The Demented One
2009-01-05, 09:29 PM
Three-Faced Luna, The Silvery Mistress
The conduit between the formless chaos outside reality and the order of creation, Luna escaped her imprisonment in the concept of the moon by shattering her divine essence, freeing her–but at the cost of her godhood, reducing her to a vestige.
Vestige Level: 7th
Binding DC: 28
Legend
When the gods first created the world, they tapped into the formless chaos outside of reality, drawing its substance into their new world and shaping it to their will. But they could not simply open their world to the outer chaos–such would be its undoing. Instead, the goddess Luna volunteered herself to serve as a conduit between chaos and creation, drawing the dreamstuff of the formless wild into reality through herself. When the gods completed their ordeal of creation, they plotted to use Luna herself as a seal, preventing the outer chaos from ever again encroaching on reality. Luna was the ultimate trickster, and would not be easily beguiled, but she was seduced by Maesala, the Sidereal Maiden of Serenity, and plied with wines decanted from the dreams of the gods themselves.
In a drunken, amorous stupor, Maesala asked Luna if she would accept the rank of Goddess of the Moon, second only in power and prestige to Sol Invictus. Luna, not seeing the Maiden’s ruse, accepted. However, the offer was a trick–in becoming the Goddess of the Moon, Luna was inextricably bound within the moon itself, her divine essence trapped within a conceptual cage–her wild, free spirit was bound by the ordered pattern of the moon’s phases. The gods used the moon, thus empowered by Luna’s unwitting divinity, as a seal upon reality.
Luna was outraged to be thus tricked, her grand divinity used as little more than a stopgap fix for reality. And so, she decided to have her revenge. She appeared to a dozen and one mortal maidens in dreams, offering them power and immortality. All but the youngest accepted, and thus Luna bestowed upon them divinity, making each and every one a goddess of the moon. With the influx of new divinity, Luna was able to withdraw hers from the seal, relying on the new goddesses to keep it shut.
However, Luna’s freedom to use her power as she wished came at a price–the new goddesses leeched away the worship once reserved for her. She knew this would be the result of her escape, and had prepared for it. Rather than wasting away from the loss of worship, she fled outside reality, creating a kingdom within the outer chaos, where she could sustain herself by shaping raw dreamstuff into worship. But she sacrificed her very reality, becoming no more than a mere vestige of a goddess. Once in many moons, Luna grows tired of her lonely exile, and returns to creation by entering the souls of loyal cultists who bind her to themselves.
Manifestation
Luna appears within her seal as a woman of elven or fey aspect, naked and beautiful. She sits mounted on a stag, and a raven flits about her shoulders. All three of them are covered with flowing moonsilver tattoos, great whorls and spirals. Though the woman remains silent, the raven speaks to the Binder with a cawing, dismissive mockery of a human voice.
Sign
Moonsilver tattoos flow over the skin of those bound to Luna, covering every inch of their skin in spiraling patterns and great sweeping whorls. The tattoos glow dimly, shedding light as a candle.
Influence
Those bound to Luna cannot stand any confinement–being imprisoned or physically restrained, being caught in a closed-in space, even falling into a dull routine. They will go to any lengths to avoid such confinement.
Granted Abilities
Three-Faced Luna blesses those who bind to her with the ultimate freedom, letting chaos permeate their soul.
Change Shape (Su)
You may change your form, as the disguise self spell, at will as a swift action. This ability lasts until you choose to dismiss it or change your form again. You cannot use this ability to disguise yourself while using the dance of the moon ability.
Dance of the Moon (Su)
The moon is mother of all nature, and those who seek its blessing can take on animal forms. You gain the shapechanger subtype, and may use polymorph at will as a spell-like ability. However, you can only take on the form of creatures of the animal type with this ability. Once you have used this ability, you must wait until 5 rounds after the end of its duration before you can use it again.
Freedom of Movement (Su)
As a swift action, you may grant yourself the benefits of the freedom of movement spell for one round. Once you have used this ability, you must wait 5 rounds before you can use it again.
Lunar Exaltation (Su)
Upon binding to Luna, you gain low-light vision and the scent ability. In addition, you choose one of her three faces to call upon, gaining a special ability based on your choice. One you choose the aspect, you cannot change it for as long as you remain bound to her. The three faces of Luna are the Full Moon, the aspect of feral predators and mothers who go to any lengths to defend her children; the Changing Moon, the aspect of elegant and graceful animals and of young, beautiful maidens; and finally the New Moon, the uncanny aspect of mysterious and reclusive animals, and of wizened crones. You do not gain the benefits of lunar exaltation if you fail to display Luna’s sign.
Full Moon: You gain a +2 sacred bonus to Strength and Constitution. In addition, the damage dice of any natural weapons you have or gain through the dance of the moon ability increase by one step.
[b]Changing Moon: You gain a +2 sacred bonus to Dexterity and Charisma, and gain a +20 ft. sacred bonus to all of your movement forms.
[b]New Moon: You gain a +2 sacred bonus to Intelligence and Wisdom. You can communicate with any animal that has an intelligence score by speaking with it, as the speak with animals spell, and may use dominate animal as a spell-like ability. Once you have used it, you must wait 5 rounds before you can use it again.
