Mystra is dead! Oh no!

[HalflingPower]

By now, whether your character has been on ymph for a while or not.

Don't act like you don't know she is dead unless you were in extreme seclusion and never used any kind of magic.

Its not like shes the goddess of magic only for Ymph like some people seem to think.



When she was murdered, everyone's pot got shit in, not just the Ymphian stew pot

I just thought some people might need clarification on this

[chrijone]

I feel this may be some form of jab at the actions of one of my current pc's. If so, please PM me instead of making a public post so I can clarify why his actions were justified.

If it is not then I do agree with the post, unless you were in extreme seclusion you would of felt the effects of Mystra's death.

[HalflingPower]

Nope, ive been telling people that since it happened.


You just happened to remind me.

/Edit: NOT A PERSONAL ATTACK

[Weaverific]

Every pregnant woman in the world miscarried and a red star appeared, magic went wild and so on.  Its a safe bet everyone knows.

[Aethereal]

I will ramp up the preaching as well...

[Yanamar]

I think all clerics should bring their preaching to 11.

[The Old Hack]

Opposing viewpoint:

Everybody knows something big happened. But some may decide that it was not due to Mystra dying. Whether out of denial, stubbornness, conservatism, a different interpretation or simple refusal to believe it is true, they deny belief in Mystryl and stay true to Mystra.

It is not as if this does not have equivalents in game history or even RL history. People with strong beliefs will hold on to them, sometimes in the face of oppression, torture or even reality itself. As an example: Tezzeret held on to his belief for EIGHTEEN CENTURIES after Mystryl died. Admittedly that may safely be called hardcore. Another, more 'recent' example: a lot of Banites stayed true to Bane even after Cyric and Xvim moved in.

My second most recent PC, the sorcerer Shard, was supposed to be a die hard Mystran. She would absolutely refuse to believe or accept that Mystra was dead and Mystryl had returned. This was going to be a main part of her concept. Whether it would last would greatly depend on events and how well Mystryllites did in convincing her but for the initial stages of her existence she would refuse to accept Mystryl, citing faith, trust and loyalty to the precepts she had been taught as her justification. Unfortunately she died the same day I made her. I think it is due to a bug in the Planar Bound perk: I took it, and shortly after, Shard got sacrificed to the Mist. o.O

In short: I could make a character that believed in Bhaal, Myrkul or even the second Mystra if I cared to (citing both the old Mystryl and the new Mystra as imposters, how's THAT for denial!) I may even do that sometime. So there. :p

~tOH.

[Valo56]

I don't think Ao pulled out a loudspeaker and said for all the realms to hear "Mystra is dead!"

Just how do we all know that this is due to Mystra dying, exactly? What is our concrete evidence? Sure, there is wild magic, but there was wild magic places before, and dead magic places. Yes, it was everywhere, but how do we know with absolute certainty that not only is Mystra dead, but Mystryl has returned?

[Knight Of Pentacles]

What I don't understand is how come there are so many priests/followers of a deity that hasn't existed in over two millenia that came about by foul ritual and the sacrifice of unborn souls.

[VengefulSeraphim]

Rihonal said the Red Star was Gargauth, about ready to make Faerûn the Tenth Hell, so, I agree with tOH and Valo in that people don't need to universally accept the existence of a new deity.

[Johnston]

What I don't understand is how come there are so many priests/followers of a deity that hasn't existed in over two millenia that came about by foul ritual and the sacrifice of unborn souls.

My guess? Particularly ambitious sorts would want to get in on 'the ground floor'-- greater rewards in life and in death, maybe. Plus, there were plenty Mystra followers left without a God to worship when she was killed.

[Numos]

What I don't understand is how come there are so many priests/followers of a deity that hasn't existed in over two millenia that came about by foul ritual and the sacrifice of unborn souls.

Probably the same kind of people who joined the Transcendent Conclave (ambitious wizards!) Plus Mystra's died like a million times in Forgotten Realms. No one really likes her. They just want to be in the good graces of whoever's handling the weave at the moment.

One thing that I haven't seen much of (though maybe this option does exist) is a surge in Shar worshipers and Shadow Adepts given the damage to the weave.

*Seriously she's the worst idea Ed Greenwood ever had. She is to magic what Midichlorians are to the force.

[Weaverific]

I don't think Ao pulled out a loudspeaker and said for all the realms to hear "Mystra is dead!"

Just how do we all know that this is due to Mystra dying, exactly? What is our concrete evidence? Sure, there is wild magic, but there was wild magic places before, and dead magic places. Yes, it was everywhere, but how do we know with absolute certainty that not only is Mystra dead, but Mystryl has returned?

I think this is an EXCELLENT point.

For those on Ymph I think it is a safe bet EVERYONE knows unless they have been under a rock since it happened.  The visions everyone had.  The conversations etc.

I think it is very fair to think that those on the Mainland may not know yet, we have no idea if Mystryl has told Mystras church to get the message out, or if anyone there figured it out yet.

What I don't understand is how come  there are so many priests/followers of a deity that hasn't existed in  over two millenia that came about by foul ritual and the sacrifice of  unborn souls.

Because of IC actions!  I imagine some of  the priests just wanted to get in on the ground floor, some saw divine visions etc.  As to the followers, at least when I  was still working it for Mystryl I tried to preach to every mage I met  and some non mages too, Apocryphan and the others are still at it.

[The Old Hack]

Because of IC actions!  I imagine some of  the priests just wanted to get in on the ground floor, some saw divine visions etc.  As to the followers, at least when I  was still working it for Mystryl I tried to preach to every mage I met  and some non mages too, Apocryphan and the others are still at it.

The appearance of new religions and faiths is actually a fairly common one. All it really takes is just one charismatic leader figure to gather followers. If the time is right (which is to say, the populace is generally discontent or afraid/worried, some sort of disaster has occurred or is occurring, a war is going on and the region is suffering badly from it) such a new movement can grow with amazing speed. It may even be welcomed by society at large in a pantheistic society -- hey, if we are in trouble and the old Gods aren't fixing it, maybe this new one can! This last is especially if the movement preaches values acceptable or hailed by existing society, of course.

The staying power of such a movement is an entirely different matter. That depends on just how appealing the philosophy it preaches is and how satisfying it is to practice as well as, given the existence of Gods, whether it is actually backed up by a God or not. The cult of Mithras initially spread with staggering speed and gained great popularity but ultimately faltered whereas the ideas preached by a certain carpenter from Nazareth not only survived and prospered but budded a startling number of offshoots...

~tOH.

[Aethereal]

What I don't understand is how come there are so many priests/followers of a deity that hasn't existed in over two millenia that came about by foul ritual and the sacrifice of unborn souls.

This, can be found out in-game, with the priest/s who are currently of the faith.

It is its own story and ought to be explored rather than given as some exposition through an OOC medium.