Legend of MOON

Dialect

The following is a glossary of terms to help clarify the terms used in documenting the Legend of MOON.

• MOON Deity: The God of the moon. See more in Biographies.

• SUN Deity: The God of the sun. See more in Biographies.

• Daybreaker: Aka the SUN Blade, this sword is a combat implement to help harness the power bestowed unto the SUN Avatar in combat.

• Stargazer: Aka the MOON Blade, this sword is the MOON Avatar's counterpart to Daybreaker.

• Avatars: Individuals with a hereditary ability to be co-piloted by a Deity. Described as an additional voice in their head at times, Avatars are bestowed power equivalent to a Demigod of The Ascended. In the case of the Sun and Moon, they are responsible for guiding the celestial bodies across the sky. Although the royal families of SUN and MOON were both Avatars, there are other bloodlines that exist albeit very scarcely.

• City of MOON: Modern-day Neighbor Luna before it was destroyed and subsequently reconstructed. It was home to an estimated thousands of people, most of which who made a living by mining rare materials in what became The Lunar Vault.

• City of SUN: A counterpart to the City of MOON that is located somewhere within the Nether. Most details are unknown as of now because the remains have yet to be discovered.

• Followers of Luna: A society of families who were responsible for raising and watching over Joshua after Luna passed away in The Fall of MOON.

• Caretakers of MOON: A council created by  ScarClaw72 to help oversee and preserve the future of Project MOON

• The Dawn War:` The multi-generational conflict that was instigated by Shamesh in an attempt to overthrow the MOON Deity. It was concluded when Joshua established Dawn and Dusk in order to ward off The Sisters.

• The Sisters: An informal term that refers to the female-appearing SUN and MOON Deities together.

• Project MOON: The reconstruction effort to rebuild the City of MOON

• Project SUN: Currently denotes efforts made to try and locate the City of SUN and secondary efforts to establish a proper Nether Freeway.

• Project Dusk: A joint-effort between the Caretakers of MOON and residents of Chala Kii to fortify the Cascadian Gateway and explore the End through Purgatory and Cascadia.

• Project Recovery: The team of experts dedicated to locating and securing places and items of significance to the history of MOON.

Biographies

A brief look into the different named individuals found across the archives.

ScarClaw72

Mr_Fudgy

Jessica

Luna

Flayrah

Caretakers

Members of the Caretakers of MOON

ScarClaw72

The first individual to discover the remnants of the City, Scar was a founding member of Project MOON. He devoted his time in Freedonia to rebuilding the city and using it as a symbol of peace in the ever-changing political landscape. Among other things, he was responsible for tracking down the MOON’s Avatar bloodline to Jessica and organizing the efforts at Outpost Recovery.

Mr_Fudgy

Brought on as the other founder of Project MOON, Fudgy became an integral part of reconstruction efforts during the first half of the project’s life. He spearheaded the rebuilding of Neighbor Luna, using his prowess in architecture to help deconstruct old illustrations and blueprints of the city to faithfully restore what came before. Although he faded into obscurity down the line, renown for his effort on the heart of Project MOON, he was posthumously added to the Caretakers even after he had moved on with life.

Denizens of MOON

Individuals residing in or pertaining to the City of MOON.

MOON Deity

Unnamed aside from her position, the MOON Deity is a God transcended from the mortal realm who was in charge of the night sky. Almost never visiting the mortal world, she relied on the use of an Avatar to help guide the moon across the night sky. Visually, she has been described as a faceless bluish-purple emissive silhouette with feminine features.

Luna

The wife of Khonsu and mother of Joshua, Luna was the last formal MOON Avatar that remained in power for almost one hundred years. A soft-spoken and peace-oriented individual, Luna was looked up to by her community fondly. Unwisely, she was a pure pacifist more willing to take a fall than take another’s life. She, unfortunately, met a gruesome end at the hands of Flayrah during the Fall of MOON. After her body was recovered roughly a year later, she was buried in a tomb located in the modern-day Lunar Vault.

