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The Liquid Fire of Elune

Records and Rituals

– Headcanon Speculations and Roleplay Uses –

The Liquid Fire of Elune, a sister substance and elemental mirror of Her sacred moonwell waters, remains a powerful addition to any lunar devout’s repertoire. Its very name and nature have long puzzled the unfamiliar, a seemingly contradictory union of forces. However, Sisterhood practices and elemental insights present some possibilities for the existence of this mystifying material.

Those of the faith are intimately familiar with the sacred attunement to Elune’s spiritual energies. It is a powerful and yet unseen connection between devout and deity, able to manifest prayer and beseechment into tangible effects. On a cosmological level, spirit is regarded as the fifth of the elements, invisible but intrinsic to all living things. Because of this common thread between even earth, air, fire, and water, spirit is able to bring balance and passivity to otherwise volatile, clashing forces. This could explain why Elune’s channeled spiritual energies could bring harmony to the addition of fire, or perhaps a fiery manifestation of faith, into a moonwell. That Her blessing is a crucial component in their formation, moonwell waters are likely at least one of the foundational bases for liquid fire; as shown in the endeavors of Stars’ Rest in Dragonblight (as well as a resistance to freezing over.) A combination of the healing properties of water and the fury of flame, this substance is especially useful in halting the spread of afflictions such as scourgeblight and breaking the will of demons. The rituals recorded herein may be conducted upon personal vessels of moonwater; although, entire moonwells may be converted in more dire circumstances with amplified reagents, invokers, and mana suffusion. Provided prayers are mere recommendations.

Ritual 1: Conflagrant Crescent Oil

Ideal Moon Phase: Full

Reagents:

Sealable vessel of holding

A base of moonwell water

Conflagrant Crescent Oil (abstract below) - 1 part fire oil - 1 part elemental water - 1 part binding agent such as tallow, seed oil, kelp gel, etc - 1 lesser or greater eternal essence

Rites:

Into your chosen vessel of moonwater, combine the elemental water and incorporate thoroughly with a consecrated implement.

Slowly add fire oil and equal parts binding agent interchangeably, stirring moonwise between.

When fully emulsified, work to infuse the liquid with lunar invocations and words of power which call upon Elune's purification, cleansing, and the sanctity of life. Some have also chosen to use more retributive language, especially in the case of preparing for demonic or undead expulsion. The end of this step will be made clear once Her divine spirit brings harmony to the opposing elemental reagents, the liquid radiates a coruscant silver, and emanates warmth.

Examples are provided here, though the true importance of this step lies in your personal resonance to whichever words you choose. - “Relore / elore / shallore.” (To call, to bless, to anoint.) - “Shara / falo / alla.” (Water, flame, light.) - “Anor / falor / elor.” (Holy, balance, eternal.)

Retributive Invocation: - “Adoras / Lun’droras / Bel dinas.” (On holy grounds, The Moon flows, The Goddess preserves.) - “Shalloril anar shara / felil anar falo / shahil anar alla.” (Cleansed by water, burned by fire, graced by light.) - “Irana adalore / fel’dralar az’vorore / di’falu a’dordore.” (To light darkness, to break evil, to restore balance.)

The ritual may be optionally finalized with an eternal essence of enchantment for additional potency and longevity.

Store in a sealable vessel.

Ritual 2: Crystalline Infusion

Ideal Moon Phase: Waning

Reagents:

Sealable vessel of holding

1 part moonwell water

1 crystallized water

1 crystallized fire

1 lesser moonstone

Rites:

Place the fragments of crystallized water into your chosen vessel.

Slowly incorporate pieces of crystallized fire, allowing any bubbling to subside.

Submerge the lesser moonstone into the liquid, hold it in your hands, peer into its faceted reflection, and chant the invocations. You will know the infusion is done once the waters appear a nigh-blinding silver, replete with Her sacred moonlight. - “Lun’alla, anoril / Shara, amethil / Falo, malil.” (Moonlight, captured. Water, embraced. Flame, calmed.) - “Aramil / Amethil / Shalloril.” (Joined. Embraced. Anointed.) - “Ande-daral-melu / Ande-zaxus-dinu / Ande-qua-eran’dormil.” (May Your solace guide. May Your wrath protect. May life prevail.)

Leave to rest uncovered in direct moonlight for no less than one full night, although a moon-cycle is ideal. Veil from exposure to sunlight before dawnbreak.

