Moonstars
Encyclopedia
In the fiction
al Forgotten Realms
campaign setting
of the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
, the Moonstars are one of the most recent and most covert secret societies to appear in Faerûn
in decades. Born in the tumult of a fall-out between several senior Harpers, the members of the Moonstars now operate independently of the former group, though they share many of the same goals. Led by the iconoclastic Chosen of Mystra
, former Master Harper, ex-Lord of Waterdeep
, and incredibly powerful and knowledgeable mage, Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun and his consort, the Mage Lady of Waterdeep, Laeral Silverhand, the Moonstars have spent the last few years establishing their own intelligence network, including agents, spies, informants, adventurers, and a system of portals to allow them fast access to any part of Faerûn.
, Oghma and Sehanine Moonbow
.
The majority of Moonstars "missions" are nothing more than reconnaissance of targets chosen by the Blackstaff or Laeral. Agents stealthily observe their targets and report their findings, nothing more. At times, however, action is called for and the Moonstars do not hesitate on such occasions. If the Moonstars discover a doppelganger, fiend, or other creature using magical abilities to infiltrate civilized society, the Moonstars act to kill or drive off the monster. Other Moonstars activities that some might view as questionable include the following:
These are just some examples, and all such efforts are likely known only by the most senior Moonstars.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
of the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, the Moonstars are one of the most recent and most covert secret societies to appear in Faerûn
Faerûn
Faerûn is a fictional subcontinent, the primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms. It is described at a relatively high level in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting from Wizards of the Coast, and various locales and aspects are described in more detail by separate...
in decades. Born in the tumult of a fall-out between several senior Harpers, the members of the Moonstars now operate independently of the former group, though they share many of the same goals. Led by the iconoclastic Chosen of Mystra
Mystra (goddess)
Mystra is a fictional goddess in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.She is the Mistress of Magic and Mother of Mysteries who guides the Weave of magic that envelops the world. She tends to the weave constantly, making possible all the...
, former Master Harper, ex-Lord of Waterdeep
Waterdeep (city)
Waterdeep is a fictional city-state that forms part of a popular Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game campaign setting called the Forgotten Realms. It is a port city that is located along the western coast of the Faerûn sub-continent...
, and incredibly powerful and knowledgeable mage, Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun and his consort, the Mage Lady of Waterdeep, Laeral Silverhand, the Moonstars have spent the last few years establishing their own intelligence network, including agents, spies, informants, adventurers, and a system of portals to allow them fast access to any part of Faerûn.
Outlook
The Moonstars seek to preserve life and knowledge. They have a similar outlook to the Harpers, but apply themselves to MystraMystra (goddess)
Mystra is a fictional goddess in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.She is the Mistress of Magic and Mother of Mysteries who guides the Weave of magic that envelops the world. She tends to the weave constantly, making possible all the...
, Oghma and Sehanine Moonbow
Sehanine Moonbow
In many Dungeons and Dragons campaign settings, Sehanine Moonbow is the elven goddess of the moons. She is one of the more powerful members of the Seldarine. The Lady of Dreams actively opposes the nefarious schemes of the Spider Queen and the other drow powers. She is said to be the wife of...
.
Modus operandi
Khelben's first rule for any Moonstars agent is this: Don't get caught while performing Moonstars-related activities. He cares not how an agent spends her days or nights, just as long as she doesn't compromise the carefully constructed secrecy that remains to this day the Moonstars' greatest weapon. All Moonstars agents are prompted to accomplish their missions, but not to risk certain capture. Aborting a mission due to that possibility is never frowned upon. Overt actions that would require such decisions remain relatively rare for the small group at this point, however.The majority of Moonstars "missions" are nothing more than reconnaissance of targets chosen by the Blackstaff or Laeral. Agents stealthily observe their targets and report their findings, nothing more. At times, however, action is called for and the Moonstars do not hesitate on such occasions. If the Moonstars discover a doppelganger, fiend, or other creature using magical abilities to infiltrate civilized society, the Moonstars act to kill or drive off the monster. Other Moonstars activities that some might view as questionable include the following:
- Kidnapping evil individuals for interrogationInterrogationInterrogation is interviewing as commonly employed by officers of the police, military, and Intelligence agencies with the goal of extracting a confession or obtaining information. Subjects of interrogation are often the suspects, victims, or witnesses of a crime...
and a magical "mindwipeMindwipeFor the Transformers character, see Mindwipe .Mindwipe is a technique used in some science fiction scenarios, where the subject's memories and personality are erased and replaced by new memories and personality more useful to those who are carrying out the mindwiping, or to their area's...
" to remove all memories of the questioning; - Stealing (or planting) of magic items and even relics and artifacts;
- The “reapportioning” of profits and goods gained by the Moonstars after breaking up or destroying criminal or evil activities.
These are just some examples, and all such efforts are likely known only by the most senior Moonstars.