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Lord Karsus was the Netherese creator and caster of the Karsus's avatar spell that triggered the Fall of Netheril.[1][4][8]

Ah, yes. Karsus. Karsus was perhaps the most powerful wizard who ever lived. The child-who-would-become-a-god, the elves called him. And he tried. With a spell of his own devising, he endeavored to usurp in one fell swoop the power of the goddess of magic... Imagine what it must have felt like. To be a god. To know yourself to be untouchable. To be mistaken.

History[]

Early Life[]

Karsus was born in Netheril in 3163 NY (−696 DR).[10] His father was Radman.[3] He was able to cast his first spell at the age of two, and by the age of twenty-two had become the youngest arcanist to ever create his own floating city.[11]

Gifted with magic, but lacking the necessary discipline that comes with hard work and research, he founded a school of magic on his enclave and encouraged the attendance of radical thinkers and those interested in taboo projects. One of his students was the famous Lord Shadow.[11]

Creation of Karsus's Avatar[]

In −345 DR, Arthindol the Terraseer appeared before Karsus and warned him that the goddess of magic Mystryl was soon to face her greatest challenge, and that this would forever affect the Netherese's perception of magic.[12][13]

Shouldering a responsibility for preserving his civilization, Karsus finished creating a spell, Karsus's avatar that he had been developing for years. This spell would steal the power of a deity and transfer it to the archwizard that cast it. Karsus believed that with the power of a deity at his disposal, he could destroy the phaerimm and unite his people.[14] Karsus cast the spell in 3520 NY (−339 DR), and chose Mystryl, the goddess of magic, as his target, feeling that she was the most powerful deity and the most appropriate choice for his purposes. Thus Karsus gained powers over all magic.[13]

Fall of Netheril[]

"Child-who-would-be-a-god", "the Unmaker of the Weave", "the Ape who would fly".
— Names of Karsus given by the Tel-quessir[2]

Unfortunately, his choice was a terrible mistake, for one of the responsibilities of the deity of magic was to regulate the flow of magic to and from all beings, spells, and magic items in the world. Lacking the ability to do so properly, magic surged and fluctuated. With her last remaining bit of power, Mystryl sacrificed herself to block Karsus's access to the Weave, causing all magic to fail. The flying cities of Netheril plummeted to the earth. The severing of the link also killed Karsus and transformed him into stone, and the last thing he saw was his entire civilization being destroyed because of his actions. This was to be known as Karsus's Folly. The stone form of Karsus eventually landed in a part of the High Forest, now called the Dire Wood.[8] The city of Karse was built around its base.[15]

Fate[]

Karsus was never accepted as a petitioner by any god, nor did he go to the Fugue Plane when he died. Instead, his soul was bound to the Material Plane. Those with experience in pact magic could call up his vestige, where he appeared as a giant blood-red boulder,[5] like the one found in the High Forest where his petrified form landed.[8] Blood burbles up from the top of the stone, trickling down the side facing the summoner, pooling at the base. When he spoke, the pool fountained upwards, its height varying on the volume of his voice. Karsus granted the summoner a boost in magical ability, though he also imparted some of the arrogance he was renowned for. For some reason, this vestige had a strange enmity toward Amon.[5]

Legacy[]

Karsus held a small cult of worshipers who venerated the "momentary god". They were mostly based at Karse until its abandonment.[16]

Exposure to heavy magic and Karsus's own proximity also led to the creation of the karsites, a race of people born with an inherent distrust of magic as well as a natural resistance to it.[17]

In the 1372 DR, an adventurer met Karsus in a hell created by a book in the Great Library of the risen Netherese city of Undrentide. Karsus was being tormented by devils but the adventurer could choose to redeem him by rewriting the magical tome in which his spirit was imprisoned. Doing so would ensure that Karsus was present to assist during the battle in the Library's final magical tome.[18]

Appendix[]

Further Reading[]

Appearances[]

Adventures
Referenced only
Hellgate Keep
Video Games
Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide
Referenced only
Neverwinter Nights 2Baldur's Gate III

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 35. ISBN 978-0786906574.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Steven E. Schend and Kevin Melka (1998). Cormanthyr: Empire of the Elves. (TSR, Inc), p. 35. ISBN 0-7069-0761-4.
  3. 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 Clayton Emery (November 1996). Dangerous Games. (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 0-7869-0524-7.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 slade, Jim Butler (October 1996). “The Winds of Netheril”. In Jim Butler ed. Netheril: Empire of Magic (TSR, Inc.), p. 107. ISBN 0-7869-0437-2.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Matthew Sernett, David Noonan, Ari Marmell and Robert J. Schwalb (March 2006). Tome of Magic 3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 37. ISBN 978-0786939091.
  6. Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  7. Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 36. ISBN 978-0786906574.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Jason Carl, Sean K. Reynolds (October 2001). Lords of Darkness. Edited by Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 81. ISBN 07-8691-989-2.
  9. Larian Studios (October 2020). Designed by Swen Vincke, et al. Baldur's Gate III. Larian Studios.
  10. Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 41. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  11. 11.0 11.1 Sean K. Reynolds (2002). Netheril, the Archwizards and the Return of Shade. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2002-12-13. Retrieved on 2009-01-02.
  12. Greg A. Vaughan, Skip Williams, Thomas M. Reid (November 2007). Anauroch: The Empire of Shade. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 98. ISBN 0-7869-4362-9.
  13. 13.0 13.1 Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 47. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  14. slade, Jim Butler (October 1996). “The Winds of Netheril”. In Jim Butler ed. Netheril: Empire of Magic (TSR, Inc.), p. 12. ISBN 0-7869-0437-2.
  15. Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Travis Stout (February 2005). Lost Empires of Faerûn. Edited by Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 110. ISBN 0-7869-3654-1.
  16. Jennell Jaquays (1988). The Savage Frontier. (TSR, Inc), p. 4. ISBN 0-88038-593-6.
  17. Matthew Sernett, David Noonan, Ari Marmell and Robert J. Schwalb (March 2006). Tome of Magic 3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 84. ISBN 978-0786939091.
  18. BioWare, Floodgate Entertainment (June 2003). Designed by Brent Knowles, Rick Ernst. Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide. Atari.
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