## Overview A **mythallar** is one of the greatest magical achievements ever created by mortal spellcasters. Developed by the arcanists of **Netheril**, a mythallar was an immense magical engine capable of storing, generating, and distributing arcane energy on a scale unmatched by almost any other creation in Faerûn. While they are most famous for allowing Netherese cities to float high above the ground, that was only one of their many functions. A mythallar served as the beating heart of an enclave, supplying magical energy for transportation, construction, research, defence, and daily life. To later civilizations, mythallars became symbols of Netheril's brilliance and arrogance. Their construction required knowledge that was almost entirely lost with the empire's destruction during **Karsus's Folly**, making surviving mythallars among the most valuable magical relics in existence. --- ## Origins The mythallar was invented during the height of the Netherese Empire as its arcanists sought increasingly ambitious methods of manipulating arcane energy. Although the Nether Scrolls inspired much of Netheril's magical advancement, the mythallar itself was a uniquely Netherese achievement, representing centuries of experimentation in magical engineering. The earliest mythallars were comparatively small and designed to support magical research and civic infrastructure. As Netherese magic advanced, larger and more powerful mythallars were constructed, eventually becoming capable of sustaining entire flying cities for centuries. The knowledge required to create a mythallar was never widespread. Only the greatest archwizards possessed the skill, resources, and magical understanding necessary to construct one, making each mythallar a masterpiece of arcane engineering. --- ## Construction The creation of a mythallar was among the most difficult magical undertakings ever attempted by mortals. A mythallar was not simply an enchanted object but an immense magical construct that required years of planning, rare materials, powerful rituals, and the combined efforts of numerous highly accomplished spellcasters. At its centre was a massive sphere or crystalline core infused with extraordinary quantities of arcane energy. The enchantment process permanently bound enormous magical power into the structure, allowing it to function continuously without the constant attention of its creators. Once completed, a mythallar became a self-sustaining source of magical energy capable of supporting an entire city. The precise rituals and techniques used to construct mythallars were lost with the fall of Netheril. Although fragments of the process survive in ancient texts, no modern civilization has successfully reproduced a true Netherese mythallar from first principles. --- ## Purpose The primary purpose of a mythallar was to provide a stable and controllable source of magical energy. Rather than forcing individual spellcasters to power every enchantment themselves, the mythallar supplied arcane energy to countless magical devices and permanent enchantments throughout an enclave. This allowed Netherese civilization to operate on a scale impossible for later kingdoms. A mythallar functioned much like the central power source of a city. Buildings, magical laboratories, transportation systems, defensive wards, lighting, environmental controls, and numerous magical conveniences all drew energy from it. The famous levitation of the Netherese enclaves was only one application of this immense magical reservoir. --- ## The Flying Cities The greatest achievement of the mythallar was its ability to keep entire mountains suspended in the air. When a Netherese archwizard wished to create a flying enclave, enormous quantities of rock were magically separated from the earth. A mythallar installed within the newly created city continuously generated the magical force required to maintain its altitude. This allowed cities weighing millions of tons to remain airborne for centuries. Each enclave effectively became an independent nation in the sky, protected by immense magical wards and difficult for enemies to attack. --- ## Daily Life Contrary to popular belief, mythallars did far more than support flight. Throughout Netherese cities they powered permanent magical lighting, climate control, water purification, communication networks, magical workshops, laboratories, defensive barriers, and transportation systems. Many magical items could also be recharged through a mythallar, greatly reducing the effort required of individual spellcasters. As a result, life within the flying enclaves was remarkably comfortable for those fortunate enough to reside there. Magic permeated nearly every aspect of daily existence. --- ## Limitations Despite their extraordinary power, mythallars were not limitless. Although capable of sustaining vast magical effects, they still depended upon the integrity of the Weave. When the Weave collapsed during Karsus's Folly, every functioning mythallar immediately ceased operating. Without their magical support, the flying enclaves