Church of Shar
"Леди Потери, будьте ко мне благосклонны," - Зарена, жрица Шар, громко говорила почти в полной темноте, угрожавшей задушить тусклый свет от ее маленькой жаровни. Текучее пламя освещало лишь тело лежащего без сознания гнолла, тщательно уложенного в ожидании своей судьбы на скале алтаря. Тусклый оранжевый жар смутно отражался от металлических набоек на кожаном доспехе клерика, сейчас запятнанном грязью и пылью дороги. Ей потребовались часы, чтобы достигнуть этого скрытого места со своим бессознательным бременем, но теперь она приближалась к концу церемонии, которая даст ей покровительство Шар. "Владычица тьмы, благоволите мне," - жрица вытащила из-за пояса любимое оружие своего божества, бритвенно-острый чакрам. Держа его в одной руке, она вознесла другую к потолку пещеры, широко расставив пальцы, прося Шар заметить кровавую жертву. Если божество будет довольно, оно предоставит Зарене божественные заклинанию, которых она жаждала. Она в свою очередь использует эти силы для исполнения целей Шар здесь, на Фаэруне. Если божество будет недовольно... она предпочла не думать об этом. Подняв чакрам над своей жертвой, она завершила свое обращение. "Темное Божество, благоволите мне, сейчас," - медленно и тщательно она опустила чакрам.Божество Шар является одной из причин того, почему добрый народ Фаэруна боится ночи. Духовенство Шар выполняет команды темного близнеца Селунэ, зловещие желания и планы которой - тема злых легенд. Посвященная распространению ее догмы и выполнению ее пожеланий, церковь Шар - скрытная и засекреченная организация, которая должна практиковать свои обряды в скрытых местах, поскольку вера в некоторых областях запрещена. Значительное количество тех, кто следует за Леди Потери, готово пожертвовать собственной жизнью, если это послужит Темному Божеству, что делает эту организацию особенно смертельным и опасным противником тех, кто поддерживает доктрины врагов Шар. Любая добросердечная персона боится ловушек и лжи Шар - и правильно делает. Возможно, потому, что недавние годы на Фаэруне были все труднее и труднее, вызывая все больше ревности, ненависти и горечи, культ Шар получил немало новых последователей, а с ними - увеличение своего влияния и ресурсов. Хотя он официально запрещен в некоторых городах, скрытые храмы, посвященные Хозяйке Ночи, расползлись по всему Фаэруну. С этих секретных баз ячейки церкви продвигаются сами и продвигают силу своей секты.
Church of Shar in Waterdeep
Lord Vanrak assumed leadership of House Moonstar and publicly broke with the priests of the High House of Stars (see Vault of Stars), whom he blamed for his father's untimely death. Consumed with bitterness, the Dark Ranger, as he came to be known, secretly embraced Selûne's ancient enemy, the Lady of Loss. By the Year of the Howling Moon (1130 DR), House Moonstar was in open schism. Those Moonstar nobles who still venerated Selûne aligned themselves with Lord Vanrak's sister, Lady Alathene, and took refuge in the temple of Selûne. At the Moonstar villa in Dock Ward (now the Blushing Mermaid festhall), Lord Vanrak and his followers - a small army of mercenaries and priests of Shar - extended their dark influence over much of the city's harbor. On the night of the seventh full moon of the year, Lady Alathene asked the Lords of Waterdeep to strip her brother of his title and banish him from the city. To prove her case, she presented evidence of her brother's numerous crimes including slavery, arson, theft, and murder. The Lords ordered the Dark Ranger's immediate capture, but when the watch breached the gates of the Moonstar villa, Lord Vanrak and his followers had disappeared. Unbeknownst to his moon-worshiping kin, Lord Vanrak had fled through a secret portal into Undermountain. For decades thereafter, the Dark Ranger and his followers explored Halaster's Halls. In the Year of the Dark Mask (1181 DR), Vanrak and his followers conquered a highly defensible redoubt in the Dark Levels of Undermountain. From this base, the church of Shar grew strong, exerting its influence throughout much of Undermountain and periodically dispatching assassins and marauders to battle followers of the Moonmaiden in the city above. The church of Shar achieved its most dramatic success in the Year of the Tomb (1182 DR), when Vanrak's followers infiltrated the cellars of the High House of Stars and slaughtered most of the inhabitants. They also acquired enough treasure from the temple vaults to fund Lord Vanrak's personal quest for immortality. Within a few years, the Dark Ranger voluntarily transformed himself into a death knight - the perfect, eternal servant of the Lady of Loss. In recent years, Lord Vanrak's followers have failed to execute several important plans. In the Year of the Saddle (1345 DR the Dark Army of the Night tried to set afire the House of the Moon as part of the "Night of Temple Fires." In the Year of Shadows (1358 DR), the avatar of Shar attempted to subvert the Moonmaiden's church by masquerading as her ancient foe and imprisoning the avatar of Selûne. Shar's faithful were driven from the city after followers of the Moonmaiden freed Selûne from Shar's clutches, forced to nurse their bitterness anew in the darkness of Vanrakdoom.Allies
Given Shar's dogma, it is not difficulty to understand why her church have few lasting allies. The Dark Deity's unforgiving and bleak dogma discourages alligeances of all but the most temporary sort. Those who willingly work alongside Shar's clergy do so with the knowledge that the Sharrans will never reveal any profound secrets or vital information except under the most extraordinary situation. The church has no hestitation about employing monsters or creatures that are easily bribed, manipulated, or intimidated into serving Shar's goals. Undeads, evil humanoids, and ambitious young evil dragons are common among the church's servitors and associates. Amongst the Faerûnian deities, only Talona does not fear to ally herself regularly with Shar, but she does so only when the partnership brings woe to their common enemy, Loviatar. Shar have been observing Cyric's career since his ascension to godhood during the Times of Troubles. Of late, she have begun to tempt him with the power of the Shadow Weave, which would allow his clerics to free themselves from their dependance on Mystra. She have not yet revealed the extent of her plans for a Sharran - Cyricist alligenace even to her most loyal clerics, however, since she does not wish those forces allied to her sister to become aware of what might well become the most powerful evil cult in all of Faerûn.Enemies
The Church of Shar was generally opposed to any good-aligned religious orders, but particularly despised the deity Selûne. Members were dedicated to hurting Selûne and her worshippers as much as possible and even suspended other activities to pursue opportunities to strike at Selûne. Противники Шар - все организованные группы, духовенства и силы добра. Первый среди ее противников - конечно же, ее сестра Селунэ. Ненависть Шар к Лунной Деве упорна, и ее духовенство имеет постоянный приказ уничтожать прихожан ее сестры всякий раз, когда это возможно. Шар особенно восхищается захватом клериков-селунитов для длительных и мучительных пыток.The Lady of Loss has always dealt in fear of the dark and the unknown, and she offers alluring guidance to those lost in grief or poverty. She whispers suggestions in the dreams of mortals, appearing in their visions as tall, beautiful, and unclad, but more than half-hidden by darkness and her swirling hair. Her hair moves at her bid¬ding, slithering, clinging, and coiling like a den of serpents, not in response to gravity or breezes. Even when enraged, she hisses or speaks very softly; she never shouts. She is cold silence and soft menace, not storming or bragging. Yet Shar can be frightening indeed. She sends the severed heads of humans flying silently out into the night to watch and listen, seeing and sometimes speaking through them. She needs humans, for human suffering is her sustenance. When she feeds, she takes the misery from those she feeds on, leaving them temporarily uplifted, and in this way gains faithful who revere her. She calms the mad and brings them silent seren¬ity—for a time. She sees all mortals as tools, to be cast aside when she tires of them, no matter how powerful they have become in her service, for all should know loss—every mortal, and Shar herself. So, if she uses Shade and its princes as her tools now, there will come a day when she destroys them utterly, in favor of someone much weaker and very different. For that is the way of Shar. She is no tyrant, to build dark empires. That is Bane’s delight, and Bane’s work. She is Shar, the Lady of Loss and oblivion. In her words, “Out of the darkness we all come, and to the darkness we all return. Some swifter than others, and many not swiftly enough.” In homage to the Dark Goddess, some Sharran clergy of both genders walk by night unclad ex¬cept for magical nightcloaks and their own long hair. These cloaks are actually garments that en¬able flight and can mute any sound around them when willed to do so. A priest’s hair is sometimes natural, and sometimes a wig of the braided hair of many others, enspelled so the tresses can carry daggers, small lanterns, and other items of like size and weight, as well as catch and cling to things. These enchanted wigs are not strong enough to hold the wearer’s body weight, but they could, for example curl around a branch while maintaining hold of a lit lamp, so the cleric can part company with the wig and do something in the lamplight. A cleric of Shar undergoing penance or being punished by a superior might go around lit by magical light cast on him or her for a day or sev¬eral. “The darkness is for those who deserve it.”
