The Mid-Autumn Festival — 中秋節

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a Chinese holiday where we celebrate having good eats for the fall Harvest Moon. Lots of cultures have this, but ours involves lighting lanterns and eating mooncakes, the delightful pastries that I remember from my youth and also 10 minutes ago since I just bought a bunch for the festival from Chinatown.

The classic myth told with this holiday is that of Chang’e, the Moon Goddess. You may already be familiar with her story, either through direct cultural experience, cultural osmosis, or maybe you played Smite back in the day — in any case, as the story goes, Chang’e’s husband, the heavenly archer Hou Yi, received the Elixer of Immortality as a reward for his deeds. Accounts differ on why Chang’e had to chug that bottle. Some say robbers broke into their home, others say it was her husband’s apprentice, and some accounts even accuse Chang’e of wanting immortality for herself. Whatever the case, chug that bottle she did, and she was whisked away into the heavens as the Moon Goddess.

In celebration of this holiday, today we’ve brought to you a Rust Moon version of the story, celebrating both the food and the original myth. We hope you enjoy, and find a chance to get some mooncakes soon!

Sun Crow / Jinwu

A figure from Rust Moon mythology, the ten sun crows were said to fly across the sky and guide the sun across the desert sky with their light. One day, though, all ten sun crows crossed Rust Moon’s deserts at once, searing the earth with their radiant flame.

Only the Moon Spirit was able to look upon their light without flinching, and the people of the desert begged her to take up her bow and strike down the Sun Crows. Instead, the Moon Spirit baked a cake and divided it into ten parts. She invited the Sun Crows to join her in a friendly meal, and nine of the Crows descended to the mortal realm to share the delicious mooncakes. Only one sun crow remained in the sky, and the Moon Spirit ate the tenth mooncake herself.

Mythologically Rare. Only nine Sun Crows fly across the Rust Moon Territory’s skies. Some hunters claim to have caught or killed one, but these notorious hoaxes cast doubt on the Sun Crow’s existence. Occasionally, rumors surface of Sun Crow sightings near Burnwater Canyon, at the south end of the Territory.

Gourmet Connoisseurs. The Sun Crow is said to have a taste for sweet, eggy mooncakes made by certain populations of Rust Moon’s settlers, who celebrate a festival in the Moon Spirit’s name every autumn. They are said to be lured in by the taste of lovingly prepared food.

Cleanse the Impure. Supposedly, the Sun Crow is capable of great restorative magic, but its intelligence makes it a shrewd dispenser of this blessing.

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Sun Crow

Small Elemental, Chaotic Neutral/Good

Initiative +6

AC 22

HP 99 (18d6+36)

Speed 5ft, 50ft Flying

STR 18 (+4) DEX 22 (+6) CON 14 (+2)

INT 20 (+5) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 12 (+1)

Skills Perception, Insight

Senses Passive Perception 16

Languages Common

CR 12 (XP 5000; PB +4)

Traits

Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the Sun Crow fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Actions

Multiattack. The Sun Crow makes two Talon attacks and one Beak attack. It can replace one attack with a use of Sacred Flame.

Talon. +8, Reach 5 ft. Hit: 12(3d4+4) Slashing damage, plus 18(4d8) Radiant damage.

Beak. +10, Reach 5 ft. Hit: 17(3d6+6) Piercing damage, plus 18(4d8) Fire damage.

Sacred Flame. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 17, Range 60 ft. Failure:14(3d8) Radiant damage and 14(3d8) Fire damage. The target gains no benefit from cover for this saving throw.

Spellcasting. The Sun Crow casts one of the following spells, requiring no Material components and using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (Spell save DC 17, Spell Attack +9):

Spells:

At Will: Light

3/day: Burning Hands, Purify Food and Drink, Flaming Sphere

1/day: Lesser Restoration, Fireball

Explore the Rust Moon Territory!

Discover a wild frontier of ferocious Lycanthropes, lawless bandits, and gunslinging action in this new Western-inspired campaign setting.

Download the free Rust Moon Setting Primer to get started today, and keep your eyes out for the Rust Moon Campaign Setting, coming soon!