After completion of the ritual, store in a sealable vessel. The crystal shards may remain in a steeping chamber, although removal is advised if kept in any glass material.

Ritual 3: Coalescence

Ideal Moon Phase: New

Reagents:

Sealable vessel of holding

1 part moonwell water

1 essence of water

1 essence of fire

⅓ part spirit dust or arkhana

Incense

1 lesser or greater eternal essence

(Optional) feather, wand or focus

Notes: Recommended for those with enchanting experience. Before undertaking the ritual (if circumstance allows), ensure as much rest, sustenance, and energy preservation for yourself and any other participants; as the coalescence ritual requires a much greater suffusion of mana. It is recommended to conduct the ritual in a well-defensible area due to the required power which might lure the corrupt; and one where concentration is easily maintained. Therefore, it is advised that at least one other accompanies your endeavors.

Rites:

To begin, add spirit dust or arkhana into your chosen vessel of moonwater. As manifested motes of spirit and order, these are a vital first addition to bring harmony to the essences of water and fire.

Ignite your preferred incense in preparation to call upon Elune’s aid in the endeavor of harmony and blessing the waters. - “Shara’endel / Falo’endel / Melah’endel.” (Breath of Water. Breath of Fire. Breath of Guidance.) - “Tor ka ande Dal Shara / Tor ka ande Dal falo / Tor ka ande Dal melah.” (Let it be Your water. Let it be Your fire. Let it be Your guidance.) - “Ande ka droru aminor Dal / Ande ka felo zaxus Dal / Ande ka melu alla Dal.” (May it flow with Your serenity. May it burn with Your wrath. May it guide with Your light.) - “Bess il / al anato / dorini’aramil.” (From nothing, to pieces, oneness.)

Weaving your mana as a guide, work to fully infuse the essence of water into your vessel. (Some prefer the use of their hands, a feather, a wand, or some other anchoring focus.) Let its path be fluid and flowing, as is the way of water; though too great a restraint or too loose a freedom, and the essence shall be lost to ice and air.

Once you are ready to continue, direct the wayward energies of the fire’s essence as if its path were guided by your own mana. A delicate balance weighs amid the unruly nature of fire: a delicate balance to be respected and maintained. Stray from it too long, and its vim be snuffed: allow it to spread, and it will know no control.

The coalescence will be complete upon the waters taking on the signature silver radiance of liquid fire.

After completion of the ritual, store in a sealable vessel.

With gratitude for Vestia Moonspear’s guidance.

Ritual 4: Terrene Tincture

Ideal Moonphase: Third Quarter

Reagents:

Sealable vessel of holding

1 vial or jar

Mortar and pestle

Gloves, gauntlets, or any form of fire protection for the hands

2 parts moonwell water

1 part flammable, distillate base (such as fermented rice, grain, honey, or fruit)

⅓ part cinderbloom or firebloom stamen

⅓ part aqueous or aquatic herb

⅓ part moon lily (Elune’s Grace may be used as well; although great caution is advised in regions with a dense lupine presence)

Rites:

Finely pluck or grind the moon lily, and place their leaves, petals, and blooms into your chosen vessel.

Don fire protection for the hands, and carefully incorporate the stamen of the cinder or firebloom.

Fill with the distillate base, stirring the contents moonwise.

Allow to rest in direct moonlight for one full cycle, veiling from sunlight before each dawnbreak.

When you are ready to undergo the ritual, open or unseal your vial or jar, and strain through a finely meshed cloth. - “Falo, bess tel / Lun’el, bess tel / Droru, bess tel.” (From earth, fire. From earth, moonleaf. From earth, water.) - “Dal sha, ilu karaeth / Dal thor, ilu karaeth / Dal dorini, ilu karaeth.” (In them, Your grace. In them, Your fury. In them, Your will.) - “Dora quel’ama / Dinah qua sera / Ethah fel'irana.” (A principle most high. The sacred protection of life. The banishing of the profane.)

The transformation will be complete upon the liquid’s hue taking on a radiant silver shift.

After completion of the ritual, store in a sealable vessel.

Ritual 5: Within Reach

Ideal Moon Phase: Any

Reagents:

Sealable vessel of holding

A base of moonwater

1 candle

Elunite Coals/coals from a silver brazier/ashes from a silver brazier

Note: A minimal reagent list, this ritual is intended for more dire circumstances when the procurement of rare ingredients is unattainable.

