To adventure in ancient Netheril is to walk into an empire of boundless magic and tyrannical cruelty. Netheril is a unique magical society, existing in a different era of the Forgotten Realms. Should your adventures take place just before Netheril's fall, your players will experience the Forgotten Realms' most arrogant civilization moments before its spectacular end.
This chapter provides guidance on setting your game in Netheril and details two ancient Netherese cities: x, a flying city of magical opulence, and x, where the conflicts between High and Low Netheril are on full display.
Adventuring in the Past
The moment they step into ancient Netheril, characters from the present day should notice the trappings of a different time.
Abundant Magic
Magic is everywhere in Netheril, with constant spellcasting, abundant magical effects, and magic items a common part of everyday life. Everywhere characters go, they see evidence of this rampant magic use. Mages might fly about the streets; household objects might be animated, busily handling chores; and public art might be suspended in the air, capturing the intersection of beauty and magic.
The expression of magic varies widely depending on where characters roam in ancient Netheril. In a flying city, magic is on opulent, wanton display. On the ground, magic is still everywhere, but it's clear only High Netherese mages wield and benefit from it.
Netherese Pets
Netherese mages use magic to create fantastical pets, which are in abundance throughout the empire. Strange, chimeric pets are common, such as winged hares, venomous baboons, or feathered mastiffs. Sometimes these pets find their way to Low Netherese households, though whether their High Netherese creators bother to retrieve them is down to the individual mage.
Fashion and Aesthetics
Both High and Low Netherese individuals favor loose, flowing attire such as togas, robes, cloaks, and sashes. They often adorn their heads with shawls, headbands, veils, or wreaths.
High Netherese Fashion
Members of the upper class tend to flaunt their wealth and dress to impress. High Netherese drape themselves in silk, satin, or linen, all in bright, rich colors. They accessorize with extravagant fur, feathers, and expensive leather. Their jewelry often incorporates magic, with circlets, rings, necklaces, and fastenings sporting heatless flames, unmelting ice, or pure light.
Low Netherese Fashion
Low Netherese individuals typically wear rough, homespun tunics; heavy woolen cloaks; and thick rope sandals or cloth boots. Their fabrics are rarely dyed, though when they are, earth tones dominate. Adornments such as earrings, pendants, armbands, and belts are typically made of knotted rope or carved from wood or stone.
Language
The common language in Netheril is Netherese, which appears on the Standard Languages of Faerûn table in Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn
Presence of Time Travelers
Should the characters be revealed as time travelers, Netherese might be less surprised than the characters assume. Magical travel of all kinds is pervasive among Netheril's mages, so most Netherese would accept time travel as another form of magical experimentation. Reactions are likely to range from polite interest or intellectual curiosity among High Netherese to grudging acceptance or wary suspicion among Low Netherese.
The dangers of the characters being discovered as time travelers depend on the reaction of greedy Netherese mages, who might want to take control of time travel for their own purposes. Alternatively, a desperate Low Netherese servant might want to steal the characters' means of travel to escape from servitude or coming disaster.
Netherese Sensibilities
The Netherese people, whether they're mages or not, tend to share similar cultural viewpoints. Understanding these views can help you roleplay Netherese NPCs.
Netherese individuals typically express the following common assumptions:
Eileanar
Eileanar, also known as Karsus's Enclave or simply Karsus (after its founder and ruler), was a flying city and the crown jewel of High Netherese learning, culture, and magic. The following sections assume the characters visit Eileanar near the end of Netheril's Shadowed Age, though you should adjust descriptions as necessary if the characters visit the city earlier.
Eileanar Overview
Eileanar is ruled with absolute authority by Karsus, one of the most powerful mages in Netherese history. Karsus established Eileanar near the beginning of the Shadowed Age, and at first the mage was an attentive ruler. However, near the age's end, Karsus became increasingly absent from governance. The mage spent weeks at a time locked in his sanctum while pursuing the creation of a spell to grant himself the power of a deity. Karsus was convinced that, with this spell, he would save Netheril. While Karsus pursued his obsession, law and order deteriorated across the city.
Two Mythallars
Two mythallars are placed in Karsus's x in the Grand Jewel district. These mythallars, which are crystalline orbs that are 150 feet in diameter, keep the city airborne and fuel its magical luxuries.
