The Seldarine

The Seldarine refers to the ancient and revered pantheon of elven deities whose divine influence shaped the culture, magic, and architecture of the elves of the Sword Coast.

The Seldarine include Selune or Sehahine, Corellon or The Archheart, and others.

Most notably, their power and aspects were celebrated during the golden age of the Pact of Phandelver, a historic tripartite alliance of humans, dwarves, and elves.

The Hand of Sehahine and Divine Architecture

The central locus of worship and study dedicated to the Seldarine in the Phandalin region was the Hand of Sehahine (also recorded as the Hand of Sehanine). This luminous tower, steered by the reclusive Archmage Larellion, served as a temple to knowledge, magic, and prophecy.

Rather than a military fortress, the Hand was designed to reflect the divinity of the elven pantheon:

• The Five Spires: The temple featured five distinct spires, each serving a unique purpose and aligned with one of the Seldarine’s sacred aspects.
• The Central Finger: The central spire of the Hand housed the Astrolabe, a legendary divinatory wonder capable of displaying the alignment of the stars and revealing secret truths buried in time.

The Fall and the “Children of the Moon”

The tragic sundering of the Pact of Phandelver brought a silent end to the public worship of the Seldarine in the region. When the alliance fractured due to internal distrust and external threats, the Hand of Sehahine fell silent, its beacon extinguished.

In the centuries following the cataclysm, the banshee Agatha—one of Larellion’s daughters—remained in the ruins of Conyberry, singing a mournful dirge for her lost home. Her songs recall the “Children of the Moon,” lamenting how their mortal allies betrayed them and how divine “Grace” ultimately left them forsaken in the dark.

Legacy in Elven Magic

Though the temples of the Seldarine lie in ruins, their magical legacy remains woven into the ancient mechanisms of the region. Activation of Gond’s Smelter—a precursor to unlocking the legendary Forge of Spells—requires the “Grace of the Elves.” Scholars have determined that this grace refers to the magic of the moon goddess (often associated with Selûne or Sehanine of the Seldarine) and requires the channeling of elven astronomical magic, historically translated as “Elvish Tears” or the casting of a Moonbeam spell.