Khonsu

Husband of Luna, Khonsu was the chief combatant for the City of MOON. He shared his wife’s ideals but was much more vocal about the necessity of an army in order to secure her vision of peace. When word arrived that Shamesh had overthrown the previous MOON Avatar, he made it his personal mission to put an end to the new ruler’s reign before he spiraled out of control. His hastiness cost his him life and hurried plans to seize Stargazer from the City of MOON.

Joshua

Daughter of Luna, Joshua was but a mere child during The Fall of MOON. Dangling by an arrow pinned through his hand, he was forced to watch the morbid passing of his mother at the Artemis Ruins. His arm was later replaced with a stone synthetic after struggling to find his way home at sea. Raised by the Followers of Luna, Joshua would fulfill his destiny and bring The Dawn War to a close.

Jessica

A quiet lady who spent most of her life in Winterthorn, Jessica was discovered after the grand opening of Project MOON to be the last of Luna’s bloodline. In her younger years, she came into contact with a man named James (as told in Merry Christmas Freedonia). Although lovestruck, the two would never meet again until he was on his deathbed. Humble in a manner similar to her distant grandmother Luna, Jessica mostly enjoyed the quiet life running Jessica’s Cafe and listening to the stories of her customers. Faced with her twilight years approaching, Jessica vowed to spend the last of her life guarding over Project MOON just as her ancestors did.

Denizens of SUN

Individuals residing in or pertaining to the City of SUN.

SUN Deity

Similar in role and vagueness to her “sister”, the SUN Deity’s personality is utterly unknown. She hosts a SUN Avatar to help fulfill her roles and watches over Freedonia from realms above.

Helios

Details on Helios on scarce, but he was the last hereditary SUN Avatar before The Dawn War. He was on peaceful terms with Luna and seemed to generally share her sentiments. He did however have a right-hand warrior who reportedly took the peace status a little distastefully. This warrior, Flayrah, would neglect to aid Helios before he was cut down by his challenger Shamesh.

Shamesh

Originally faring from a mid-sized settlement in Freedonian’s land disc, Shames forged a treacherous path that would forever alter the shape of history. A greatly naive and egocentric man, after he learned of his Avatar bloodline, he abandoned his family and sought out the City of SUN. Upon being discovered by Flayrah, she manipulated him into believing in a false destiny where he overthrew Helios and forcefully became the new SUN Avatar. In his conquest, he would lead The Dawn War until facing off against Joshua where his conscious came back to life. He relinquished his power over to Joshua and thus faded away, entombed within the City of MOON.

Flayrah

The right-hand warrior of Helios and the manipulator behind Shamesh, Flayrah was a vengeful and power-hungry individual who believed that the night offered nothing to the world and that eternal day would bring a golden age to the world. This also was paired with a near-genocidal bloodlust for the City of MOON, which he spent many young nights demonizing.

Timeline

As The Fall of MOON begins, the bells cry out.

Flayrah during The Fall of MOON.

The spirit of Luna discovers the newly constructed vault as her body is returned home.

The Followers of Luna's robes.

A map of the broader Luna Bay.

Freedonian Times reports on Project MOON's grand opening.

Group photo of everyone who participated in Project MOON.

Jessica, the newly awaked MOON Avatar.

Pre-Discovery

Most prediscovery records are gathered from texts in the Cerrulean Library. This information although supported by external evidence is very difficult to verify given its ancient origins. The following retelling is mostly from the perspective of Joshua, or the Followers of Luna.

Earliest Records

There is no determinate point where the cities of SUN and MOON began. Records estimate the following events range from a few hundred to a thousand years ago, but how far back it goes is ultimately certain. Given the importance of the Deities to the long-established day and night cycle of Freedonia, it is possible that they originate from the earliest days of intelligent life or the world itself. For thousands of years, the Cities of SUN and MOON functioned with a level of isolation, each kept within a separate dimension. They operated under a religious monarchy where the ruling family shared the Avatar bloodline, allowing each active ruler to operate under their respective deity. Their roles primarily included presiding over their settlement as well as guiding the sun and moon across the sky. For generations, this tradition was passed down with little change to the status quo. Some theories believe of an older conflict that established the arms-length approach the cities shared in the generations leading up The Dawn War, but there is little evidence to substantiate these beliefs right now.

