Years of Fire: Magic
Magic
Magic has always been around on Mystara. However, when Blackmoor was wiped out, the Great Magic
Academies were destroyed and most arcane knowledge was lost. Individual wizard hermits must be sought
out to learn wizardry. Due to the strong presence of radiation and mutations, Sorcerers are much more
common in the Years of Fire. However true arcane knowledge was greatly reduced and isn’t restored to
its former level until the founding of Taymor and Nithia. (In fact modern Mystaran knowledge is mainly
based on Alphatian magic and whatever survived of Nithian wizardry.)
Due to secularization in the Blackmoor era, many immortals had been nearly forgotten even before the
fall of Blackmoor, and the chaos that followed, caused the disappearance of many cults. Several
immortals faded because of this. (This explains why many immortals of Blackmoor, including
many of those that may be introduced in the upcoming D20 Blackmoor products are not around anymore in
modern Mystara.) However, those cults who survived begin bringing the message of hope and faith into a
desolate and broken world. Sadly though, few temples exist and Clerics lack organization and training
and Clerical magic is also no longer as powerful as it used to be.
According to the Ethengar Gazetteer, it was the Blackmoor incident that called the spirits of the
Otherworld to Mystara. More likely, it seems that it was the despair and the search for powers to
worship that drew these extraplanar creatures, including more fairies to Mystara. Shamans flourish in
the Years of Fire.
