Chapter Summaries

After the theft and destruction of a set of Nethys Scroll, the Grand Arcanists tightened security and made the Kingdom of Netheril more cautious. Decades later, Iolam invented the Mythril Core, whose power enabled widespread magical conveniences and the rise of Floating Cities.

• Several commoners stole a set of Nethys Scroll from a heavily guarded vault without triggering its defenses, then destroyed the scrolls and sold them as scrap.
• The Grand Arcanists suspected higher powers were responsible, but they could do nothing and were left furious and humiliated.
• The Kingdom of Netheril became more cautious, while multiple Grand Arcanists guarded the remaining Nethys Scroll set.
• Decades later, Iolam created the Mythril Core, which drew and transformed primal magical energy to power connected magic items continuously.
• Magical lighting and water-supply tools spread into households, and Iolam built a city on a floating island powered by a Mythril Core.
• More Floating Cities appeared, and the national power of the Kingdom of Netheril gradually reached its peak.

Orsaga guided the Felin Demon Sunflowers toward a location where they could find food, hoping they would clash with the Kingdom of Netheril. The Sunflowers migrated through the underground, devouring everything in their path, while their natural enemies watched without intervening.

• The Felin Demon Sunflowers prayed to Orsaga, whose consciousness appeared through a statue and recognized their connection to the Kingdom of Netheril.
• Orsaga gave the Sunflowers a geographical coordinate, expecting their conflict with Netheril to bring him a feast of souls.
• The Sunflowers confirmed the coordinate and began a large-scale migration through the underground tunnels.
• The Sunflowers devoured creatures and underground peoples along the way, leaving dried corpses behind.
• The Sunflowers’ natural enemies noticed their conspicuous advance but chose to observe rather than attack.

After reaching the region near their destination, the Felin Demon Sunflowers settled underground beneath the growing Kingdom of Netheril, unknowingly nourished by its Mythril Cores. Thousands of years later, Grand Arcanist Karsus discovered that the Nethys Scrolls might once have been a single work and contacted Iolam to seek permission to restore them.

• The Felin Demon Sunflowers reached a land rich in magical power, found no spirit veins, and began building an underground city.
• As the Kingdom of Netheril built Floating Cities and Mythril Cores above them, the Felin Demon Sunflowers grew in the depths and coexisted peacefully with the kingdom.
• Over thousands of years, Netheril’s Floating Cities developed into separate domains whose laws and public order depended on their Grand Arcanists.
• Karsus studied records and experimented with the Nethys Scrolls, concluding that the hundred scrolls had once formed a single work divided for readers’ safety.
• Karsus realized the scrolls might be reassembled and their lost contents recovered, then contacted Iolam to request his approval to use the national treasures.

Iolam sent the Nethys Scroll under heavy guard to test whether the Netheril Empire was being targeted by a god, but the escort was slaughtered and the scroll stolen again. The chapter ends with Iolam watching the sunset as the news throws the nation into uproar.

• Iolam weighed the Nethys Scroll’s importance against the safety of the Netheril Empire and chose to use its transport as a test for supernatural interference.
• One day later, a heavily guarded escort led by a Veteran Grand Arcanist set out to carry the Nethys Scroll to Karsus’s Floating City.
• At sunset on the second day, the escort was found dead in a canyon and the Nethys Scroll was missing.
• The news spread across Netheril, and Iolam silently watched the sunset from his balcony and sighed.

After the Nethys Scroll was stolen and its escorts were killed, Iolam reassured Karsus and managed the fallout while considering the Kingdom of Netheril’s hostility toward the gods. Underground, the Felin Demon Sunflower began digging toward the Floating Cities after sensing increasingly dense magical power near the surface.

• Karsus panicked over the stolen Nethys Scroll and the deaths of the escorting Grand Arcanists, fearing he would be blamed for the incident.
• Iolam contacted Karsus, assured him he did not suspect him, and asked him to care for the deceased’s relatives.
• Iolam briefed the other Grand Arcanists, defended Karsus, and told them to prevent the theft from disturbing the kingdom’s lower-class residents.
• Iolam considered seeking refuge with the Goddess of Magic but rejected the idea because Netheril’s Arcanists would refuse to bow to a god.
• The Felin Demon Sunflower dug upward toward the Floating Cities and noticed that magical power grew denser as they approached the surface.

