Forgotten Realms Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Forgotten Realms Wiki
Mythal-Raising - Vince Locke

Mages raise a mythal.

A mythal was a powerful magical effect, created by a group of spellcasters to protect and ward a large area with numerous powerful enchantments. The earliest mythals were created by a circle of elven[citation needed] High Mages. Mythals could permanently alter The Weave to create an area wherein the normal rules of magic no longer applied. A typical mythal prevented certain schools of magic from being employed while empowering others. It could restrict access to the warded area to certain classes of beings. For example, Silverymoon's mythal excluded evil dragons. Creation of a mythal sometimes required the willing sacrifice of the lead caster's life, a result that led to the first mythal's being named after its creator. In addition, many mythal spells corroded over time, and if not maintained could become corrupted. This had occurred in Myth Drannor and resulted in the state of that city until 1374 DR.[1]

Mythals were some of the most powerful magic in the world of Toril, constructs that bind and shape the Weave in a particular location, sometimes so powerfully that the rules of magic or even reality can be bent or rewritten. Most mythals were defensive in nature, designed to restrict the kinds of magic that can be employed in the area they govern, and the most common restrictions were concerned with teleportation and conjuration magic. In many ways, a mythal was less like a spell or a magic item than a living creation of magic, capable of growing stronger or weaker, absorbing damage, or dying.[2]

Each active mythal had one or more beings attuned to its effects, who can ignore any restrictions on spell-casting, can direct targetable effects of the mythal, and can teach others of appropriate skill how to access its secrets. Except in cities such as Silverymoon and Evereska, adventurers are most likely to encounter damaged or failing mythals in ruined locations where magic once had great influence.[2]

Any elven city with Myth in its title (Myth Drannor, Myth Glaurach, Myth Nantar, and others) has, or had, a mythal protecting it. The ruins of such places are certain to have unpredictable effects related to their damaged or destroyed mythals.[2]

The god of mythals, Mythrien Sarath, was said to have invested much of his divine power helping elven high mages erect their mythals.[3]

The city’s greatest wizards, most of them elves, came together to lay the Mythal. Working cooperatively, they wove a spell greater than the sum of its casters. Each chose a special power to infuse into the mantle, and each gave some of his or her life to engender it.

Mythal Definitions[]

While any epic magic "field or ward" could be considered a mythal the differences were often semantics or traditions, but scholars often used the following distinctions to describe various mythals:[5]

High Mythal[6] or True Mythal[5]
The first, great elven mythals.[5]
Wizard Mythal[7][5] or Near-Mythal[8]
Those mythals created later but with similar power and often by/including non-elves.[5]
House Mythal
A minor mythal that covered a building.[9]

Part of the confusion came from the fact that previous to Mystra's Ban mythals could be created by both high level (10+) spells[6] and Epic magic. After Mystra's Ban only the Epic magic option remained.[10]

Known Mythals[]

Dracorage mythal
Destroyed in 1373 DR [11]
Elven Court
Considered a true mythal[5]
Evereska
In Evereska was located in a true and powerful mythal[12]
Herald's Holdfast
This is not a true mythal[13]
Myth Adofhaer
Considered a true mythal[5]
Myth Drannor
Created 261 DR
Considered a corrupted mythal,[13][as of when?] Considered a true mythal.[5] [ Under dispute ] Described as "one of four known wizard mythals"[14]
Myth Dyraalis
Considered a true mythal[5]
Created −375 DR[15]
Myth Glaurach
Built near Hellgate Keep. Considered a true mythal.[5] Described as "one of four known wizard mythals"[14]
Myth Iiscar
Built on the island of Lantan, the mythal's construction and destruction dates are unknown.[13] Created by non-elves[5]
Myth Lharast
Built somewhere in Amn, this mythal was/is a safe place for "benign lancanthropes". In 1372 DR it exists as a demi-plane after being removed from Faerûn by Selûne[as of when?][13]
Created by non-elves[5]
Myth Nantar
Created in −3002 DR[16] this mythal exists under the Sea of Fallen Stars.[13]
Considered a true mythal[5]
Myth Ondath
Considered a true mythal[5]
This mythal was built on the ruins of Ondathel.[13] Created in 555 DR; destroyed in 633 DR.
Myth Rhynn
Created during the hieght of the Keltormir civilization. By the 14th century DR Myth Rhynn had been corrupted.[17]
Considered a true mythal[5]
Myth Unnohyr
Created sometime before/during the rise of Shanatar, Myth Unnohyr was in ruins by the time of the First Kingdom of Mir and by the 14th century DR it was corrupted.[18]
Considered a true mythal[5]
Shoonach's Imperial Mount
Located in the center of Shoonach, a ruined city in the 14th century DR, believed built by the Strohm and their elven allies.[19]
Created by non-elves.[5] Described as "one of four known wizard mythals"[14]
Silverymoon
The Wards of Silverymoon are considered to be a wizard mythal[20]
Undermountain
Created by Halaster, the many layers of spells, wards and other magic have created a near-mythal[13]:
Ahghairon's Dragonward
A powerful mythal cast by the famous mage Ahghairon over the city of Waterdeep.
Severed Hand
A mythal was created by the archmage and his fellow mages of the fortress, but it failed catastrophically. Instead of freeing the besieged elves from their predicament, it turned every living being, elf or ork alike, into an undead being.[21]:
The Great Shield
Candlekeep was protected by a mythal, referred to as the Great Shield, a barrier of elven magic that could be activated by the Keeper of Tomes if the need ever arose.[22]

