Shar, Goddess of Darkness and Loss & Selûne, Goddess of the Moon
Domain: Death, Trickery (Shar) / Knowledge, Life (Selûne)
Alignment: Neutral-Evil (Shar) / Chaotic-Good (Selûne)
The sisters Shar and Selûne were the first gods of the Forgotten Realms and thus in Faerûn. They are considered the balance of heaven and earth and should represent balance, but instead, they initially caused the historic war of light and shadow, where they fiercely opposed each other as arch-enemies.
Through their fight, they brought disease, murder, war, death, and other evils into the world of the Forgotten Realms, and unintentionally created Mystra from their essence. In her being, Shar embodies darkness, shadows, and destruction, while Selûne represents light, life, and the moon, from which she derives her name in Faerûn. She is also frequently referred to as the Moon Maid or Moon Mother. Many also say that Shar represents evil while Selûne represents good.
They are historically hard to separate and also represent a constant opposition in the cosmos. Their followers regularly stand against each other as arch-enemies. You should be much less reckless with Shar than with Selûne, as she is the far more vengeful deity, while Selûne is generally friendly, as long as you do not side with Shar or evil in general.
Shar’s followers often act with extreme ruthlessness, show no mercy, and have no hope. In their belief, it is even forbidden to want to improve one’s own life or to love someone. Contact with believers of good gods is also only allowed if one wishes to deceive them or deal with them. Perfect for evil campaigns and runs, but kind-hearted players should keep their distance and turn to Selûne instead.
Selûne’s followers, on the other hand, are dedicated to healing, divination, and combating evil lycanthropes. They uphold values that promote acceptance, tolerance, and equality of all beings. Besides their conflict with Shar, they also have a feud against the goddess Umberlee. So if you are playing good characters, it is worthwhile to stick with Selûne or play evil and make her your enemy.
Shar’s symbol is a black disk with a rim, while Selûne’s represents a pair of eyes surrounded by seven stars. You can enter temples of both deities in Baldur’s Gate, although Selûne’s has been destroyed and is now inhabited by goblins.
