Celene (Kule)
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- This article is about one of Oerth's moons. For the elven nation, see Celene (realm).
Celene, also called the Handmaiden, the Lesser Moon, or Kule, is the aquamarine-hued satellite of the world of Oerth. It is known as Apocatequil[1] among the Olman and Koxanag[2] among the Touv. From the perspective of Oerth, it is full four times a year, at the equinoxes and solstices. Its companion, Luna, is the Greater Moon, the Mistress to Celene's Handmaiden.
Celene appears the same size from Oerth as does the sun, Liga. During an eclipse, only the corona of the sun is visible and is known as "Liga's Veil".[3]
Surface and topography
Celene is tidally locked, so it shows only one side to Oerth at all times. From Oerth, Celene appears a pale aquamarine hue, but from space it is a vivid blue. The side visible from Oerth has a number of craters and lighter blue or white ray-lines from meteoric impacts;[4][5] there is also a dry seabed in the upper right-hand quadrant (known as Celene's Sea of Dust, not to be confused with Oerth's own Sea of Dust). Some of the craters have central mountain peaks or extinct volcanoes. The largest such crater on "Nearside" is in the lower right-hand quadrant; it, and the rays emanating from it, take up a full fifth of the visible surface. The largest volcano, Blackcone Mountain, is near the north pole and is some 13,000 feet high.[5]
On the opposite side, Celene is absolutely riddled with craters, which have hammered the mountain ranges flat. Whatever ancient cataclysm destroyed the civilization of Celene, the "Farside" bore the brunt of it. Paradoxically, however, the cities on Farside are better preserved than those on Nearside.
Celene has no atmosphere and is entirely a voidworld, which means there's no weather patterns of any kind.[4] Temperatures on the surface range from 100°F (37.8°C) at "noon" to ⁻85°F (⁻65°C) or less at night. It is notable that since Celene is tidally locked, and it's Nearside always faces Oerth, it's "day". or length of time the surface faces the sun (Liga), is approximately 45 days long, as are its nights.[4]
The rock and dirt on the planet's surface resemble coal.[4]
Ancient ruins
In the distant past it was the home to an unknown, highly civilized, long-since vanished race. Ruins of its civilization can still be found by those who use magic to explore the surface: awe-inspiring castles, delicate towers, and enigmatic temples. The builders must have been of roughly human shape and size, though the ruins have been divined to have been constructed several million years before the first humans walked on Oerth. The ruins of seven cities have been discovered, each large enough to hold a hundred thousand souls, but not a single corpse or skeleton has ever been seen.
Divinations and magic have been able to reveal almost nothing about the cities or their builders. Though all manner of magic has been used, both arcane and divine, almost nothing can be discovered about the cities, who built them, or why they left.[4]
Underdark
If Celene's surface is lifeless, its underdark is comparatively thriving, containing caverns filled with water and air. Races familiar to the caverns below Oerth contend here: drow (20,000), kuo-toa (5,000), and illithids (15,000), among other sublunar races to lesser extents. Both the drow and illithids are relative newcomers to Celene, measuring their time on this world in centuries.
Major settlements
Urq'azzt, which means "distant home" in the Drow tongue, is a city built within an extinct volcano on Nearside; the volcano is called Albest'ar or Hole in the Sky. Urq'azzt is the home of all drow on Celene. The drow practice agriculture, illuminating and irrigating their sublunar farms by magic. The ruler of Urq'azzt is the Empress-Priestess Lililth Darkmane.
Sharp Beak is the primary home of Celene's mind flayers, with a population of nearly 10,000. There are several lesser illithid settlements, ranging from more than 1,000 to fewer than 100 individuals. The mind flayers keep herds of slaves for food.
Gates in the World of Greyhawk
Roger E. Moore, in his essay Gates in the World of Greyhawk (see External links below), suggests that Celene's underdark is the location of the "Labyrinth of Arachne" described in the Queen of the Spiders superadventure (pp.109-110), and that its surface is the "airless world" mentioned in the same book (p.126). The fact that the drow of Celene worship Lolth lends support to this.
The Labyrinth of Arachne, a maze of chambers, caverns, and corridors lit by glowing purple fungi, is used by priestesses of Lolth to breed spiders of all kinds. Lolth regularly sends captives into the labyrinth as food for her pets.
Moore suggests in the same essay that "the Dark Labyrinth" from S4 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth[6] is also part of Celene's extensive underdark, though other possible locations are given. The Dark Labyrinth is a square-walled maze stocked with minotaurs, perhaps by Iggwilv for enigmatic purposes of her own.
Finally, Moore suggests that the "Hall of Pentacles" also described in S4[7] be placed in a ruined citadel on Celene's surface (among other possibilities). The hall is dim, seemingly endless, and lined with pillars. The Hall of Pentacles is an eerie, eldritch place in which time itself has become unnaturally stilled.
In Polyhedron #113, Moore wrote an article on Celene incorporating some of his suggestions from Gates in the World of Greyhawk. He also suggested that Urrq'azzt should have more mutually hostile drow houses and expanded the list of native creatures to include other typical underdark and dungeon denizens.
Creative origins
"Celene" shares its name with the realm of the same name. "Selene" is a real-world moon goddess in Greek mythology from which both names are derived.[8]
See also
External links
Disclaimer:Any lore presented through the following links does not necessarily adhere to established officially published content, and the views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the editors of this wiki.
