Nouméa Drathchuld

Nouméa Drathchuld was the magister of Mystra during the Time of Troubles, serving in that role for sixteen years throughout the mid–14 century DR. She served both the goddess of magic who had kept watch over the Weave since the fall of Netheril and the more-recently ascended deity who was known as "Midnight" during her mortal life.

Description
Nouméa had fairly poor eyesight.

Personality
In addition to the shyness she projected at first glance, Nouméa possessed a calm and quiet grace that often went unnoticed. She spent much of her time in study, developing a deep understanding of the Weave that evaded many powerful mages that were many years her senior.

Nouméa avoided violence whenever possible.

History
During her youth, Nouméa was a gentle and unassuming librarian who served in the Vault of the Sages in Silverymoon. In addition to her duties at the famous sanctuary of learning, she spent much of her time researching long-lost pieces of arcane lore and came to understand the underlying structure of arcane magic and the manner that it could be wielded by mortal spellcasters.

Becoming a Mage
In the, Nouméa was approached by the then-current Magister Imrul Athelzedar, unbeknownst of his title, authority or magical prowess. He saw within her great potential as her comprehension of magical knowledge far exceeded those of even the most experienced wizards. Although Nouméa felt she was too clumsy and ineffectual to become a mage, she agreed to serve Imrul and began her arcane studies.

Nouméa proved to have prodigious natural talent in the Art. Her powers developed at an exponential rate, with no divine assistance from Mystra or any other deities that presided over aspects of arcane magic. Magister Athelzedar pushed her hard, imparting upon her the duty of providing knowledge to those who may have had unidentified arcane talents, and no other avenue to further their skill.

After two years of travel, in the, the pair were ambushed, with absolutely no warning or formal challenge by the young and ambitious mage Eron Imgrym. In a near instant, the Magister shielded Nouméa with the most powerful spell he had crafted throughout his career, Athelzedar's rest. He said his goodbye to his young apprentice and told her to stab himself and their assailant with her dagger, ensuring their deaths and her ascension as the new Magister of Mystra.

Service as Magister
""I have little love for war, and less skill at it.""

- Nouméa speaking to Elminster

Nouméa spent little time honing her skill but rather set out to complete the work she and her predecessor had begun. She had traveled from the Sword Coast North to the Dalelands in her journeys with Master Athelzedar and spent the next four years continuing their quest to bring just a little arcane knowledge, typically in the form of magical scrolls to hundreds of farmers, woodcutters and merchants in scores of hamlets and villages across the Western Heartlands and central Faerûn.

In the, the Time of Troubles began, the gods were cast down to the Prime Material plane and forced walked amongst the mortals of Toril. Nouméa's gentle nature and lack of advancement in her arcane power made her relatively non-consequential in the conflicts that arose thereafter. Azuth deemed the continuation of Nouméa's work as Magister to be of paramount importance and took great measures to protect her mission and ensure her safety.

Nouméa was ashamedly relieved that Mystra chose to invest into her chosen Elminster―rather than Nouméa the magister―the lion's share of her divine power prior to the Avatar Crisis.

While the Magister, she once met with the sorceress Rautheene of Oerth, Mordenkainen's apprentice. The two may have traded spells with one another.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Elminster in Hell