Appendix[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. Richard Baker (June 2006). Final Gate. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-4002-6.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 19. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
  3. Chris Perry (September 1998). “Magic of the Seldarine”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #251 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 28–35.
  4. Carrie Bebris (2001). Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 8, p. 159. ISBN 0-7869-1387-8.
  5. 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Travis Stout (February 2005). Lost Empires of Faerûn. Edited by Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 45. ISBN 0-7869-3654-1.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Steven E. Schend and Kevin Melka (1998). Cormanthyr: Empire of the Elves. (TSR, Inc), pp. 139–140. ISBN 0-7069-0761-4.
  7. Steven E. Schend and Kevin Melka (1998). Cormanthyr: Empire of the Elves. (TSR, Inc), pp. 140–141. ISBN 0-7069-0761-4.
  8. Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 171. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
  9. Ed Greenwood (September 2000). “The New Adventures of Volo: The Crumbling Stair”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #275 (Wizards of the Coast), p. 93.
  10. Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Travis Stout (February 2005). Lost Empires of Faerûn. Edited by Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 43. ISBN 0-7869-3654-1.
  11. Eric L. Boyd, Eytan Bernstein (August 2006). Dragons of Faerûn. Edited by Beth Griese, Cindi Rice, Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 10. ISBN 0-7869-3923-0.
  12. Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 228. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 Sean K. Reynolds, Duane Maxwell, Angel McCoy (August 2001). Magic of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 47. ISBN 0-7869-1964-7.
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Steven E. Schend and Kevin Melka (1998). Cormanthyr: Empire of the Elves. (TSR, Inc), p. 148. ISBN 0-7069-0761-4.
  15. Steven E. Schend (August 1997). “Book One: Tethyr”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Lands of Intrigue (TSR, Inc.), p. 91. ISBN 0-7869-0697-9.
  16. Steven E. Schend (1999). Sea of Fallen Stars. (TSR, Inc), pp. 164–181. ISBN 0-7869-1393-2.
  17. Steven E. Schend (August 1997). “Book One: Tethyr”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Lands of Intrigue (TSR, Inc.), pp. 65–66. ISBN 0-7869-0697-9.
  18. Steven E. Schend (August 1997). “Book One: Tethyr”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Lands of Intrigue (TSR, Inc.), p. 54. ISBN 0-7869-0697-9.
  19. Steven E. Schend (August 1997). “Book One: Tethyr”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Lands of Intrigue (TSR, Inc.), pp. 80–81. ISBN 0-7869-0697-9.
  20. Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Travis Stout (February 2005). Lost Empires of Faerûn. Edited by Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 50. ISBN 0-7869-3654-1.
  21. Black Isle Studios (June 2000). Designed by Matt Norton. Icewind Dale. Interplay.
  22. Christopher Perkins, et al. (March 2021). Candlekeep Mysteries. Edited by Michele Carter, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 7. ISBN 978-0-7869-6722-3.

Sources[]

Web Material, General

2nd Edition D&D

3rd Edition D&D

Advertisement