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The End of Mystra

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Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 20 May 2012 : 09:55:38

I had a quick look at 4th edition Forgotten Realms when it came out and wasnt impressed to be honest, the worst aspects of it included the transition story surrounding the death of Mystra which was at best completely incredulous and was at odds with most of what we know about the gods.

However i did like the idea of primordials as the ancient evils, and the merging of Toril and Abeir which resulted in the earth grounded continents of Maztica and others which i also never liked or used.

In an effort to carry on with the realms using 3.5 edition rules i have decided to change the story but i am a bit shaky on the novels as i havent the time to read them and so do not know as much about the deities or areas involved as i would like.

My idea is that the entire situation involving the death of Mystra is orchestrated by Shar. She seeks to organise the death of Mystra's chosen in an effort to overload Mystra (i remember reading somewhere that Mystra has to have so many chosen because she cannot contain all the power she possesses).

So the return of the archwizards, Sammaster's dragon rages etc, and other big events are all efforts on Shar's part to occupy and assassinate as many chosen as possible.

With the death of several chosen Mystra recognises the deaths as assassinations and decides to protect her chosen by removing the chosen status from them. She struggles to control all the power in her body and so retreats to Cynosure (a dead magic area) where she is met by Shar.

Shar offers to help Mystra by taking some power from her (being the only other god with access and control of the Weave, albeit Shadow Weave, only Shar could help contain the power), the price being the separation of the Shadow Weave from the Weave.

Mystra refuses and filled with power and confidence attempts to wrest the Shadow Weave from Shar completely and Shar lets her do it.
Then as Mystra is overloading on power Cyric attacks and kills her.

Mystra explodes, Abeir and Toril merge. I dont like the spellplague so that doesnt happen, but things go a bit mental for a time as the Weave develops its own sentience and control. Shar gets her wish of a separate and distinct Shadow Weave.

Anyone have any thoughts on this plan or anything directly at odds with the existing 3.5 lore of the realms

Lord Karsus
Great Reader

USA
3740 Posts

Posted - 20 May 2012 : 22:07:06

-If Mystra is 'overloading' with power, why would she attack Shar and attempt to "absorb" the Shadow Weave?

(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)

Elves of Faer�n
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 21 May 2012 : 07:16:48

Well I imagine too much magic could be like alcohol for humans, makes you overconfident, feel invincible. Plus she needs to use up some of this power and so directs it at Shar who possibly may just have revealed she controls the Shadow Weave (possibly in justifying how she could help Mystra). That anger and confidence result in a rash attack

I thought of it as being a titanic battle of wills which Shar was hoping would occur anyway. Mystra takes it from Shar and then either cannot control all that power she now has, or the taint of Shar and desire for oblivion weakens Mystra too much and then Cyric strikes.

While Mystra is totally focused on Shar and controlling herself she doesnt notice him and is therfore vulnerable.

And just as in the beginning when Selune hurled part of herself at Shar and she took a part to form the Shadow Weave. As Mystra explodes into magic dust Shar again takes a part of it (the Shadow Weave) and reforms it completely separate from the Weave and under her total control.

Dalor Darden
Great Reader

USA
4211 Posts

Posted - 21 May 2012 : 08:50:08

I actually kind of like this idea explaining how Mystra could possibly be killed by Cyric...except that you place this all in Cynosure.

The gods dare not violate Cynosure...it would be better if this all actually still happened on Mystra's own turf.

The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me!

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 21 May 2012 : 12:12:21

Well i figure most gods are omnipotent in their own godly realms and so needed a reason for it to occur elsewhere. I agree that most gods would not violate the neutral ground of cynosure, except for Cyric who is an out and out lunatic and has repeatedly shown a complete disregard for any form of rules, but i reckon he would only try and kill his number one enemy (Mystra) if he were guaranteed victory, which is probably why Shar approaches him in the first place.

I figured Mystra would take solace in Cynosure because it is a dead magic area and mostly separated from the Realms cosmology apart from access through a number of portals, and so she would be insulated from the Weave and her worshippers somewhat and its demands so that she could instead concentrate in solitude on maintaining her own form and the masses of power flowing within her. And during that time think of a suitable outlet to channel this power.

Plus she would feel safe in Cynosure as it is neutral ground for all the deities.

Im wasnt entirely sure about setting it in Cynosure but it was the only plausible place I could think of where a god of magic in such a vulnerable position would retreat to (as its neutral ground) and that is sufficiently severed from the material plane and the constant demands of her worshippers and the Weave itself. But at the same time would leave a god vulnerable as she is away from her realm/power base should anyone be crazy enough to violate that neutral ground and Ao's laws.

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 22 May 2012 : 08:46:06

A further thought on the location. Im not sure it would be possible to kill a deity in its own realm (unless you were much more powerful). Ignoring the fact that the god is in essence the realm, and has divine knowledge of everything that takes place within it, they can also change the features of that realm on a whim.

The main problem is that realm would be stocked full of souls that have gone to join their god waiting to merge with the plane and their deity, servants of outsider origin who are dedicated to serving the deity until death (for instance Solars, exarches, even other aspects of the deity itself), and visitors to the realm from other planes. I just dont see how you could get onto the plane without being noticed and annihilated by a legion of beings, let alone assassinate the ruler and creator of the realm, which would also bring another problem.

If the creator of that realm, the one responsible for keeping it all together were to be killed, how would the killer escape as the realm collapses around them.

Thats why i picked a neutral ground such as cynosure where a god would feel safe, but at the same time be incredibly vulnerable (if someone were to disobey the rules).

Dalor Darden
Great Reader

USA
4211 Posts

Posted - 22 May 2012 : 09:03:27

Perhaps you could simply say that the empty vastness of the Ethereal or Astral planes was the place where Mystra sought solace; and where she was confronted by Shar?

The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me!

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 22 May 2012 : 12:46:07

Sounds good to me, I think Astral Plane might be more fitting as its where dead gods end up anyways.

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