The Astrolabe of the Hand
The Astrolabe of the Hand (also known as the Astrolabe of Sehanine) is an ancient, legendary divinatory masterpiece and cosmic wonder representing the pinnacle of elven arcane and astrological mastery. Crafted during the golden age of the Pact of Phandelver, this artifact was born from the collaborative genius of the elves of the Hand, the dwarves of Axeholm, and the humans of Highthorn.
Origins and the Age of Arcanum
The origins of the Astrolabe are deeply tied to the ancient sky of the Age of Arcanum. During that legendary era, before the Prime Deities created the Divine Gate to seal away unchecked divinity, the astrological significance of the Hand of Sehahine was so profound that a constellation depicting “a hand, with long, delicate fingers” was etched among the stars. The Astrolabe was designed to capture this ancient celestial magic and align with the cosmic order of that lost epoch.
Location and the Middle Spire
The Astrolabe was housed within the Middle Finger (also known as The Observatory), the central spire of the Hand of Sehahine (or Hand of Sehanine). Located on a rocky mound near the ruined village of Leilon between the Sword Mountains and the sea, the Hand was a luminous temple of knowledge, prophecy, and elven magic. The Observatory itself features a complex crystal-and-adamant lattice that serves as the perfect mounting structure for this cosmic instrument.
Powers and Celestial Secrets
Far greater than a standard navigational tool, the Astrolabe is a powerful “reusable divination engine.” It possesses the following mystical capabilities:
- Celestial Mapping: It tracks the movements of the stars with flawless precision, capable of displaying the night sky exactly as it appeared 1,000 years ago during the Age of Arcanum—a time when the goddess Selûne herself walked the earth.
- Temporal Vision: It peels back the veil of reality, granting visions of the past, present, and potential futures, and revealing secret truths buried deep within the currents of time.
- Divination Conduit: When successfully cleansed and attuned, it allows its users to cast powerful spells such as Scrying, Sending, Augury, Divination, and Commune.
The Tragedy of Larellion and the Divine Curse
The Observatory and the Astrolabe were the primary domain of Archmage Larellion (also spelled Lorelion), the High Mage and Keeper of the Astrolabe. Larellion spent his long life studying celestial movements within the Central Finger, rarely leaving its confines. However, his favoritism of his daughter Agatha (the “Moonlit Prodigy”) over her sister Vyldara sowed a bitter jealousy that ultimately shattered the Pact of Phandelver. Vyldara poisoned Queen Kima of Axeholm, causing a bloody conflict that ended with both sisters becoming cursed banshees.
Overcome with grief and under the false impression that the dwarves had kidnapped Vyldara, Larellion abandoned his allies as monster hordes descended upon the Hand. He cast the Mythal of Moonshadow (also called the Mythal of Moonbow) to shift the entire fortress into the Ethereal Plane. Angered by this betrayal of the alliance, Sehanine Moonbow (the Moonweaver) and Corellon (the Arch Heart) twisted the mythal into a divine curse. The Hand was frozen in time-loops, and Larellion was transformed into a Baelnorn—a mad lich whose soul was bound to the tower as his phylactery.
Reclamation and Legacy
For a millennium, the Hand of Sehahine only phased into the Material Plane beneath the light of a full moon. Recently, a band of adventurers (the Magnificent Five) used Vyldara’s Heartstone to phase the Hand of Sehanine back into reality. By showing deep compassion to the trapped spirits within the spires, they broke the repeating loops of the cursed elves.
Reaching the crystal-and-adamant lattice of the Middle Finger’s Observatory, the party confronted the mad Baelnorn. Rather than destroying him, they presented proof that his daughters, Vyldara and Agatha, had finally been laid to rest and redeemed. This act of mercy allowed Larellion to repent, breaking the millennium-old curse. As the spirits faded into true rest, the Astrolabe of Sehanine was successfully cleansed and permanently attuned to the heroes, cementing its place as one of the Sword Coast’s greatest reclaimed treasures.