The Summoning by Troy Denning is the first novel in the Return of the Archwizards trilogy.
From beneath the dune seas of Anauroch escapes one of Toril's most powerful and ancient evils—the phaerimm.
From Evereska, the last elven refuge on comes word of invasion.
From nowhere appears a group of enigmatic sorcerers determined to destroy the phaerimm and save Evereska... for purposes known only to themselves.
From the author of Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad, Beyond the High Road, and Death of the Dragon (with Ed Greenwood) comes the most Realms-shaking event since The Threat from the Sea.Summary[]
Galaeron Nihmedu and a party of elven tomb guardians from Evereska, including the wood elf Takari Moonsnow, encounter a group of humans in a tomb beneath the Anauroch. The humans are armed with strange black blades and using a captive eye tyrant to tunnel through the stone. They encounter the Sharn Wall and engage in battle with each other and a phaerimm, which emerges when a clash of spells makes a hole in the barrier. Ultimately, Galaeron escapes with Vala Thorsdotter, the leader of the humans, and Melegaunt Tanthul, a wizard who crossed over from the other side of the barrier.
The captive humans are brought to Evereska. Galaeron points out that they killed no one and stole nothing, and the tomb they breached belonged to the hated House Vyshaan, while Melegaunt insists that they need to send high mages to fix the gap in the barrier. The elders of Evereska send forces to the breach but do not allow Melegaunt to accompany them. The humans stay with Galaeron, his sister Keya, and his father Aubric. Galaeron encourages Takari to return home to her tribe. More and more phaerimm escape as the elves are unable to patch the breach, until Evereska is cut off from contact with the guards and high mages, as well as the rest of the world. Aubric sets off to lead the Blades of Evereska while Galaeron takes the humans to help join the fight, even thought they are technically still prisoners.
Melegaunt teaches Galaeron how to use a new form of magic that the phaerimm are unable to detect or absorb. Together with Vala and her humans, they rescue Kiinyon Colbathin, leader of the Tomb Guard, and Lord Gervas Imesfor, a high mage and father of one of the elves who died under Galeaeron’s command, as well as several wounded tomb guards.
The group separates, with Kiinyon leading Vala’s humans and the wounded elves back to Evereska, Imesfor teleporting to Blackstaff Tower to request aid from Khelben Arunsun, and Galaeron and Vala accompanying Melegaunt to Dekanter. On the way, Vala explains that years ago Melegaunt raised her home, the fortress of Granite Tower, and armed twenty warriors with black blades in exchange for a promise of a future service. The group encounter various creatures in the service of the Phaerimm: bugbears, mind flayers and beholders.
Melegaunt leads the others through Dekanter and into the Greypeak Mountains, where they encounter Malik el Sami.Lord Imesfor recovers from an ilithid attack that had left him unconscious and tells Khelben, Laeral Silverhand, Elminster, and Piergeiron Paladinson about the phaerimm situation. They are suspicious of Melegaunt’s motives and how the Sharn barrier was breached, and speculate that he might be a Netherese survivor, possibly from Shade, a flying city rumored to have survived the Fall of Netheril by teleporting into the Plane of Shadow.
Galaeron’s group saves Aris, a stone giant, from phaerimm-enslaved beholders. They travel to the High Forest, encountering Turlang, who is reluctant to let them pass due to Melegaunt's dark magic but agrees at the mention of Galaeron's mother, Morgwais Nightmeadow. Turlang leads them to Morgwais, who is with Elminster and Takari. Takari joins the group and guides them to the Dire Wood.
Aubric and the surviving Noble Blades meet up with Khelben Arunsun and the forces from Evermeet sent to open a portal for reinforcements to arrive. The portal is opened, but Aubric is killed. Galaeron’s group travels to the ruins of Karse and finds the remains of Karsus. Khelben and the surviving elves arrive at Evereska. When bargaining with Jingleshod, an undead knight who extracted promises from Galaeron’s group, it is revealed that Melegaunt is seeking to return the Netherese city of Shade to the Realms.
Melegaunt brings the Twelve Princes of Shade through into the Realms. Concerned that Elminster will prevent the return of Shade, six of the princes go to Shadowdale to lure him out. When Elminster and Storm Silverhand battle them, Storm’s silver fire connects with one, ripping open a portal to the Nine Hells, which Elminster enters to prevent devils from overrunning Shadowdale.
