Netheril

Netheril was an ancient, magocratic human empire of Faerûn, whose influence was felt across the Realms for thousands of years. The Netherese people lived in a strict hierarchy for hundreds of years, split into the nobles of High Netheril, living in flying enclaves miles above Toril, and the commoners of Low Netheril settled in demesnes on the coast of the Narrow Sea. During its glory years before Dale Reckoning, the Empire of Magic would spread across a great stretch of Faerûn.

The empire was the pinnacle of human civilization during the first half of the Age of Humanity. Although they had humble roots as mere fishermen and farmers, the Netherese were introduced to the Art by the elves of Eaerlann, and came to harness this arcane power in ways that would shape Toril for generations. Over the next thousand years they discovered the long lost Nether Scrolls, developed the creation and use of mythallars and created the first of their flying cities, Xinlenal.[2] The arrogance of Netheril grew to the point where they attempted to attain the divinity of magic, and wound up destroying the Weave. In the resulting maelstrom, the Faerûnian pantheon was altered and most of the flying cities of Netheril came crashing to the earth.

High Netheril was ruined in a matter of hours, while Low Netheril experienced a long, agonizing decline by the aberrant Phaerimm. The enclave of Thultanthar was transported to the Shadowfell, where it remained for 1,700 years.[citation needed] Upon their return to Toril in the late 14th century DR, the shadow-plagued Netherese people, known as the Shadovar, revived the Empire and enthralled the people of north Faerûn for over a hundred years. While they sought to fuse the Weave with the Shadowfell, the Shade Enclave was brought crashing down over the renewed realm of Myth Drannor.

Ancient Netheril

Government

The ancient empire of Netheril was governed by the magocratic council, the High Mages of Netheril, which consisted of the leading wizards of High and Low Netheril.

Society

Netheril was a divided empire in both geographic and cultural terms, into the "haves" of High Netheril, and the "have-nots" of Low Netheril. The root of this segregation was tied to the discovery and development of mythallars by Netherese arcanists. These magical enchantments were powered by the Weave itself, and gave the wizards tremendous powers. It allowed for them to develop the spells necessary to create their floating enclaves, and craft quasi-magical items that were powered by the mythallars themselves, rather than the Weave.

The enclaves of High Netheril were home to the realm's nobility with the shared language of Loross, which was written in the same script as draconic. The demesnes and outlying colonies of Low Netheril were home to Netheril's middle and commoner classes, and were greatly influenced by the clerics of the Netherese pantheon. They spoke Netherese in the cities of Low Netheril.

High Netheril

During the height of the Netheril Empire, 54 floating cities soared over the skies of Faerûn. They were by-and-large bastions of enlightenment, peace and ingenuity, giving the mages of Netheril sanctuaries from which they could continue their arcane research, safe from the distractions and dangers of the surface world. The boundaries of their influence were only stopped by the human and elven empires of the age, by Illefarn and Calimshan in the west, Cormanthyr and Jhaamdath in lands around the Inner Sea, and the Old Empires, Raumathar and Narfell in the east.[9] Each enclave was raised and often ruled by one of the empire's powerful arcanists.

Enclaves

Many of the floating enclaves of Netheril were carved right out of the natural world,[citation needed] while others were existing cities that were elevated and taken over by the empire's mighty arcanists.

• Akintaer: This enclave boasted a mighty army, who worshiped the god Targus.
• Aquessir: Unlike other Netherese cities, the Shadowtop Borough maintained opened trade with nearby settlements, notably those of the elves.
• Delia: Originally an island inhabited by elves and druids, this enclave was elevated by Lady Polaris and maintained its nature-appreciating culture and decor for some time, before it lost its way and was assimilated into the greater Netherese culture.
• Doubloon: The former bandit's haven was elevated by Tempera of Fenwick as a rogue enclave that evaded the other cities of Netheril in pursuit of the magically-aided currency-counterfeiting scheme.
• Eileanar: One of the last enclaves created, this city was the home of the legendary arcanist Karsus.
• Farenway
• Jethaere
• Jiksidur: This city was ruled by the Sorcerer-King Larloch, who stood vigilant against the battlemages of Raumathar and the ruling Nentyarch of Narfell.
• Jockteleg: After experiments on this enclave's mythallar went wrong, the nobles within were permanently polymorphed into voadkyn, resulting into their increased isolation and exclusion from the rest of the empire.
• Lathery: Overseen by the arcanist Veridon, this industrious enclave flew over the Narrow Sea and adjusted their mythallar for a commercial fishing.
• Lhaoda:
• Maunator: Also known as Sunrest, this city fell when arcane research went awry resulting in disastrous consequences.
• Negarath: Led by the arcanist Barze, the remnants of this enclave would go on to form a kingdom in the realm that came to be known as Vaasa.
• Nhalloth: A floating city that rested above the waters of the Inner Sea.
• Orbedal: The enclave of Sanctuary, ruled by Rhaugilath, was a haven of peace and serenity for the Netherese nobility.
• Palter: Even among the enclaves of Netheril, the city ruled by archwizard Halavar was a bastion of magical innovation and progress.
• Phylornel: This low-flying enclave never moved from its location above the Netheril River.
• Sakkors: This enclave was formed from an inverted mountaintop, by the arcanist Xolund, who further imbued his sentience into the city's mythallar.
• Selûnarra: Known as Opus in the Loross language, was transported to the Gates of the Moon by the goddess Selûne.
• Spiel: A center of enlightenment, this enclave had a great number of universities and places of learning.
• Synod: This aerial citadel was an sacerdotal sanctuary dedicated to Amaunator, Mystryl and Tyche, and was led by a pious archwizard.
• Thultanthar: Led by the arcanist Telamont Tanthul, who conducted significant research on the Shadow Weave, this enclave survived the collapse of Netheril and returned to the Prime Material plane millennia later.
• Thyndlamdrivvar: An enclave overseen by the arcanist Ander.
• Tith Tilendrothael
• Undrentide: This enclave floated over the southeastern region of the Empire, over the Eastern Forest.
• Xinlenal: The first of the enclaves of Netheril, risen by the arcanist Ioulaum, paving the way for other Netherese archmages.
• Ythryn: An enclave that housed mages searching for Ostoria, the ancient giant kingdom. The enclave fell over Icewind Dale, into the Reghed Glacier.