Creed
Darkness is your cloak and your spur to action. Strike down the moon and those who serve it, and work against laws and law keepers, rulers and the powerful, by corrupting them and sewing dissension. Weave discord through secrets and rumors and falsehoods, so that all that is now mighty shall in time be swept away, and all that will remain is the darkness of Shar. Work in secret when necessary, obey your superiors in the Night Church without question or defiance, and give your life when Shar deems it needful, for you will reap her Dark Reward.Secular Aims
The Night Church works in secret in many parts of the Realms where it is for¬bidden, such as Cormyr, the Dales, Waterdeep, Baldur’s Gate, and Amn. The places it can show itself in the open include Calaunt, Mulmaster, Scornubel, Sembia, and Westgate. Sharran priests are popularly known as Darshars (a corruption of “Dark Sharran”), but they refer to themselves as Martyrs, because their lives are forfeit to Shar, whom they know will eventually claim the ex¬istences they owe her—probably sooner rather than later. Popular belief has it that Shar is malicious (true), ever-present (true), and an implacable, nigh-unbeatable force of evil—which is false, as many priests, worshipers, and allies of Shar have learned at their personal cost. The Dark God¬dess is fickle and has repeatedly turned on or abandoned hitherto-favorite agents. Those who flourish under her support, such as the princes of Shade, might suddenly find it withdrawn, or even used against them. Shar is, after all, the goddess of loss, and she delights in reminding mortals never to rely on anyone or anything, lest a painful price be paid all too soon. The “Dark Reward” her senior clergy promise is the prospect of being raised as a undead—usu¬ally a lesser undead—under the control of the Martyrs. Sometimes Shar prizes especially capa¬ble and accomplished priests of the faith enough to bring them back to life augmented in some way. Usually such priests, called Shadowed, gain a short-term ability to become invisible or assume a gaseous form, but are marred by having a black talon for a hand, or a short black serpent’s tail in addition to their legs. All such individuals are greatly feared within the clergy. They universally return bearing jet-black eyes without whites or irises, and voices that are hoarse, cold whispers. Priests of the Night Church are encouraged to sow discord and weaken order and respect for laws. They do this by abetting rebels; murdering peacemakers, trade negotiators, and accomplished diplomats; goading those engaged in feuds into deeper bloodshed; and spreading hatred-of- outlander rumors. Those they kill should always know they are being slain in the name of Shar, not taken when asleep or unawares. Indeed, if these deaths aren’t intended to foment strife by being mistaken for the work of someone else, Martyrs write the name of Shar in the victim’s blood be¬side the body. Martyrs often travel the Realms posing as merchants, refugees, or pilgrims of another faith. Although their eventual fate depends on how well they have pleased Shar before they die, nothing in Shar’s commandments or the Night Church’s doctrine bars priests of Shar from stealing, ban¬ditry, murder for gain, smuggling, or any other legitimate or illicit business dealings. They are free to enrich themselves throughout their vowed service to the Lady of Night as they see fit. Using pawns, such as rebels or discontented guilds, and hiring “talons” (often adventurers) to aid in the work of the Night Church is considered good form, not cheating or a sign of weakness. As a result, many Martyrs have made scapegoats of hundreds of people, and have amassed vast fortunes in lands and property—most of which they don’t have time to enjoy before death greets them (and Shar sends someone else to use what they gained). In any land or city where Shar can be worshiped openly, her clergy are forbidden to work against the ruler and the law keepers—but everywhere else in the Realms, in ways great and small, Martyrs of Shar are at work to stir up dissent, dethrone kings, and sow cynicism and disrespect for principles, authority, and “the way things are.” Some notoriously successful Martyrs are out¬lined below. Rortryn Waencl: An accomplished actor and murderer, usually based in Athkatla, later in Crimmor. Crella “Cruel” Lannathond: A former dancer, based in Yhaunn, who usually poses as a travel¬ing vendor selling scents and flashy “revelwear” clothing, and who is an expert at passing information to and from Martyrs and Night Church allies and spies. Lannathond covertly dabbles in politics wherever she goes. Abran Dathengar: A retired veteran soldier of Tethyr now based in Saradush. Darthengar is an enforcer within the Night Church who also fol¬lows up against foes who have defeated or escaped Martyrs that were sent after them. Dracol Havnor. A cool-headed, acrobatic, and stealthy skilled slayer and master trap maker who has killed many courtiers—and even more adven¬turers who were hired to eliminate him.Божественное происхождение
The worship of Shar dated back to when mortals first appeared on Toril. After Shar's acquisition of the cavern portfolio from slaying Ibrandul during the Time of Troubles, she gained the worship of subterranean beings such as goblins, kobolds and troglodytes.
Космология
Sisters of Light and Darkness
This was the birth of the world and the heavens. After Lord Ao created Realmspace, there was a period of timeless nothingness, a misty realm of shadows before light and dark were seperate entities. Within this dim chaos stalked 13 lords of shadow, the shadevari - whether they came from elsewhere or are children of the shadow itself, none can say.
Eventually this primordialessence coalesced into twin beautiful goddesses who were yin and yang to each other: they were so close they thought of themselves as one being. The Two-Faced Goddess created the heavenly bodies of the crystal sphere and together infused them with life to form the Earthmother, Chauntea. (Although Chauntea has since contracted her essence to encompass only Abei-Toril, in the beginning she embodied all matter in Realmspace.) This new universe was lit by the face of the silver-haired goddess, who called herself Selûne, and darkened by the welcoming tresses of the raven-haired goddess, Shar, but not heat or fire existed within it.
Chauntea begged for warmth so that she could nurture life and living creatures upon the planes that were her body and limbs, and the two Sisters-Who-Were-One became divided, as for the first time they were of two minds. Silvery Selûne contested with her dark sister over whether or not to bring further life to the worlds. During this great conflagration, the gods of war, disease, murder and death, among others, were created from residues of the deific battle. At one point during the battle, Selûne seized the advantage and reached across time and space to a land of eternal fire. Fighting the pain of the blaze, which burned her sorely, she broke off a fregment of that ever-living flame and ignited one of the heaveenly bodies so that it burned in the sky and warmed Chauntea.
Incensed, Shar redoubled her attack on her injured twin and began to snuff out all light and heat throughout the crystal sphere. Again Selûne gave of herself and tore the divine essence of magic from her body, flinging it desperately at her sister in defense of life in the sphere and nearly killing herself of the spiritual injury it caused her. A just-born being of raw magic tore through Shar, bonding to some of her divine magical energy and ripping it free of her, and reforming behind her as the goddess of magic, known now as Mystra, but then as Mystryl. Though Mystryl was composed of both light and dark magic, she favored her first mother Selûne initially, allowing the silver goddess to win an uneasy truce with her more powerful, dark twin. Consumed by bitterness at her defeat, Shar vowed eternal revenge.