After a Grand Arcanist reported that a rebellion’s region had been mysteriously drained of magic power and Life Force, Iolam used an enhanced Divination Magic ritual to uncover the Kingdom of Netheril’s grim future. His vision showed an unknown race destroying the Sky Cities, leaving him to wonder who the invaders were and why they had attacked.

• A Grand Arcanist told Iolam that a rebellion had been crushed but the region’s magic power and Life Force had withered across a vast area.
• Iolam’s initial attempts to use Divination Magic failed, so he contacted another Grand Arcanist to borrow an item and prepare a stronger ritual.
• Several months later, Iolam cast the enhanced Divination Magic and saw unknown lifeforms fighting humans dressed in Nethys-style clothing.
• Iolam witnessed Floating Cities disintegrating and falling from the sky as their residents and debris crashed into a vast desert.
• Iolam concluded that the Kingdom of Netheril was nearing destruction, but he did not understand the unknown race’s origins or its reason for attacking.

Orsaga appeared within Iolam’s Divination Spell and explained that he had come because Iolam was investigating his followers. Iolam mistakenly concluded that Orsaga’s followers were attacking the Kingdom of Netheril because its arcanists had angered him, while Orsaga was puzzled by the explanation Iolam had invented.

• Iolam heard Orsaga’s voice inside his Divination Spell and asked whether Orsaga had altered its effects.
• Orsaga denied creating an illusion and said he had come after sensing Iolam investigating his followers.
• Iolam inferred that Orsaga meant the foreign races fighting the Kingdom of Netheril.
• Iolam concluded that Orsaga’s followers were punishing arcanists who exploited Devil Lords and regretted not stopping them.
• Orsaga was baffled by Iolam’s assumption that the foreign races were pious believers acting against false followers.

Orsaga watched the illusory battle end and reflected on how he could still influence minds despite his weakened power in the Outer Plane. Years later, the Felin Demon Sunflowers launched their long-prepared invasion of the Kingdom of Netheril, while Mithril watched with detached interest.

• Orsaga calmly watched the slaughter in Iolam’s mind-fragment until the illusory space faded away.
• Orsaga considered how his influence and perception were limited in the Outer Plane, and how he restrained his instincts to avoid making events less interesting.
• Over several decades, the Felin Demon Sunflowers gathered underground and secretly tested the Kingdom of Netheril before preparing an invasion.
• The Felin Demon Sunflowers’ leader blasted a passage through the earth and ordered the army to conquer the surface.
• Mithril turned her gaze toward the advancing Felin Demon Sunflowers, appearing eager to watch what happened.

Goddess of Magic—Mithril secretly arranged for the Felin Demon Sunflowers to attack the Kingdom of Netheril so the unruly Arcanists would be humbled without being destroyed. She planned to send the Salen Sprite to turn the battle once Netheril had suffered enough, confident that the scheme would benefit all sides.

• Goddess of Magic—Mithril regarded the Felin Demon Sunflowers as a useful force to discipline the Arcanists of the Kingdom of Netheril.
• Goddess of Magic—Mithril had covertly enabled the Felin Demon Sunflowers to reach Netheril’s underground and lie in wait for a thousand years.
• Goddess of Magic—Mithril prepared the Salen Sprite, whose abilities countered the Felin Demon Sunflowers, to intervene after Netheril had suffered heavy losses.
• Goddess of Magic—Mithril expected the Salen Sprite and the Kingdom of Netheril to defeat the Felin Demon Sunflowers and leave Netheril’s Arcanists less arrogant.
• Goddess of Magic—Mithril concluded that her plan was secure and could not imagine it going wrong.

Felin Demon Sunflowers’ Magic Siphon disrupted spells and hid them from detection, leaving the Kingdom of Netheril unaware of their rampage. In the Floating City of Audraal, widespread magical-item failures led Audral to learn that something was siphoning magic from the Mythril Core.

• The chapter explained that Felin Demon Sunflowers used Magic Siphon to drain magic and Life Force, disrupt spells, and evade most detection and Divination Magic.
• Arcanists across the Kingdom of Netheril failed to detect the Sunflowers spreading across the land.
• The chapter described Audraal as a heavily fortified, self-sustaining Floating City ruled by Grand Arcanist Audral Keld.
• Audraal’s residents noticed their magical items malfunctioning, and Audral found similar failures in his Magic Tower.
• Audral asked the Tower Spirit about the problem, and it reported that something had siphoned away much of the magic emitted by the Mythril Core.