- Gates in the World of Greyhawk on GreyhawkOnline.com
- Greyhawk tides model.
References
Notes
Citations
- ↑ The Scarlet Brotherhood (1999), p.64.
- ↑ The Scarlet Brotherhood (1999), p.38.
- ↑ SJR6 Greyspace (1992), p.10.
- ↑ a b c d e SJR6 Greyspace (1992), p.11.
- ↑ a b SJR6 Greyspace (1992), p.14.
- ↑ S4 Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (1982), p.22-23.
- ↑ S4 Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (1982), p.24.
- ↑ "Selene," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Selene&oldid=1283392304 (accessed April 6, 2025).
Bibliography
- Findley, Nigel. Greyspace. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1992.
- Grubb, Jeff. Spelljammer: AD&D Adventures in Space Boxed Set. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1989.
- Gygax, Gary. World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1983.
- ———. The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1982.
- ———. Queen of the Spiders. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1986.
- Moore, Roger E.. Gates in the World of Greyhawk. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1995. Originally appeared in America Online's TSR folder, later moved to its website.Archived from the original, 05 August 2011
- ———. The Adventure Begins. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1998.
- ———. "A World of Your Own: Dark and Alien Places, Part 1." Polyhedron #113. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1995.
- Reynolds, Sean K. The Scarlet Brotherhood. Renton, WA: TSR, 1999.
- Sutherland, David C. III. Queen of the Demonweb Pits. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1980.
Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index
The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.
| Topic | Type | Description | Product | Page/Card/Image
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albest'ar {Mount Forlorn} (Kule) | Geographical feature | Reference | SEE Mount Forlorn {Albest'ar} (Kule) | |
| Battle of Kule | Adventure | Reference | SEE Kule, Battle of | |
| Blackcone Mountain (Kule) | Geographical feature | Mountainous, | SJR6 Greyspace | 14 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | The City of Greyhawk: Folks, Feuds and Factions | 92 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Dance of Demons | 384 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Dragon magazine #068 | 44 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Dragon magazine #241 | 78 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Dragon magazine #263 | 51 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Dragon magazine #AN4 | 19, 20 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Dungeon magazine #041 | 47 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Dungeon magazine #053 | 33 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Dungeon magazine #077 | 36 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | The Fright At Tristor | 5 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | From the Ashes: Atlas of the Flanaess | 68 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | From the Ashes: Campaign Book | 36, 42 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | From the Ashes: References Card | #1 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | From the Ashes: Tamara Belongs to Me | All |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Greyhawk Adventures | 103 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Ivid the Undying | 48, 53 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Living Greyhawk, Living Onnwal Gazetteer, D&D 3.5e | 16, 17 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Living Greyhawk Gazetteer | 2, 129, 162, 179 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Night Arrant | 249, 251 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Player's Guide to Greyhawk | 3, 4, 8, 13, 14 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Polyhedron magazine #113 | 23, 24, 25 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Return of the Eight | 19 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Spelljammer Boxed Set: Concordance of Arcane Space | 78, 80, 91 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Spelljammer Boxed Set: Lorebook of the Void | 59, 89, 90 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Spelljammer Boxed Set: Planetary Display Map (Poster) | Poster |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | SJR6 Greyspace | 2, 3, 6, 7, 10-16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 27, 33, 39, 43, 48, 54, 60, 66, Back Cover |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Sea of Death | 49, 317 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Saga of Old City | 341 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | The Adventure Begins | 9, 40, 42 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | The Scarlet Brotherhood | 38, 64 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | The World of Greyhawk Fantasy World Setting (Folio) | 4, 24 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | WGR4 The Marklands | 81 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | WGR5 Iuz the Evil | 90 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983) | 4 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983) | 19, 20 |
| Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Moon, | Artifact of Evil | 121, 179 |
| Council of Advisors (Kule) | People Group | Council, | SJR6 Greyspace | 13-14, 15, 16 |
| Council of Priests (Kule) | People Group | Council, | SJR6 Greyspace | 13, 14, 16 |
| Farside (Kule) | Place | SJR6 Greyspace | 10, 11, 12 | |
| Handmaiden {Celene, Kule} | Geographical feature | Reference | SEE Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | |
| Kule {Celene, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | Geographical feature | Reference | SEE Celene {Kule, Handmaiden} (Lesser Moon) | |
| Kule, Battle of | Adventure | Spelljammer Boxed Set: Lorebook of the Void | 59 | |
| Mount Forlorn {Albest'ar} (Kule) | Geographical feature | Mountainous, | SJR6 Greyspace | 12, 14 |
| Nearside (Kule) | Place | SJR6 Greyspace | 10, 11, 12, 14 | |
| Sea of Dust (Kule) | Geographical feature | Wasteland, | SJR6 Greyspace | 14 |
| Sharp Beak (Mind Flayer) (Kule) | Settlement | City, (576 pop: 10000), | Polyhedron magazine #113 | 23 |
| Sharp Beak (Mind Flayer) (Kule) | Settlement | City, (576 pop: 10000), | SJR6 Greyspace | 12 |
| Urrq'azzt (Drow) (Kule) | Settlement | Settlement, | Polyhedron magazine #113 | 23 |
| Urrq'azzt (Drow) (Kule) | Settlement | Settlement, | SJR6 Greyspace | 12, 14, 15, 16 |