Selene

• Light
• Life
• Balance
• Protection

Holy Associations

Holy Symbol: A white circle with a six-pointed star

Favoured Mineral: Moonstone, Selenite

Favoured Animals: White rabbits

Favoured Colours: White, silver, blue, pale green

Shows Preference to: Children, travellers, and healers

Known Avatars

• Aala Altalune - Selene can temporarily manifest in a Mortal appearance and walk freely among them. While it is significantly less powerful than her true form, it is still powerful enough to be ranked amongst the strongest Mortals, appearing as a Sorceress rather than a Priest or Cleric. In this Avatar, Selene appears to be of mixed heritage, usually Human-Elf, and features pale skin and light blue eyes. She has pale silvery freckles across her cheeks and her hair is black, fading out to white at the ends. She tends to wear a grey dress and black leather sandles with a short-sleeved coat in metallic shades of black, blue, and turquoise.
• White Rabbits - White rabbits with blue eyes are particularly rare within A'arde, and are believed to be messengers or Avatars of the Goddess. It is believed that following a white rabbit will lead you to great luck.

Common Manifestations and Omens

Selene commonly manifests within A'arde as Moondust, a phenomena characterised by pale, misty, white-blue glow with tiny dancing motes of light within. Moondust can guide travellers to where Selene wishes them to go, or can act as a conduit for her spoken words.

• Hope is found in the dimmest of lights in the darkest of places
• Find practical paths for success without neglecting compassion for others
• Self-reliance, common sense, and humility will lead to greater gains
• Children are the future and should be protected from neglect and harm
• If ever lonely, lost, or in doubt of your direction, simply look skyward

The Moondance

Held on the first full moon of the year of the moon Selene, the Moondance is celebrated by followers of Selene as a way to honour the light of the Goddess entering the new year and continuing to guide those upon A'arde with her workings. It is the most important festival of Selene of the year, and is considered an important enough event that cities will allocate spaces for the celebration to take place. The festival is open even to those not of the faith of Selene, and nobody is turned away unless they act in a disruptive or dangerous manner. Traditionally, attendees will wear flowing white garmets and wear jewellery decorated with moonstones, selenite, or pearls. Offerings of milk in silver chalices are placed on altars laid with white and blue cloth, decorated with ribbons of pale green. Celebrants then dance around the altar to music from moonbells and lyres, before falling into prayer at the height of the full moon. Once the prayers are complete, gifts of moonbell chimes and woven bracelets with moonstones are offered to attendees, though it is not required for anyone to accept these gifts. Celebrants are then invited to attend a quiet gathering to talk and reflect, with warm milk, rosemary buns served with sage butter, and sugared ginger as typical treats.

The Healing of the Two Moons

A joint celebration with her son, Lune, the Healing of the Two Moons is held whenever a double full moon occurs between both the moon Selene, and the moon Lune. It is a celebration of health and vitality, and is considered a time when healing spells are at their most potent. Followers will attend a pre-arranged altar site where the alter is decorated with moonflowers, evening primrose, night phlox and night jasmine, as well as clothes of pale blue and green. Prayers are made to both deities as the twin moons rise full, followed by the ceremonial lighting of a Moon Censer, within which is housed an incense of healing and purifying herbs and oils. The attendees then walk through the streets of their village, town, or city, allowing the incense waft along the streets and invite healing to the people. Each attendee carries a bag of medicines and healing herbs, and if the group encounters a sick or injured person, they immediately offer aid in the form of magical or practical healing, depending on who has attended.

• To guide the lost and lonely
• To watch over and guide children to their futures
• To heal those broken by no fault of their own

Selene most often appears as a beautiful, curvy woman standing almost ten feet tall. Her skin is a shimmery, pale blue with mottled silvery markings across her chest, back, and shoulders. Moon-like tattoos of deep blue adorn her arms and chest, and black make-up enhances her dark blue eyes. Her hair is long and blue-black in colour, fading to silver-white at the end of her long braid, while her lips gradient from black to deep red. She has a pair of feathered wings coloured black, blue and silver sprouting from her shoulders, and about her head is a silver halo.

In most depictions of her, Selene is usually seen wearing a dark blue dress with silver accents, or a dark blue corset and breeches with a flowing blue drape, all accented in silver. She is most often seen wearing sandals of some kind, though these can vary in colour between white, blue, or silver.

It is believed that Selene is in possession of a war spear known as Silverbeam and the original Moon Shield, which are supposed to be her signature weapons from the Titan War. However, most followers claim that she never appears carrying these items in their visions, and it is only in rare situations that she is seen with them.

True A'arden Pantheon

Selene is known to have good relations with her husband, children, brother and niece, as well as with Silvanus, Shareen, Luxia, Veeda and Fasach. Her interactions with Nyxia can occasionally be awkward, as she pities the young goddess who prefers to keep to herself, and has on occasion attempted to mother her, which caused Nyxia to become more shy around her. She has been known to call Shiron to her to discuss poetry and song.

However, her relations with Fachnan are strained due to the animosity between him and her husband. She also dislikes the company of Ailastor and Gwyar, who both make her uncomfortable.

Other Pantheons

Selene is known to have good relations with Rhiannon Bwalleuad and Seren Pelydrarian of the Elven Pantheon, Zoia Lightsoul of the Gnomish Pantheon, and Macha of the Tuatha de Danann. She holds a great deal of respect for Solvej Elin-Mogens of the Dwarven Pantheon due to her motherly aspects.

She dislikes Thywyll ferch Caradog due to her betrayal of her brother, Gwynrhi, which Selene considers to be unthinkable between her and Boone. She has also been known to butt heads with Mab of the Sylvan Pantheon and with Antiphonus Darkrage of the Gnomish Pantheon, who like Gwyar, makes her extremely uncomfortable.

It is thought that Selene has something of a soft spot for Arawn, the Elven Death God, due to the loss of his children during the Fall of Cymru. She pities and mourns for his loss deeply, as she cannot bear the idea of losing her own children.

Known Servants

In accordance with the Divisions of the Deities, as a Greater Deity, Selene is served by her son and daughter, as well as Luxia, Nyxia and Silenta.

Haul

Haul is Selene's husband and the father of her two children.

Lune

Selene's son and oldest child.

Maya

Selene's daughter and youngest child.

Boone

Selene's older brother.

Eislyn

Eislyn is Selene's niece, the daughter of her brother.