A Moon Goddess for Golarion

[Aebliss]

After someone in our Carrion Crown game made a joke about a 'Triple Goddess of Moon and Vengeance', I felt inspired. I did a bit of looking, and I don't think Golarion has its own moon deity, unless you count Groetius. So, presenting for your review:

Mirarae
Duskflower
Hyacinth Candle
Lady of the Three Balances
Moon Witch
Night Elf
Night-Eye
Ocean Bridle
Queen of the Night Sky

CN/LN/N goddess

The changeable Mirarae is a goddess whose worship is in serious decline. In the days of Ancient Osirion, she was hailed as the sister of Sarenrae, the queen of the night sky. She was a patron of sailors due to the moon's influence on the tide; she was beloved of Witches, who so often held their coven meetings at night and bathed in her magical light; but she was also a strong champion of balance, which often took the form of redress and retribution. Any creatures that dwelled mostly in the hours of the night, be they good or evil, were favoured by her.

The increasing popularity of Calistria and her philosophy of vengeance gradually eclipsed Mirarae. With the fall of Ancient Osirion most of her ancient rites and legends are forgotten. Those who worship the divine in the changeing faces of the moon often do not even know that it has a name, or what her ancient rites are. What few myths still circulate describe the Ancient Osiriani moon goddess as a demonic patron of were-beasts and things that stalk in the darkness when the moon is hidden from sight. A few scholars know more of the truth, but even they fear Mirarae for her ability to change. Some Dusk Elf tribes remain loyal to the goddess who favoured them in the days gone by. It is believed that Calistria condoned the slaughter of so many Dusk Elves by their Light Elf cousins. Witches also continue to favour her, with many seeing her as the Moon Patron they draw on, but their faith in the goddess damns her in the eyes of those who see all Witches as creatures of evil.

Doctrine:
Mirarae teaches the importance of balance. The moon is the balance to the sun in that it brings light to the night sky. Its phases allow light and dark to shift places in a steady rhythm, allowing for balance between the two of them. Likewise, mortals should seek balance in their lives for all things. The way she advises creatures to achieve that balance changes with the phases of the moon, however. However she changes, she always claims to be unconcerned with good and evil; she bestows her blessings equally on all creatures, and it is up to mortals to use them how they see fit.

Phases
During the new moon, Mirarae is Chaotic Neutral. The sickle moon is seen as Mirarae's slit eye, looking down on a world wrapped in darkness. During this time, Mirarae advises mortals to restore imbalance in the dark. A knife to the back balances injustice; a quick leap and snap of jaws soon balances hunger; a nimble invasion of another's home balances poverty.
When she manifests, Mirarae appears as a vampiric tiefling woman wrapped in a shroud of star-studded darkness, her face pale as the moon. Her eyes and hair are as black as the great batwings that carry her through the sky. Her horns are like the horns of the sickle moon.
The CN phase of Mirarae has the following Domains:
Domains: Air, Darkness, Trickery, Water
Subdomains: Cloud, Deception, Night, Oceans, Thievery

When the moon is half full, Mirarae is fully Neutral. She grants equal opportunity to light and dark, good and evil, chaos and law, and favours none. She advises mortals to adjust imbalances in their lives with detachment and control, and recommends magic as the ideal tool. Magic itself is balanced, arcane to divine, and balances mundane life by its very nature. When not dealing with imbalance, the goddess recommends caution and wisdom. Let the light expose danger, let darkness hide you from it.
When she manifests during this phase, Mirarae takes on the form of a handsome human woman with pale skin and platinum blonde hair. Her face is covered by a half mask of ebony, her body half exposed, the covered half draped with a robe of black velvet.
The N phase of Mirarae has the following Domains:
Domains: Air, Darkness, Magic, Water
Subdomains: Arcane, Cloud, Divine, Night, Oceans

