#moonwell

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The moonwell has long stood as an integral aspect of Kaldorei culture, primarily in the realms of Elune worship, environmental harmony, and purification. Those of the Elunian faith, alongside Druids, work together to coalesce the blessings of surrounding nature and the goddess’s spiritual energies into a conjoined vessel. One particular ritual includes a bundle of freely given tokens from local animals, which is placed in the heart of the well and bathed in Elune’s light. Ultimately, the binding tie of these rites seems to be the inclusion of waters from the Well of Eternity, the good will of native life, and the peaceful coexistence between Kaldorei and nature.

One might carry moonwater for myriad reasons, or seek out a moonwell for specific purposes; as the properties and potentials of this sacred substance are vast. Below is a collection on the proven uses of moonwater; though there are likely countless others scattered throughout the game and other Warcraft media.

Table of Contents:

I.) Healing & Replenishment II.) Blessing & Anointing III.) Divination IV.) Purification V.) Demonic & Undead Retribution VI.) Growth

Healing and Replenishment

Moonwell waters have a great propensity for healing and replenishment, both on lifeforce and mana. They are “places of healing for both the land around them and those who drank of their waters. Magi and other spellcasters could even refresh their mana” (Stormrage, pg. 237). This extends beyond physical and magickal healing as well, even affecting deep emotional pain by cleansing the feelings of grief and weariness (Elegy, pg 6). Astarii Starseeker once held that moonwell water could certainly be imbibed, but its most effective use was through bathing.

Blessing and Anointing

The innate magick of moonwell water is often used for the purposes of blessing and anointing armaments, reagents, and even beings. In the anointing of weaponry, the armament itself is often dipped or quenched in a moonwell; allowing the waters’ latent sacred energies to be infused into the material. This can be done with something as small as a singular arrow, to something as large as an entire blade. Even something as inconspicuous as a stone or crystal can be submerged into a moonwell to restore its sacred properties, such as a soot-covered moonstone in the pursuit of curing sickness. Communal foodstores can be blessed by the energies of moonwell water, additionally granting protection against fire. In rites of invocation, such as the primordial ritual of the Night Warrior, a boon can be bestowed after the offering of enemy flesh directly into a moonwell. Tyrande is the most recent invoker; however, the power of the Night Warrior was utilized extensively in the expansion of the Kaldorei Empire, perhaps in a similar fashion of bodily sacrifice. A relic in the nameless temple of Desolace, called Elune’s Handmaiden, also grants the offeror a blessing upon the placement of enemy weapons into the basin. This is known as Elune’s Ritual of War, a ceremony since times of legend in which the Goddess grants divine vitality. During one of the penultimate endeavors on Teldrassil, the dryad Tarindrella combines the waters from each of the moonwells gathered across the world tree to gift temporary powers of Elune’s vengeance against corruption in the form of moonlight, tidal pulling, and starfall.

Divination

As vessels of nature, moonlight, and spirit, moonwell waters have been known to grant the power of divination; whether in the form of witnessing shades, revealing an object’s true nature, interpreting Elune’s mysteries, or preparing for dreamwalking.

The moonwells in the boughs of Teldrassil bore the echoes of Kaldorei Shades, specters who would manifest upon approach and detail their people’s recent history. An old, consecrated fountain in Desolace granted similar visions after washing one’s face in its waters: all around the temple grounds, apparitions of Elunian disciples would materialize, continuing to carry out their timelost duties. Moreover, priests of the faith are able to meditate at moonwells to interpret the mysteries of the divine; sometimes even granted epiphany on how to grasp new spellwork.

Druids often drink of moonwater when seeking to enter the Emerald Dream, and it proves especially potent when blessed by an ancient protector. Its inherent spiritual essence likely makes this metaphysical voyage much easier; their spirit said to drift off into the Dream shortly after.

Moonwell water can also be used to ascertain the true nature of something, such as pouring it over a crystal to determine its composition. Opaqueness becomes transparency, and anything hidden within is revealed.

Purification

Moonwells are intrinsically purifying, so long as nature’s goodwill and Elune’s light remain, and are capable of cleansing their native environment for years at a time. Throughout history, they have been established “at sites troubled by fel or similar energies… and the sacred waters often calmed and purified the uneasy land” (Elegy, page 8).

Items steeped in corruption may be cleansed within a moonwell, most notably in the conversion of Felcloth to Mooncloth. (An alternative to creating mooncloth exists on Draenor, instead coalescing imbued cloth, primal life, and primal water.)

Living beings and even spirits can also be washed clean of the profane, or be freed from magickal entrapment with moonwell water. A seasonal tradition has developed in Felwood to pour this sacred substance atop the fallen Irontree ancients in the hopes that new life will spring forth from their remains. The satyr of the area were capable of ensnaring and torturing these protectors by crafting flutes from the ancients’ bark. Their curse was finally lifted with the aid of moonwell water, eventually “breaking the link between flute and ancient spirit.” A related event occurred in Amirdrassil, wherein dryads were able to free spirits of the dream from their stone prisons. Following the Shattering, frenzied wind elementals overtaking Auberdine were banished back to their plane after their bracers were placed in the waters of the local moonwell.

Beyond the realm of spirit, corporeal, corrupt beings seeking redemption have been cleansed of their affliction by the power of a moonwell in rare circumstances. The Fallen Priestess, a faithful-turned-satyr during the War of the Ancients, has existed as a demon since her regretful pact for over ten thousand years. After offering fel dust from the demons of the ingress into the wellspring, she petitions the Goddess, “Elune, grant me the blessing of your purity one last time,” and is cleansed back into her former self: Priestess Driana.

Demonic and Undead Retribution

Anyone facing a demonic or undead threat may seek to bring moonwell water along for the undertaking for its proven retribution against the unholy.

This is especially true in regards to breaking a demons’ will, whether to interrupt their spellwork or even compel them to speak the truth. The moonwater itself is used to weaken the demon, while the lunar scriptures of Elune seem to strengthen this effect, or perhaps possess their own atoning magick. Within demonic strongholds, this substance has been used to douse protective demonflames which often ward the area and seem to inflict powerful, negative emotions on those who enter.

Moonwell water was used in the expedition through Dragonblight, and the Stars’ Rest encampment saw its moonwell completely converted into a vessel of Elune’s Liquid Fire. This was poured over the corpses of animals afflicted by scourgeblight to cleanse their bodies and halt the further spread of undeath.

Growth

Nature and life seem to find a way of flourishing in the vicinity of a moonwell, even in the most unlikely of places.

Around the time of the Lunar Festival, specific flowers unique to this period can be bloomed with the proper rites. Myrael Lunarbloom even notes that, “Flowers flourish under Elune's light. She was always known to cherish them.”

During the battle of the Molten Front, a moonwell was constructed within the Firelands; eventually sprouting trees and shrubs which bore eternal fruits while inside this plane.

Alayana by the Moonwell

ZONE: Broken Isles, Val'sharah. NPCS: None. ACCESSIBILITY: Neutral, easily accessed. NOTES: A small dirt path leads right up to this moonwell from the main road.

The Moonwell

"Morri Shaderend, devoted Priestess, Mother, and protector of her people. She will ensure that the Kaldorei survive, no matter the cost. Few have seen her fangs and still remain to tell the tale."

I had the pleasure to work on this piece for Client on Twitter. Combining Night elven aesthetics with the stained glass style worked wonders and I have really enjoyed the color palette of the piece.

Xerantis