Mystryl
Mystryl The Lady of Mysteries, the Muse, the Mother of All Magic, Our Lady of Spells, the Hidden One
- Symbol: A single blue-white star
- Home Plane: Limbo/Dweomertor
- Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
- Portfolio: Magic, spells, the weave, wizards, spellcast- ers, energy, creativity, knowledge, invention, song, time, spring[/b]
- Worshippers: She was most venerated by wizards and those who used magic or magical items in their daily use. She was the goddess of the essential force that made all spellcasting possible. She provided and tended the Weave, the conduit that enabled mortal spellcasters and magical crafters to safely access the raw force that is magic.
- Favored Weapon:
- Cleric Alignment:Any
- NWN Domain: Air, Knowledge, Magic, Trickery
History Relationships: Mystryl (MISS-trihl) was the goddess of magic, spells, creativity, invention, and knowledge. She was said to have taught the first spellcaster of the Realms. All spells of all types were known to her when their creators constructed them, and her bountiful creative spirit was said to imbue all inventors, authors, song- writers, and artists. She was the goddess of the essential force that made all spellcasting possible. She provided and tended the Weave, the conduit that enabled mortal spellcasters and magical crafters to safely access the raw force that is magic. She distrusted but didn’t hate Shar, who had sought to seize control over her for centuries, and she also rebelled occasionally against the good-intentioned suggestions of Selune, who she regarded as smotheringly maternal at times. Kozah and Moander, who seemed always intent on ruining that which she created or inspired, were her mortal enemies.
Dogma: Choice, decision, and knowledge were the hallmarks of Mystryl’s faith. Magic was great power, and it brought with it great responsibility. Mystryl’s clergy were given the following charge upon aspiring to the faith: “Love magic for itself, not just as a ready weapon to reshape the Realms to your will. Play with magic and learn how best to wield it, but remember always that magic is an Art, the Gift of the Lady, and that those who can wield it are privileged in the extreme. Conduct yourself with dignity and with forethought while being mindful of this. “Seek always both to learn new magic and to create new magic, but experimenting to learn to craft something oneself is better than merely buying scrolls or hiring tutors. Exult more in creation than in hurling spells, and ensure that your creations are shared with others and so outlive you. Those serve the Lady best and are most favored in her eyes will serve her beyond death as beings who have become one with magic and live on in it forever.”
Day-to-Day Activities: Mystrylan clergy worked hard to preserve all magical lore in secret libraries, private safeholds, well- guarded research laboratories, and small, hidden stashes so that magic flourished in the future. Mystrylans also searched out beings skilled in spell use, seeking to keep watch on the identi- ties, powers, and behavior of individuals likely to become magic- wielders of importance. All clergy of Mystryl devised their own new magic upon gain- ing sufficient experience, and they were expected to do so. In this way magical study remained a growing, vibrant thing of wonder.
Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: Worship of Mystryl tended to be a personal thing rather than a series of calendar rituals. For some arcanists whom the goddess counted as devout believers, it never went beyond a whispered prayer of thanks to her with each spell. For Mystryl, that was enough. The goddess gained both delight and strength, however, from beings who did more in reverence to her.Two ceremonies of personal significance stood out: Starflight and Magefire. Starflight was often used as an initiation when an individual joined the priesthood of Mystryl or a celebration when two worshipers were wed. Magefire was renewal; it was the exciting feeling of great magi- cal power surging through one’s body, blazing out as flickering blue fire as it spilled forth, cleansing and renewing.
Affiliated Orders: A very few arcanist guilds-probably as few as an arcanist has fingers on one hand-were strong allies with the church of Mystryl. They knew magic was controlled and supplemented by her power and grace. These guilds were very careful of whom they allowed to become members, and even then, only those with a love for Mystryl were allowed to control positions of power. They affiliated themselves with the nearest church of Mystryl and aided the clergy in any way they could. Often used as spies for the temple, the guilds reported on magical developments and often procured samples for the church’s use and cataloging. The church also sponsored a small order of rangers and of bards. The rangers, known as the Mystryl’s Eyes, received their spells from Mystryl herself. They served as long-range scouts and spies for the church, and also dealt with magical threats that threatened the natural order of things, such as unloosed tanar’ri and baatezu and creatures born of irresponsible wizardly exper- imentation. The bards, members of the Collegium Mysterium, traveled from place to place gathering and disseminating information and testifying to the glory of Mystryl through song and deed.
Priestly Vestments: The ceremonial garb of Mystrylan priests was simple blue robes that sparkled and glistened mystically of their own accord or displayed flowing rainbows of color. They were accented by a cloak of deep blue in colder climates. Mystrylans went bare-headed, and usually wore their hair long, whether male or female, though either gender frequently caught their hair at the nape of the neck with a hair ornament or tie of some kind. The blue-white star of Mystryl was worn most typi- cally on a ring or as a necklace to serve as a holy symbol. The use of mantles and scepters (those used by the archwizards and other arcanists) was quite common.
Adventuring Garb: In the field, priests of Mystryl wore armor and bore the symbol of Mystryl on their shields or embroidered on their clothes as a display of their faith. If armor was inappropriate, they dressed in the fashion of the region they were in.