Let There Be Fire: The SUN Avatar Falls

The events that led toward the collapse of the City of MOON, and presumably SUN as well, can be boiled down into a conflict known as The Dawn War. The spark of this conflict started with a man named Shamesh. His origins are unknown, but after discovering his aptitude as an Avatar, he sought out the City of SUN. An up-and-coming warrior student, Flayrah, made first contact with the outsider. Filled a deep personal angst for the current ruler Helios, he manipulated Shamesh into believing he was central to some prophecy to challenge and overthrow the current active Avatar. Surrounding evidence suggests Flayrah took this approach because she herself was not capable to become the Avatar, and decided to pray upon the young man instead. By some means not totally understood, Shamesh challenged and killed Helios in arena-style combat. It is not out of the question that Flayrah may have found a way to intervene to ensure his victory against the seasoned leader. Enough manipulation and indoctrination later, he became a puppet for his new right-hand man.

After the world reached the City of MOON of the new abrupt shift of power, Khonsu sensed something wrong and left his family behind. He sought passage to the city to investigate. Unfortunately, he would never return home to his mother and children. It is presumed that he was killed at either of the hand of Flayrah or Shamesh, although it is likely only discoveries made at the city of SUN will nail down the facts.

The Bells: The Fall of MOON

It was a cold winter night when the bell in Turris Lucia rung three times. With the fog rolled into Luna Bay, it wasn’t until they approached the battleships approached the edge of the Cynus Quart. Punching straight through the roads, they assaulted Luna’s residence and invaded the residential regions of the city. Two of her children were wiped out in the first wave while they played outside. The guard assembled to defend the city, but hundreds fell while they evacuated into the mines below. Without a fleet to evacuate, their only option was to seal off themselves in the mines to endure the attack. The archmages started summoning a portal during the assault to evacuate Luna and her son Joshua to the modern-day Artemis Ruins.

Flayrah led the attack, and chased them through the portal collapsing the upper half of Turris Lucia onto a few of the arch mages and dropping the bell into the waters below. Burning the rest of her guards in the freshly fallen snow, Joshua caught an arrow inside the main structure to the arm pinning him off the ground. Flayrah stood down Luna while she dashed to the portal, making the difficult decision to leave her son behind, but was slaughtered before him and left to bleed out on the stone MOON logo below the floor. Ever since that day, the blood moon has become a powerful iconography to remember her last moments, and the last moments of the floating city.

Back at MOON, much of the floating superstructure began to collapse as the Avatar fell and the remaining guards above sacrificed their lives to ensure the remaining populace made it safely into the mines below. With their homes gone, they sealed the entrance above and quietly were forced to continue their live underground. Over the coming years, they would transform their old tunnels and cavers into what became The Lunar Vault. The City of MOON was no more, and only a dozen families survived into the depths of the few hundred. That once lived above on the sea.

Requiem: Followers of Luna

Joshua was forced to witness his mother’s slow passing while dangling from his arm, impaled with an arrow into the stone walls. Ultimately, he would survive his encounter with Flayrah and found his way back home through the foggy seas. It took him multiple weeks, including a brief stop at a doctor in Eastport. His arm unfortunately wasn’t salvageable, and it was subsequently placed with a magical stone prosthetic.

Upon his arrival home, he was welcomed with open arms by the previously low on morale survivors. It was though the prodigal son had returned, and they same night a council was formed of the experienced and high ranking families calling themselves the Followers of Luna. Their purpose was to raise Joshua in his mother’s absence, and hopefully reclaim control of the night sky.

City of the Dead: Luna’s Body is Recovered

Eventually, recovery parties were sent to the surface to assess the wreckage and locate a few items of importance. Mostly still afraid to journey far, they assumed it was in their best interest to keep a low profile and remain underground lest Flayrah return to finish her mission. After consulting the traumatized Joshua about Luna’s final moments, a party was sent out to retrieve her body. She was buried in a newly constructed tomb underground, and her blade Stargazer was passed down to her son.