Rites:

Carve the surface of your candle with liturgical sigils of balance, the protection of life, and sacred cyclicality.

Place the lunar coals or ashes into your vessel, stirring moonwise. The joining of these reagents and moonwater will produce a lunar lye, whose final efficacy will rely on the Goddess’s imbuement.

Light your candle or whichever source of fire is available to you, and prepare for invocation. - “Dal daroth an’o / Dal owyn an’o / Dal faro an’o.” (I am Your nexus. I am Your font. I am Your beacon.) - “Darn’a anu dal / Elah anu dal / Dorini anu dal.” (For Your divinity. For Your blessing. For Your will.) - “Anu ash’al a’qua / Anu ash’al falah / Anu ash’al dora.” (We do this for life. We do this for balance. We do this for truth.)

Snuff the candle’s wick (or fire source) in the lunar lye. The ritual’s success will be marked by the solution bursting into silvery liquid fire, which can then be stored in a sealable vessel.

Long lost crystal sword

Cathedral of Eternal Night: Lost Sanctum of the Sisterhood of Elune

Cathedral of Eternal Night, perhaps called "Azshal'adora" in Darnassian.

These were the uppermost chambers of the Temple of Elune, now known as the Tomb of Sargeras. The corrupting emerald fires of fel magic slowly creep through the entrance of these once hallowed halls, but remnants of the Sisterhood's former glory still endure further into the Cathedral.

Hall of the Moon:

When traversing the dungeon, there are rooms to the side of the main path that may be opened and fully explored. These circular spaces contain what could be old moonwells, outlined with pillows and embraced by floating flowers overhead. These were likely places of meditation or communion with Elune, but I could also imagine these pools being used for healing, cleansing, scrying, stargazing, etc.

Perhaps a coincidence, but when inspected closer, these flowers have eight main petals; similar to how there are eight notable phases of the moon. (I wonder if eight is considered a lucky or holy number in Kaldorei society?)

Windows of stained glass adorn the walls and the ceilings here, filigree and diamond-shaped motifs (like the Tears of Elune) being repeated in the lower levels of the temple as well. Despite this being an indoor place of worship, it's clear that keeping moonlight visible/sensed was important in the Cathedral. In some rooms, it appears that the moonlight from outside shines directly into the pools, perhaps imbuing them with lunar blessings. This could have also just been a way for priests of Elune to feel closer to Her even when inside.

Countless scrolls and bookshelves can be found in all rooms, many of them housing a plethora of desks. Eerily, some still have an open scroll or book laying atop their surface with bookmarks in place, untouched by the sands of time.

I'm curious as to what texts are hidden here, but I suppose there's a few obvious things that come to mind. They could be prayers the Sisters were trying to commit to memory, songs of the Elunarian faith, stories/legends about the Well of Eternity, sacred texts of the Goddess, students' notes/textbooks, and more; as this could have also been a place of learning for newer inductions into the Sisterhood as well.

Perhaps the writings in this repository could make for interesting RP adventures in retrieving old texts, relics, lore about ancient Kalimdor, or attempts at discerning old Elunarian spellwork, prayers, stories, etc!

The small tabletop game on the right also caught my eye. Pieces of arcane crystal float above the board, maybe an old version of Kaldorei/Highborne chess.

Another detail in some of these areas are the looms resting to the side of the moon-pools: this could have been a place where mooncloth or holy vestments were created or blessed, as evidenced by one of the sub-zones here being called "Sacristy of Elune." A sacristy is a place where "a priest prepares for a service, and where vestments and other things of worship are kept."

Chapel of Tranquil Song:

An easily missed side-room leading up the first set of stairs is the Chapel of Tranquil Song. It is a small church with two sets of pews, and a fallen crescent-harp. This room further reinforces the idea that music and song have been a prominent aspect of Elune worship, and I think this could be an interesting take on healing in RP as well. Calming singing and instruments like the harp could possibly help heal wounds alongside the lunar magic of the Goddess, akin to an Elunarian bard.

The Twilight Grove:

The next level of the Cathedral is called "Twilight Grove," a large platform housing ethereal flowers that glow like stars with a font of moonlight (almost like a silver lake) pouring in through the ceiling. Agronox's dungeon journal entry describes these as the "Hanging Gardens," which he once tended to before his fall to corruption. I find it interesting that these plants seem to flourish hanging upside down, rather than growing on the ground level. Some petals and leaves also seem to be translucent, reminiscent of a spirit or the like.

