Mystra

Mystra

Mystra, also known as the Lady of Mysteries or the Mother of All Magic, is one of the most iconic deities in the Dungeons & Dragons pantheon, embodying the very essence of magic. She is a neutral or lawful neutral deity, overseeing the Weave, the magical fabric that allows mortals to access and manipulate magic in the world.

Domains and Portfolios

Portfolio: Magic, the Weave, spellcasting, and arcane knowledge. Alignment: Neutral or Lawful Neutral. Domains: Arcana, Knowledge, Order, and occasionally Light.

Depiction

Mystra is typically portrayed as a radiant and ethereal woman, exuding grace and wisdom. Her appearance varies depending on the era and interpretation, but common depictions include:
A beautiful human woman with shimmering, star-filled robes, symbolizing her connection to the vastness of magic. Her hair often flows like liquid starlight, and her eyes glimmer with the power of the Weave. Mystra’s presence is serene yet commanding, reflecting her dual role as a nurturing guide to magic-users and the stern guardian of magical balance. In older depictions, she is sometimes shown as a transcendent figure whose form merges with the starry expanse of the cosmos, signifying her boundless nature.

Symbol

Mystra’s symbol is a blue-white starburst, representing the Weave and its endless potential. Other symbols associated with her include constellations, magical runes, or an intricate web of glowing threads.

Personality and Ethos

Mystra is a deity of order within chaos, seeking to maintain the stability of magic while allowing creativity and growth. Her ethos emphasizes that magic is a gift to be used responsibly. She encourages the exploration of magical knowledge but places strong limits on reckless experimentation that could harm the balance of the world.
Her worshippers believe that Mystra holds a personal connection with all who practice magic, seeing her as a guide, teacher, and protector. However, she is also firm in punishing those who misuse magic or threaten the integrity of the Weave.

The Weave

The Weave is Mystra’s greatest creation and responsibility. It is the metaphysical fabric that connects magic to the material world. Through the Weave, spellcasters draw on raw magical energy to shape their spells. Mystra’s control over the Weave allows her to influence how magic functions, enabling her to empower or restrict certain types of spells or magical phenomena.

Role in the Weave’s History

Mystra’s role as the Weave’s custodian has placed her at the center of major events in the multiverse, including wars over magic and the Age of Fracture in some worlds, when the Weave was damaged or fragmented.

Clergy and Worship

Clerics and Followers: Mystra’s clergy, known as the Magisterium or Weavekeepers, are scholars, wizards, and magical practitioners who venerate magic itself as a divine force. They strive to preserve and expand magical knowledge while protecting it from misuse.
Temples: Her temples are grand and often filled with glowing glyphs, enchanted libraries, and spell circles. They serve as schools of magic and places of study, fostering the next generation of magic-users.
Rituals: Worship of Mystra involves casting spells as acts of devotion, creating new magical discoveries, and offering rare magical components as tribute.

Relationships

Mystra’s position as the guardian of magic gives her connections and conflicts with many deities:
Allies:
Selûne: Mystra shares a close bond with Selûne, goddess of the moon, who is also tied to the ebb and flow of magical forces.
Oghma: As the god of knowledge, Oghma is a natural ally in preserving and spreading the mysteries of magic.
Azuth: As the god of wizards and spellcraft, Azuth is Mystra’s most loyal servant and subordinate.
Enemies:
Shar: Mystra’s greatest nemesis, Shar, seeks to unravel the Weave and plunge the world into darkness and chaos.
Bane and Cyric: These gods of tyranny and strife often oppose Mystra’s efforts to maintain balance.
Talos: As a chaotic destroyer, Talos threatens Mystra’s goal of ensuring magic is used responsibly.
Followers
Common Worshippers: Mystra’s followers include wizards, sorcerers, artificers, and scholars, as well as anyone who relies on or respects magic.
Champions: Mystra often chooses champions—gifted spellcasters or devoted worshippers—who act as her agents in the world. These champions may be tasked with recovering lost magical knowledge, defending the Weave, or opposing threats to magic’s integrity.

Legends

The Fall and Rebirth of Mystra

Mystra has undergone significant changes and reincarnations throughout history. She was once known as Mystryl, the first goddess of magic, who sacrificed herself to stabilize the Weave during a catastrophic event. Her essence was reborn as Mystra, continuing her mission to safeguard magic.

The Time of Troubles

Mystra’s mortal incarnation during this chaotic era led to her eventual death and rebirth. This reshaped her worship and solidified her role as the embodiment of the Weave.

Mystra’s Chosen

Mystra has chosen mortals such as Elminster and The Seven Sisters to act as her emissaries, granting them immense power to further her goals.

The Age of Fracture

During the Age of Fracture, the destruction of the Equinox Convergence shattered the magical Weave, causing widespread instability across Elduran. Mystra, the goddess of magic and custodian of the Weave, reacted swiftly to prevent total collapse. Using her divine power, she temporarily stabilized the Weave, allowing mortals continued access to magic while mitigating the chaos caused by the disaster. However, this repair was a fragile solution; the Weave remained fractured, and its long-term stability depended on the restoration of the Equinox Convergence. The restoration required the reassembly of the Shards of Equinox, fragments of the artifact scattered across the realm during its destruction. These shards contained immense, volatile magical energy, capable of both incredible creation and catastrophic destruction. Mystra recognized their power and tasked her followers—clerics, wizards, and adventurers—with recovering them. Each shard was dangerous to wield, its energy threatening to destabilize the Weave further if misused. Mystra’s champions were entrusted to secure these shards, often facing fierce competition from power-hungry factions, rogue spellcasters, and creatures drawn to the shards' raw energy.
Mystra’s temporary repairs to the Weave provide a semblance of order, but they also place a significant strain on her divine essence. To protect the magical balance, she has established sanctuaries known as Anchors of the Weave, regions where magic is more stable. These sanctuaries serve as havens for magical study and coordination in the effort to reclaim the shards. Mystra has also imposed temporary restrictions on certain forms of magic, such as wild magic and planar summoning, to limit the risks of further damage.
The goddess’s ultimate goal is the reassembly of the Equinox Convergence. Mystra believes that only by uniting the shards can the Weave be fully restored, ensuring the stability of magic for future generations. This effort requires immense collaboration between mortals and divine guidance, as the shards need to be brought together in a carefully controlled ritual to avoid catastrophic surges of magical energy. Failure would doom the Weave to permanent instability, while success would solidify Mystra’s role as the eternal guardian of magic and bring an end to the lingering chaos of the Age of Fracture. Thus, the quest to recover and reunite the Shards of Equinox has become a defining chapter in the history of Elduran, blending mortal ingenuity and divine intervention in the pursuit of magical harmony.

Quotes & Catchphrases

''I am Mystra. I am the Lady of Might and the Mistress of Magic! I am Power Incarnate! Wherever magic is worked, there am I – from the cold poles of Elduran to its hottest jungles, whatever the hand or claw or will that works the sorcery! Behold me and fear me! Yet behold me and love me–as all who deal with me in honesty do. This world is my domain. I am magic, mightiest among all those men worship. I am the One True Spell at the heart of all spells. There is no other.''