When the moon is full, Mirarae is Lawful Neutral. She advocates the redress of imbalance in greater openness. When one creature leaps out from the shadows to face another in the full light, Mirarae applauds. When blades clash, her light shines upon the steel. When fists find flesh and bone, it sparkles in the flying blood. It equally illuminates the fur of hunting werebeasts and charging champions. If there is no wrong to redress, she encourages her followers to enjoy the light in which she bathes them by dance and song, combined with strong drink and rich food.
When she manifests, she assumes the form of a voluptuous Dusk Elf, her dark body exposed for all to see, her eyes and hair shining with all the radiance and colour of the full moon. She is frequently seen riding on the back of a dire Worg or a were-beast of some sort across the night sky. In this phase, she is the mover of the oceans, both feared and beloved of sailors and all those who travel at night, hoping that her light will bless their path. Sadly, were-creatures also howl to her in this phase, as do those unfortunates who suffer from 'lunacy', the madness brought about by the sight of the full moon.
The Lawful Neutral phase has the following Domains:
Domains: Air, Darkness, Madness, Water
Subdomains: Cloud, Insanity, Night, Nightmare, Oceans

Regardless of her phase, Mirarae's favoured weapon is the Khopesh.

Those who worship her and draw spells from her must choose one of her Phases with which they are compatible to focus on; the Phase chosen determines the Domains which a Cleric can access, and its philosophy should influence her worshipper's actions, if only a little.

Relations:
Mirarae maintains friendly contact with Sarenrae, despite their different philosophies and the terrible fate that connects them. The Dawnflower and the Duskflower know that they are balanced, the twin rulers of the skies. As Sarenrae is resigned to the fact that Mirarae eclipses her from time to time, Mirarae is resigned to the fact that one day in the distant future, Sarenrae will be her executioner.
This bond of prophesied death is a secret of Mirarae's faith, carefully preserved only by the high priests and kept from most worshippers, not to mention unbelievers. Neither goddess knows why Sarenrae would ever need to strike Mirarae down, but both know it is inevitable.

Mirarae and Pharasma are on good terms with one another, though they rarely have time to socialize. Cynics may claim that Mirarae is preparing for her inevitable death and hopes to achieve a peaceful afterlife by getting in good with Pharasma, but her clergy claims that she respects the goddess of death because death is the balance to life.

Mirarae's relationship with Groetius, however, is chilly and distant. The two are not openly hostile to one another, but Mirarae resents Groetius' lunar form. Also, the prophecy of her death states that the liberation of Groetius to end Golarion will be the sign that signals her own execution at the hands of Sarenrae. While Mirarae accepts her fate, she is not eager for it to come to pass, and so she prefers for Groetius to stay where he is.

As a patron of Witches and magic in general in her True Neutral phase, Mirarae has a good rapport with Nethys, and there are rumours that the two have been lovers in the past. Any connection they might have is lost the instant Mirarae changes phase, however, which is probably for the best; in his madness, Nethys might ruin what they share if they stayed together for too long.

There is a terrible hatred between Mirarae and Calistria. The Duskflower carries a grudge over the slaying of her Dusk Elf followers, and Calistria is still bitter over the fact that any Elves were lured away from her at all. Neither goddess has launched an open attack yet, but each spins plots of revenge in the shadows, and the clergy of either goddess is rarely safe when that of the other is nearby.

Mirarae despises Zon-Kuthon, who unbalances the darkness completely, and is generally friendly to anyone who wishes to upset his plans.

Like all the other gods of Golarion, she is a staunch enemy of Rovagug, the Rough Beast. She likewise despises fiends of all kinds.

[Arcanemuses]

This is good. Dotting to read later. "Duskflower" is very clever.

[Thornborn]

Bravo. Was this goddess and faith so long hidden owing to some eclipse or moon-phase function? Perhaps long ago, when an eclipse happened in the instant when a barest sliver of moon would have been shown, Groetus was already 'there', and so Mirarae 'fell' off the sliver. She's only just got back, or only just ABOUT to get back, on the upcoming eclipse, when again the phases are right...

Where was she? The outer Dark? Sulking in a normal Dark? Weeping in the arms of her sister, as some ancient seers interpreted the many trails in the sky, then?

And stepping away from the flavor for a sec, you've got more phases if you want them. Crescent, quarter, half, gibbous, full, gibbous, half, quarter, crescent, dark.

[Aebliss]

@ Arcanemuses:
Thank you and thank you. ^^

@ Thornborn:
Mirarae was never exactly hidden, she just fell out of fashion. That, and her staunchest followers were persecuted, be it by the other Elf communities or by witch hunters. ^^
Of course, that's just my take. If you use her for your campaign, you'd be free to make changes.
If you want to add more phases, you're free to, of course. But I thought it'd be best to keep things reasonably manageable.