City Government
Though the word of Karsus is the final law in all matters, Arcanist Andoris Derathar (Medium, Lawful Neutral Mage) has implemented her own brand of justice during Karsus's preoccupation. Derathar is a human who commands the city's watch and favors violence and hasty tribunals. Troublemakers who avoid on-the-spot execution are sentenced to combat in the x, labor in the Hidden Quarter district, or hard labor in the mines of x. (See later in this chapter for details on these locations.)
Transportation
Magical conveyance is the norm in Eileanar. Within the city, Tenser's Floating Disk spells and flying steeds are commonplace, as are enchanted chariots and walkways that gleam with magical light.
News and Entertainment
Eileanar is famous for the speed at which information travels, passing through society's grand manors, magically projected proclamations in public plazas, and the whispers of Low Netherese servants. Scandal is one of Eileanar's favorite forms of entertainment. Another is watching outrageous clashes at the Coliseum of Karsus, where pure spectacle delights even the most jaded mages.
Supply and Demand
Every day, food and goods are magically transported from Low Netheril into Eileanar's Hidden Quarter district, where servants prepare and transport the items to the homes, institutions, and businesses of the upper class. At dusk, any waste is disposed of by magic or, more commonly, dumped off the flying city, to the dismay of those below.
Education
Eileanar boasts several of the greatest schools in all the empire, including the Last Academies in the Inner Ring district (detailed in "x").
Religion
Scattered shrines dot Eileanar. The Netherese pay grudging respect to a few members of the Faerûnian pantheon, though they know some gods by different names. The Netherese commonly worship Amaunator, god of the sun; Chauntea (known as Jannath), god of agriculture; Talos (known as Kozah), god of storms; Mystra (called Mystryl in her previous incarnation), god of magic; Selûne, god of the moon; Shar, god of darkness and loss; and the god of fortune the Netherese know as Tyche, who eventually split into the gods known in the present day as Beshaba, god of misfortune, and Tymora, god of good fortune.
Priests and holy folk aren't respected in this enclave, and they're typically called upon only on certain ritual days for propriety's sake.
Eileanar Districts
Eileanar is built on the inverted underside of a sheared-off mountain peak. It is divided into five districts.
Brief descriptions of Eileanar's districts are as follows:
Eileanar Locations
The locations detailed here are among some of Eileanar's most famous landmarks. Use these locations when setting adventures in the city.
Eileanar is shown on 1.
Arcane Acropolis
The Arcane Acropolis is Karsus's home, sanctum, and ruling palace. It is designed to awe and intimidate, to showcase his mastery of magic and serve his every whim as he develops ever more powerful spells.
At any given time, several human Mages, Mage Apprentices, and even Archmages (second in power to Karsus, of course) of all alignments can be found within the Acropolis's white marble walls. Inhabitants also include various magen (6) and summoned monsters, including Elementals and Celestials.
In the acropolis, gravity and time are shaped at Karsus's pleasure. Various areas have altered gravity or no gravity, as well as places where time is slowed or sped up. A gallery of levitating statues portrays the empire's greatest minds, with the floating image of Karsus largest and foremost of all. In the center of the acropolis stands Karsus's Sanctum, a pillared pavilion that looks out over the city.
Reasons to Visit
Adventurers might visit the acropolis for one of the following reasons:
Coliseum of Karsus
Surrounded by market tents and drinking halls on the Outer Platform, the Coliseum of Karsus is the hub of entertainment in Eileanar. Here, droves of High Netherese can exchange a half-dozen coins for alcohol, a hot meal, and a seat from which to witness violent battles to the death. High Pitmaster Alaina Ioum (Medium, Lawful Neutral Mage), a stern elf, oversees the coliseum's operations and approves all combatants bound for the arena. The pitmaster is constantly seeking new and creative contest rules for the coliseum battles, and she often awards prizes to those whose ideas net the most spectators.
