"I should end you where you stand for what you and your mother did to my sister," says Joon. "Could we talk about this tomorrow? I am feeling very sleepy," Aria says as she mockingly yawns. Joon gets infuriated and draws one of his blades directly at Arias' neck. "Are you going to do something with that sword, or is it just for show? If you think I am threatened by you or your guards, then you are just wasting your time. I know you won't do anything, especially since my mother and I were brought here by Bhaal himself," Aria continues. "Watch your fucking tone, child, one more word out of you and you are dead," says Joon. "What are you doing, Aria? Do you want to get us both killed?" The dreamer tells Aria telepathically. After an intense stare down between Aria and Joon the other guard speaks "Hey Joon let the kid go I don't know about you but I want to finish my shift, the library has already closed." Joon reluctantly returns his blade back to his sheath while saying "this is not over Aria" and begins to leave together with her fellow guard.
"Aria, let me ask you something: how did you know the guard wouldn't kill you?" The dreamer asks Aria telepathically as she walks towards the guest room where they first stayed on arriving at the mansion. " It is because of this jade pass that father gave me, it seems to hold much authority within the family, so I knew he wouldn't do anything," says Aria. "But still it's not a good Idea to have him as an enemy, he still holds a high rank among the guads," the dreamer continues. "I have no intention of cowering towards my enemy even if they are 10 times stronger than me. Everyone has a weakness, no matter how perfect they may seem," says Aria telepathically as she enters the guest room, and it seems her mother has already arrived.
"Aria Von Sindra! Where in the nine hells were you? I have been waiting ages for you." Alianna says with a loving smile. "I was in the library but lost track of time, sorry, mother," Aria says. " Ohh, I remember now your father did give you that pass, so how did you like the family library?" Alianna asks. "It is truly magnificent. I saw various tomes covering various topics like magic, history, and even alchemy. I can't wait to visit it again. I was especially interested in the Netherese Empire, but didn't have enough time to read about it. Do you know anything about them?"Aria asks. "Of course, I know about them. They are the ones who redefined magic in Feirun as we know it. The history of the Netherese Empire is divided into several distinct ages, each marked by significant events and advancements. It all began with the Nether Age, starting around -3533 DR, when the Nether Scrolls were discovered by a scholar named Finder in the ruins of Aryvandaar. These scrolls greatly advanced Netherese magic, especially their preference for arcane over elven magic. Over the next two centuries, their magical power skyrocketed, culminating in the creation of the ioun stone by Congenio Ioun at age 33. Towards the end of this period, Netheril's arcanists attacked the Land of Alabaster Towers and stripped away the arcane knowledge from its sorcerers.
This was followed by the Mythallar Era, beginning around -3315 DR with the birth of the illustrious arcanist Ioulaum. He defended Netheril from orc hordes, invented the mythallar (a magical power source), and created Xinlenal, the first floating enclave. During this time, some of the Nether Scrolls were stolen by elves and a gnome named Rilmohx Sha'Quessir, who gained powerful illusion knowledge from one of the scrolls.
Next came the Silver Age, starting around -2758 DR, marked by the establishment of the High Mages of Netheril and the discovery of valuable ore deposits. The empire expanded its influence with colonies and outposts, including trading settlements like Quesseer. Several magical artifacts were created, and some of the stolen scrolls were hidden in various locations such as the Hall of Mists and the Crypt of Hssthak.
The Golden Age followed, beginning with the birth of Jeriah Chronos around -2207 DR. This era was characterized by rapid expansion, with Netheril lifting one enclave into the sky each year, including the famous Thultanthar. They also explored under the Sea of Fallen Stars, establishing deep-sea colonies, which were later destroyed in a catastrophic explosion. This period saw great achievements in magical understanding and technological advancements.
After that, the Age of Discovery brought new innovations like the discovery of chardalyn, a magic-absorbing mineral, and experiments with spelljamming ships that could travel to other planets. During this adventurous phase, the Netherese encountered hostile illithids in space, which led to a halt in their space explorations for centuries.
The Shadowed Age was a dark time, beginning with the rise of Karsus in -696 DR, a brilliant arcanist who sought godhood. His reckless attempt to steal divine power through a spell called Karsus's avatar caused the Weave to tear, resulting in the death of the goddess Mystryl and the collapse of Netheril's floating cities. Karsus's folly shattered the empire, and its ruins spread across Faerûn, leaving a lasting magical influence. Some arcanists fled, and others led refugees to safety in new lands like Halruaa and Delzoun.
Finally, the Fall of Netheril was the tragic culmination of these events. It occurred in -339 DR, when Karsus's spell destroyed the Weave, causing most of Netheril's floating enclaves to plummet and vanish. The remnants of their magic lingered for centuries, and though some enclaves like Thultanthar survived in the Shadowfell, the empire itself was forever changed. Despite the destruction, some of the Netherese managed to survive and rebuild in different regions, and the goddess Mystra was reincarnated to oversee magic once again. That should be a good summary, forgive me, Aria, but when I start talking about matters related to magic, I sometimes lose track of time," says Alianna. "Wait, they had floating cities," Aria says, her eyes filled with a fire to learn more. "Enough kido, get some rest, you can go on a quest tomorrow to find out more about them. For now, sleep," Alianna says, tucking her into bed as they both prepare to sleep. "Amazing, I wonder what sort of mage Karsus is, for one man to cause the fall of an entire empire with a single spell," Aria says to herself. "Karsus, somehow that name sounds familiar," the dreamer tells Aria telepathically. "We should rest, dream, tomorrow we will go to look for info on spells and family techniques, let's just hope we can grow stronger before mother and father set their plans into motion," Aria says, falling asleep next to her mother, although now extremely conscious of her