Netherese enclave

Karsus Enclave, the greatest of the enclaves.

An enclave was a magical city or castle built by the Netherese during the time of Netheril, and most famously referred to the flying cities built in the dozens that floated above Faerûn until they fell during Karsus's Folly.

Forms

Proctiv's move mountain made enclave creation more dramatic.

Although shearing off a mountaintop and using it as the base for a city was a (relatively) convenient solution, many enclaves were raised before the invention of Proctiv's move mountain and utilized other techniques. Even after its development, the exclusivity of the spell and the desire of Netherese archwizards to prove themselves meant that many pursued divergent techniques that may have been more difficult or less effective, and as a result each enclave had its own unique appearance.

While visually impressive, severing a mountaintop was not particularly productive, as the tips of mountains were often made up of heavily weathered, fissured layers of rock that did not hold together well on their own. As a result, that technique would require additional work to fully stabilize. Although Netheril was dotted with flat-topped mountains, most were actually the result of extensive mining and quarrying that simply reduced them to plateaus, rather than a grand spell that levitated the tops off.

One common technique for the creation of a flying enclave was the laying of cottage-sized boulders as a foundation, that were then magically melded into each other and sculpted into more elaborate forms. Another popular style involved creating an enormous wall of force that acted as a platter that carried the requisite structures.

Other forms of magically-supported cities and outposts also existed. The Sargauth Enclave used its mythallar to support the underground space it was inside, while the cities of Werapan, Cuulmath and Quaeluuvis were underwater constructions, shielded by huge crystal domes.

History

The earliest forms of the flying enclave came after the arcanist Ioulaum invented the mythallar in 845 NY (−3014 DR). Using the great powers available, arcanists were able to levitate single buildings atop tiny islands of rock, gravity-defying sculptures, and elaborate artistic installations that flowed through the air.

The first true flying enclave was raised in 866 NY (−2993 DR), Xinlenal, also created by Ioulaum. This prompted many ambitious arcanists to create their own, leading to many diverse designs as they tried to outdo each other and claim a place of prestige.

The process was later revolutionised by the development of the epic magic spell Proctiv's move mountain in 1746 NY (−2113 DR), which cut the top off a mountain, flipped it over, and floated it through the air so they could build a city on the flat surface.

The vast majority of remaining enclaves were destroyed as one during Karsus's Folly in 3520 NY (−339 DR). Their flight was broken and they crashed to the ground, often killing all within. Only a few enclaves survived, including Hlondeth, Asram, and Anauria, which crash-landed intact, and Thultanthar, which escaped into the Shadowfell.

As a result of their far-flung explorations, many flying enclaves did not come to a rest within the traditional bounds of Netheril. This included Ythryn in the Reghed Glacier, Arongahurr near Yal Tengri, Telarrzhard in the Yehimal Mountains, and Urvraunt on the edge of the Yellow Sea.

Appendix

See Also

• Earthmote