Reasons to Visit
Adventurers might visit the Coliseum of Karsus for one of the following reasons:
Court of Fountains
One of the city's rare places meant solely for rest and reflection, the Court of Fountains is also Eileanar's most beautiful locale. The elf Aurivyl (Medium, Neutral Good Archpriest), a descendant of the Eaerlanni elves who taught the Netherese magic, is in charge here. Aurivyl ministers to the spiritual needs of all who enter the court. Wise and measured, she is the sole respected practitioner of divine magic in Eileanar and is in high demand for her wisdom, her healing magic, and her insight into the ways of the gods. Aurivyl worships Mystryl, god of magic, though followers of any or no god are welcome here.
Consulting with Aurivyl is free, but the court's other accommodations are expensive. The court is renowned for its graceful accommodations, healing pools of magical water, elegant dining rooms, tasteful salons, and striking gardens. Paths and bridges spiral and swirl everywhere. Some groves have no gravity, and visitors are encouraged to float among the beauty and reflect upon their lives.
Reasons to Visit
Adventurers might visit the Court of Fountains for one of the following reasons:
Last Academies
The Last Academies, a collection of rival institutions, are named as such because once you finish here, there's nowhere else to learn. Each institution claims to be second to none. All the institutions are linked via permanent magical portals, which in turn link to other facilities on other flying cities.
Six famed institutions claim primacy here: the Academy of Mentalist Study, the Alchemical Seminary, the House of Ancient Scrolls, the Library of Netheril, the Shadow Consortium, and the University of Definitive Archwizardry. The head of top-level administration of the Last Academies is Karyne Xalroum (Medium, Lawful Neutral Archmage), a no-nonsense human who often delegates her duties to a host of human Mages of all alignments.
Despite their intellectual offerings, the Last Academies are dangerous places full of unstable magic and unchecked egos. Here, wild experiments cause frequent chaos and destruction, covered up by administrations that know no higher calling than pure knowledge and academic glory.
Reasons to Visit
Adventurers might visit the Last Academies for one of the following reasons:
Mythomian Warehouse
Kept magically cold, the Mythomian Warehouse in the Hidden Quarter is Eileanar's main clearing house for incoming goods and supplies. Fresh produce and frozen meats are kept here, as well as luxuries and spell materials best preserved in the cold. Low Netherese human Commoners and summoned Ice Mephits move frozen goods, while trained Winter Wolves patrol the grounds against would-be thieves and intruders.
Despite the warehouse's outward organization, rebellion simmers here. A human named Edrion Volaris (Medium, Chaotic Good Spy) is the High Netherese warehouse owner. Secretly, under the alias Liberax Volt, he is also the leader of the Free Warriors, an underground network dedicated to overthrowing the corrupt magocracy. Passionate and intelligent, Volaris hates the corruption that pervades the city. Volaris believes High Netherese treat Low Netherese abominably. From the warehouse, Volaris orchestrates strike missions to remove the wickedest mages from power and help the oppressed.
Reasons to Visit
Adventurers might visit the warehouse for one of the following reasons:
Watch Presidium
The Watch Presidium has three identical branches from which the city's watch operates. Each branch includes several human Guards and Mages of various alignments who use permanent magical portals to move seamlessly between all three locations.
The branches are under the purview of Arcanist Andoris Derathar (see "x"), who presides over law enforcement. The Presidium has only a few prison cells, primarily for temporarily holding the accused before they are sentenced to labor or sent to fight at the Coliseum.
Reasons to Visit
Adventurers might visit the Watch Presidium for one of the following reasons:
Way of Astonishments
Curving along the Outer Platform, the Way of Astonishments is closed to traffic, allowing patrons to freely wander and peruse the staggering array of magical shops and businesses here competing for attention and coin. High Netherese often bring their Caldron Magen (6) bodyguards to this busy area, since pickpocketing is rife.
Businesses include the following:
Dundaden's Arcane Smithy, for armor made more of magic than metal
The Forge of Fargate, for magical transportation that leads anywhere one wishes
Ioulaum Industries, for schematics and rare magical materials
QM III, for magic items curated by the famous human Parzal the Outrageous (Medium, Lawful Neutral Archmage)
Rualadeen, for enchanted weapons
Reasons to Visit
Adventurers might visit the Way of Astonishments for one of the following reasons:
Conch
Built along the river that shares its name, Conch was originally a quiet backwater in Low Netheril, where miners and trappers supported the empire. But the mines became lucrative, the riverway attracted crime, and the ruling mages grew greedy. Life in Conch can be difficult for the lower class, though it's luxurious for the ruling mages.
