The Moonwell
The Moonwell (also known as the sacred Moonwell or the basin of stone) is a holy and mystical water source located within the Hand of Sehanine, an ancient, haunted elven fortress. Specifically, it is situated inside the Thumb tower, which houses the fortress’s Common Hall & Scriptorium under the supervision of the spectral librarian Gelarith.
Divine Nature and Mechanics
The Moonwell is tied closely to the celestial bodies and the favor of the stars. It is described as a stone basin that remains dry until specific astrological alignments occur: “It fills when the stars are watching.” When the stars blink in the night sky above the phased tower, the basin miraculously fills with pure, sacred water.
Role in Lifting the Curse of the Hand
The water of the Moonwell is essential for bringing peace to the trapped, looping spirits of the Hand of Sehanine, who were cursed by Sehanine Moonbow and Corellon after Archmage Larellion abandoned his allies. To weaken the curse and help the trapped souls fade into true rest, visitors must perform selfless, compassionate physical tasks to break the temporal loops:
- Restoring the Gardens: The Pinky tower houses the withered, rain-scented grounds tended by the lucid spirit Valestis. To “Let the Garden Grow Again,” visitors must draw the pure, sacred water of the Moonwell and water the gardens.
- Miraculous Growth: When the Moonwell’s water touches the cracked stone and pale seeds are introduced, the withered skeleton of vines is restored: “Yet as water kisses cracked stone and a pale seed touches earth, the air sweetens. Flowers turn their faces toward you.”
Performing this act of kindness, along with other tasks of compassion, directly weakens Larellion’s madness, lowering the difficulty of the final confrontation in the Observatory and ultimately allowing the millennium-old curse of the Hand to be broken. During their journey, the adventuring party successfully used the Moonwell’s water to help Valestis’s garden grow, paving the way to Larellion’s repentance and peace.