[Goth Guru]

The new moon aspect became associated with Drow. She tried to distance that aspect from herself, resulting in her eclipse aspect becoming a separate, demonic, dark elf diety. Her mother banished her to the underdark, because she was totally unbalanced. The power EbonDark gives to the drow works above ground only during an eclipse, Lunar or Solar. She herself can walk the surface only during these times. Her anger over her banisment is so great, she sides with the demons and plots against her mother. Her revenge is not justice, but a way of life. Creating an endless, black eclipse on the surface world isn't practical, but she wants it anyways.

[Set]

This is really a richly realized goddess! Great stuff.

I like that she fills a niche, and yet doesn't step on any toes in the process. You've woven her into various other gods backstories in a way that doesn't 'mess with canon,' and, ideally, actually adds to them, as well as marrying this new character to the setting.

Very imaginative and neatly designed!

Any thoughts as to whether or not she should have the Chaos or Law domains in the appropriate phases? I can see arguments for either approach ('cause 'it's just a phase' or 'cause 'that's how it's always done!'), but I'd be interested in hearing yours.

[LazarX]

It's a good example of how to customise Golarion for home use.

[Velcro Zipper]

Golarion does have a moon deity by the name of Tsukiyo, but he's from far off Tian Xia so I don't see why there couldn't be another one in Avistan. Perhaps your Mirarae and Tsukiyo have an understanding where overlap is concerned, maybe a dark side/light side of the moon sort of relationship? Maybe they just ignore each other?

[AdAstraGames]

I like this. Well done.

[Soluzar]

The only issue I see is the additional overhead of having to keep track of lunar phases. Otherwise, this is exceptional. Well done.

[Mikaze]

Multiple phase moon goddess with Osirion-roots? And a khopesh?

I'm in all sorts of love with this one. :D

Really digging that weird relationship with Sarenrae too...

tangent:

always wanted to do a multiple personality-by-phase thing for Tsukiyo like my homebrew's moon goddess, but this is much much more mechanically involved

[Aebliss]

Goth Guru wrote:

The new moon aspect became associated with Drow. She tried to distance that aspect from herself, resulting in her eclipse aspect becoming a separate, demonic, dark elf diety. Her mother banished her to the underdark, because she was totally unbalanced. The power EbonDark gives to the drow works above ground only during an eclipse, Lunar or Solar. She herself can walk the surface only during these times. Her anger over her banisment is so great, she sides with the demons and plots against her mother. Her revenge is not justice, but a way of life. Creating an endless, black eclipse on the surface world isn't practical, but she wants it anyways.

Heh, that could work. ^^ It may be worth noting that Mirarae would only object to the Drow worshipping demons. If any of them believed their attacks on the surface served to redress an ancient injustice, Mirarae would support them -- just as she would support anyone who fought the Drow because they felt the attack was injust.

Set wrote:

This is really a richly realized goddess! Great stuff.

I like that she fills a niche, and yet doesn't step on any toes in the process. You've woven her into various other gods backstories in a way that doesn't 'mess with canon,' and, ideally, actually adds to them, as well as marrying this new character to the setting.

Very imaginative and neatly designed!

Any thoughts as to whether or not she should have the Chaos or Law domains in the appropriate phases? I can see arguments for either approach ('cause 'it's just a phase' or 'cause 'that's how it's always done!'), but I'd be interested in hearing yours.

Thank you for your kind words!

I did consider the Chaos and Law Domains, but I decided to hold myself back from giving her too many Domains and Subdomains at the same time. When making your own deities, it's very easy to give them too much... If anyone else wants to add the Chaos and Law Domains in their games, though, more power to them! Please let me know how it works out. ^^

LazarX wrote:

It's a good example of how to customise Golarion for home use.

Thank you.

Velcro Zipper wrote:

Golarion does have a moon deity by the name of Tsukiyo, but he's from far off Tian Xia so I don't see why there couldn't be another one in Avistan. Perhaps your Mirarae and Tsukiyo have an understanding where overlap is concerned, maybe a dark side/light side of the moon sort of relationship? Maybe they just ignore each other?

Oh, dear. I completely forgot about him! ^^;

Hmm, let's see. I think Mirarae would accept Tsukiyo as part of the balance. Where she is fluid, he is constant. Where she is female, he is male. Power over the moon could shift between them in a steady rhythm, the same dance of balance that she herself embraces.