The twin goddesses contested for eons as life struggled into existence on Toril and the other planes under Chauntea's watchful gaze. Shar remained powerful, but bitterly alone, while Selûne waxed and waned in power, often drawing strength from her allied daughters and sons and like-minded immigrant deities. Over time, Shar grew strong again, aided by the shadevari who preferred night to blinding light and who stalked the Realms seeking to meld light and dark into shadowy chaos once again. Shar's plot to reform the world after her own desires was undone when Azuth, the High One, formerly the greatest of all mortal spellcasters and now consort to Mystra (incarnate successor to Mystryl), found a way to imprison the shadevari in a pocket-sized crystal sphere located beyond the edges of the world by creating the illusion of a realm of shadows. The Lords of Shadow were drawn to investigate, and before they discovered the trick, Azuth imprisoned the shadevari with the Shadowstar, a key of shadows forged by Gond. The High Lord then hurled the key into the endless reaches of the cosmos allowing life to flourish on in Chauntea's loving hands.
Принципы веры
Reveal secrets only to fellow members of the faithful. Never follow hope or turn to promises of success. Quench the light of the moon (agents and items of Selûne) whenever you find it, and hide from it when you cannot prevail. The dark is a time to act, not wait. It is forbidden to strive to better your lot in life or to plan ahead except when directly overseen by the faithful of the Dark Deity. Consorting with the faithful of good deities is a sin except in business dealings or to corrupt them from their beliefs. Obey ranking clergy unless it would result in your own death.
Этика
Dark Followers (the faithful of Shar) are instructed to reveal secrets only to fellow faithful and to never follow hope or turn to promises of success. They should quench the light of the moon (the faithful of Selune and their holdings, deeds, and magic) whenever they find it and hide from it when they cannot prevail. Above all, the dark should be a time to act, not to wait.
Faithful of Shar are not supposed to hope and are therefore forbidden to strive to better their lot in life or to plan ahead except in matters directly overseen by the clergy of the Dark Goddess. Consorting with beings of good alignment who actively serve their deities is a sin unless undertaken to take advantage of them in purely business dealings or to corrupt them form their beliefs into the service of Shar. Devotees of Shar must not speak out against clergy of the goddess, nor interrupt their devotional dances for any reason. Lay worshippers must prove their faith by obedience to the clergy and by carrying out at least one dark deed ordered by a priest of Shar every year - or bring at least one being to believe in, and worship, the Dark Goddess.
The lower clergy of Shar must obey their superiors in all matters, short of following orders that will lead to their own death - Shar desires to gain followers, not lose them. To win new followers and to keep the faithful truly loyal, clergy must see that some of the dark desires of worshippers are fulfilled (such as the elimination of business rivals).
Поклонение
All clerics, specialty priests, crusaders, and mystics of Shar receive religion as a bonus nonweapon proficiency. All priests of Shar may see as well in natural or magical darkness as in light; however, this does not give them the heat-sensing abilities of infravision.
Shar is worshiped by blinded, nocturnal, or subterranean-dwelling humans and allied beings and by those who hate the light, such as goblinkin and their allies. She is also worshiped by many who favor dark surroundings or who must undertake deeds or do business in darkness. She is venerated by those who are bitter or are grieving over a loss and wish to find peace (especially through vengeance) and by individuals who want to forget. She is also placated by those who know their wits have been harmed and want to find peace or those who have been mentally harmed and want to remember fully or be restored in their minds. Many in Faerûn fear nightfall, the casting of the cloak of Shar, because of the dangers that lurk in its folds.
The church of Shar is largely composed of underground cells, rather than an overt, uniformed body of priests working from temples. As such, its adherents have a covert, widespread, and complex hierarchy wherein every full priest serves a direct superior, and overpriest responsible for a large area, and beings (both human and otherwise) who know the prist's Own Secret (the personal name Share gave them and the dark deed they performed for her in order to demonstrate their loyality and win that name). Clergy members revel in secrecy, and cells of the church are organized around small congregations of worshipers who know and are led by a single prist. Many priests may operate in the same area, and although they may know of and aid each other, they work independently. In this way, should one cell of the church fail, the others can still flourish in its absence.
Most Sharran clergy use such titles of address as "Brother Night" or "Sister Night." To superiors, they say "Mother Night" or "Father Night," and lay worshipers address them so. Their formal titles include Adept of the Night (a novice), Watcher (the least senior ordained priest). Hand of Shar (a battle-tested priest who leads a force of priests-adventurers or oversees several cells), Darklord/Darklady (a senior priest able to proclaim local policy), Nightseer (the oversett of all faithful in a realm or other large geographical area) and Flame of Darkness (archpriest or personally trusted servant of the goddess).
Specialty priests of Shar are called nightcloaks. Until five years ago, they were called nightbringers, only existed outside the standard church hierarchy, and served as contacts, messengers, and enforcers of the Dark Lady's will. They still perform such detached liaison and enforcement functions, but some nightcloaks have now become integrated into the cell structure/hierarchy of the church, especially among the clergy of the Dark Embrace, discussed below.
Shar's hatred of Selûne extends to her clergy and their relationships with the chruch of Selûne. The two faiths war continually, and jihads and assassination plots against Selûnites are common where Shar is strong. One of the reason the chruch of Shar remains so small is a byproduct of this endless war. Several holy wars and vendettas led by Sharrans against more powerful forces of Selûnites have resulted in many Sharran casualties.
Day-to-Day Activities
The clergy of Shar seem to pursue practical, local goals designed to further the power of the priesthood and of those who worship Shar, rather than to openly oppose other faiths (save that of Selûne). Shar desires to bring all humans under her sway by promoting general lawlessness and striefe. In this way, most folk will suffer loss and turn to her for peace (especially through vengeance), and the influence of all other faiths will be lessened.
Specifically, Sharran clergy are enjoined to work covertly to bring down all governments, particularly within cities, and to publicize Shar's patronage of avengers so that the desperate and despairing humans of other faiths turn to her to geht revenge and not the weakened demipower of vengeance, Hoar. Sponsorship of thieving guilds and hedonistic clubs of all sorts is a key part of this assault on order, as is the encouragement of political intrigue everywhere. Widespread war and slavery are things to be avoided, Shar wants to gain followers, not see them lives thrown away for no gain.
Shar's love of secrecy is strong. Her clergy work toward fulfilling her desire for secrecy by always acting through manipulation and behind-closed-doors intrigue. They also work through and promote shadowy cabals and organizations that appeal to human desires to be a part of something elite and important, to keep secrets, and to be involved in the mysterious. Fifty or more false cults that have arisen in the past two decades have been born of secret clubs and cabals begun by Sharran priests to corrupt the peace and lawfulness of various cities.
Holy Days/Important Ceremonies
As so many devotees of Shar keep their faith secret (and this secrecy is encouraged by senior clergy), the Sharran faith has no set holy days aside from the Feast of the Moon. To Dark Followers (the faithful of Shar) this holiday is known as the Rising of the Dark. They gather on it under cover of the more widespread venerations of the dead to witness a blood sacrifice and learn of any plots or aims the clergy want them to work toward during the winter ahead.
The most important Sharran ritual of worship is Nightfall, the coming of darkness. Clergy hold this ritual every night. It consists of a brief invocation, a dance, a charge or series of inspiring instructions from the godness spoken by one of the clergy or by a raven-haired female lay worshiper, and a revel celebrated by eating, drinking, and dancing together. Lay worshipers must attend at least one Nightfall (or dance to the goddess themselves) and must perform - and report to their fellows - at least one small act of wickedness in salute to the Lady every tenday. On moonless nights, Nightfall is known as the Coming of the Lady, and every congregation must carry out some significant act of vengeance or wichedness in the Dark Lady's name.
