The Ethereal Plane

The Ethereal Plane (also referred to simply as the Ethereal) is a mysterious, transitional dimension that exists parallel to the Material Plane. In the lore of the Sword Coast, it is primarily known as a realm of phasing, sanctuary, and divine banishment.

The Sanctuary of the Hand of Sehanine

During the twilight of the Pact of Phandelver, when hordes of orcs, rogue mages, and other monsters besieged the elven fortress known as the Hand of Sehanine, the elven Archmage Larellion fell into deep despair. Believing his daughter Vyldara had been kidnapped by the dwarves of Axeholm, and wishing to save only his own people, Larellion cast a grand, permanent defensive spell known as the Mythil of Moonshadow (or Mythal of Moonbow). His goal was to completely shift the magnificent fortress out of the physical world and vanish it into the Ethereal Plane as an impenetrable sanctuary, sealing it away from all corruption.

The Divine Curse of Phasing

Angered by Larellion’s choice to abandon his allies and betray the Pact of Phandelver, the elven deities Sehanine Moonbow (the Moonweaver) and Corellon (the Arch Heart) intervened. They twisted Larellion’s mythal, transforming his intended sanctuary into a divine curse:

• The Half-Phased State: Instead of finding safety, the Hand of Sehanine was trapped between worlds. For most of the lunar cycle, the fortress remains half-phased in the Ethereal Plane, frozen in a hostile state to all material life.
• The Full Moon Alignment: The fortress only fully phases back into the Material Plane during the night of a full moon, or when the full moon’s beams are parted and channeled by ancient relics like Vyldara’s Heartstone.
• The Return to the Ethereal: If the curse remains active, the tower flickers at dawn and “passes back to the Ethereal,” vanishing from the physical world until the next full moon or until a final act of kindness is performed to ease the trapped spirits.