Audral ordered a scan after discovering that something was siphoning magic from the City of Audraal, but then his Iolam's Longevity Spell collapsed and he rapidly aged to death. Beneath the Floating City, thousands of Felin Demon Sunflowers continued using Magic Siphon, unaware they had caused the Grand Arcanist's death.

• Audral learned that a mysterious force was draining magic from the City of Audraal rather than damaging its Mythril Core, and ordered a comprehensive scrying scan.
• Audral assumed the incident was an accident and considered studying the phenomenon, confident in the Floating City's defenses.
• Audral realized that his Iolam's Longevity Spell was collapsing and feared that his extended lifespan would end at once.
• Audral rapidly aged into a corpse and died inside his Magic Tower before he could understand what had happened.
• Thousands of Felin Demon Sunflowers beneath the city continued siphoning magic and Life Force, unaware of Audral's death.

The Grand Arcanist Council convened in Netheril’s capital after the Felin Demon Sunflowers’ invasion devastated more territories and reports reached the Grand Arcanists. Iolam revealed that an unknown race had attacked Netheril and brought down a Floating City, and the assembled Grand Arcanists prepared to retaliate.

• The Felin Demon Sunflowers’ attacks spread across Netheril, and surviving residents’ reports alerted the Grand Arcanists to the invasion.
• More than twenty Grand Arcanists gathered in the capital for the first Grand Arcanist Council in over fifty years, while others followed remotely.
• Iolam told the council that an unknown race was attacking Netheril and that a Floating City had fallen, suggesting Grand Arcanists had died.
• The Grand Arcanists called for an all-out counterattack and expressed confidence in their overwhelming strength, with 124 members present or remotely attending.

Iolam warned the Grand Arcanists that the Lord of the Blazing Hell was behind the trouble in Netheril, prompting them to seek help from the Lord of the Ice Hell. When they named Orsaga as their target, the Lord of the Ice Hell abruptly ended the contact and disowned them.

• Iolam revealed that a Lord of the Blazing Hell was manipulating events and described the danger he had seen through Divination Magic.
• The Grand Arcanists cooled their indignation, and Iolam chose to focus on finding a solution rather than confronting those who might have provoked the enemy.
• Several Grand Arcanists summoned the Lord of the Ice Hell with a Sacrifice Ritual and offered valuable treasures and one hundred thousand souls for his help.
• The Grand Arcanists asked the Lord of the Ice Hell to mediate with their enemy or distract him from Netheril.
• When the Grand Arcanists identified Orsaga as the enemy, the Lord of the Ice Hell denounced them, warned them to wait for death, and ended the contact.

After learning that only Asmodeus could challenge Orsaga among the Nine-Layered Hell’s rulers, the Grand Arcanists sought help from the demon lord Dimogegen. The chapter ended with them asking Dimogegen to keep their enemy occupied.

• A Grand Arcanist proposed summoning another Devil Master, but the ritual failed to secure one willing to oppose Orsaga.
• A Devil Master revealed that Asmodeus ruled the Nine-Layered Hell absolutely and that Orsaga alone stood as his equal, leaving the Grand Arcanists with few possible allies.
• The Grand Arcanists summoned Dimogegen, one of the three great powers among demons, and praised him.
• The Grand Arcanists asked Dimogegen to deal with their enemy by keeping him too occupied to target them.

Dimogegen eagerly accepted a request to fight, but flew into a panic when the Grand Arcanists named Orsaga as their enemy. He reported the incident to Orsaga, who told him not to interfere, leaving Dimogegen relieved but convinced his every action was being watched.

• Dimogegen welcomed the Grand Arcanists’ request for a battle and asked who their target was.
• When the Grand Arcanists named Orsaga, Dimogegen roared in fury, and their leader severed the Sacrifice Ritual.
• Back in the Bottomless Abyss, Dimogegen terrorized the creatures around him and devoured a Succubus maid to conceal his fear of Orsaga.
• Dimogegen blamed the Grand Arcanists for trying to involve him in Orsaga’s conflict, but hesitated to go after them without knowing Orsaga’s intentions.
• Dimogegen reported everything to Orsaga and received instructions not to interfere, then feared Orsaga had been watching him all along.

Iolam concluded that the war threatened to destroy the Kingdom of Netheril and proposed dispersing its Floating Cities to escape the danger, but the Grand Arcanists rejected him. He quietly prepared a solo escape, vanished years later, and left the others making their own contingency plans.

