High House of Stars

High House of Stars was one of the first major temples dedicated to the goddess Selûne in the city of Waterdeep.^[2]

Location[]

This temple was located along the Street of the Singing Dolphin,^[1] outside of the Trollwall,^[3] in the area that would later be designated as the Sea Ward of Waterdeep.^{[4][note 1]}

Structure[]

This temple structure featured cellars,^[5][3] which connected to the sewers of Waterdeep.^[6]

History[]

Due to the temple's location, the Order of the Half Moon was formed to defend it.^[3]

In the Year of the Dark Dawn, 1104 DR, Lord Andvarran Moonstar was stricken with a mysterious wasting disease that was resistant to healing spells. Upon his death his son Vanrak Moonstar assumed leadership of the House Moonstar. He would go on to publicly break from the High House of Stars, blaming its priests for his father's untimely death. Before long, the noble house was in a schism in the Year of the Howling Moon, 1130 DR.^[3][5]

Still holding on to their worship of Selûne, monster of the family allied with his sister, Lady Alathene Moonstar, and sought refuge in the High House of Stars. Meanwhile, the bitter Vanrak turned toward worship of Selûne's rival Shar, amassing quite a following. Later that year he was banished from the city, but would return in the Year of the Tomb, 1182 DR with the Dark Army of the Night to infiltrate the temple's cellars,^[5][3] by means of secret access tunnels dug from Halaster's Hold.^[3] Before an alarm could be raised,^[2] They slaughtered most that dwelled within the High House of Stars,^[2][3][5] robbed the temple's vaults of their treasure,^[5] and then set the building on fire.^[2][3][5]

By the time the City Watch had arrived, the High House of Stars was engulfed in flames that seemed impervious to magical attempts to douse it,^[3][2] but a handful of Selûnites managed to escape alive. All that remained of the temple was a stone shell, later razed,^[3] and the undercroft of the temple,^[1][3][2] known as the Vault of Stars.^[2] Lady Alatheene would go on resign from being matriarch of House Moonstar, dedicating her time to building a new temple to Selûne, the House of the Moon.^[3]

While it would be discerned afterwards that the perpetrators had infiltrated from the cellars and slaughtered most of the temple's residents before setting it alight, Vanrak's involvement would go unknown.^[2][3] Rather, Banites would be blamed for the crime,^[1][2][3] as the Watchmen discovered in the rubble an altar scarred with the symbol of Bane. Lady Alatheene, conducting her own investigation with aid of divination, would discover Vanrak's involvement. She would go on to share her findings with the Lords of Waterdeep, but the perpetrators were never found nor disclosed to the public.^[3]

In the Year of the Soft Fogs, 1188 DR,^[7] the House of the Moon was dedicated and sanctified. Afterwards, Lady Alathene withdrew from both the priesthood and her family,^[3] pursuing further research and investigation into her brother's activities within the Vault of Stars.^[1][2][3] While above ground, in memory of those who lost their lives and for Alatheene's privacy,^[3] the church of Selûne declared the site desecrated,^[1][2][3] forbidding Selûnites from ever setting foot on the site again.^[3]

Decades later, in the Year of the Dusty Throne, 1256 DR,^[3] the site once occupied by the High House of Stars became the site of Moonstar Alley and a new Moonstar Villa was built,^[1][2][3] after the noble family had received a special dispensation from the high priestess of the House of the Moon.^[3]

Appendix[]

Notes[]

1. ↑ The Sea Ward of Waterdeep would not be officially established until 1276 DR. By the time the High House of Stars was destroyed, 1182 DR, the Trollwall approximated the current paths of Andamaar's Street and Trader's Way.

References[]