LYCO`s DARK VAULT

Update

OP is currently on a road trip with ugly Karsus(s)

I`m very happy to share some of my *very personal* thoughts on him! Karsus can be a very interesting choice for a patron, because although he is a higher power, his current life might be 1000 times more miserable and hellish than his warlocks lol

🔺Karsus`s characteristics

For starters I will go for words like: shattered, tortured, madness. Karsus was a proud and enthusiastic mage who shined brightly among his colleagues, until he disastroulsly failed. Having never faced any setbacks before that point, you could say Karsus was somewhat naive with a sense of omnipotence. And when that blind confidence was shattered, I don`t think he was able to pick himself up very soon (if ever). The guy was all over the place. Canon lore rarely showed Karsus speaking in his current status, I tend to think that his soul is so broken, that forming any intelligible sentence is hard.

🔺Vestige and Binder

Karsus after the folly became a vestige, which is a being stuck between the cycle of life and death, the time they have spent in this senseless void will inevitably let them descend into madness. In 3R, an individual who forms a pact with a vestige is called a binder (FYI binder will be introduced in 5R as a warlock subclass in the upcoming supplement Arcana Unleashed). The only way a vestige can influence the reality, is through sharing part of its soul (how deep...) with the binder.

"Since vestiges constantly hunger for any small taste of reality, they always answer the call of any binders powerful enough to draw them forth from the void."

This creates an interesting dynamic between a vestige and the warlock: Unlike many other powerful patrons among the realms, a vestige really *needs* the player. They are more like a pair of broken souls on a bumpy trip.

🔺The aspect of body horror

Karsus`s image after his death was kind of gory. He literally swelled and turned into a rock upon death. His gigantic heart beat heavily inside the remain, cultist worshippers of the momentum god would chant in sync with this endless beating. Karsus`s binder would bleed nonstop from even the slightest wound, and his manifestation as a vestige is a red boulder than burbles blood when it speaks. I think a living piece of flesh as his manifestation can also be cool.

So, Karsus, wallowed in shame, a hollow shell of his former self, unable to gather enough consciousness to make coherent actions. He binds with warlocks out of the instinctive desire to walk on faerun again. It is ironic to see him like this, while people across Faerun are fighting tooth and nail using his legacy, and the story of his might and folly still spreads across the land.

🔺Sources

My take on Karsus can be shitty, because I irrationally like this guy and my brain had melted away through time. In that case here are some materials I referenced:

Tome of Magic 3.5E

Power，Pantheons

Dungeon #159

Legacy of the green Regent

Return of the Archwizard: The summoning

these five more or less includes some lore on Karsus as a patron(or as a worhipped"deity").

The Chosen

thank you!

Yea...i think hes really ...hot? ....the inconsistency of this character is hot. like on one hand he could be immature and passionate, but at the same time he was also cruel, extremely calculating and was fully capable of involving in the complicated politics between the enclaves. Not to mention his Str19. Like wtf, a muscled wizard..?! He lived too long and was too smart, so he simply learned everything, that`s a inhumane aspect of him I like.

currently no.

Randomly dumping some Space Marine

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.

———————————————————

🔺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)