Dangerous Games

Dangerous Games is the second book in the Netheril trilogy by Clayton Emery.

"Mages' Games

Netheril, empire of magic, where wizards wield power far beyond the ken of mortal men.

Netheril, where citadels float, magic runs wild, and mages dabble in games better left for the gods.

Netheril, a place of dangerous games where the barbarian Sunbright Steelshanks soon finds himself an unwilling pawn in a lethal match of wits, wiles, and powers."

Summary
Sunbright and Candlemas, after having escaped from the Lower Planes, find themselves back in Netheril. The mage, Candlemas, continues on working on a cure for the grain blight affecting the crops around the empire. Sunbright, however, wishes to find a way to rescue his lover, Greenwillow, from the infernal layer that he had managed to escape from. As the two companions walk the surface of Faerûn, they discover a great chunk of star metal. They approach the star, but the almost god-like arcanist, Great Karsus, confronts them; he has travelled 358 years into the past just to find the fallen star. Karsus, with his incredible power, transports them forward to his time, from 3162 NY (-698 DR) to 3520 NY (-340 DR).

The trio arrive in the conclave known as Karsus, of course named after the extremely popular and powerful mage. Karsus begins on developing "heavy magic", whilst Candlemas finds love with Karsus' cousin, Aquesita, and Sunbright ventures further into the city. Here, Sunbright meets Knucklebones, a half-elf thief with the knack for getting out of dangerous situations.

Karsus begins to panic as he realizes his enemies, the phaerimm, are trying to dismantle his work. Becoming even more insane, Karsus initiates a war against the enclave of Ioulaum, the home of a rival arcanist. The crazed Karsus channels a spell to elevate him beyond mortality, but as he does so, the phaerimm attack him. Karsus repels the aberrations and attempts to become a god. Even the goddess of magic, Mystryl, cannot withstand the drive of Karsus, and she sacrifices herself to repel him. At this point, the Netherese Empire begins to collapse, and the conclaves fall to the ground. Candlemas, Sunbright, and Knucklebones escape the disaster, and find themselves back in the past.

Characters

 * Aba • Aquesita • Candlemas • Corah • Gibor • Hamuda • Hurodon • Hute • Jules • Kalle • Karsus • Knucklebones • Krikor • Lothar • Magda • Martel • Mystra • Nibaw • Ox • Polaris • Rolon • Seda • Sleeping Gunn • Sunbright Steelshanks • Umeko • Wulgreth • Zykta
 * Angeni • Baron Onan • Behira • Blindrum • Damita • Dorlas • Drigor • Greenwillow • Kas • Lucke • Mandisa • Mika • Owldark • Pericles • Radman • Roni • Rushworth • Sleeping Gunn • Sysquemalyn • Thornwing • Xanad • Zahn
 * Angeni • Baron Onan • Behira • Blindrum • Damita • Dorlas • Drigor • Greenwillow • Kas • Lucke • Mandisa • Mika • Owldark • Pericles • Radman • Roni • Rushworth • Sleeping Gunn • Sysquemalyn • Thornwing • Xanad • Zahn

Creatures

 * badger • cardinal • catfish • dust devil • dwarf • giant flea • fish • half-elf • hawk • horse • human (Netherese • Rengarth) • lich • lizard • mastiff • phaerimm • porcupine • rabbit • raptor • shadeling • skeleton • spider golem • trout • zombie
 * amphisbaena • badger • bear (black, brown) • beetle • bird • chickadee • cockroach • cricket • deer • dragon • eagle • elf • elk • firefly • frog • gnome • hummingbird • medusa • mole • mouse • orc • ox • panther • parrot • peeper • possum • seal • shrew • snake • squirrel • stork • termite • tiger • undead • vampire • vulture • warbler • wolf
 * amphisbaena • badger • bear (black, brown) • beetle • bird • chickadee • cockroach • cricket • deer • dragon • eagle • elf • elk • firefly • frog • gnome • hummingbird • medusa • mole • mouse • orc • ox • panther • parrot • peeper • possum • seal • shrew • snake • squirrel • stork • termite • tiger • undead • vampire • vulture • warbler • wolf

Events

 * Karsus's Folly

Items

 * ale • ballista • beer • brandy • bread • brimstone • bronze • chalk • cheese • chert • granite • ham • iron • lance • leather armor • mace • mother of pearl • nickel • porridge • quicksilver • raspberry • ring • robe • sapphire • sai • sausage • silver • slate • star metal • steel • sword • telescope • warhammer • wine::
 * adamantine • anthrax • apple • arsenic • barley • belladonna • catapult • cyanide • date • gold • lead • marble • melon • nightshade • rye • sai • sugar • tea • venison • wheat

Locations

 * Academy of Mentalist Study • Barren Mountains • Bello • Blackwater Bog • Delia • Emperor's Park • Ioulaum • Iron Mountains • Netheril
 * Bone Hill • Cormanthyr • Dire Woods • Frosttop • Ger • High Forest • Mystryl's Mound • Nine Hells • Patrician Peak • Rampant Peaks • Shadow Consortium • Street of Lilacs • Street of the Golden Willows • Sunrest • Thunder Peak • Underdark
 * Bone Hill • Cormanthyr • Dire Woods • Frosttop • Ger • High Forest • Mystryl's Mound • Nine Hells • Patrician Peak • Rampant Peaks • Shadow Consortium • Street of Lilacs • Street of the Golden Willows • Sunrest • Thunder Peak • Underdark

Magic

 * Spells:
 * Aksa's shatter • color spray • detect magic • dimensional folding • feather fall • General Matick's shield • glowlight • immunity to gasses • incendiary cloud • levitation • Noaner's fireball • Proctiv's rock-mud transformation • protect from getting lost • Ptack's brittleness • shatter barrier • spell at maximum effect • Stoca's wings • taunt • traction • Trebbe's invulnerability • Valdick's spheresail • Veridon's chiller • worldweave • Yong's imprisonment • Yturn's feather fall
 * Aksa's disintegrate • Brightfinger's stonebind • burning hands • catfeet • color • dimension door • grease • mouse • Pockall's hex • Proctiv's dig • smokepuff • Smolyn's seer • Stoca's feign • tangle • Tolodine's gust of wind • Volhm's drain • Zahn's location
 * Weapons:
 * Harvester of Blood
 * Misc: cantra • heavy magic • Inventive • Mentalism • Necromancy • planar magic • super heavy magic • Variation • ward • Weave
 * mythallar
 * mythallar
 * mythallar

Organizations

 * Bonebreakers • House of Danelt • House of Dreng • House of Zee • Netherese Empire
 * Raven Tribe • Sons of Baltar
 * Raven Tribe • Sons of Baltar

Plants

 * alder • ash • birch • elm • forsythia • henbane • maple • oak • pine • rowan • rose • sassafras • thyme • willow

Misc

 * Cappi's Cat • crystal sphere • Elder Days • football • The Sled
 * Cappi's Cat • crystal sphere • Elder Days • football • The Sled

Religion

 * Amaunator • Chauntea • Jergal • Moander • Mystryl • Selûne • Shar • Talos • Targus • Tyche