LYCO`s DARK VAULT

An ongoing research on Netherease (Karsus?!) lore

I made this sheet to record all the supplements I have came by that contains fair amount of Netherease lore for my amusement. Below I will list the name of each material and briefly comment on their Netheril-related content. Probable future updates.

To be noticed:

-I haven`t finish all of them yet, namely the Thultanthar novels, and my comments are heavily personalised (mostly for fun) they might not be 100% accurate.

-I`m a dedicated Karsus cultist so his lore is the most gathered. Sorry. Also the list is lacking 4e and 5e materials I guess.

-instead of putting the most known (Netheril: empire of Magic) in front, I will do the list in a timely order. so we can see how the settings are developed through editions.

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🔺Enchanted Wood (1981)

This is technically not realms lore but it is where Karsus`s character originated. He was decribed to be a heroic godling who failed to save his people from montrous enemy, and thus heart broken to death. (and aparrently his avatar was a *naked* man with long white hair and *muscular* build)

#Karsus #Wulgreth

🔺Savage Frontier （1988）

This is where the author of Enchanted Wood, Jennel Jaquays merged some of her stories into the realms lore. Karsus was decribed as an ancient Netherease deity, this setting was used until the Arcane Age supplements came out.

#karsus #Wulgreth #General Lore

🔺Anauroch (1991)

Rhaugilath the Ageless made an insightful Opening Remark for this book, this is interesting because it makes him one of the earliest named Netherease Arcanists. The book provided a view of Netheril before any of the flying enclaves or Karsus`s folly became canon.

#Rhaugilath #Phaerimm #General Lore

🔺Polyhedron #104 (1995)

A short article on Karsus`s deity status and stats by Eric L Boyd, based on former works. During this time Karsus was the one who got killed and stolen power from. (I am aware of he and Wulgreth were always killing each other)

#Karsus #Wulgreth

🔺Netheril: Empire of magic (1996)

The Go-to book for Netherease lore.

#General Lore

🔺Powers, Pantherons (1997)

the only supplement that included Karsus as a demipower god(dead). Sorry Karsus!

#Karsus #Jergal

🔺How the mighty are fallen (1996)

A campaign set that is based on the supplement boxset, evolved around the last few days of Netheril. quote:

“Karsus is really a frail yet shockingly beautiful woman disguised to look like a man in order to appear fearsome.”

WHAT DOES THIS EVEN MEAN?!! GO CHECK OUT.

#Karsus #Delia #Yeoman Loft #General Lore

🔺Netheril Trilogy (1996)

The main story line developed aroung Sunbright Steelshanks, a babarian, witnessing the rise and fall of Netheril, but we all know that we are here for the flying enclaves. Karsus`s character was shitty and toxically impressive at the same time.

#Karsus #Wulgreth #Delia #Polaris #Ioulaum #General Lore

🔺Realms of Arcane (1997)

Includes two short story on Netheril. When even the sky cities fall: Two Rival flying enclaves were brought down by some phaerimms. The Lady and the Shadow: Shadow meeting his future wife Alashar, an assasin sent to kill him, and the two decided to form alliance.

#Telamont #phaerimm #General Lore

🔺Temptation of Elminster (1999)

second half of the book has some detailed description on one of Karsus`s keeps. Shows a few spells that Karsus owned.

#Karsus

🔺Lords of Darkness (2001)

detailed introduction to the returned Thultanthar and the shades, as well as a section on Larloch.

#Telamont #Thultanthar #Larloch

🔺Return of the Archwizard Trilogy (2001)

(haven`t finished yet) How Thultanthar was summoned back to the material plane and immediately began to piss off everyone. Have some lore on Dire wood, karse and Karsus`s current status.

#Telamont #Thultanthar #Karsus #Wulgreth

🔺Realms of the Shadow (2002)

anthology series. Contain a set of stories on Thultanthar and the Shadow weave. In this book: Shadow got assasinated (again), Andoris Derathar of Eileanar judged some cases, Thultanthar fled to shadowfell before the fall.

#Telamont #Eileanar

🔺Neverwinter`s Night: Shadow of Undrentide（2003）

A well designed story line that led player though the snow covering landscape of Nether Mountains, the vast desert of Anauroch and finally the enchanted ruin of Undrentide. Plus, you can save a fragment of Karsus from his misery.

#Undrentide #Jergal #Karsus #General Lore

🔺Legacy of the green Regent (2003)

a set of campaign produced by RPGA, among them, The Ruins of Karse, Key to Phantoms' Cloister and Secret of Phantoms' Cloister evolved around Karse and the cult of Karsus. However, the third one was never released (lost media?!)

#Karsus

🔺Realms of the Dragons (2004)

One short story on an archwizard from Delia encountering phaerimm, and how he got out of the situation by polymorphing into a dragon. (Targus helped him)

#Delia #phaerimm

🔺Lost empires of Faerun (2005)

It includes a bit more lore on several arcanist individuals, low Netheril geography and colonies, and interactions of Netheril with other civilizations such as Delzoun.

#General Lore #Ioulaum #Rhaugilath

🔺Tome of Magic (2006)

Stats and decription of Karsus and Amaunator as vestiges (they hated each other) , also includes a new race called Karsite, which Aparrently are Karsus`s descendants.