Over the coming years, he trained for the day he would face down Shamesh and reclaim control as an Avatar. As he and the Followers had learned in their travels above ground, the world had been plunged into an eternal day by the SUN Avatar. Aside from the endless light impacting the sleep cycles of the early Freedonians, there climate began to be affected as well. Natural disasters, fires, crops, and weather all began to deteriorate under the heat of the fiery sun above. Joshua knew what he had to do as he reached maturity, and given all he collected from the SUN’s correspondence, he knew there was only way to resolve this war.

Castle on the Sea: Joshua Defeats Shamesh

Putting the lives of his guardians in danger was not an ideal part of his plan, but with no knowledge of where the City of SUN might be, he had only one chance to face Shamesh and put an end to this. He sent out correspondence to the City of SUN, challenging the newly appointed SUN Avatar directly to a battle. Inviting him, to the ruined “Castle on the Sea”, he awaited his nemesis for a climactic show down.

Using the devastation Flayrah had caused to a once peaceful union, he began to fight not only with Stargazer but with his words as well. He felt the only way to put an end to things was to persuade Shamesh that the only future the world would see under him would be annihilation. Corrupted and influenced by Flayrah, he would never truly have his mind back to himself again.

“Take a minute to think.

You've been brought to the brink.

Of existence to save the population.

Floods and nuclear fire,

Kept the times looking dire,

Now's the chance to redeem civilization.

Yet a risk is attached,

With this unholy pact,

If forsaken I'll come from the shadows.

Let your madness be quelled,

Live a legend to tell,

Make the best of the end, and what follows.” - Joshua

Forsaking his power as an Avatar would undoubtedly cost him his life, and break an oath made millennia before. Taking upon both the power of SUN and MOON was unforgivable, but as the last of his family capable of attaining the mantle, it was a risk he’d have to take. Thankfully, as they battled across the shattered landscape, his words began to get through.

“With no other choices,

And quieting voices.

I'd never expected

To be disconnected.

To sacrifice all,

To hold off the fall.

For a world I don't trust-

We do what we must.” - Shamesh

“So I'll lend you my essence,

For your rusted throne.

And you could bring back the light

To the last home

Of civilization

Without which I'm gone

So take this godsoul to bring forth a new dawn.” - Shamesh

“I'll forgive the death you've earned.

The cities you've burned,

The lessons we've learned-” - Joshua

“For all that remains, just sacrifice me.

I'll hide away in a castle on the sea.” - Shamesh

And so, with the release of his power, Joshua took hold of Daybreaker. Shamesh gave his extended life and collapsed, later to be buried on the other end of The Lunar Vault as Luna. Kept securely in a flame-ridden room, fitting of the City of SUN, his sarcophagus sat quietly for generations to come. Joshua now had control of both the sun and the moon, a feat thought only possible by his stone arm. Unfortunately, his solution would cost him greatly, and The Sisters were coming his way.

Together, Against: The Dawn War Ends

With the threat of SUN past, the Followers brave enough to surface began to clear wreckage away from the city center. Joshua, informed from his long studies in the libraries preserved, knew exactly what would be awaiting him. The Sisters, both the SUN and MOON Deities, together came in force to put an end to his life. By becoming the Avatar of each, he ran the risk of corruption in their eyes. Together, the Followers and Joshua fought with theirs backs against each other to try and secure their future.

As what remained of the once great city began to collapse, the magic holding the city afloat weakened and continued to sink the structure into the sea floor. Joshua was faced with the reality that trying to fight two celestial Gods, even with the combined magic of Stargazer and Daybreaker, was impossible. Out of direct refusal to even allow a conflict such as The Dawn War to occur again, he spiraled high above the battle below. With a flick of each wrist, Stargazer was sent hurdling to the west horizon and Daybreaker to the east. Out of everyones hands, relinquishing his power, twilight was birthed. It cost him his life, but he made the ultimate decision to abolish the power of SUN and MOON from mortals outright.

There was no one else with whom he could share the power within his zero hour, and as such he made the only choice he could. On that day, The Sisters returned to the heavens above and The Dawn War came to a close.