The two of them could have agreed in days gone by that Tsukiyo is dominant over Tien Xia while Mirarae ministers mainly to Avistan. With Mirarae's worship dwindling, Tien-style moon worship might be making some inroads into Avistan. This would frustrate Tsukiyo because he is true to his word. What would frustrate him even more is the fact that some of Mirarae's remaining loyalists are creeping into Tien Xia to spread her credo in retribution. Mirarae has not ordered them to, her loyal followers are doing it of their own accord because they believe it is Tsukiyo who has broken the ancient agreement. Mirarae has not really tried to stop them; in her eyes, as long as each deity's territorial influence remains roughly equal, the balance and the compact are preserved.

AdAstraGames wrote:

I like this. Well done.

Thank you for the compliment. ^^

Soluzar wrote:

The only issue I see is the additional overhead of having to keep track of lunar phases. Otherwise, this is exceptional. Well done.

Well, the overhead shouldn't be too bad. Clerics and others who draw power from the deities continue to draw on whichever phase they originally focused on, regardless the current phase of the moon.

Thank you for the compliment. ^^

Mikaze wrote:

Multiple phase moon goddess with Osirion-roots? And a khopesh?

I'm in all sorts of love with this one. :D

Really digging that weird relationship with Sarenrae too...

** spoiler omitted **

I'm very glad Mirarae is going over so well with everyone! ^^

If anyone decides to use my creation for their campaign, please let me know how it works out? I'm really curious. ^^

[Icyshadow]

I am definitely picking up this lady as the deity for my Changeling Druid to worship.

[Jeff Erwin]

I really like this...

Though, personally, I see the Moon in Golarion as male (as the Sun's representative Sarenrae is female). And there's Tsukiyo, as someone already mentioned.

In part this is because the name Somal is clearly derived from the Hindu Soma (Chandra), who is a male god. (Though that also might be evidence for things not being straightforward, since Surya (the Sun) is male too).

And I could just change all the gender descriptions and use as is. It would make the Moon somewhat androgynous, but that seems appropriate.

[Orthos]

I may borrow a slightly tweaked version of this for my homebrew, which has been in need of a moon deity for a while now =) Thanks!

[Aebliss]

Joyous news! ^^ On reviewing my copy of the Dragon Empires Gazetteer, I found the Moon Subdomain. I am also adding a bit of chatter as to Mirarae's relationship with Tsukiyo, the Moon-god of Tien Xia.

Mirarae
Duskflower
Hyacinth Candle
Lady of the Three Balances
Moon Witch
Night Elf
Night-Eye
Ocean Bridle
Queen of the Night Sky
Triple Lady of Moon and Retribution

CN/LN/N goddess

The changeable Mirarae is a goddess whose worship is in serious decline. In the days of Ancient Osirion, she was hailed as the sister of Sarenrae, the queen of the night sky. She was a patron of sailors due to the moon's influence on the tide; she was beloved of Witches, who so often held their coven meetings at night and bathed in her magical light; but she was also a strong champion of balance, which often took the form of redress and retribution. Any creatures that dwelled mostly in the hours of the night, be they good or evil, were favoured by her, like the Dusk Elf tribes.

The increasing popularity of Calistria and her philosophy of vengeance gradually eclipsed Mirarae. With the fall of Ancient Osirion most of her ancient rites and legends are forgotten. Those who worship the divine in the changeing faces of the moon often do not even know that it has a name, or what her ancient rites are. What few myths still circulate describe the Ancient Osiriani moon goddess as a demonic patron of were-beasts and things that stalk in the darkness when the moon is hidden from sight. A few scholars know more of the truth, but even they fear Mirarae for her ability to change. Some Dusk Elf tribes remain loyal to the goddess who favoured them in the days gone by. It is believed by some that Calistria condoned the slaughter of so many Dusk Elves by their Light Elf cousins because they betrayed her for Mirarae. Witches also continue to favour her, with many seeing her as the Moon Patron they draw on, but their faith in the goddess damns her in the eyes of those who see all Witches as creatures of evil.

