an arrest, trial, and conviction for espionage is much more likely. People found guilty of spying are always decapitated within the hour. There is no tolerance for thieves of trade or militaristic secrets. lf there is ever any doubt about the sincerity of an individual in these matters, the worst is always believed.
The people here are exceedingly aesthetic. Their only care when purchasing
something is its relative comfort and beauty-which chair is the most comfortable, and which coat rack has the most appeal. Silks are a large import item here. Selune does not have the capacity to create its own, so all must be imported. The more seductive and revealing the clothing, the better.
Fine foods are a necessity-the more delicious and savory the better. These people are not afraid to pay for their luxuries, but they are not fools either. They know how to play two merchants against each other to get the best price they can. This often causes fights in the markets, to the delight of the Selunian residents.
The furniture bought must be of the brightest and best colors, and must be enjoyable to the user. (Burlap covered furniture never sells.) The magical items Selunians purchase are usually those that can be assimilated by their ever consuming passion, or they are very deadly.
These lethal magical items are purchased and hidden away deep within the moon, for the people live in fear of the day when Toril mounts a full scale assault on Selune to take it as their own.
The Selunians naturally import great quantities of art. Paintings and sculptures are all major purchase items for the average citizen, but their largest artistic import is the artisans themselves. The love for theater and music is so high that many of artisans from several worlds in Realmspace and even from other crystal spheres gather here to entertain, paint, sculpt, and to sing and dance their way into the Selune hearts and coin purses. A great deal of money is to be had here for those talented and lucky enough to get on stage.
The Selunians may be aesthetic and frivolous, but their passions cannot be quenched. They love as deeply as they fear and hate. Nothing to them is done haphazardly, which is why many observers, see a threat lying beneath that exterior dedicated to the pleasures. It is believed that the high magistrate, Her Highness Phlandra Alabaster, is readying to attack Toril. She fears that a Torilian attack is inevitable, and she would rather have Toril's lands ripped from the devastations of war instead of hers. There has been a growth in the number of internal protective service agents in recent years as well. This growth seems to parallel the paranoia the Selunians feel.
The people for the most part are pale skinned, living their lives in a world's atmosphere that softens the rays of the sun to such a point that tanning is impossible. The humans, who are about an average of six inches shorter than their Toril counterparts, live in harmony with the elves who are about six inches taller than their relatives planetside. There has never been a war in recorded history between these two races, which is a credit to their benevolence. Together, side by side, they have made the Toril satellite a very beautiful place to live and work.
The humans all have blonde or light brown hair. Their eyes are light colored as well; bright blues and greens are the normal, with the purple or lavender shades being fairly unusual. None of the inhabitants have brown, black, or any other darker eye color. Even the elves exhibit lighter shades of skin, eyes, and hair.
Unlike many worlds, this one lacks families of dwarves hurrowing deep beneath its surface. Many dwarven mining conglomerates have asked the Selune government for permission to set up mining operations, but all have met with denial. Truth be known, the elves and the humans have already drilled huge caverns deep within the surface-as invasion shelters. When Toril invades, if the Selunians are unable to fend them off, they plan to hide themselves in these manmade caverns. All school-aged children are taught the techniques of guerrilla warfare from the time they are old enough and strong enough to pull back on a bow. No manner of talking can convince the Selunians that there is no danger from Toril.
The Selune side which continually faces Toril is shrouded in a powerful illusion. This illusion, being a gift from the goddess Leira for their unbridled worship, cannot be dispelled without a dispel magic, alter reality, or a wish spell cast by at least a minor god or goddess. This illusion shows the moon as being a completely uninhabited place, with craters, and lifeless valleys. The atmosphere of Selune is hidden as well. The illusion drifts about 500 feet above the surface of Selune. A wish spell displays the true features of Selune, but only for the character who invoked the wish. There is no other way to see its features without actually being on the surface itself.
Beneath this mask of magic lie sprawling cities, huge lakes, and seas. Majestic mountains with molten peaks lie in huge ranges which stretch from north to south. Three such mountain ranges exist, with the middle one being the tallest and the most foreboding. The tops of the highest 12 mountains are molten. The heat from the sun and the atmosphere’s reflective properties combine to create this candle effect. During the Selune night, these peaks glow with such brilliance that books can be read from miles away. Toward the end of the night, which lasts 15 days, the mountaintops cool and no longer glow. During the day they heat up again, and the cycle continues.
The cities that sprawl across Selune are all connected by highly decorative streets and walkways. Many schools have taken historical field trips to older cities throughout the lands to view the artistic carvings in their streets. There are hieroglyphic writings as well as pictures. Despite centuries of traffic, these carvings are still beautiful and legible.
In the middle of the dark side of Selune-the side that constantly faces away from Toril-lies the most beautiful building on the planet. This is the spelljamming space port. There are about 50 separate docking bays along its 300-foot tall structure. Surrounding the Leira Trading Center, dwarfed by its immense size, lie thousands of multi-colored buildings-single and multifamily lodgings, businesses, and theaters.
There are two large seas on Selune. The Northern Sea, being twice the size as the Southern Sea, is responsible for the large quantity of fish that Selune eats. Fish never see export trading tables, because of their rarity and value.
Fishing is allowed only in season, which happens to be during dusk and dawn. This twilight time not only assures good fishing, but it is also when the fish are not breeding. Any fishing during the off season is punishable by 30 days hard labor in the mining operations deep underground.
The people on Selune want nothing personally to do with spelljamming. They think it grand that cultures across the universe have made their world a stop in their trading routes, but they want nothing to do with the discomfort of the tight quarters and the hairraising adventure on the sail.
Their idea of fun is having a cold glass of tea with shaved ice and a small umbrella, while sitting in the warmth of the Sun.
Selunians seem aloof. Their interests today do not necessarily dictate their interests for tomorrow. They do, however maintain a constant interest in music and the arts, but like children, the attention span they possess is so short that they are always looking for something new and different.
This has created a ruthlessly cutthroat art business. If two or more artists perform the same night, the latter performer always ridicules the previous performances, accusing them of being behind the times, or that the act copied another, even if the previous acts were completely new. Many people have died from this constant badgering, for everyone needs to make a living, and when someone takes that away, the anger that ensues comes in many forms. Sometimes these forms can explode in fits of lethal anger.
The creative people who come here to perform are well met and respected, but their professional life expectancy is usually rated in mere days or weeks. The very lucky and the very creative have been known to last for many months. These artists tend to die mysteriously at the end of their careers.[/SBLOCK]
DaveSaunders
and what book is this? everything i am seeing today its like all new to me dispite me having lots of books.
The book is Spelljammer: Realmspace. page 25 to 30 Selune (the planet)
Elminsters hideout is on page 51