lost the force keeping them aloft and plummeted from the sky, destroying nearly all of Netherese civilization within moments. This catastrophic failure demonstrated that even the greatest magical engineering remained ultimately dependent upon Mystra's Weave. --- ## Mythallars After Netheril The destruction of Netheril did not destroy every mythallar. Some survived within crashed cities buried beneath the earth or hidden beneath the sands of Anauroch. Others were damaged beyond repair, while a small number remained functional under extraordinary circumstances. The most significant surviving examples were those maintained by the **City of Shade**, whose inhabitants escaped into the Plane of Shadow before Karsus's Folly. Their enclave retained a functioning mythallar, allowing the city to survive for nearly seventeen centuries before returning to Faerûn. Surviving mythallars became objects of immense interest to dragons, liches, archmages, and ambitious rulers seeking to recover Netheril's lost power. --- ## Relationship with the Weave A mythallar did not replace the Weave. Instead, it interacted with it in an exceptionally sophisticated manner, storing and distributing magical energy while remaining entirely dependent upon the Weave's continued existence. This distinction proved fatal during Karsus's Folly. When Mystra sacrificed herself and the Weave temporarily collapsed, mythallars lost access to the magical framework upon which they depended. Their stored energy could not compensate for the disappearance of the Weave itself. --- ## Mythallars and Modern Magic Modern spellcasters regard mythallars with awe. Even the greatest archmages of later ages acknowledge that Netherese magical engineering exceeded almost everything developed since the empire's fall. Although modern magic has achieved remarkable advances in other areas, the construction of a true mythallar remains beyond the capabilities of nearly all living wizards. Consequently, any rumour concerning an intact mythallar inevitably attracts powerful organizations eager to claim it. --- ## Known Mythallars Official lore confirms or strongly associates mythallars with several notable locations. ### The City of Shade The best-known surviving mythallar belonged to the enclave of **Shade**, which escaped into the Plane of Shadow before Netheril's destruction. It remained operational for centuries and powered the city after its return to Faerûn. ### Ythryn The flying city of **Ythryn**, buried beneath the Reghed Glacier, possessed one of the most famous surviving mythallars. Although damaged by the city's destruction, it remained a central feature of the ruins and continued to influence the surrounding environment thousands of years later. ### Other Netherese Enclaves Every flying enclave possessed its own mythallar. Most were destroyed, buried, or rendered inoperative during Karsus's Folly. Archaeological expeditions occasionally uncover fragments or damaged remnants, though intact examples are extraordinarily rare. --- ## Why Dragons Seek Mythallars Powerful dragons have long recognised the value of mythallars. To an ancient dragon such as **Iymrith**, a functioning mythallar represents far more than a magical curiosity. It is an unparalleled source of arcane knowledge capable of revealing forgotten Netherese techniques, empowering magical research, and potentially enabling magical feats impossible through conventional spellcasting. This explains why dragons frequently search Netherese ruins despite the dangers posed by ancient wards, constructs, and lingering magical anomalies. --- ## Legacy The mythallar remains one of the defining achievements of Netherese civilization. More than a simple magical artifact, it symbolises the extraordinary heights that mortal arcane knowledge once attained. At the same time, its fate serves as a reminder that even the greatest magical accomplishments depended upon forces beyond mortal control. Thousands of years after Netheril's fall, mythallars continue to shape the ambitions of scholars, dragons, liches, and adventurers. Every rumour of an intact mythallar has the potential to spark expeditions, wars, and political intrigue, for possession of such a relic would grant knowledge and power unmatched by almost any other magical discovery in the Realms. ### Canon Notes A few important clarifications help separate canon from common assumptions: - Every **flying Netherese enclave** possessed a mythallar, but **not every Netherese city** did. Ground-based cities generally did not require one. - A mythallar **does not create the Weave** or function independently of it. It is a magical engine that channels and distributes arcane energy through the Weave. - Official sources never fully describe the complete construction process. The exact rituals remain one of Netheril's greatest lost secrets. - While surviving mythallars are extraordinarily powerful, canon does not portray them as limitless sources of magic. Their capabilities depend on their condition, the surrounding Weave, and the knowledge of those attempting to use them.