The following sections assume the characters visit Conch near the end of Netheril's Shadowed Age; you should adjust descriptions as necessary if the characters visit the city earlier.
Conch Overview
The dominant industry in Conch is mining. Conch's mines are sprawling, dangerous, and worked by both locals and prisoners from across the empire. Beyond the mines, Conch exists in a constant tug-of-war between the interests of the ruling mages and the underhanded influence of river smugglers, who deal in all manner of illicit goods and are based in the city. Most residents do their best to work their menial jobs, feed their families, and avoid the attention of anyone with power.
Government
The city is nominally ruled by the High Council of Conch, a rotating group of powerful mages. The council keeps tenuous order by staying on the good side of river smugglers. Nenek Tril (Chaotic Evil Lizardfolk Sovereign), a powerful smuggler boss, has murdered more than one council mage who has asked too many questions about goods that go missing along the river.
Low Netherese Labor
While mages and smugglers jockey for control, Low Netherese work the land and water. These laborers serve as workers and supervisors in the upper mines alongside criminals sentenced to hard labor, hunt and trap in the nearby Myconid Forest, and farm the rocky soil and fish the Conch River. Come nightfall, Low Netherese gather to eat, drink, sing, and talk in their tight-knit communities, enjoying a few short hours together before the sun rises again.
Stone Walls
Conch huddles behind gray stone walls along the river. The massive walls are fortified with magical armaments.
Unrest
The uneasy balance of mages, Low Netherese laborers, and smuggling gangs has fended off threats to Conch's survival for decades. But recently, phaerimm attacks on the city's outskirts have become concerning. Similarly, incidents of Low Netherese resistance against the ruling mages have increased in recent years, with laborers demanding better pay and conditions in the mines. So far, the mages have ignored the laborers.
City Sections
Conch is built around the river, which flows eastward from the Columns of the Sky mountains. It is surrounded by heavy fortifications and divided into three main sections.
Brief descriptions of Conch's sections are presented below:
Conch Locations
The locations detailed here are vital to everyday life in Conch. Use these locations when setting adventures in the city.
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Dockmarket
The Dockmarket is Conch's commercial hub. Crowded by waves of migrants fleeing the growing wasteland beyond the city, these booths are full of people seeking work or offering goods and services.
Smugglers' agents weave through the crowd picking pockets, making deals, and roughing up anyone who challenges them. Near the center of the marketplace, a whitewashed wooden wall towers over the heads of the crowd. Citizens of Conch scrawl offers of merchandise, requests for hired aid, and messages with hidden meanings across the wall. The talkative whitewasher Gemby Gray (Lizardfolk Sovereign) is an invaluable source of information here, as those who leave messages on the wall often share more context with the disarming woman, though it's unclear where Gemby's true loyalties lie.
Reasons to Visit
Adventurers might visit the Dockmarket for one of the following reasons:
High Netherese Palace
Tucked safely inside the High Netherese Enclave is the High Netherese Palace, a gilded, garish structure. The richest mages live in this palace, while less-wealthy mages live in the enclave's relatively paltry abodes.
High Netherese who dwell in the enclave are rarely seen in the city's streets, leaving their enchanted complex only on winged steeds or via teleportation. The mages consider it gauche to speak of the city's other inhabitants. Particularly cruel toward the lower class is the human aristocrat Velma Vatoum (Medium, Neutral Evil Archmage), niece of the Imperial Minehold's governor. Velma's fabulous collection of jewelry is made from gems the governor steals from the mine. Velma is a willing participant in this scheme and finds it all great fun.
Reasons to Visit
Adventurers might visit the High Netherese Enclave for one of the following reasons:
House of Wine and Vinegar
The House of Wine and Vinegar is a hospital and drinking hall adjacent to Conch's mines. Its proprietor, the human Low Netherese witch Cyrleine-of-the-Pond (Medium, Neutral Good Archpriest), has dedicated the facility to the miners and makes it known that mages are unwelcome here. Cyrleine worships Chauntea—known to the Netherese as Jannath, god of agriculture—though Cyrleine welcomes anyone who dislikes the ruling mages' authority.