Doctrine:
Mirarae teaches the importance of balance. The moon is the balance to the sun in that it brings light to the night sky. Its phases allow light and dark to shift places in a steady rhythm, allowing for balance between the two of them. Likewise, mortals should seek balance in their lives for all things. The way she advises creatures to achieve that balance changes with the phases of the moon, however. However she changes, she always claims to be unconcerned with good and evil; she bestows her blessings equally on all creatures, and it is up to mortals to use them how they see fit.

Phases
During the new moon, Mirarae is Chaotic Neutral. The sickle moon is seen as Mirarae's slit eye, looking down on a world wrapped in darkness. During this time, Mirarae advises mortals to restore imbalance in the dark. A knife to the back balances injustice; a quick leap and snap of jaws soon balances hunger; a nimble invasion of another's home balances poverty.
When she manifests, Mirarae appears as a vampiric tiefling woman wrapped in a shroud of star-studded darkness, her face pale as the moon. Her eyes and hair are as black as the great batwings that carry her through the sky. Her horns are like the horns of the sickle moon.
The CN phase of Mirarae has the following Domains:
Domains: Air, Darkness, Trickery, Water
Subdomains: Cloud, Deception, Moon, Night, Oceans, Thievery

When the moon is half full, Mirarae is fully Neutral. She grants equal opportunity to light and dark, good and evil, chaos and law, and favours none. She advises mortals to adjust imbalances in their lives with detachment and control, and recommends magic as the ideal tool. Magic itself is balanced, arcane to divine, and balances mundane life by its very nature. When not dealing with imbalance, the goddess recommends caution and wisdom. Let the light expose danger, let darkness hide you from it.
When she manifests during this phase, Mirarae takes on the form of a handsome human woman with pale skin and platinum blonde hair. Her face is covered by a half mask of ebony, her body half exposed, the covered half draped with a robe of black velvet.
The N phase of Mirarae has the following Domains:
Domains: Air, Darkness, Magic, Water
Subdomains: Arcane, Cloud, Divine, Moon, Night, Oceans

When the moon is full, Mirarae is Lawful Neutral. She advocates the redress of imbalance in greater openness. When one creature leaps out from the shadows to face another in the full light, Mirarae applauds. When blades clash, her light shines upon the steel. When fists find flesh and bone, it sparkles in the flying blood. It equally illuminates the fur of hunting werebeasts and charging champions. If there is no wrong to redress, she encourages her followers to enjoy the light in which she bathes them by dance and song, combined with strong drink and rich food.
When she manifests, she assumes the form of a voluptuous Dusk Elf, her dark body exposed for all to see, her eyes and hair shining with all the radiance and colour of the full moon. She is frequently seen riding on the back of a dire Worg or a were-beast of some sort across the night sky. In this phase, she is the mover of the oceans, both feared and beloved of sailors and all those who travel at night, hoping that her light will bless their path. Sadly, were-creatures also howl to her in this phase, as do those unfortunates who suffer from 'lunacy', the madness brought about by the sight of the full moon.
The Lawful Neutral phase has the following Domains:
Domains: Air, Darkness, Madness, Water
Subdomains: Cloud, Insanity, Moon, Night, Nightmare, Oceans

Regardless of her phase, Mirarae's favoured weapon is the Khopesh.

Those who worship her and draw spells from her must choose one of her Phases with which they are compatible to focus on; the Phase chosen determines the Domains which a Cleric can access, and its philosophy should influence her worshipper's actions, if only a little. Regardless the phase a Cleric focuses on, Mirarae honours their prayers no matter what phase she is currently in.

Relations:
Mirarae maintains friendly contact with Sarenrae, despite their different philosophies and the terrible fate that connects them. The Dawnflower and the Duskflower know that they are balanced, the twin rulers of the skies. As Sarenrae is resigned to the fact that Mirarae eclipses her from time to time, Mirarae is resigned to the fact that one day in the distant future, Sarenrae will be her executioner.
This bond of prophesied death is a secret of Mirarae's faith, carefully preserved only by the high priests and kept from most worshippers, not to mention unbelievers. Neither goddess knows why Sarenrae would ever need to strike Mirarae down, but both know it is inevitable.

Mirarae and Pharasma are on good terms with one another, though they rarely have time to socialize. Cynics may claim that Mirarae is preparing for her inevitable death and hopes to achieve a peaceful afterlife by getting in good with Pharasma, but her clergy claims that she respects the goddess of death because death is the balance to life.

