Elminster Must Die

The once-immortal Elminster Aumar faces old age and old enemies in this epic first installment in the Sage of Shadowdale series The great mage Elminster is now an old man, surrounded by enemies and dreaming of the noble adventures of his youth. Once a wizard more powerful than any other—immortal, and beloved of the goddess of magic—Elminster’s world was torn asunder by the murder of Mystra and the mayhem of enchantments her death triggered throughout the realms. Weary, weakened, and with little magical ability, Elminster and his lover, Simbul, are in grave danger: he, from his many enemies and she, from her own insatiable need to consume magical items—or lose lucidity forever. Unfortunately, their ever-growing and increasingly risky collection has the power to lead Elminster’s enemies right to his door.

In ancient days, sorcerers sought to learn the One True Spell that would give them power over all the world and understanding of all magic. . . . The One True Spell was a woman, and her name was Mystra -- and her kisses were wonderful. Priest Havilon Tharnstar Tales Told to a Blind Wizard It is the time before Myth Drannor, when the Heartlands are home to barbarians, and wicked dragons rule the skies. In these ancient days, Elminster is but a shepherd boy, dreaming of adventure and heroics. When a dragon-riding magelord sweeps down upon him, though, the boy is thrust into a world of harsh realities, corrupt rulers, and evil sorcerers. With patience and grit, Elminster sets about to change all that. The result of his labors is a world reborn and a mage made.

Elminster, having been forced to live in the form of magical ash to stay safe after the death of Mystra, is sent on a quest by the goddess that puts him face to face with his archenemy, the vampire Lord Manshoon, and tests his faith and fortitude.

Elminster the mage descends into the depths of Hell from which it will take all of his powers to escape When an ancient evil banishes Elminster to the depths of the Nine Hells, his earthly powers diminsh, reducing him to one of the many lost souls of the inferno. Elminster, Sage of Shadowdale, Chosen of Mystra, faces his most desperate struggle yet—to remember himself and to cling to his very sanity— as all of the forces of evil rally against him. Told with the spirit of adventure typical of the Forgotten Realms series, Elminster in Hell is both an epic quest and a profound story of one man's memories and his desperation for a future.

When Narnra of Waterdeep discovers that her long lost father is none other than the great mage Elminster, her hunger for the truth of her birth leads her on the greatest adventure of her young life Narnra Shalace has grown up on the streets of the City of Splendors, facing the daily dangers of life as a fatherless thief. Although her mother has long hinted that her father was of magical stock, Narnra is shocked when she discovers that she is in fact the child of Elminster the mage. Filled with rage that this powerful man who she has heard of in legends and folktales abandoned her to a life of poverty and thievery, Narnra hatches a plan for revenge. Little does she know, forces far beyond herself and Elminster are about to collide. Amidst a vast conspiracy to overthrow all order in the Realms, Narnra will have to learn to trust again—and to love.

The rise of the Realms' most powerful wizard! Collecting the first three of Ed Greenwood's classic Elminster tales: Elminster: The Making of a Mage, Elminster in Myth Drannor, and The Temptation of Elminster, together in a gorgeous trade paperback package, Elminster Ascending is a must-read for every Realms fan--particularly those looking forward to the much-anticipated sequel, Elminster Must Die! Elminster Ascending chronicles the early years of the Realms' most powerful and colorful wizard, the Sage of Shadowdale, Elminster. Follow Elminster from his humble beginnings as a traveling mage to the tragic collapse of an elven empire, and on to a personal turning point that could have sent him down a path to corruption and darkness.

Elminster meets danger and ridicule at every turn as he desperately defends the legacy of the goddess Mystra, mother of magic Commanded by the vestige of Mystra to work together, Manshoon and Elminster engage instead in a ferocious battle that sends the Sage plummeting into the Underdark as a cloud of ashes. Weakened but committed to the task set out for him, Elminster sets forth to rally Cormyr's Wizards of War. Along the way, the great mage seeks blueflame items to mend the immense rifts throughout the realms and thus prevent the ancient Primordials from rising and unleashing their rage. However, evil lies at every turn, and Elminster’s sworn enemy, Mansoon, has plans of his own. He wants to conquer Cormyr, become its new Emperor—and hunt down the Sage's clones. The battles are fiercer than ever, the stakes have never been higher, and the fate of Cormyr is on the line.

It is the time of the great elven city of Cormanthor, when the Heartlands are home to barbarians, wicked dragons rule the skies, and the elven people trust no one. Wizards and warriors alike threaten their civilization in vain, arrogant, and ignorant quests for glory. Thus it was that Elminster was guided to Cormanthor, the Towers of Song, where Eltargrim was Coronal. There he dwelt for twelve summers and more, studying with many mighty mages, learning to feel magic and know how it could be bent and directed to his will . . . . It is recorded that when the Mythal was laid, and Cormanthor became Myth Drannor, Elminster was among those who devised and spun that mighty magic.