Washed Ashore: The Great Migration

With the broken magic and flowing currents, shattered pieces of the once great city floated all across Luna Bay and all met a similar fate dotting the ocean floor. The few families that remained and last of the Followers realized they numbered to few to attempt a rebuild or to live in isolation anymore. With their task ultimately completed, the Followers of Luna disbanded and left all relics of their old life behind in the vault. They said their goodbyes, and one by one they migrated outward in all directions to reintegrate with new societies.

One of the Followers migrated their family to Winterthorn. Unbeknownst to the rest though, she had been a young lover of Joshua. Her child carried the Avatar bloodline before he gave up his life, and so quietly for generations the genes were passed down. An heirloom from Joshua, a large crystal pendant, was also gifted. He hoped one day, it would lead his descendants back to the lost city. It is rumored some Followers still had reunions over the years, but no official records have been uncovered.

Post-Discovery

The following events are told firsthand by the Caretakers of MOON and focus on events after  ScarClaw72 made first discovery of the City of MOON.

Discovery: The Ruins Unearthed

Originally westbound to explore the frontier,  ScarClaw72 by chance heard a tale of ancient visitor from generations ago while staying in Eastport. His exploration westbound led him to The Lunar Vault. He assembled a few of his friends and old contacts to help venture into the ruins. After discovering preliminary evidence of its long history, he made a vow to rebuild the floating city. Before large scale efforts began though, he worked with a team to secure all records possible the neighboring settlements. This task force would shortly become the secretive Project Recovery which now operates out of Outpost Recovery.

Project MOON: Reconstruction

For several years work dragged on to rebuild the City of MOON. Dubbed Project MOON,  Mr_Fudgy was brought onboard as the cofounder given his prowess for architecture. Around halfway through the reconstruction though, he would leave. As the only remaining founder and leader of the project, Scar worked with dozens of individuals to aid in the tremendous effort. Finally after six and a half years of grueling work, including significant effort by the United Texas Coalition in it’s waning months, it finally opened it’s doors to the public on January 7th, 2023.

Caretakers of MOON: The New Guard

Faced with the task of managing what was effectively the biggest residential hub in all of known Freedonia, Scar realized he alone wouldn’t be able to run such a large project forever. The Caretakers of MOON were quietly formed as a council to help direct the future of Project MOON, and help in maintaining it’s operation after it’s grand opening. Close to the grand opening, the MOON Charter was published to properly list the governmental powers over the city. Although very small scale and difficulty to enter, Scar hopes keeping tight restrictions will make sure only the most suited candidates get accepted.

Era of Freedonia: Ever Shifting Worlds

Even during the reconstruction, Freedonia entered various periods of peril. From large armies playing host to Invasions, and troublesome individuals abusing the powers of The Ascended to wreck havok on innocents, it was made clear early on that to find peace in the world one must struggle for it. Actions such as joining peace organizations like the Lpts and Peaceful Society, and later joining the Texan Guard helped reinforce his peace-oriented beliefs. Much like it did in it’s history, Scar desired for Project MOON to become a symbol of peace for the world of Freedonia.

Luna Bay: Outward Expansion

In the weaks leading up to the grand opening, Scar made major efforts to reach out to the neighboring settlements of Northport and Eastport to setup official relations. A few more islands were built upon to help establish borders for the region in Luna Bay. The team at Outpost Recovery also finally tracked down the central ruins of the old city, prompting future efforts to explore the ancient wreckage.

Reunion: The Last MOON Avatar

After the grand opening, Scar thought it was finally time he reunited with his friend Jessica whom he originally had sought out to join Evergreen in the year 2020. Explaining his ulterior motives, he brought Jessica forward to Luna’s tomb where she released her pendant heirloom. As if returning home, it flew across the room and planted itself in the ceiling. The spirit of Luna awoke, speaking her final words to her distant grand-daughter. Jessica for the first time in generations became the Avatar of the MOON Deity, and she also chose to adorn one of the numerous Followers of Luna robes left behind. The remaining ones were distributed by Scar to people he believed were worthy of adorning the garment based on contributions to Project MOON.

Although already in the twilight years of her life, Jessica promised to guard Project MOON until her time to pass came.