As mentioned before, Aaron knew little about the Realms. In his previous life, he had been a low-level civil servant and something of a Warhammer tabletop player, but his knowledge of the Realms covered only a handful of subjects.
Even so, he knew a few important names: the famous Drizzt, the Spider Queen Lolth, and the man before him now-the Great Sage of Shadowdale, Elminster!
Elminster had been born in 212 Dalereckoning, in the Kingdom of Asengar in the High Forest. His father had been a prince of Asengar with a legitimate claim to the throne, while his mother had been the daughter of an ordinary forester. But in 224 Dalereckoning, a Dragon-Riding Mage-Lord had destroyed Elminster's family and everything he had.
Cruel reality, corrupt rulers, and evil wizards had profoundly changed Elminster's heart. He had been a warrior, a rogue, and a cleric in turn, before finally discovering that in the Realms, spellcasters were the ones who called the shots.
Later, Elminster had won the favor of Mystra, the Second Goddess of Magic. Following her guidance, he had traveled to Cormanthor-the elven empire in what was now Cormanthor Forest, northwest of Cormyr. There, he had endured countless hardships, assassination attempts, relentless pursuit, and every sort of obstruction from the elves. Yet through powerful magic, Mystra's aid, and his outstanding diplomatic skills, he had overcome them all. He had not only become a Friend of the Elves, but also helped create a mythal, ultimately transforming Cormanthor into Myth Drannor and ushering in its greatest age.
Elminster was also one of the Chosen who had genuinely shared a romantic history with the Goddess of Magic.
The Second Goddess of Magic had been intimate with many, many, many mortals, but very few of those mages had survived to the present day. Elminster