I am unsure what these herbs are exactly, but perhaps they are specifically nourished by moonlight. Maybe priests of Elune utilize celestial herbs of some kind that bolster the magic granted by the Goddess, grant visions/spiritual boons, or emanate a calming aura in places of worship. It could also be that mundane herbs may be grown near a moonwell or a font like this one, and with time are imbued by Elune's blessings.

Chapel of the Sentinels:

This chapel is yet another Legion reference to a group called the Sentinels existing before the War of the Ancients. The others mentioned are in Tel'anor (resting place of WotA heroes) upon the plaques of the Windstrikers and Latara Feathersong.

Windstrikers: "Marksmen without peer, their skill with a bow was an inspiration to generations of archers. Their family developed the gauntlets the Sentinels wear, carefully articulated mail links that empower our archers to this day."

Latara: "Here lies Latara Feathersong. A huntress of the Sentinels, she led the vanguard in many campaigns. Her bravery and compassion were endless."

Maybe this order existed before the Sundering, with special places reserved for them like this chapel, and was simply revived in name by Tyrande Whisperwind a few centuries later.

The Emerald Archives:

A grand library containing innumerable books of all categories, it seems that these archives contained Highborne enchantments as well. Before the Sundering, there may have been an emphasis on Priestesses being educated/learned in many different areas of study, including knowledge of the arcane. These are the books we see from Thrashbite's dungeon journal entry:

Satirical Animated Book: an animated tome overflowing with stifingly satirical writing. As the tomes open, all sound is magically absorbed into the ancient pages, silencing all players for 5 seconds.

Fictional Animated Book: An ancient work of fiction springs to life, the magical runes leaping from the page to fetter would-be readers. Slows all players.

Biographical Animated Book: Account of a long-forgotten sorcerer's life can prove to be dangerously beguiling. Entrancing narrative charms a random player, but breaks if their health goes below 30%.

All of these fire arcane bolts at the party. Books as weapons in mage RP is something I'd never thought about, but makes so much sense!

There is an achievement for this boss fight called "Steamy Romance Saga," implying that even erotica could have also been kept in the library.

A mural to the left of the Emerald Archives depicts a Kaldorei woman bearing a shield (likely the Aegis of Aggramar that was kept here prior to the Sundering) and a spherical protection spell against green flames from what appears to be a dragon.

The way leading to the next area is called "Path of Illumination."

Chapel of Tears:

Another side-room on the way up the winding staircase is named the Chapel of Tears. This could have been a place of safekeeping for the Pillar of Creation: Tears of Elune, or a chapel of mourning. Somehow, a fel-infused Fal'dorei (nightborne spider) has made a nest here.

Other references to Elune's tears:

Tearstone of Elune

The Sisters' Tear

Mu'sha's Tears

Tears of the Goddess

Elune's Tear

Tears of the Moon

In any case, references to tears of Elune crop up all over Azeroth, most of which possess some kind of restorative/cleansing/life-giving powers. I believe that while the tears could certainly represent sadness of the Goddess, they could also represent tears of happiness, as the Pillar of Creation is described to "embody the dream of what Azeroth could be," and maybe the strong healing magic imparted by them is rooted in hope. I feel that Elune's connection to water could also be another avenue for RP, perhaps harnessing rejuvenating aquatic magic alongside the lunar blessings of Elune.

Sacristy of Elune:

The pinnacle of the Cathedral is known as the Sacristy of Elune, with areas of now-empty shelves and pillaged chests. The stained glass has been turned a fel-green, broken open and shattered onto the floor. The name suggests that this was once a place where sacred items were kept, such as vestments, furnishings, sacred vessels, and Elunarian records.

Given the ancient origin of the Cathedral, this could have been a prominent place that mooncloth was created: "Tailors tell that the first recipe for mooncloth was scribed by Elune herself." It is unknown if a tailor must use felcloth and purify it in a moonwell to eventually create mooncloth, or if any cloth can be used with the proper rituals/spells/blessings.

Hope you found this interesting, thanks for reading!

"Andu’lun-adala-ande’nar." (May the moon light your way.)

Mount Hyjal

Photography by Juuso Hämäläinen

Grave of Artorias

Moonlight Butterfly

Crypts of Blackrook Hold