The conduit between the formless chaos outside reality and the order of creation, Luna escaped her imprisonment in the concept of the moon by shattering her divine essence, freeing her–but at the cost of her godhood, reducing her to a vestige.
Vestige Level: 7th
Binding DC: 28
Legend
When the gods first created the world, they tapped into the formless chaos outside of reality, drawing its substance into their new world and shaping it to their will. But they could not simply open their world to the outer chaos–such would be its undoing. Instead, the goddess Luna volunteered herself to serve as a conduit between chaos and creation, drawing the dreamstuff of the formless wild into reality through herself. When the gods completed their ordeal of creation, they plotted to use Luna herself as a seal, preventing the outer chaos from ever again encroaching on reality. Luna was the ultimate trickster, and would not be easily beguiled, but she was seduced by Maesala, the Sidereal Maiden of Serenity, and plied with wines decanted from the dreams of the gods themselves.
In a drunken, amorous stupor, Maesala asked Luna if she would accept the rank of Goddess of the Moon, second only in power and prestige to Sol Invictus. Luna, not seeing the Maiden’s ruse, accepted. However, the offer was a trick–in becoming the Goddess of the Moon, Luna was inextricably bound within the moon itself, her divine essence trapped within a conceptual cage–her wild, free spirit was bound by the ordered pattern of the moon’s phases. The gods used the moon, thus empowered by Luna’s unwitting divinity, as a seal upon reality.
Luna was outraged to be thus tricked, her grand divinity used as little more than a stopgap fix for reality. And so, she decided to have her revenge. She appeared to a dozen and one mortal maidens in dreams, offering them power and immortality. All but the youngest accepted, and thus Luna bestowed upon them divinity, making each and every one a goddess of the moon. With the influx of new divinity, Luna was able to withdraw hers from the seal, relying on the new goddesses to keep it shut.
However, Luna’s freedom to use her power as she wished came at a price–the new goddesses leeched away the worship once reserved for her. She knew this would be the result of her escape, and had prepared for it. Rather than wasting away from the loss of worship, she fled outside reality, creating a kingdom within the outer chaos, where she could sustain herself by shaping raw dreamstuff into worship. But she sacrificed her very reality, becoming no more than a mere vestige of a goddess. Once in many moons, Luna grows tired of her lonely exile, and returns to creation by entering the souls of loyal cultists who bind her to themselves.
Manifestation
Luna appears within her seal as a woman of elven or fey aspect, naked and beautiful. She sits mounted on a stag, and a raven flits about her shoulders. All three of them are covered with flowing moonsilver tattoos, great whorls and spirals. Though the woman remains silent, the raven speaks to the Binder with a cawing, dismissive mockery of a human voice.
Sign
Moonsilver tattoos flow over the skin of those bound to Luna, covering every inch of their skin in spiraling patterns and great sweeping whorls. The tattoos glow dimly, shedding light as a candle.
Influence
Those bound to Luna cannot stand any confinement–being imprisoned or physically restrained, being caught in a closed-in space, even falling into a dull routine. They will go to any lengths to avoid such confinement.
Granted Abilities
Three-Faced Luna blesses those who bind to her with the ultimate freedom, letting chaos permeate their soul.
Change Shape (Su)
You may change your form, as the disguise self spell, at will as a swift action. This ability lasts until you choose to dismiss it or change your form again. You cannot use this ability to disguise yourself while using the dance of the moon ability.
Dance of the Moon (Su)
The moon is mother of all nature, and those who seek its blessing can take on animal forms. You gain the shapechanger subtype, and may use polymorph at will as a spell-like ability. However, you can only take on the form of creatures of the animal type with this ability. Once you have used this ability, you must wait until 5 rounds after the end of its duration before you can use it again.
Freedom of Movement (Su)
As a swift action, you may grant yourself the benefits of the freedom of movement spell for one round. Once you have used this ability, you must wait 5 rounds before you can use it again.
Lunar Exaltation (Su)
Upon binding to Luna, you gain low-light vision and the scent ability. In addition, you choose one of her three faces to call upon, gaining a special ability based on your choice. One you choose the aspect, you cannot change it for as long as you remain bound to her. The three faces of Luna are the Full Moon, the aspect of feral predators and mothers who go to any lengths to defend her children; the Changing Moon, the aspect of elegant and graceful animals and of young, beautiful maidens; and finally the New Moon, the uncanny aspect of mysterious and reclusive animals, and of wizened crones. You do not gain the benefits of lunar exaltation if you fail to display Luna’s sign.
Full Moon: You gain a +2 sacred bonus to Strength and Constitution. In addition, the damage dice of any natural weapons you have or gain through the dance of the moon ability increase by one step.
[b]Changing Moon: You gain a +2 sacred bonus to Dexterity and Charisma, and gain a +20 ft. sacred bonus to all of your movement forms.
[b]New Moon: You gain a +2 sacred bonus to Intelligence and Wisdom. You can communicate with any animal that has an intelligence score by speaking with it, as the speak with animals spell, and may use dominate animal as a spell-like ability. Once you have used it, you must wait 5 rounds before you can use it again.