Melegaunt is slain in battle with a lich, and makes Galearon promise to let the princes bring back Shade. However, the phaerimm attack and Galaeron is forced to bring the city back himself.
This novel is an excellent opening to the Realms-shattering events that the trilogy is mainly about. It features heroes old and new, villains so powerful and mysterious that even require the combined forces of the Chosen, including Elminster himself (though his part in the series is very much limited). While a reader new to the Realms can still manage to understand the scope and intricacies of this book, as there are allusions to several character background, he/she is advised to read first at least all the books in the Netheril Trilogy, which provides a good background story of the this book's arch-villains.
Index[]
Characters[]
- Angharad Odaeyns • Aragath • Aris • Aubric Nihmedu • Bladuid • Burlen • Dexon • Dynod • Ehamond • Elminster Aumar • Erlan Duirsar • Fuorn • Galaeron Nihmedu • Gervas Imesfor • Gvendor • Kanabar • Khelben Arunsun • Kelda (horse) • Keya Nihmedu • Kiinyon Colbathin • Kuhl • Laeral Silverhand • Laerm Ryence • Louenghris Imesfor • Malik el Sami • Manynests • Melegaunt Tanthul • Morgwais Nightmeadow • Naneatha Suaril • Nimieye • Orem Arvaeyn • Piergeiron Paladinson • Pleufan Trueshot • Ransford • Raven (horse) • Shantar • Shatevar • Sterad • Takari Moonsnow • Tha • Turlang • Vala Thorsdotter • Wulgreth • Zay • Zharilee
- Referenced only
- Amlaruil Moonflower • Arun Maerdrym • Bodvar • Corellon Larethian • Cyric • Hanali Celanil • Karsus • Mystra • Mystryl • Ruha • Sheldon Thorsdotter • Shimmergloom • King Sileron
Creatures[]
- beholder • boulder hawk • bugbear • giant eagle • gold elf • hippogriff • horse • illithid • lich • moon elf • phaerimm • shadator • snow finch • sorcerer • stone giant • treant • wood elf
- Referenced only
- Dekanter goblin • shadow dragon
Locations[]
- Buildings & Sites
- Blackstaff Tower • Dekanter • Hall of the High Hunt • Secret Gate • Sharn Wall • Singing Spring of Solonor Thelandira • Starmeadow Tower
- Wilderness
- Anauroch • Bellcrest Hill • Cloudcrown Hill • Dawnsglory Pond • Dire Wood • Eastpeak • Forest of Wyrms • Forgotten Forest • Forsaken Dale • Goldmorn Knoll • Greypeaks • Heartblood River • High Forest • Lonely Moor • Moondark Hill • Shadowdeep • Sharaedim • Thousand Faces • Three Sisters • Upper Vale • Vine Vale • Winding River
- Referenced only
- Aryvandaar • Bleached Bones Pass • Carceri • Cormanthor • Cormyr • Dawn Pass • Delimbiyr River • Delimbiyr Vale • Evermeet • Far Forest • Floating Gardens of Aerdie Faenya • Granite Tower • Greycloak Hills • Groaning Cave • Halfway Inn • High Gap • High Moor • House of the Moon • Marsh of Chelimber • Mithril Hall • Myth Drannor • Saga Caves • Serpent's Tail • Siluvanede • Tower Higher than Eastpeak • Underdark
Organizations[]
- Army of Evereska • Feather Cavalry • Hill Elders • House Vyshaan • Tomb Guard • Spellguard • Swift Cavalry of Evermeet • Swords of Evereska • Vale Guard
- Harpers • House Maerdrym • Zhentarim
Miscellaneous[]
- darksword • elquesstria • fireweed • The Fringe • Honor Chair • mythal • Prayer for the Dying • Reverie • riys melon • Rule of Saving • shadowstorm seed • The Shifting • Silver fire • sycamore • theurglass • Weave
- Referenced only
Appendix[]
Further Reading[]
- Troy Denning (March 2001). “Rogues Gallery: Heroes of the Summoning”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #281 (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 79–83.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Troy Denning (March 2001). The Summoning. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 1. ISBN 978-0-7869-1801-0.
- ↑ Troy Denning (March 2001). The Summoning. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 329. ISBN 978-0-7869-1801-0.