Mythal Raising, by Vince Locke
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]
The god of mythals, Mythrien Sarath, was said to have invested much of his divine power helping elven high mages erect their mythals.[2]
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:[3]
- High Mythal[4] or True Mythal[3]
- The first, great elven mythals.[3]
- Wizard Mythal[5][3]
- Those mythals created later but with similar power and often by/including non-elves.[3]
- Near-Mythal
- Others
Part of the confusion came from the fact that previous to Mystra's Ban mythals could be created by both high level (level 10+) spells [4] and Epic magic. After Mystra's Ban only the Epic magic option remained.[6]
Known Mythals
- Dracorage mythal
- Destroyed in 1373 DR [7]
- Elven Court
- Considered a true mythal[3]
- Herald's Holdfast
- This is not a true mythal.[9]
- Myth Adofhaer
- Considered a true mythal[3]
- Myth Drannor
- Created 261 DR
- Considered a corrupted mythal,[9][as of when?] Considered a true mythal[3]. [ Under dispute ] Described as "one of four known wizard mythals"[10]
- Myth Glaurach
- Built near Hellgate Keep. Considered a true mythal[3] Described as "one of four known wizard mythals"[10]
- Myth Iiscar
- Built on the island of Lantan, the mythal's construction and destruction dates are unknown.[9] Created by non-elves [3]
- 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?][9]
- Created by non-elves[3]
- Myth Nantar
- Created in -3002 DR[12] this mythal exists under the Sea of Fallen Stars.[9]
- Considered a true mythal[3]
- Myth Ondath
- Considered a true mythal[3]
- This mythal was built on the ruins of Ondathel.[9] Created in 555 DR it was destroyed in 633 DR.
- Myth Rhynn
- Created during the hieght of the Keltormir civilization. By the 14th century DR Myth Rhynn had been corrupted.[13]
- Considered a true mythal[3]
- 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.[14]
- Considered a true mythal[3]
- 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.[15]
- Created by non-elves [3] Described as "one of four known wizard mythals"[10]
- Silverymoon
- The Wards of Silverymoon are considered to be a wizard mythal,[16]
- Undermountain
- Created by Halaster, the many layers of spells, wards and other magic have created a near-mythal [9]
References
- ↑ Richard Baker (June 2006). Final Gate. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-4002-6.
- ↑ Chris Perry (September 1998). “Magic of the Seldarine”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #251 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 28–35.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 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.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Steven E. Schend and Kevin Melka (1998). Cormanthyr: Empire of the Elves. (TSR, Inc), pp. 139–140. ISBN 0-7069-0761-4.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend and Kevin Melka (1998). Cormanthyr: Empire of the Elves. (TSR, Inc), pp. 140–141. ISBN 0-7069-0761-4.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 Sean K. Reynolds, Duane Maxwell, Angel McCoy (August 2001). Magic of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 47. ISBN 0-7869-1964-7.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Steven E. Schend and Kevin Melka (1998). Cormanthyr: Empire of the Elves. (TSR, Inc), p. 148. ISBN 0-7069-0761-4.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (1999). Sea of Fallen Stars. (TSR, Inc), pp. 164–181. ISBN 0-7869-1393-2.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
Sources
Web Material, General
2nd Edition D&D
- Steven E. Schend and Kevin Melka (1998). Cormanthyr: Empire of the Elves. (TSR, Inc), pp. 139–148. ISBN 0-7069-0761-4.
3rd Edition D&D
- Sean K. Reynolds, Duane Maxwell, Angel McCoy (August 2001). Magic of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 47–48. ISBN 0-7869-1964-7.
- Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Travis Stout (February 2005). Lost Empires of Faerûn. Edited by Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 45–50. ISBN 0-7869-3654-1.