The most important ceremony of the priesthood of Shar is the Kiss of the Lady, a horrific night-long revel of slaying and doing dark deeds in the name of the lady that ends with a feast at dawn. Kissmoots are scheduled irregularly, whenever the priests of Old Night decree. Increasingly the rival clergy of the Embrace have been proclaiming that this ritual be celebrated at different times than those decreed by the temple of Old Night.
Major Centers of Worship
The Temple of Old Night in Calimport is the oldest, haughtiest seat of worship to Shar. It is a subterranean complex underlying much of the eastern city ruled by the highest-ranked known mortal servant of Shar: the aged Irtemara, the Dancer Before Dawn, a debauched and jaded Calishite woman famous for her revels and murderous whims (which, over the years, have brought about at least six changes of government in various realms across Faerûn). Irtemara is loyally served by three male priests who work covertly against each other. They will undoubtedly break into open battle for supremacy when Intemara dies.
The Temple of Old Night vies for supremacy over the Dark Followers with the Dark Embrace, a temple founded not quite 40 years ago by clergy of the Dark Goddess dissatisfied with the leadership of Old Night. The Embrace perches atop a crag in Amn, overlooking the midpoint of the trade road linking Imnescar and Esmeltaran. Its policies are more ruthless than those proclaimed in Calimport - the faithful of the Embrace are more openly active in local politics wherever they operate, employing assassinations where intimidation and the fulfillment of dark desires fail. The Embrace is led by a small circle of clergy whose leader seem to be the Eye in the Flame Aubert Heldynstar. Most clergy of the Dark Embrace are nightcloaks.
Priestly Vestments: The colors purple and black are used extensively in Shar's church and among her followers. Most Sharran clergy dress in black cloaks or soft, silent dark garb with purple trim, piping, or accessories during rituals. High ceremonial dress of those of rank or taking a special role in a ritual is a long-sleeved robe of deep purple over black tights or a black velvet chemise. A black skullcap covers the entire head, except for on woman with jet-black hair. Such hair is seen as a symbol of the Dark Lady's pleasure and is left to flow unfettered and long. Less commonly encountered versions of Shar's symbol than the one mentioned above are of a glistering purple eye outlined in black with a black pupil or a cowled hunting cloak of unadorned black stretched out flat.
Adventuring Garb
Sharran clergy wear practicular clothes in the fashion of the land they are in while pursuing day-to-day life. They are fond of jewelry fashioned from obsidian, black onyx, amethyst, and purple jade, but they are not required to wear it. When entering a situation where they might encounter hostilities they wear armor and take appropriate protective measures.
Духовенство
Церковь Шар сегментирована на множество отдельных ячеек, работающих независимо. Ячейка обычно организовывается около храма, святыни или места поклонения. Все ячейки в данной географической области находятся под командованием единственного священника. Эти священники связываются друг с другом, но обеспечивают информацией низших лишь по мере необходимости. В конце концов Шар - божество нераскрытых секретов. Действительно ли она фактически лжет своему духовенству - неизвестно, но весьма вероятно, что Шар никогда не показывает больше, чем считает нужным, даже тем, кто хорошо служит ей.
Иерархия
Храмы Шар управляются и администрируются самым старшим (то есть самым мощным) клериком Шара. Иерархия каждого из храмов уникальна, но независимо от ее точной организационной структуры она всегда строится в четко определенной манере. Все члены духовенства знают свое место, и доктрина церкви запрещает попытки улучшить свою позицию... хотя это правило успешно игнорируется честолюбивыми.
The church was split into individual cells that operated independently from one another, with a temple or shrine of Shar as their focal point. Cells were linked under the leadership of a priest, who controlled a number of cells in a geographic area. Priests regularly communicated with one another, but rarely revealed truthful information to their inferiors.
Shar's temples are controlled by the most senior (That is, the most potent) cleric of Shar. Each temple's hierarchy is unique , but regardless of its precise organizational structure it is always arranged in a olearly defined manner.
All members of the clergy know their place, and doctrines forbids attempting to improve one's position...
Although this rule is conveniently ignored by the ambisious.
Initiation
In order to become clergy within the church's organization, one underwent tests of faith and commitment which would be likely to vile any good-aligned being. Potential recruits incapable of murder were not admitted, and would likely be killed. After a few months of displaying their willingness to join, new recruits have likely committed many murders.
In order to become a worshiper of Shar, the tests were less strenuous, but nonetheless involve performing acts that would be considered deplorable by kindhearted individuals.Any betrayal of the faith resulted in the swift death of the formerly-faithful.
Вербовка
Shar's church actively recruits new members as well as worshipers of its deity.
But Shar's priests are not easily fooled, and those wishing to ordained in her church must undergo tests of faith and commitment that involve practices abhorrent to most good-aligned beings.
Those who balk at committing murder or sacrificing a loved one to prove themselves are not accepted into the clergy.
Often they are themselves killed, usually by potentionally true converts who are ready to show their devotion to the faith.
New cleric recruits are continually tested, assigned to activities that require uncompromising obedience to the church hierarchy and principles.
The hands of most initiates are so steeped in blood after only a few months as members of the clergy that even if they were to renounce their faith and somehow escape Shar's vengeance, they would very likely never be welcomed in good societies again.
Once accepted into the clergy, a cleric of Shar must demonstrate unswerving and unquestioning obedience to his or her superiors.
To defy orders is to invite death.
Seldom are her clerics given instructions that involve suicide sacrifice, for Shar does not spend her worshiper's lives unless doing so leads to a further net gain of converts.
Those who serve the faith well learns its secrets, but not before they are judged ready. Folk who choose Shar as their patron deity because circumstances in their lives led them to believe in her message generally have no problem finding their way to the nearest underground cell.
Joining Shar's church as a worshiper, rather than as a member of the clergy, also involves performing acts that would repulse non-evil individuals.
Those who betray the church after being exposed to, or participating in these rites are, naturally, destroyed.
Церковь Шар активно рекрутирует новых членов в качестве прихожан своего божества. Но священников Шар нелегко одурачить, и желающие присоединиться к церкви должны подвергнуться испытаниям и обязательствам веры, включающим в себя методы, отвратительные большинству существ доброго мировоззрения. Тех, кто передумывает убивать или приносить в жертву любимых, не принимают в духовенство. Часто их самих убивают, обычно те, кто воистину готов показать свою преданность вере. Новых рекрутов -клериков непрерывно проверяют, назначая им дела, требующие бескомпромиссного повиновения иерархии и принципам церкви. Руки большинства инициированных после месяцев членства в духовенстве настолько испачканы кровью, что даже если им придется отречься от своей веры и удастся так или иначе избежать мести Шар, их вряд ли когда-либо пригласят в добрые общества.
Будучи принятым в духовенство, клерик Шар должен демонстрировать непоколебимое и несомненное повиновение к своим старшим. Оспаривать приказы - значит призвать смерть. Клерикам редко даются инструкции, вовлекающие убийственное пожертвование, поскольку Шар не швыряется жизнями своих прихожан, что ведет увеличению их количества. Те, кто хорошо служат вере, узнают ее секреты, но не раньше, чем их сочтут готовыми к этому.
Те, кто выбирают Шар в качестве своего божества-покровителя, потому что обстоятельства их жизни привели к вере в ее сообщения, в общем не имеют проблем найти путь к ближайшей подпольной ячейке. Присоединение к церкви Шар в качестве прихожанина, а не члена ее духовенства, также включает в себя исполнение действий, которые были бы отталкивающими для незлых индивидуумов. Те, кто предают церковь после демонстрации или участия в этих обрядах, естественно, уничтожаются.
Последователи Шар, как ожидается, увеличат ее влияние и силу, приведя с собой больше прихожан. Фактически, большинство приходящих в веру Шар обеспечивают не ее клерики. Большинство обращений в веру выполняют семейства или друзья, убеждающие нового приверженца присоединиться к церкви. Немало новообращенных - те, кто перенес настолько ужасную потерю или ожесточенную печаль, что желают лишь забыть ее и этим непреодолимо притягиваются к успокаивающей безнадежности Шар. Немногие из них подозревают, что кто-то из их близких организовал их горе, чтобы заполучить для Шар еще одну душу.