• Iolam received reports of failed diplomatic efforts and mounting losses against enemies whose abilities countered Netheril's magic.
• Iolam proposed dissolving the kingdom temporarily and fleeing with its civilians aboard the Floating Cities, but most Grand Arcanists refused to abandon the war.
• Iolam began transferring authority to trusted Grand Arcanists while secretly preparing to leave.
• Years later, Iolam vanished from his Floating City, and the kingdom quickly stabilized because he had delegated its responsibilities in advance.
• Karsus and the other Grand Arcanists learned that Iolam had survived, then claimed he had left to seek a way to prolong his life.
• Some Grand Arcanists began preparing hidden Floating Cities abroad as escape routes in case the war turned against them.

Karsus took charge of the Grand Arcanists after Iolam escaped and eventually devised a magical framework that could steal the Goddess of Magic’s divine power. Thirty years into the losing war against the Felin Demon Sunflowers, Karsus believed his discovery would make him the greatest Spellcaster in history.

• Karsus led the Grand Arcanists as he sought to strengthen his position and resolve Netheril’s external threats.
• The Goddess of Magic watched Iolam escape and resolved to kill him at a later time, while dismissing the threats facing Netheril as manageable.
• Karsus considered using a god’s divine power to counter the Felin Demon Sunflowers, whose Magic Siphon and replenishable forces gave them an advantage over Netheril.
• Thirty years later, Netheril’s losses had turned the war in the Felin Demon Sunflowers’ favor, and Grand Arcanists reconsidered Iolam’s proposal to move the nation using Floating Cities.
• Karsus discovered a flaw in the Weave that let him design a magical framework intended to steal the Goddess of Magic’s divine power.
• Karsus celebrated his breakthrough, convinced it would surpass the achievements of Iolam and Kang Genio Ioun and earn him the admiration of all Spellcasters.

As the Kingdom of Netheril continued losing ground, Karsus completed preparations to cast his Twelfth-Ring Spell, Karsus's Incarnation, and moved to seize the Goddess of Magic Mithril’s power. He forcibly displaced Mithril’s consciousness from the Weave’s control core and began taking her divine portfolio.

• An Grand Arcanist urged Karsus to abandon his dangerous spell and relocate the kingdom, but Karsus refused.
• Karsus prepared Karsus's Incarnation, a Twelfth-Ring Spell that could strip a god of their power and let the caster take their place.
• Karsus evacuated the residents of his Floating City, and his friend retreated before the spell could cause destruction.
• Karsus activated the spell and entered the Weave, reaching its control core and finding Mithril’s soul consciousness.
• Karsus attacked Mithril, forced her consciousness out of the control core, and began seizing her divine portfolio.

Karsus took Mithril’s divine power and portfolio, but his inability to control them sent the Weave into a catastrophic collapse that destroyed most of Netheril. Mithril barely saved the Weave and entered reincarnation, while the surviving Salen Sprites defeated and sealed most of the Felin Demon Sunflowers.

• Mithril’s transfer of divine power made Karsus stronger, but the Weave spiraled out of control when she severed her connection to it.
• Karsus failed to repair the Weave, and uncontrolled magic caused spellcasters to lose their powers and Netheril’s Floating Cities to crash.
• Mithril used her remaining divine power and most of her soul to redirect Karsus’s leaking power and keep the Weave from collapsing completely.
• The collapse destroyed much of Netheril, turned Karsus into a stone statue, and left Mithril nearly dead and destined for reincarnation.
• The Salen Sprites ambushed the Felin Demon Sunflowers, forcing most of them into exhaustion before sealing nearly their entire race in the battlefield ruins.

Orsaga shared a fiery meal with Koma, then received a scroll of knowledge from the Lady of Pain to spread among the plane’s traders. As the war in Toril neared its end, Orsaga watched Iolam, who had possessed a Mind Flayer Overlord and planned to become a lich.

• Orsaga offered Koma skewers made from a God Scourge and seasoned with Hell peppers, and Koma praised the meal after adjusting to the heat.
• Koma delivered a golden scroll from the Lady of Pain, asking Orsaga to spread its knowledge, and Orsaga agreed before Koma departed.
• Orsaga continued eating and collecting the dead’s souls while paying little attention to the three-sided war in Toril.
• Iolam, hiding in a Mind Flayer Overlord’s body, reflected on Karsus’s fate and the dangers of magic and divine power.
• Iolam decided to turn his body into an undead lich to strengthen his spellcasting and escape the limits of mortal flesh.