Kind and dedicated, Cyrleine heals the injured with her Staff of Healing and ferments spiced wine that's famous throughout the city. She works closely with the friendly gnome Tacinbok (Small, Chaotic Good Commoner), a gifted inventor who wears a prosthetic leg. Tacinbok is famous for making high-quality prosthetics, which she often gives to injured laborers.
The house's barkeeps are married elves named Jorn and Sorfin Arborwend (Medium, Neutral Good Commoners), who are fabulous storytellers. The men pass along traditional fables and tales of local history to the children of miners who congregate here, encouraging the children to take pride in their Low Netherese families' resilience and rich culture.
Reasons to Visit
Adventurers might visit the House of Wine and Vinegar for one of the following reasons:
Imperial Minehold
The Imperial Minehold is the fortress for enforcers who uphold the mines' harsh productivity quotas. The Minehold has a fortified door and needle-thin windows to allow in trace amounts of light. Beyond its practical use, the Minehold is a show of strength, authority, and the empire's unyielding power.
The High Council of Conch meets in the Minehold, which overlooks the river and the city's teeming quarries. The Minehold's governor is also a High Council member: Arcanist Heldreth Mavilen (Medium, Lawful Neutral Noble Prodigy), a cruel human who has refused all recent requests from migrants for shelter in the Minehold's cavernous interior. She insists that the space is needed for ore refinement, though the mines' production has dwindled since the recent troubles began. Secretly, the governor steals choice gems from Conch's mines and gifts them to her niece, Velma Vatoum, who then commissions and shows off grand jewelry at high society balls in the High Netherese Enclave.
Reasons to Visit
Adventurers might visit the Imperial Minehold for one of the following reasons:
Break In or Break Out. The Minehold is a prison and a storehouse of imperial wealth. Adventurers might seek to break into the Minehold to loot or liberate. If the adventurers are captured, escaping from the Minehold might be their first step to freedom.
Mines
Conch's mines produce stone, gems, and ore. Designed for productivity with no regard for miners, the mines punish wrongdoers and remind laborers that the empire is mighty and unmerciful.
The mines have three levels. Outside, the cliff quarry is veined with rickety scaffolding built from wood and rope. Inside, the upper mines are crowded and hot. Deeper still, tunnels and vents lead into the dangerous heart of the mines.
The mines are worked by prisoners and poor Low Netherese, who might also be supervisors or captains. Some are cruel, while others, like the human Grifud Romerus (Medium, Lawful Good Tough Boss), hope to provide relief to those under their command. Grifud is known for small acts of kindness such as carrying food and drinks for the miners, granting occasional breaks, and supporting the workers' demands for better pay and conditions.
Reasons to Visit
Adventurers might visit the mines for one of the following reasons:
Public Baths
The public baths were built in a bygone era when High Netheril hoped to deal justly with its subjects in Conch. But when the battle lines between mages, laborers, and smugglers were drawn, this Riverside institution fell into disrepair and disrepute. High Netherese no longer wished to spend money on an amenity for people they came to see as enemies. The baths now serve as headquarters for Conch's smuggling operations and are crawling with criminals.
Rooms of swirling steam fed by natural vents provide the perfect setting for smugglers to speak unobserved. Smuggler bosses frequent the baths, though perhaps no one is as regular a visitor as the smuggler boss Nenek Tril (see "x" above). Here, Tril hears rumors of High Netherese causing problems for smuggling operations, and she arranges to have these mages eliminated.
Reasons to Visit
Adventurers might visit the public baths for one of the following reasons:
Trapper's Supplies and Stables
The stables and the nearby supply warehouse for forest-bound trappers are institutions. Here, adventuring gear and steeds can be rented or purchased, provisioning all heading into the wilds outside the city.
The stables are low on horses at present; most have been cleared out to make room for refugees from the encroaching wasteland. The establishment's orc proprietor (Medium, Neutral Good Commoner) is known only as Father. Father rarely speaks, but the fact that he opened up his yard and stables to migrants speaks volumes for his good heart and compassion for the needy.
Reasons to Visit
Adventurers might visit Trapper's Supply and Stables for one of the following reasons: