Endless Darkness Will Devour Everything

Conspiracies, wars, and adventures had always been the enduring themes of Faerûn.

Here, gods fought one another, while demons, angels, devils, and other powerful beings from rival planes clashed as well. Countless ambitious mortals also sought power, authority, and eternal life.

Among mortals, wizards were a class apart.

They possessed extraordinary intelligence and could turn knowledge and technique into formidable Arcane Magic. They were gifted in the truest sense, perhaps the mortals who came closest to gods.

The superiority that came with such power inevitably bred fierce arrogance. Wizards came to believe they knew everything and could do anything.

The Archwizards of Netheril aspiring to stand shoulder to shoulder with the gods had been that mindset taken to its extreme.

Whatever their alignment, most wizards showed at least some degree of self-absorption and cared little for others' feelings. Even Archmages widely regarded as good and responsible were no exception.

A glance through the histories of Faerûn's many regions showed that wizards had a hand in nearly every conflict, upheaval, and disaster.

Put another way, without powerful wizards involved—or an evil wizard plotting the whole affair—the damage and consequences were bound to be limited.

Some scholars had even joked that the history of Faerûn was a history shaped by gods and wizards together.

Whether in the age of elven dominance, the later rise of Netheril and Imaskar, or the Shaan Dynasty of Calimshan, which had profoundly affected the Sword Coast, wizards had occupied the highest ranks of power.

In more recent times, the mad wizard Halaster Blackcloak, Manshoon, Szass Tam, and Mystra's Chosen—including Elminster, Leira, Kelben, and Alustriel—had profoundly shaped the politics of their respective regions.

Wizard organizations of every size had sprung up everywhere: the Arcane Brotherhood, the Cowled Wizards Guild, the Red Wizards, the Many-Starred Cloak, Cormyr's War Wizards,