Lunitari's Blessings - The Heroes of Awesome

Good afternoon, my creative lovelies!

Today I am posting something a little different. I recently had a photo-shoot with Andrew Fritz of AzulOx Photography. I have worked with the AzulOx team constantly over the last few years, and one of my favorite parts of working with these gentleman is their amazing creativity. Andrew and I share a love of Dungeons & Dragons, and Andrew has a stunning gift for Astral Photography. When we realized that a Harvest Moon, Blood Moon Eclipse was going to happen soon, (the first in about 30 years), we HAD to make some magic happen.

We gathered up the gear and the gowns, and headed up to Reveille Peak Park, where we could get the perfect vantage of the upcoming lunar special. We decked me out like a sorceress in the garb and staff, whirled on a cape, and climbed the peak to capture the amazing night sky. The ensuing photo-shoot was ridiculously fun, and I wanted to take a moment to share it with you all, as well as some history as to my love of Dragonlance.

During the course of the evening’s photos, the sky filled with the most stunning of variations. We attempted to capture the mysterious and magical nature of the natural sky that so captured the attention of many adventurers in the Dungeons & Dragons Realms. We took our inspiration from one of the Dragonlance goddesses, Lunitari.

Lunitari is one of 3 gods of magic in Krynn, the Dragonlance setting. Along with her two cousins, Solinari of the White and Nuitari of the Black, the three helped to bring magics to the land of mortals. As such, they were sent up into the skies as the three moons, circling over mankind and providing their guidance over those who study magic.

I grew up reading the Dragonlance novels from a very early age.

It all began with Darkness and Light.

20 years ago, a small girl, aged 7, walked for the first time into the impressive library of Kitsap Lake Elementary School in Bremerton, Washington. A navy child, she had been buffeted from port to port, never staying in one place long enough to make friends.

She found, instead, an insatiable love of literature. Walking into such a grand library was the stuff of dreams. She could lose herself here. What she found would forever change her.

In the middle of a shelf in the science fiction/fantasy section, a paperback novel with a purple cover and silver detailing caught her eye. Pulling the book from the shelf, she held it in her small hands and wondered at it. A strong woman graced the cover, hand on hip and sword tip pressed to the chest of fallen man. “She looks so fierce. I have to know her story.” Turning the book over, the girl quickly scanned through the books synopsis. Gods, red moons, magic, and romance? What more could there be in life? She knew she had to take this book home, had to make it hers.

20 years later, this girl still adores the Dragonlance Chronicles. She still reads them regularly, still dreams of far away lands, and still writes her own adventures. Through the darkest moments in life, through incredible joys and unforeseen quests, these books stood the test of time.

I cannot thank Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman enough for bringing this world to life. I cannot thank enough their co-writers for continuing the series and giving me food for my imagination. I cannot thank Wizards of the Coast enough for printing these books. I cannot thank Dungeons & Dragons enough for inspiring people to role play.
Read a book. Pass on the knowledge. Become your own story.

Lunitari’s symbol is the blood red moon, and we most definitely felt her power during our evening on Reveille Peak. Just as the characters from Darkness and Light stepped onto the surface of Lunitari in search of adventure, just as I opened the pages of the Dragonlance books to step into a world of magic and mystery… Just as during my youth, we were brought together as the adventurous heroes of the Dragonlance novels were, under the light of a magical moon. Lunitari inspired me to write this poem of blessings. I hope you all enjoy it, and hope you all found magic during the Blood Moon.