However, the Spellplague 'flowed around' certain areas that were coated with a thick layer of plot-armor.
However, what of the other enclave that the Shades raised? That used the old-fashioned Arcane Mythallar, which requires Mystra's Weave to be active. THAT Enclave should not have stayed aloft, no matter how you spin it.
Then again, according to LEoF, it was completely destroyed, and shouldn't have been flying in the first place.
I suppose it doesn't matter what makes sense - as long as some designer/author wants it to be so, continuity can just take a hike.At least I just realized another good way to use the Spellplague - in 1385, the world looks like that final scene of Independence Day, where all those massive ships crash and burn.
Except they're Netherease Enclaves.
waterdeep 3 fox 2....
If the Spellplague followed the pre-existing canon that Enclaves go "Boom" when Mystra dies, then yes, Shade should have fallen, and the Sargauth Mythallar should have exploded... again.
However, the Spellplague 'flowed around' certain areas that were coated with a thick layer of plot-armor.
I was under the impression that the 'moment of no magic' was intentional. Karsus had a direct link to Mystryl and was draining her power. A planned suicide by Mystryl to intentionally kill Karsus mid-casting, followed quickly by her rebirth as Mystra. She was even fast enough to save 3 of the flying cities (Shar and Selune each helped another). Then she restricted the power available to mortals. In other words, a controlled failure of the Weave followed by a rapid restoration of magical services. Working as intended!
Then in the Time of Troubles, she died again. The Weave actually failed, Mystra's essence merged with the land, resulting in wild magic and other chaos, but not complete 'denial of service'. Lots of spellcasters lost power, but not all. Then Midnight absorbed Mystra's essence and created a new Weave, same as the old Weave.
We also got the Shadow Weave which presumably still exists though no mention is made in 4E ("the Shadow Weave is not subject to Mystra's laws or state of well being" Magic of Faerun p10). Maybe its power was used in the creation of the Shadowfell, who knows. Shar doesnt really need it after Mystra is destroyed, it was only created out of a desire for revenge against her daughter. She certainly got that revenge. Shar's next target after gaining control of the Weave and all users of magic was supposed to be her nemesis Selune...but instead we got the Spellplague. Plan canceled; everyone has access to magic now.
The true death of Mystra on her home plane destroyed the Weave for good. No more trickery or coming back in the body of a mortal. The divine magical energy of Selune and Shar, contained in various forms of Mystryl since the first war was violently set free. Magic in raw, unschooled form. Items retained their power but casters had to relearn the wheel or draw on other sources. Flying cities should be fine, unless directly affected by the actual Spellplague.
main sources for this: Netheril: Empire of Magic and Magic of Faerun
However, what of the other enclave that the Shades raised? That used the old-fashioned Arcane Mythallar, which requires Mystra's Weave to be active. THAT Enclace should not have stayed aloft, no matter how you spin it.
Are you talking about Sakkors? If so, the Mythallar (if I am not mistaken) was psionic and sentient. It survived the fall of the enclave. The better question to ask, I think, is why it fell in the first place if it was psionic.
However, considering that Shar lost control of the Shadow Weave, it does make one wonder why the Shade Enclave / Thultanthar didn't fall.
Although, yeah I generally agree that a lot of the core areas got major plot armor: the Dalelands, the Shades, Cormyr, Myth Drannor, etc.
That being said, other major Mythallar like objects continued to function as well.
"Almost entirely rebuilt by Evereska’s high mages after the phaerimm siege, the city’s mythal weathered the Spellplague with barely a flicker." - FRCG, pg. 130
"A repaired mythal firmly seals the city's (Myth Drannor) numerous old portals and prevents planar intrusions (even, ironically, from the Feywild)." - FRCG, pg. 156
"This city (Myth Nantar) is the center of sea elf society and the capital of an ever-growing undersea kingdom, and it is protected by a powerful mythal." - FRCG, pg. 172
Though it should be noted that Silverymoon's mythal went boom.
"Although all mythals were buffeted by the Spellplague, many of them survived the catastrophe. Most of those that shattered, such as the one that once sheltered Silverymoon, spared their lands from the worst of the Blue Fire in so doing." - FRCG, pg. 53
Yeah, I know. It's rather funny though, because it's very clear to any observer reading it that the Spellplague was designed to be a deus ex machina.
"Don't touch Cormyr / the Dales / Myth Drannor - they're our core areas... but blow up Halruaa!"
"But why would it leave those areas alone?"
"Erm. Because it flows around places with lots of magic!"
"Uhhh... Halruaa is ruled by wizards and is full of magic."
"Oh. Errr... it's chaotic too! Yeah! It's crazy chaotic, no one knows WHAT it'll do!"
:P
Erianthe-
That's true, but I thought that's why the Shades were using the Shadow Weave. Of course, the Shadow Weave has been retconned so many times... in either event, as you stated it's pretty easy to overlook, and just assume that the Shades had some type of back-up plan should things hit the fan. We don't know what that plan was, but we can assume that one existed and it worked. ;)
how is it that both of these places still exist after the spellplague? Wouldn't the enclave fall to earth? Wouldn't Skullport and it's guardians be destroyed under a mile of earth?
It's called "plot armor." ;)
"Like Luskan, but not as sunny."
...skullport is now "a ruined city home to the absolute dregs of the northdark."
And this is different from the 3e version HOW?!
I really like the way the 4e designers try to take credit for so much that other folks already did (like Chult's dinosuars).
Of course, I still like that better then stuff they did create.
I have no problem with that where Elves are concerned, because I have always thought that Elven High Magic accessed Raw Magic directly, but we have canon that says otherwise where the Netherease are concerned.
Keith