Moonbeam

The Moonbeam was a powerful longbow that was created in the Feywild and left to waste away on the Material Plane. Due to the manner in which it was discarded, it tends to fade in and out of existence. In actuality, it's blinking between planes, though it never manages to return to its true and proper home. The grip of the bow is wrapped in a dark, blue leather and the limbs are carved from the antlers of a large, fey creature. Along the limbs are sylvan runes that glow faintly, shimmering like moonlight on open water.
Anyone who wields the bow gains an increased perception that's on par with birds of prey. It also protects them from disease and psychic damage. If left beneath moonlight, Moonbeam captures the essence of this light. Firing the bow when it's charged infuses the arrow with some of the power Artiana Aphrona wields, allowing it to bypass the target's defenses and resistances. At night, vines crawl out from under the leather grip, twisting along the bow's limbs. Moonglow flowers then bloom, offering protection from evil while the wielder and their companions sleep.
The Moonbeam bow also protects the wielder from unprovoked animal attacks. It allows them to communicate with the plants and animals in the immediate area around them. These creatures aren't rendered friendly on command, but indifferent to the archer's presence. The rest is on the archer to build rapport with them in the hopes of communicating much more freely.

History

The Moonbeam bow was created by Artiana Aphrona as a gift to the Horned King. Tensions between the courts of the Feywild were growing tenfold, leading to powerful fey of all kind picking a side in the eventual war. Artiana considered herself a good friend of the Horned King and hoped that her gift would be enough to dissuade him from joining the Unseelie Court. Unfortunately, the Moonbeam bow never made it to his hands before the Queen of Darkness stepped in. The Horned King was brought into her court and his skills as a weapon of ancient fey design led to the growth of the Wild Hunt. Angered by this, Artiana later attempted to assassinate her old friend.
The attempt failed and branded her an enemy to the Unseelie Court. Artiana fled to the Material Plane as she had done many times before. She took Moonbeam with her, but fearing the Wild Hunt would use its power to track her, she threw it into the Sidian Bog. It remained there for centuries until it was founds by the Order of Nymphs, a local druidic clan. They knew the bow was of fey origins, but claimed it was a weapon forged by the divine. Each elected elder of the order would go on to wield Moonbeam and all of them claimed to be champions of the goddess, Alene, who is similar to Sabella of the Caelsimilan pantheon.
As of the present day, the weapon's history has vanished much like the bow itself. Moonbeam is present in many stories in the lands surrounding The Shrieking Sands, especially in the stories told by descendants of the Order of Nymphs. Its fey origins are forgotten entirely, leaving it to be considered a missing holy artifact of Gracia's people.

Significance

In the lands surrounding the Shrieking Sands, the Moonbeam bow is considered a divine weapon and holy artifact of the nature goddess, Alene. It went missing after the eruption of Mount Halidale, some proposing that it may be buried in the ruins of that area. Given the bow's tendency to blink in and out of planes, it's likely on another plane of existence currently.

Item type

Weapon, Ranged

Rarity

One of a kind.

Weight

4 lbs