Shar

The dark twin of Selûne, Shar is a god of darkness, both in its physical form and as it exists in the minds and souls of mortals. People worship Shar as the god of night, secrets, loss, and forgetfulness. She represents hidden pain and vengeances hidden from the light. She has the power to make individuals forget their pain or become inured to a loss, and people in distress pray to Shar for this blessing.

Shar appears as a lithe dancer with skin like a black night set with glittering stars, or as a mysterious woman clad in swirling, black robes. In her guise as the dancer, she is charismatic and magnetic, and in her dark-robed form foreboding and haunting. Rarely, she appears as a black sphere limned in swaying, purple flames, like a strange solar eclipse. She appears to mortals in dreams, or she sends a Death Tyrant or Shadow as an emissary.

Shar is revered by those who venture into dark places, such as miners, as well as by those who fall into melancholy and despair, who wish to forget something, or who wish to recover something lost. Priests who serve Shar nurture their own deep wounds or dark secrets, which in their minds makes them best suited to console those who suffer from a similar ill. Followers of Shar have carried out many dark deeds in her name, and the Shadovar of Anauroch is an entire society dedicated to her. The tragedies and losses brought about by her followers have caused realms to outlaw her worship, driving her priests into secrecy. Such prohibitions only heighten the priests' umbrage toward authorities and make the faithful a focal point for rebellion and revenge against whoever rules.

Chosen of Shar forget who they once were and know only who Shar has made them into. She delights in taking followers from her rivals or from otherwise happy lives and breaking them down until they forget their past, remembering only devotion to the Mistress of the Night.

Shar's Order of the Dark Moon studies darkness, deception, stealth, assassination, and espionage. Monks, Rogues, Sorcerers, grim Rangers, and other characters who seek to cast away their grief into Shar's blissful forgetfulness are welcomed into the order.

Prospective members don't approach the Dark Moon; instead, the order notes a candidate's reputations and deeds, then approaches the potential initiate, offering them succor for their anguish or a way to indulge their darker impulses. Once inducted, the initiate is called a Wanderer—one who searches the darkness. Wanderers are subjected to lessons woven with enchantment magic designed to mold them into spies and weapons. These enchantments cause a Wanderer to doubt their memories and their identity, replacing the candidate's fractured bits of self with a new personality befitting Shar's service.

Once a Wanderer has proved their loyalty and devotion to the cause, they undergo a midnight ceremony and are anointed a Dark Sibling. (If your campaign uses renown, a character must also have a Renown Score of 3+ with the Order of the Dark Moon to be inducted.)

The Dark Sibling learns the crafts of subtle strikes, deception, and ambush through skill and magic. Dark Siblings receive a free Comfortable lifestyle at any holding of Shar's faith. Those ordained into the Dark Moon secure assistance hiding their identity, such as disguises, magical assistance, or forged or stolen credentials useful for travels and on missions.

Despite the enveloping nature of the Order of the Dark Moon, a Wanderer can reclaim bits of who they once were. Such a soul is faced with a difficult path to rebuild their true self or forge a new identity of their own devising while struggling to avoid Shar's clutches.

Selûne is the bitter rival of Shar, and the Order of the Dark Moon frequently works against Selûne's militant orders and priests. The order finds allies in the cult of the death god Myrkul.