Overview
For much of humanity darkness is a terror, something to fear and loathe. But for many others, it is a sanctuary. Not everyone feels comfortable in the light. Shar offers refugee for those people.
Worship
For followers of Shar, darkness is protection. While many fear it, and try to snuff it out, Shar tells us ultimate freedom is to be had while submerged in the absolute blackness. Light is a prison, we are too bound to it, and are at its mercy. “Break the shackles”, the faithful priests known as The Black Veil clamor: “embrace the natural state”; darkness. Their temples known as the Dark Sanctuaries and shrines offer hospice to those who deem themselves lost. It is through the teachings of Shar, one can learn to utilize the darkness to their advantage, and the importance of solidarity, and independence. When you embrace the darkness, your past becomes obscured, and you are free to define yourself in the present. Many folks seeking a new life, or wanting to overcome the grief from great loss congregate to hear the Black Veil’s message of self determination and personal strength. When committing to a Dark Sanctuary, the individuals are given an option to be reborn in the darkness a new being. Their past is erased, and they take on a new moniker to symbolize their commitment.
Lore
Shar came to our world alongside her older brother
Lathander and her twin sister
Selune . The three of them worked together to fill our world and protect it from the outside. Now for Shar, she exists in the space between her siblings. Their brilliance impedes her power. Therefore, she always felt like an outsider; as her domain was defined by the extent of others. This fostered resentment towards her twin sister and she tried many times to weaken Selune in the hopes of usurping her. Her creation of
Sune ultimately failed but did create the environment for the Condemned Gods scheme to succeed during the Shattering. When Lathander was slain, Selune bore the brunt of his mortal wounds and was left incapacitated. This left Shar alone to potentially consume her sister. But surprisingly Shar did not, and instead was resolute in the dogged defense of her sister. She stymied the Condemned Gods with her darkness, preventing them from taking over the Pantheon. This allowed Selune the chance to recover and ultimately allowed for the rebirth of Lathander. After the end of the Shattering, it seemed as if Shar and her sister had reconciled... at least for now.
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