Mirarae's relationship with Groetius, however, is chilly and distant. The two are not openly hostile to one another, but Mirarae resents Groetius' lunar form. Also, the prophecy of her death states that the liberation of Groetius to end Golarion will be the sign that signals her own execution at the hands of Sarenrae. While Mirarae accepts her fate, she is not eager for it to come to pass, and so she prefers for Groetius to stay where he is.

As a patron of Witches and magic in general in her True Neutral phase, Mirarae has a good rapport with Nethys, and there are rumours that the two have been lovers in the past. Any connection they might have is lost the instant Mirarae changes phase, however, which is probably for the best; in his madness, Nethys might ruin what they share if they stayed together for too long.

There is an understanding between Mirarae and Tsukiyo, the god of the moon, jade and spirits of Tien Xia. Mirarae has never felt the least hostility to her fellow lunar deity; she sees him as part of the balance governing the divinity of the moon. Male to her female, constant to her fluid character, she respects Tsukiyo as part of the dance of balance; power over the moon shifts and flows between them in a grand rhythm. For his part, Tsukiyo would never consider challenging Mirarae because she shows him politeness and respect whenever they deal with one another. In ancient days, the two deities agreed that Tsukiyo would be the supreme deity of the moon in Tien Xia, whereas Mirarae would minister to Avistan. With the decline of Mirarae's worship, however, some Tien immigrants have been introducing the worship of Tsukiyo in Avistan. This is a cause of frustration to Tsukiyo, who sees this violation of the treaty as a stain on his honour. He is even more frustrated by the fact that some of Mirarae's remaining loyalists have been creeping into Tien Xia and spreading the word of their mistress in retaliation. While Mirarae has not ordered this -- she is also true to the compact -- she has made no effort to stop her worshippers. In her mind, so long as her and Tsukiyo's territory remains roughly equal, the compact is honoured in spirit, if not in letter.

There is a terrible hatred between Mirarae and Calistria. The Duskflower carries a grudge over the slaying of her Dusk Elf followers, and Calistria is still bitter over the fact that any Elves were lured away from her by the inconstant moon at all. Neither goddess has launched an open attack yet, but each spins plots of revenge in the shadows, and the clergy of either goddess is rarely safe when that of the other is nearby.

Mirarae despises Zon-Kuthon, who unbalances the darkness completely, and is generally friendly to anyone who wishes to upset his plans.

Like all the other gods of Golarion, she is a staunch enemy of Rovagug, the Rough Beast. She likewise despises fiends of all kinds.

[Goth Guru]

Modules that include an eclipse should mention that Drow will be having visions of Ebondark, tempting them with spite, and a surge in their Drow powers.
Every culture will have a moon god or goddess to keep the moon from drawing close, causing flooding and all beasts flipping out.

[rainzax]

this is cool. dotting.

[Aebliss]

That might be fun, if I had any influence at all on Pathfinder's module-making. ^^ I doubt it'll happen, but if the nice people at the home office want to incorporate Mirarae and Ebondark into the setting, I am more than open to negotiations! ;)

[Aebliss]

Orthos wrote:

I may borrow a slightly tweaked version of this for my homebrew, which has been in need of a moon deity for a while now =) Thanks!

Just out of curiosity -- how would you tweak her?

[Goth Guru]

Ebon Dark is painfully(as her aura) Chaotic Evil.

I'm ressing this thread because there is another thread about making Golorion your own.

[Cyrad]

You could have just mentioned this thread in the thread that's actually alive...

[Goth Guru]

I did.
Now I don't have to launch a special search to check back at this.
Now it's above all the whining about imagined unfairness topics.

[Cole Deschain]

Of note: The Azlanti had a goddess of the moon and battle, who perished along with Azlant itself. Not that you can't stick with what works for you, of course.

I like leaving the gap in case I ever have someone pass the Test of the Starstone- they have a job opening right there, so I don't need to make them the God of Alternate Tuesday Bloodbaths- taking over Acavna's moon schtick.

[Larkspire]

Very nice. I'm gonna use her in my current campaign...which features a lunar dragon as a major antagonist/possible ally. I was considering bringing in a version of Selune from Forgotten Realms until I saw this.
So...i guess necromancy..or threadomancy has it's uses :)