Karsus

Lord Karsus was the Netherese creator and caster of the Karsus's avatar spell that triggered the Fall of Netheril.
==Abilities==
In Karsus's Keep, one of his properties near the site of the later Starmantle, Karsus left record of a number of his spells in seven runes within a hidden throne room in the keep, each of which held four spells.
* One of the spells in one of the runes, powered by the life of the mage Dalabrindar, could heal and restore all hurts.
* The same rune held also a defensive spell of unstated nature.
* Two attack spells were held in the same rune.
* Another rune created a floating "worldlet" which could be transformed with further magic.
* Another spell stopped the waters of a river, and dug it a new bed.
* Another spell allowed for fine control of all magic that could be used in an area forevermore.
* Another spell transformed one living organ or limb of a person, while preventing any harm. Karsus had used it to give people gills, for instance.
The god Azuth strongly implied at least one of the runes hidden in the Keep held a spell forbidden by Mystra herself, almost certainly Karsus's avatar.
==Relationships==
Karsus kept in contact with his parents through his development as a great mage. At his mother's request, he even named his floating city after his father, Radman. During the latter years of his life, his only living relative was Lady Aquesita. She was deeply concerned about his well-being, and looked after his estates.
==History==
===Early Life===
Karsus was born in Netheril in . His father was Radman. He was able to cast his first spell at the age of two, and by the age of twenty-two had become the youngest arcanist to ever create his own floating city.
Gifted with magic, but lacking the necessary discipline that comes with hard work and research, he founded a school of magic on his enclave and encouraged the attendance of radical thinkers and those interested in taboo projects. One of his students was the famous Lord Shadow.
===Creation of Karsus's Avatar===
In , Arthindol the Terraseer appeared before Karsus and warned him that the goddess of magic Mystryl was soon to face her greatest challenge, and that this would forever affect the Netherese's perception of magic.
Shouldering a responsibility for preserving his civilization, Karsus finished creating a spell, Karsus's avatar, that he had been developing for years. This spell would steal the power of a deity and transfer it to the archwizard that cast it. He also crafted a crown specifically designed to usurp the powers of his chosen deity. Karsus believed that with the power of a god at his disposal, he could destroy the phaerimm and unite his people. Karsus cast the spell in , and chose Mystryl, the goddess of magic, as his target, feeling that she was the most powerful deity and the most appropriate choice for his purposes. Thus Karsus gained powers over all magic.
===Fall of Netheril===
Unfortunately, his choice was a terrible mistake, for one of the responsibilities of the deity of magic was to regulate the flow of magic to and from all beings, spells, and magic items in the world. Since Karsus lacked the ability to do this properly, the magic of the world immediately surged and fluctuated wildly. With her last remaining bit of power, Mystryl sacrificed herself to block Karsus's access to the Weave, causing all magic to fail. The flying cities of Netheril plummeted to the earth. While Karsus briefly achieved apotheosis, the severing of the link also killed him and transformed him into stone, and the last thing he saw was his entire civilization being destroyed because of his actions. This catastrophe came to be known as Karsus's Folly. The stone form of Karsus eventually landed in a part of the High Forest, now called the Dire Wood. The city of Karse was built around its base.
=== Fate===
Karsus was never accepted as a petitioner by any god, nor did he go to the Fugue Plane when he died. Instead, his soul was bound to the Material Plane. Those with experience in pact magic could call up his vestige, where he appeared as a giant blood-red boulder, like the one found in the High Forest where his petrified form landed. Blood burbled up from the top of the stone, trickling down the side facing the summoner and pooling at the base. When he spoke, the pool fountained upwards, its height varying on the volume of his voice. Karsus granted the summoner a boost in magical ability, though he also imparted some of the arrogance he was renowned for. For some reason, this vestige had a strange enmity toward Amon.
===Legacy===
Karsus held a small cult of worshipers who venerated the "momentary god." They were mostly based at Karse until its abandonment.
Exposure to heavy magic and Karsus's own proximity also led to the creation of the karsites, a race of people born with an inherent distrust of magic as well as a natural resistance to it.
In the , an adventurer met Karsus in a hell created by a book in the Great Library of the risen Netherese city of Undrentide. Karsus was being tormented by devils but the adventurer could choose to redeem him by rewriting the magical tome in which his spirit was imprisoned. Doing so would ensure that Karsus was present to assist during the battle in the Library's final magical tome.
==Appendix ==
===Further Reading===
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===Appearances===
:;Adventures
::
::Hellgate Keep
:;Video Games
::Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide
::
::Neverwinter Nights 2 • Baldur's Gate III
===References===
Category:Humans
Category:Inhabitants of chaotic neutral alignment
Category:Inhabitants of Netheril
Category:Netherese arcanists
Category:Netherese
Category:Inhabitants of North Faerûn
Category:Inhabitants of Faerûn
Category:Inhabitants of Toril
Category:Inhabitants
Category:Males
Category:Inhabitants of Eileanar
Category:Arcanists
Category:Mentalists
Category:Demipowers
Category:True neutral deities
Category:Faerûnian pantheon
Category:Human deities
Category:Formerly mortal deities
Category:Inhabitants of the Prime Material Plane
Category:Inhabitants of the Astral Plane
Category:Inhabitants of the Great Wheel planes
Category:Vestiges
Category:Inhabitants of masculine gender
Category:Archwizards of Netheril