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Recently increased activity tied to the moon piqued my interest, especially the emergence of fey knights devoted to the moon in The Margreve and the ancient forests dominating the Grand Duchy of Dornig.

Something momentous seemed to be in the offing, and I, Casimir, journeyed to these forests to learn more about moon knights. Fortunately, a few of the fey spoke to me about their allegiance to a location many consider just another mundane, if unreachable, bit of geography.

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Newcomers to Midgard

Moon knights have had less of an impact on Midgard’s imagination than better known fey. I attribute this to the knights’ natures, which is more muted than other more well-known and ostentatious fey, and the knights’ preference to undertake missions in secret, under the auspices of moonlight.

These knights could have existed among the earliest fey. Most moon knights willingly transformed themselves, but the moon can spontaneously create knights, and it seems to have increased this activity in recent times. This has created a stir among the fey, of course, but the sudden appearance of moon knights tends to do that regardless.

Most meetings an armor-clad, shield-and-sword-wielding moon knight are fraught with violence. However, another arising group of moon knights, the bardic songsters, ally themselves with the unexpectedly intelligent bird-like moon weavers (see Tome of Beasts 3). The knights I spoke with alluded to other specialized knights, such as spellcasters who localize the moon’s light and gravitational influence.

Unknowable Motives

Whether created from volunteers or perhaps nothing at all, moon knights answer to the moon above all. The knights I spoke with indicated they receive their orders through moonlight or from the shifting of tides when the moon is new or heavily obscured.

None of them offered any information on the specifics of their lunar commands, and some claim they don’t fully understand the motivations behind their instructions. However, the knights feel assured that the moon has a grand design of which they are a mere portion, so they never question its authority.

The moon knights’ directives seem contradictory at times. Reports on their activity show a group of the knights partially undoing the work of a previous group. This lends some credence to theories, mostly instigated by rival archfey, that the “moon” is a trickster fey who exists only in moonlight or on the moon itself and seeks freedom from its imprisonment. Or perhaps it just wishes to sow chaos.

Fey Allies and Antagonists

Though moon knights owe fealty to the moon, they are still fey and therefore insert themselves in fey politics and schemes. Their limited insubstantiality and potent ability to ferret out shapechangers, whether magical or natural, make them valuable combatants and counterspies. The archfey put tentative trust in the knights. They see the knights’ loyalty to the moon, and understand that their own plans are secondary. Clever fey employ the knights in locations cut off from the moon to prevent subversion, but these attempts have met with mixed results as the moon finds ways to communicate when urgency demands it.

Moon knights rarely ally themselves with archfey who claim influence or dominion over the moon, such as the Moonlit King (see Tome of Beasts 1) or Khastri, Queen of Cats (see Creature Codex). Some knights thwart the schemes of such archfey, directly or covertly. They claim their activism derives from the moon, but several knights confided to me that the moon has never commanded them to do so. Instead, they find this arrogance an affront, so they deliver embarrassments and setbacks to set an example for other would-be claimants.

A Complicated View

Imbued with lunar-driven power to expose and revert shapeshifters, moon knights stand in opposition to those who alter their appearances to trick and betray others. However, they have a more nuanced relationship with lycanthropes, particularly those who have been cursed (or gifted, in the estimation of many moon knights) with their bestial transformations under the light of the full moon.

The knights believe that the moon has a special purpose for lycanthropes tied to its full phase, so they check their aggression even against clearly malicious werewolves or wererats. This doesn’t apply to so-called natural lycanthropes, since the knights view them as outside the moon’s grace. All the same, the knights more readily justify alliances with werebears and other relatively benign lycanthropes.

This conflicted stance applies to other creatures associated with the moon, such as serpentine lamias (see Creature Codex) who worship the moon but have a more hedonistic outlook. They generally leave these lamias alone so as not to offend their divinity. Likewise, they avoid conflicts with lunarchidnas (see Tome of Beasts 2), whose lives link with the moon’s phases.

They happily take the fight to those who take advantage of the moon, such as lunar devils (see Tome of Beasts 1), which corrupt moon worshippers, and moon nymphs (see Creature Codex), which use moonlight to travel from their horrific realms.

Other than moon weavers and more benevolent werecreatures, moon drakes (see Creature Codex) ally themselves with moon knights to enact the moon’s plans.

New Monster: Moon Knight Songster

Some moon knights carry out the moon’s orders through less direct, combative means. These moon knights have befriended moon weavers as mutual followers of the moon. They use their abilities to bolster their allies but can acquit themselves in battle if necessary.

MOON KNIGHT SONGSTER CR 4

Medium Fey

Armor Class 14 (silk armor)
Hit Points 66
Speed 30 ft.
Perception 11                     Stealth 15
Resistant grappled, restrained | Fey Resilience
Immune radiant
Senses darkvision 60 ft.
Languages Common, Moonsong, Sylvan

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
+0	+3	+2	+1	+1	+5

Fey Resilience. The songster is resistant to the charmed and unconscious conditions.

Moonlit Flight. While the songster is in bright or dim light, it gains a flying speed of 30 feet.

Moonlit Walk. While the songster is in bright or dim light, difficult terrain composed of nonmagical plants doesn’t cost it extra movement, and it can pass through nonmagical plants without being slowed by them and without taking damage from them if they have thorns, spines, or a similar hazard.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The songster makes two Moonsilk Staff attacks, or it makes two Moonfire attacks. If both attacks hit a shapechanger or other creature not in its true form, such as from the polymorph spell or a druid’s beast form, the target must succeed on a DC 15 CON save or be forced into its true form.

Moonsilk Staff. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) radiant damage.

Moonfire. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) radiant damage and the target must succeed on a DC 15 DEX save or be blinded until the end of its next turn.

Song of Blessing. The songster sings an uplifting song that targets an ally of its choice within 30 feet of it. Until the end of the songster’s next turn, the target has advantage on its next attack roll or save.

BONUS ACTIONS

Conjure Flying Allies (1/Day). The songster summons two moon weavers. The songster may instead summon two other Beasts of CR 1/2 or lower with a flying speed

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