#Karsus #Amaunator

🔺Twilight war Series (2006)

(haven`t read) but they`re about the Thultanthar-Sembia war I think. and Thultanthar raised an ancient flying enclave I think. And a lot of stuff about Rivalen and the princes of Shade I think. Sorry.

#Thultanthar

🔺Anauroch: Empire of Shade (2007)

(haven`t finished) last adventure of a three part campaign. they all have some sort of connection to the shade people.

#Thultanthar

🔺Dungeon #159 (2008)

A short campaign: Menance of the Icy Spire, It has something to do with a warlock of Karsus.

#Karsus

🔺Realms of war (2008)

Anthology theories, one of the three parts are shadovar related.

#Thultanthar

🔺Dungeon #170 （2009）

Short Campaign: Monuments of the Ancients. Its background setting is ancient Netheril`s Seven sigils war, a war between a league of Archwizards and Outer Plane creatures when the arcanists tried to invade the Outer Plane and dig up some dead gods. The consequence of this war is letting a primordial, Maram of the Great Spear, one of the seven lost gods escaped to toril. (they`re the one who got dealt with later by the Dead Three)

#seven sigils war

🔺The Herald (2014)

Everybody fighting off everybody at Myth Drannor. Telamont being almost miserable in this book: too old to walk straight and has Larloch-Phobia. quote:

"Goddess," the ruler of the Shadovar mumbled miserably, "I`m afraid of Larloch."

#Thultanthar #Telamont #Larloch

🔺Lord of the end of everything (2021)

a supplement wrote by Eric L Boyd, talking about the seven sigils war and the ascension of Jergal. He and Ed`s version of story is basically saying that Jergal was manipulating Netheril from the beginning, by casting Karsus`s avatar it was Jergal who will actually reach godhood. The supplement also have some lore on the connection between the Dead Three and Netheril. (to be noticed, there are two versions of this supplement)

#seven sigils war #Jergal #Karsus #Bhaal #Telamont #Ioulaum #Arthindol

🔺Netheril`s fall (2025)

a dissapointing supplement with nothing new lore-wise. But better than nothing. And cool arts.

#Eileanar #General Lore

🔺Return of Larloch Trilogy (first part) （2026）

Written by Ed himself， Larloch was banished from the Material plane by Srinshee since Thultanthar`s doom. This Trilogy was said to be about how he making plans to come back and haunt more people. (it is currently available on DMG)

Arcanist dump

So these stupid pictures are made in a span of a few months... Other than that I don`t know what to say. I hope someday ppl will find this when they finish an expansion book or novel and want to sip on certain characters, maybe ( in 500 years)

Reckless approach

"No!" bellowed Candlemas.

But Karsus raised both hands and gabbled fractions of spells, until suddenly a green-white bolt was crackling between his fingertips. With a laugh, he flung the bolt at the magic drenched star.

Candlemas dived under the heaviest table. Not that it would do much good. The whole top of the inverted mountain would probably explode, reducing him and Karsus and Aquesita alike to floating dust.”

Prodigy

“Lady's Temple was built in the shape of a four-pointed star, each chamber opening into radiating corridors. We passed through arches by arches into the lesser halls, where students and servants lived, in the courtyard lay a parterre forever wet with dew.

I wish I could say Karsus left a unique impression upon me, but he did not. The empire held many gifted youth: arrogant, restless, pretending to be socially awkward, He lived alone in the tower above and rarely came down to join the others.

When the yellow god cast his afternoon glory through the windows, The young arcanist was working on some unnamed spell — perhaps one that would never bear a name at all. Karsus gestured his hand as he spoke the incantation, his voice carrying a weight that was not presented in his usual demeanor. With a slight click, arcane energy surged through the chamber. In the depth of an opened phase door, image of the distant valley shimmered. a bloom of fire rose into the sky, muffled sound of explosion rolled down the hill.

The audience erupted into applause. Many had come for no reason other than to witness the prodigy; in an empire three thousand years old, boredom and curiosity were common among people. The young wizard folded his hands with satisfaction, savoring the trembling aftershock within the Weave while burning debris still tumbled from the distant hillside.

Karsus would almost certainly become an Archwizard. A chill passed through me. I felt something unseen swelling— over the walls and columns, over the temple roofs, reaching toward heights perhaps even the floating cities of Netheril could not touch. Beneath that tranquil afternoon, what I felt most deeply was dread.”

Can you see what I see

“Worry not! Eileanar shall show them the beauty we visioned, and the joy we have known. In time, all shall follow us and our enclave.”

My self belike⬆️

Karsus in his younger days

Still crunching that same piece, and Karsus doodles got piled up to a massive amount

Screenshot redraw from Gladiator(2000)

Shadow age Netherease fashion trend

Archmage General

“Karsus had arrived this morning in his latest finery. instead of his usual ratty robe, he wore a blue-green tunic with a bold K emblazoned on the breast. The military cut sported a high, embroidered collar and stiff jutting wings at the shoulders. A jeweled baldric hung from one shoulder and banded his waist, and a silver sword with a tiger head pommel rattled at his side. On his head was a helmet of boiled leather, so laden with silver and gold wire it kept tipping over the mage’s wild golden eyes. Add to that his frazzled hair sticking out from under it, and that his neck and bare feet were still filthy, and the effect was ludicrous, as if the village idiot had stumbled into a chest of old uniforms.”