Шарранские ячейки (Sharran cells)
Поклонение Шар - одно из самых быстрых разрастаний зла на Фаэруне, и ее духовенство и прихожане угрожают стабильности многих областей, в которых они удерживаются. Церковь Шар состоит из ячеек, которые действуют независимо друг от друга, часто не зная о других ячейках. Фактически же скрытный характер этих ячеек часто означает, что личности членов ячейки известны только лидеру этой ячейки. Первичная цель каждой из ячеек - привести так много фаэрунцев к поклонению Шар, сколько возможно, чтобы в конечном счете их темная хозяйка смогла выиграть свою вечную войну против своей сестры Селунэ. Для этого прихожане Шар распространяются по всем населенным областям континента, ища слабые умы, в которые они могут посеять мысли о бессмысленности и мести.
Влияние Шар чувствуется в каждом из регионов Фаэруна, от городских ячеек, играющих на страхе и ревности богачей, до сельских групп, блуждающих Монахов Темной Луны, несущих боль всем, кто выступает против них. Простые граждане немногое знают о ячейках в их области, часто даже не понимая, что Леди Потерь находится поблизости. Церковь входит в контакт только с теми, это желает развращения, или с теми, кто думает, что может быть как-то полезен. Шарранцы предпочитают держать свои темные дела в секрете - чем меньше вмешательства, тем лучше. Если бы местные жители узнали, что ячейки практикуют ритуальные жертвы, распространение убийств и месть и учреждение культов, подрывающих местные религии — они недолго дума ли бы, прежде чем позвать на помощь авантюристов, чтобы они защитили их от этой церкви.
Области влияния
Из-за скрытного характера церкви Шар ее прихожане не имеют никакой централизованной базы действий. Храм Старой Ночи, самый большой храм Шар на Фаэруне, можно найти в Калимпорте. Этот храм в пустыне - самое сплачивающее, что имеет духовенство Шар, и сотни паломников ежегодно идут сюда, чтобы получить указания своей Леди. Храм также является удобным местом для нахождения полезных контактов, распространения информации для духовенства в целом, и "охлаждения пяток" при неприятностях в пределах специфической ячейки или после поражения от рук противников.
Западное Сердцеземье в последнее время увидело кое-какую деятельность шарран, из-за чего многие подозревают, что Хозяйка Ночи имеет в этом регионе какие-то планы. Ходят слухи о великом новом храме, построенном в секретном месте, хотя все усилия найти это место закончились неудачей. Кроме нескольких лакомых кусочков, сообщенных авантюристами и шпионами, представляющими духовенство Селунэ, информация о намерениях шарран редка. По правде говоря, сильный священник стал силой, объединившей духовенство региона, поддержанный кланом монахов, не присоединившихся к секте Темной Луны. Все ячейки региона попали под его влияние, хотя они в целом еще не объединены. Селунэ направляет своих последователей из Врат Балдура и Уотердипа идти в Западное Сердцеземье и определить характер новой угрозы Шар.
Сембия всегда была приютом духовенства Шар, считающего интриги и жадность города плодородной землей для искушений богини. Недавний хаос в Кормире привлек внимание части этого духовенства, пославшего своих подчиненных в этот регион, чтобы основать опорные точки среди препирающихся благородных семейств. Это лишь усилило раздор в регионе, и по крайней мере одно из благородных семейств полностью попало под влияние Шар, так что его поместья теперь имеют темные подземелья, в которых несколько раз в месяц приносятся кровавые жертвы.
Регионы
Шарранские ячейки активны по всему Фаэруну, но для следующих регионов характерна повышенная их деятельность (или - это бастионы силы Темной Богини).
Калимшан: Размещая самый большой храм Шар в Царствах, Калимпорт долго был предпочтимым местом назначения паломников, преданных Леди Потерь. Даже больше, чем в Сембии, интриги и тонкий социальный уклад Калимшана хорошо подставляются развращающему влиянию Шар. Ее священники сеют недоверие между имеющими равный социальный статус, а пренебрежение чем-либо способно привести в бешенство самых уважаемых торговцев и знать.
Кормир и Сембия: Сеть духовенства Шар распространяется в этих двух регионах повсюду, играя на жадности и ревности их благородных семейств. Известно, что шарранцы держат лапу на интригах торговцев Сембии, но пока что их действия в Кормире остаются вне поля зрения.
Великая Трещина: Коварные посланники Шар пустили корни в маловероятном месте — туннелях под Великой Трещиной. Хозяйка Ночи считает пещеры и Подземье частью своей сферы с тех пор, как она убила Ибрандала в течение Времени Неприятностей, и хотя она не известна как покровитель дварфов, она захватила умы и дух одной неудовлетворенной группы золотых дварфов региона. Их лидер, Даргер Айронмут - изгнанный принц, поклявшийся отомстить своему семейству. При отсутствии сильных военных последователей он обратился к учению Шар, чтобы найти способ навредить тем, кто отверг его.
Шейд: Шар вновь заинтересовалась расой рабов, известной как кринты, и послала одного из своих самых доверенных священников просочиться в Город Шейд. Пока его успех в деле нахождения желающих выслушать обещания Шар невелик, но он тайно помогает росту подпольного движения кринтов города.
Западное Сердцеземье: Слухи о странных случаях, связанных с духовенством Шар, приходят в последние несколько месяцев из Даггердейла и Ирайбора. Все исследования этих слухов оказались безуспешными, но все же истории о секретном храме и шарранском заговоре продолжают распространяться. Появился сильный лидер, влияя на действия всех ячеек регионе ради общей цели, но что это за цель - остается лишь гадать.
Приоединение к шарранской ячейке
Духовенство Шар всегда ищет новичков, не только чтобы пополнить ряды духовенства, но также чтобы они действовали как последователи, контактные лица и шпионы. Вербовка - постоянный процесс везде, где работает ячейка. Из- за характера поклонения Шар открытая вербовка невозможна в большинстве мест Фаэруна. Большинство работы проводится лицом к лицу, индивидуумом с индивидуумом. Иногда привлечение нового члена - долгий, медленный процесс; в другой раз это происходит быстро - через обещание запретных знаний и силы над другими, что для новичка слишком соблазнительно, чтобы проигнорировать. Этот тип быстрой вербовки имеет дополнительное преимущество в поддержании тайны о ячейке. Так как индивидуум, вероятно, никогда не получит доступ более чем к одному члену ячейки, прежде чем будет введен в группу, никакия усилия по вербовке не ставят всю группу в опасность.
Становление членом церкви совсем не легко — Шар требует от своих последователей многого, и каждый, как ожидается, исполнит мерзкие действия со дня своего введения, пока не встретит свой конец. Тайна церкви Шар в большинстве областей означает, что тем, кто заинтересовался ее учением, обычно трудно найти члена духовенства. Чаще всего с предполагаемым членом входят в контакт после того, как церковь уже знает, что индивидуум готов к диалогу. Те, кем недавно пренебрегли, для кого убийственно раскрытие секрта или чьи темные сердца легко склонить к воле Шара, окажутся целями ее служителей.
Обучение Шар обращено к народам всех рас, профессий и социального положения. Ревность и секреты преобладают повсюду и везде, так что Шар имеет большую основу потенциальных последователей. Она предпочитает тех, кто достаточно силен, чтобы позаботиться о себе, но с физической или психологической слабостью, которая тянет их чтобы искать комфорт у других. Пользователи Теневого Плетения считаются особенно привлекательными новичками - как воины, показавшие свое равнодушие после совершения отвратительных злодеяний. Нетренированные последователи вербуются при возможности того, что они могут стать полезными для ячейки - или развивая военные или магические способности, становясь набожными священниками, или обеспечивая полезные контакты в городе или в области.
Цена и выгоды членства
Шар отчаянно пытается заполучить последователей, настолько, что она желает принять любого, кто может доказать свою связь с ее злыми принципами. Те, кто желает просто поклоняться Шар, должны просто объявить о своем присоединение, как и для любого другого бога. Для тех, кто желает работать с местной ячейкой или, возможно, даже стать священником, цена намного выше. Как только с индивидуумом вошли в контакт, совратили его и приготовили к присоединению, он должен совершить акт великого зла во имя Шар. Этот акт почти всегда вовлекает в себя насилие против близких друзей или семейства просителя. Намного легче убедить нового члена к исполнительности, когда он завербован на раскрытии неверного возлюбленного или ударе в спину члена семейства.
Самая непосредственная выгода присоединения к шарранской ячейке - защита против действий ячейки. Становлении простым прихожанином не гарантирует индивидууму более-менее полной защиты, но такой индивидуум вряд ли станет целью похищения или убийства во имя Шар. Становление шарранским приверженцем открывает множество направлений для личного роста тем, кто амбициозен. Во-первых, секреты Теневого Плетения благополучно изучают лишь лояльные Шар. За отступниками, использующими Теневое Плетение, наблюдают или охотятся священники Шар, чтобы не нести ее несвятой дар в мир. Во-вторых, персона, работающая в рядах шарранского духовенства или ставшая особенно полезной для ячейки или самой богини, получает доступ к самым неизвестным из секретов. Пока ячейка работает независимо, такая персона имеет немалую свободу для преследования своих собственных целей использования для этого ресурсов и членов ячейки.
Действия с шарранской ячейкой
Приключенческая партия, посвященная Шар, почти всегда возглавляется харизматичным священником, интерпретирующим волю Леди и направляющим группу соответственно. Миссии, которые такая группа может предпринимать, варьируются от убийства важного священника-селунита и его окружения до возвращения артефакта, проводящего силу Теневого Плетения. Такая группа может работать с ячейкой, быть независимой (это часто имеет место, если один или более ее членов - монахи секты Темной Луны) или быть самой по себе ячейкой.
Действия за пределами шарранской ячейки
Если один из членов партии приключенцев - шарранский приверженец, его компаньоны могут не знать об этом — даже если они годам ходили с ним на приключения или знают его всю жизнь. Так как преданные Шар процветают в секретах, они не будут обнародовать свою истинную личину и побуждения. Персонаж должен быть харизматичным - но не лидером, тонко смещая цели и движение партии для пользы своей ячейки. Он может предложить не совсем обычное место назначения, когда подходит время пополнять припасы, чтобы иметь возможность вступить в контакт с другим членом ячейки или спокойно истребить местного приверженца Селунэ. Если партия близка к обнаружению шарранской ячейки или узла Теневого Плетения (см. выше), персонаж может изобрести некий способ повернуть их в другом направлении. Безотносительно его побуждений, шарран в партии не-сторонников живет жизнью лжи, уловок и обмана.
Clergy and Temples
Shar's doctrine of vengeful nihilism appeals to those who have suffered great loss or betrayal. Her dominance over Darkness and Night makes her popular among the blind (Especially those accidentually or intetionally blinded due to the actions of others), nocturnal and subterrean humanoids, and creatures who shun the light, including many goblonoids.
All who favor the Dark or do they business by Night (Such as cutthroats and thieves) carry her favor, as do many whose deranged world views might be interpreted as insanity.
The insane seems to have a natural affinity for Shar's teachings, which may be why so many Selûne's clerics seek out the mad and attempt to cure or imprison them.
The church is made up of independant cells that have strong, authoritarian rulers.
Few adherents know the real name of others in the local cult, and almost no-one knows the name of the leader of the larger regional organization.
In areas where Shar's cult is strong, wars of assassination against Selûnites are common.
This keeps the church fairly small, since many Sharrans dies in these attacks or are put to death by local magistates shortly afterwards.
Temples to Shar vary in description but usually doubles as a place of business or residence.
Most feature at least one room bathed in deeper darkness, which is used in religious ceremonies and religious killings.
Shar's clergy revels in secrets.
In civilized lands they frequently establish exclusive social clubs or false cults to further corrupt the foundation of mannered society.
Culthists work to overthrow governments, promote vengeance, organize cabals, and foment unrest through calumny and sedition.
Sharrans believe that all that matters is the freedom to live by one's own dectates; The state exist to freedoms and is hench inherently immoral institution that should be crushed.
To them, everything deserves to perish, and their duty in life is to encourage the process of destruction.
The Dark Moon, an elite order of sorcer-monks employ the power of the Shadow Weave to further the Dark Goddess agenda.
Полученные божественные силы
All nightcloaks can see as well in natural or magical darkness as in light; however, this doesn't give them the heat-sensing abilities of infravision. At 1st level, nightcloaks can create darkness once per day (as the reverse of the 1st-level priest spell light). For each two additional levels (3rd, 5th, 7th, etc.), the priest gains the ability to create darkness again that day. At 3rd level, nightcloaks can cast blindness once per day (as the 2nd-level wizard spell). At 5th level, nightcloaks can create continual darkness once per day (as the reverse of the 3rd-level priest spell continual light). For each five additional levels, the nightcloak gains the ability to create continual darkness again that day. At 7th level, nightcloaks can cast forget (as the 2nd-level wizard spell) once per day. At 9th level, nightcloaks can cast nightmare (as the reversed form of the 5th-level wizard spell dream) once per day. At 13th level, nightcloaks can cast shadow door (as the 5th-level wizard spell), eyebite (as the 6th-level wizard spell), or veil (as the 6th-level wizard spell) once per day. In darkness (even that of their own creation), nightcloaks have a +1 bonus to hit, damage, and on saving throws. This is not cumulative with other darkness modifiers, but replaces them unless they are more beneficial to the priest. In the light of a full moon, nightcloaks suffer a -1 penalty to hit, damage, and on saving throws. Sharran Spells 3rd Level
Armor of Darkness (Alteration) Sphere: Protection, Sun Range: Touch Components: V, S Duration: 1 round/level Casting Time: 6 Area of Effect: The caster or 1 touched creature Saving Throw: None
This spell creates a flickering, impressive-seeming shroud of magical darkness around the caster or a single touched recipient creature. The aura can, if the caster desires, conceal the wearer's features. In any case, it improves the wearer's Armor Class by 1 point for every four experience levels of the caster (rounded down). It also lessens all nonmagical damage suffered by the wearer by 1d4 points per round. (This reduction changes to 2d4 points if the caster is of 12th level or greater.)
The wearer of armor of darkness can see through the armor as if it does not exist and is also afforded 60-foot-range infravision by the spell. All beings within armor of darkness are immune to hypnotic magic and other effects that depend on vision and receive a +2 bonus on saving throws vs. enchantment/charm school spells, charm sphere spells, and psionics of similar effect. Undead creatures wearing armor of darkness are immune to turning and dispelling attempts caused by things that they must see—the blow of a mace of disruption, for instance, would still destroy one if it failed its saving throw vs. the disruptive effect.
Whip of Shar (Invocation/Evocation) Sphere: Necromantic Range: 0 Components: V, S, M Duration: 1 round/level Casting Time: 6 Area of Effect: 5-foot-long, flexible bearn of force Saving Throw: Special
This spell creates a flickering black beam of force 1 inch in thickness surrounded by a purple halo. It is wielded by the caster, whom it cannot harm. If the caster successfully strikes with the whip in combat, the struck creature suffers 2d4 points of damage. Undead are affected as if by a turning attempt by a priest of three levels higher than the whip-caster.
Living creatures struck by a whip of Shar also have to make a successful saving throw vs. spell or be unable to attack on the following round because they are writhing in pain and unable to control their actions. Writhing victims incur no Armor Class penalties but have to make successful Dexterity ability checks to avoid dropping all held and wielded items (one check per item). Victims struck in successive rounds are less prone to falling victim to this facet of the whip's attacks due to a numbness produced from repeated exposure. Hits in successive rounds cause the second saving throw to be at a +1 bonus, the third saving throw to be at a +2 bonus, and so on. A whip of Shar has no effect on even the most fragile of nonliving objects and can't be used to bind, constrict, or entangle. It is considered a magical weapon for purposes of which creatures it can strike.
The material components of this spell are three sharp-edged pieces of black obsidian or glass and a long, black hair from any evil creature.
4th Level
Creature of Darkness (Alteration, Illusion/Phantasm) Sphere: Sun Range: 10 yards/level Components: V, S, M Duration: 1 round/level Casting Time: 7 Area of Effect: Special Saving Throw: None
This spell creates a mobile, upright, vaguely human-shaped, bipedal field of magical darkness that quenches magical light and continual light on contact without itself being affected. This shadow person can be controlled from afar, floating at MV 12, and sent into areas where the caster cannot go. The caster then perceives the shadow person's surroundings dimly, as if seeing through eyes the person doesn't in fact possess. (This vision is not good enough to read by, see expressions, or recognize the features of a being.)
This unintelligent aura of magical gloom cannot be used to carry solid objects or convey magical effects requiring that a target be touched (though rumors held that the most powerful Sharran priests employed an improved version of this spell that could do both of these things). The shadow person can be used to lure, to warn (pointing to beings, objects, or even markings on a map), or for concealment.
If a living being walks within the creature of darkness, its magic expands it to completely cloak the creature and so conceal its identity. Such a cloaked being can see as if the gloom of the creature does not exist. Living beings can attack or freely pass into, out of, and through a creature of darkness without dispelling it. If a creature of darkness is worn in this manner by its creator, the caster can use the magic of the creature to levitate for up to four consecutive rounds (rising up to 20 feet per round) or as a feather fall. Either such usage ends the spell.
The material components of a creature of darkness are a bit of black or gray fur or down from any flying creature, a pinch of soot, and a strand of spider web.
Darkbolt (Abjuration) Sphere: Combat Range: 5 yards/level Components: S Duration: 1 round/level Casting Time: 7 Area of Effect: 1 creature Saving Throw: Special
This spell unleashes a 4-inch beam of darkness in a straight line from the caster's hand. The beam ends whenever it strikes a creature within range. One darkbolt can be hurled per round until the spell expires or the caster works another spell. A darkbolt inflicts no damage to nonliving things,
Политическое влияние и интриги
Побуждение и цели
Церковь Шар существует для увековечивания себя и для распространения влияния Темного Божества, обращая прихожан в свою веру. Прихожане Шар продвигают эти цели, тайно работая по подрыву и коррупции правительств, религий и людей, посвященных добру или принципам, которые отличаются от их собственных. Это делает их жертвы более восприимчивыми к проповедям Шар и увеличивает вероятность того, что они отвернутся от своих вер и примут ее веру.
Хотя их методы могут показаться подобными таковым других злых организаций, каждый член церкви Шар исполняет эти действия не просто ради личной выгоды, а от глубокой преданности Леди Потери и недрогнувшего повиновения ее мирским представителям.
Любая конкретная ячейка церкви может предпринимать разнообразные тайные действия, продиктованные ее старшими. Часто члены ячейки сами не знают точно, почему они должны убить определенного вельможу или захватить бизнес того или иного торговца. Те, кто должны знать это, хранят секрет. Среди духовенства секреты - монеты царства. Они - с амые ценные потребительские товары, доступные прихожанину Шар, и они не раздаются небрежно. Шарраны, предлагающие поделиться информацией, ожидают того же взамен.
Секреты также полезны для ниспровержения разума и воли потенциальных прихожан. Удачно нашептанный в нужное ухо секрет может заполучить новую душу для Шар намного быстрее и вернее, чем обращение в веру, полученное острием меча. Один из недавних примеров - определенная известная графиня из Сембии, не знавшая, что ее любимый муж развлекался с ее сестрой... пока священник Шар не нашептал в ее ухо сей ужасный секрет. Графиня испытала все эмоции, которые сделали ее восприимчивой к сообщению Шар - потеря, ревность и горечь. Жажда мести привела графиню в распростертые объятия церкви Шар, и влияние Темного Божества моментально выросло еще на одну душу.
Хотя церковь Шар обычно избегает открытого конфликта с другими религиями, она резко оппозиционно настроена в отношении агентов с честными намерениями, особенно - таковых Селунэ. Ненависть Шар к своей сестре-близнецу столь ожесточенна, что многие из ресурсов и энергии ее духовенства посвящены нанесению такого количества вреда Лунной Деве, насколько это возможно. Ячейка приостанавливает все остальные действия, если получает возможность сразиться с силами Селунэ.
Церковь иногда работает с монахами Темной Луны, элитным орденом колдунов-монахов, служащих Леди Потери. Но такие сотрудничества нечастые, так как Шар предпочитает, чтобы монахи работали независимо (см. Монахов Темной Луны далее в этой книге).
Motivations and Goals
The church of Shar exists both to prepeutate itself and to spread the influence of the Dark Deity by converting worshipers to her faith. Shar's worshipers advance these goals by working secretly to undermine and corrupt governments, religious, and persons dedication to good or tenets that differ from their own. Doing so makes their victims more receptive to Shar's gospel and increase the likelihood that they will turn away from their own faiths and accept hers. While their methods may seem similar to those of other evil organizations, each member of the church of Shar performs these acts not merely for personal gain but from a deep devotion to the Lady of Loss and an unwavering obedience to her worldly representatives. Any given cell of the church may undertake a variety clandestine operations, as dictated by its superior. Often the members of a cell does not know why they are to murder a particularly noble or take over a certain merchant's business. Those who absolutely need to know hold these secrets in trust. Among the clergy, secrets are the coin of the realm. They are the most valuable commoditie avaible to a worshiper of Shar, and they are not distributed casually. Sharrans offering to share information expects a return in kind. Secrets are also useful for subverting the minds and will of potentional converts. A well-placed secret in the right ear may gain a new soul for Shar much faster and more lasting than a conversion obtained at swordpoint. A favorite recent example involves a certain noteable countess in Sembia, who was ignorant of the fact that her beloved husbond was engaged in an affair with her siter... Until a priest of Shar whispered the awful secret in her ear. The countess experienced all the emotions that made her receptive to Shar's message - loss, jealousy, and bitterness. The countess's thirst for vengeance drove her right into the waiting arms of Shar's clergy. So does the influence of the Dark Deity grow, one soul at a time. Although the church of Shar normally avoids open conflict with other religions, it is intractably opposed to the good faiths, particularly those of Selûne. So bitter is Shar's hatred towards her twin that her clergy's resources and energy are devoted to bringing as much harm to the Moon Maiden as possible. The church works on occasion with the monks of the Dark Moon, an elite order of sorcerer-monks who serve the Lady of Loss. But those collaborations are infrequent, since Shar prefers that the monks works independantly.Секты
Orders
Affiliated Orders The church of Shar sponsors no fighting orders or knighty orders. Crusaders who serve the faith are attached to perticular Sharran cells and temples, not the faith in general. Clergy of the faith who have killed one of the clergy of Selûne are rumored to gain access to an honorary order or secret society known as the Dark Justiciars. Many thieves' guilds have connections to Sharran cells, and such affiliated groups use each other for their particular plots mercilessly.
Dark Justiciars
The Dark Justiciars were an honorary order or secret society within the priesthood of Shar. It was rumored that in order to gain admittance to the order of the Dark Justiciars, a priest of Shar had to have killed a priest of Selûne.
Order of the Dark Moon
Shar's secretive monastic order tapped into the shadow weave through their powers of sorcery.
Order of the Dark Moon Monks of the Dark Moon are members of a sect of sorcerer-monks who have dedicated themselves wholly (mind, body and soul) to Shar, the Lady of Loss. Through diverse training, skills, and absolute devotion to their Lady, they serve as her assassins, enforcers, and shadowy agents. The organization's leaders have direct contact with Shar, and are not subject to the authority or will of her clergy. The Order of the Dark Moon is a completely independent organization, which gives Shar an incredible range of talents to call upon in times of need. This status gives them the freedom they need to train in their particular skills, to focus on their devotion to Shar, and to ready themselves for the instant she calls them into action.
Monks of the Dark Moon serve the Mistress of the Night by carrying out tasks she prefers not to assign to her ordinary clergy. They strike at Shar's enemies with lightning swiftness and terrifying lethality. The Lady of Loss can be sure that her monastic disciples undertake any order she may give them with extraordinary zeal, whether her whim be sabotage, espionage, or murder. Her monks have proven time and again to be Shar's "ace in the hole," most particularly against her hated sister, Selune, and her rival, Loviatar.
Throughout the past 10 years, Loviatar has been making inroads into part of Shar's traditional territory (that being the domain of Suffering). Due to Shar's normal clergy's apparent lack of success in stopping these incursions, she decided she required a different type of fighting force for special missions. Shar conceived a disciplined and loyal monastic order which would serve as her elite task force when her needs included subtlety, infiltration, or assassination.
The Monks of the Dark moon began their existence in the city of Parskul, in an imposing, grim monolith of stone, built by commission from Shar's most trusted mortal servant, Alorgoth, the Bringer of Doom. Alorgoth searched the lands far and wide to find individuals perfectly suited for Shar's purposes in the forming of this new monastic order, picking from among young adults who had manifested sorcerous power or potential, who had not yet been ordained as part of Shar's clergy. As for the shrine itself, its existence is known to all, but what goes on within its walls is one of the most guarded secrets of the order. There are only two options for those who enter the shrine to train: become a faithful servant of the Lady of Loss, or end up serving as a living training dummy for those within. The shrine's deadly reputation is well-known particularly within the ranks of Shar's clergy, most of whom refuse to enter it at all.
Since the founding of the original monastery, the Monks of the Dark Moon have spread across Faerun, establishing shrines and safe havens wherever they go. A shrine beneath the northwestern foothills of the Sword Mountains serves as a base of operations for order members operating in the northern Sword Coast. Dark Moon monks in Cormanthor and the Moonsea operate out of a desecrated shrine to Selune on the southern edge of Cormanthor. A mountain base at the summit of one of the Thunder Peaks, which is guarded by a clan of manticores who have been converted to the Sharran faith, serves as a recruiting post for Sembian and Cormyrian aspirants to the order. The most stoic and doughty of the monks of the Dark Moon hail from a monastery hidden deep in the Calim Desert in a buried series of tunnels scoured out of a hill by the blasting sands of this tormented land; only individuals of extraordinary constitution and willpower are even able to reach it.
Like the church of Shar, the monks of the Dark Moon follow and obey a strict heirarchy. Failure to follow the orders of a superior is grounds for execution. Most of the monks of the Dark Moon are human, but others include a few half-orcs, drow, tieflings, and a shade or two.
The "common" monks refer to each other as Dark Brother or Dark Sister. Senior monks are called Dark Father or Dark Mother, and are primarily responsible for the rigorous physical and mental training of the lower-ranked monks, as well as their preliminary religious indoctrination. The senior-most monk in any monastery is referred to as Dark Father Abbot, or Dark Mother Abbess. They lead the monasteries, and are the hearts and souls of the order, receiving their orders directly from Shar, though never undertaking missions personally unless Shar commands it. The Abbots and Abbesses convene once each year at the Temple of Old Night in Calimport to meet with the ranking clerics of the deity.
Perhaps the greatest strength of the order is its unity of purpose. The sole purpose of the existence of the monks of the Dark Moon is to serve Shar. They are more fanatical than members of her clergy, and strive to emulate the important tenets of Shar's dogma in all things. Being hopeless and remorse as individuals, they find spiritual fulfillment in acting as a weapon in the hand of the Lady of Loss. Striving for perfection according to their religious beliefs is their only interest, aside from following out the Mistress of the Night's orders as passed down through their superiors. Betrayal of the order is unthinkable to the men and women who have taken the order's dark vows.
Though the Order of the Dark Moon and the church of Shar share the same goal, the monks' methods are less obvious and more selective. If the church is engaged in a long-term plan to overthrow a city government, the monks might slip into that city's chief government building, kidnapping or killing a designated target. The clergy might hire a thieves' guild to undermine a city's social order and turn followers of good deities toward Shar, while a squad of Dark Moon monks ambush a cleric of Selune in the same city, murder him, and leave his body for scavenging animals to dispose of.
For recruiting, the monasteries are highly selective, placing more value on quality than quantity. Recruits must meet a certain set of criteria in order to be considered. First, they must be a young adult. Second, they must be among the strongest in their faith, but cannot have taken an oath of priesthood. Third, and most importantly, recruits must have shown the potential to develop sorcerous abilities.
Monks of the Dark Moon do not accept any members who do not undergo their year-long training. Hopefuls are drawn from among those who are already indoctrinated into Shar's mysteries, but only those who show incredible devotion to Shar's ideals are ever admitted. The rigourous training and vile acts one must perform when recruited weed out most of the orders enemies, along with the weak and faint of heart. This training does not always produce powerful members, with some graduates not having yet mastered their martial or arcane abilities ebough to harness them on any given level. A member of Shar's faithful who was already a monk or sorcerer could be invited to join as long as they fulfill the three principals, and their training would focus on the type of skills they lacked.
Shar's allies are the monks' allies, and the decrees of the Lady of Loss motivate and drive the monks of the Dark Moon. They don't make alliances or enemies except as directed by Shar herself, and then only for her evil to be able to flourish. Even so, the leaders of local monasteries to not allow purposeful alienation of the common folk who live near their monasteries. The work of the Dark Moon is best carried out under the cloak of secrecy, and blatant or obvious maltreatment of commoners merely attracts the attention of self-righteous do-gooders, who must be eliminated before they endanger the security of the order. Some Dark Moon strongholds work to convince nearby settlements and communities that their members are just a group of peaceful ascetics. Cultivating friendly relations with the local populace often provides a level of camouflage otherwise unattainable, even through magical means.
Shar's enemies are the monks' enemies, and the Dark Brothers and Sisters strike when and where commanded, not dwelling on ethics or morals outside Shar's dogma. The Dark Moon monks harbor special hatred for followers and servants of Selune, Shar's sister. Their discipline permits them to resist the temptation to seek out personal vendettas or any other type of activity not expressly ordered by their superiors. When sent out on a mission, as long as a monk of the Dark Moon is still alive, they will contiue to attempt to carry out their orders, and will not stop until the task is complete, or the monk has died in the attempt.
Nightcloaks
Formerly known as Nightbringers, this group of particularly debased followers of Shar who were separated from the church, until the Time of Troubles when they were absorbed into the clergy as specialty priests.
Beguilers of Shar
This order tasked with keeping the existence of the Shadow Weave secret. When Shar publicly revealed the existence of the Shadow Weave, the order was dissolved and its members were ejected from the church.
Darkcloaks
Unusual among other orders in the Church, the Darkcloaks were actually a compassionate group of oracles and care-givers who tended to those troubled souls who were emotionally damaged, often bringing the bliss of forgetfulness to soothe their pain. Their work did much to present the church in a positive light to the populace, though quite often the reaction was still negative. This order included some of the few non-evil, and even law-abiding clerics of the Church.
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Тип
Religious, Organised Religion
Deities
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