[counturl=113]Rich Baker's Post[/counturl]
Anyway, why is Mystra dead? OK, several reasons, some in-world, some meta-management...
1. It's an appropriate (if grim) finish to the story of Cyric's betrayal begun in the Time of Troubles series. Time to move on and tell new stories about Cyric.
2. It's an appropriate (if grim) finish to the story of Shar's jealousy and desire to seize the portfolio of magic. Time to move on and tell new stories about Shar.
(oh, Mystra's chosen die out, except Elmisnter - apparently, they think that having magic not being under the control of one deity is good, when in reality, I imagine MANY PEOPLE DON'T CARE)
Trying to find the cause of this - foudn this thread, which suggests dark times.
(spoilers for the Orc King, a drizzit book.)
- Many old empires have fallen (e.g. Luskan - page 11). Others are named which are perhaps destroyed but perhaps just not prospering (Thay, Mulhorand, Sembia - page 12).
- New ones have arisen (Netheril, the aboleths, and a "discordant and disastrous joining of two worlds") - page 10. I wonder about the last one of this, but it seems to coincide with Ed Greenwood's comments in the final issue of Dragon (along the lines of "most scholars drop the name Abeir from Abeir-Toril, for reasons which will soon become apparant"). The question is, which two worlds?
- The Kingdom of Many-Arrows has flourished and helped bring stability to the Silver Marches region under Obould and his heirs; orcs (and half-orcs) are more accepted than in 1375 DR. The Cult of Gruumsh is de-emphasised in this Kingdom (e.g. page 5 onwards). I presume the dwarves are still around there, too.
- Something regarding this happens at a place or to a person called "Shallows"; perhaps that's what this novel is about, I don't know (page 3).
- Eilistraee and her followers "rose", but presumably failed to achieve what they hoped (page 11). Perhaps Lolth has exterminated the rest of her pantheon? We will have to see what the rest of the Lady Penitent books say.
- Other Good deities may have been killed ("Where are the benevolent gods?" - page 11).
- Oh, and I suppose it confirms that Drizzt at least survives...
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.ph ... uote][br]2) So High Magic can now kill gods...(pg 158-159 1377DR second paragraph)
3) Tyr killing Helm. Two previously written intelligent deities being Lawful Stupid...Sune goddess of romantic love trying to arrange a poli[t]cal marriage to bring balancer back to the celestial Realms...with Tymora who is fickle...sigh I know the Greeks made their pantheons seem like a soap op[e]ra but does the Realms have this way...
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Tyr kills Helm?
From what I've been told, most of the gods are gone (for exmaple, Tyr kills Helm. Yes, you heard me right.), 3/4 of the world's pop. died due to spellplague and the aboleths have come.
Oh, right, Spellplague.
>The Spellplague occurs in DR 1385 when Cyric sneaks into Dweomerheart and murders Mystra. All havoc with the Weave breaks loose, with (if I remember correctly) Savras instantly destroyed and Azuth and Velsharoon shunted into the Astral Plane. Arcane spellcasters throughout the Realms are driven insane and/or other bad things happen to them. (Again, if I remember correctly) only the greater gods survive, and they censure Cyric by placing him under house arrest in his divine realm for a thousand years. There is no mention about what happens to Mystra's Chosen. This is the very last entry in the book
I feel like I've been bukkake'd with stupid.
It's Points of Light, and it's quite frankly why I'm sticking with 3.5e Faerun. YOu can go have your $^# up world, thank you.