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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
 Posted - 22 May 2011 : 20:24:43
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The Festival of Estark was a famous festival in Estark, the city located in Kush in the Domains, during which wizards from the five Houses fought many magical duels. This yearly event attracted thousands of people from all Domains and beyond (even from Corondor and Tamingazin).
The fight could either be for spells [whoever wins gets his opponent's most powerful cast spell] or to the death, depending on the fighter-mages' decision or the Grand Master's.
Was [or is] there a similar practice in Thay or in other realms? I know some have arena fights, but those that battle are either skilled fighters or humanoids, not wizards. In Chessanta, as shown in The Shadow Stone, the High Wizards may choose to fight to the death if their conflict of interests cannot be solved through peaceful discussion. However similar is the purpose and the nature of it to the Festival, it's still different because the Festival is an organized annual celebration, done whether or not the House Masters resolve their petty quarrels.
I could imagine the Festival being practiced in Thay, [perhaps in secret]. The Red Wizards would not likely choose to fight, but their strongest apprentices would be happy to. Such can benefit Thay in many ways. First, the Red Wizards can gauge how strong or weak each school of magic is based on the wizard-fighters' performance. Second, it will definitely generate a large sum of gold, specially if they allow foreign nobles to bet. And of course, it'll provide the Red Wizards great entertainment.
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Every beginning has an end. |
Edited by - Dennis on 23 May 2011 04:37:28
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3736 Posts |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2011 : 07:37:58
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| Ed has said in the past, that the locations of Mage Fairs are usually left to the DM, deliberately. Kept secret until VERY shortly before the event, and not talked about, afterwards. Always a wilderland setting, usually [but not always] far from both trade routes and large settlements. Ed kept the locales mysterious from those players in his home campaign, even when one or more of them got "smuggled into" a Mage Fair. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2011 : 16:11:15
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IIRC, the one with Elminster (from the short story) took place somewhere in the Wastes, but I could easily be mistaken. For some reason I remember it being far to the East of Cormyr (but I can't check that anymore).
One or two others may have been pin-pointed in SotM, but most locales were never revealed. As others have said, they were VERY secret right up until just before they happened, and the locations were always random and far from settled regions.
The early ones may have been held just outside of remote towns - I seem to recall something along those lines - but that practice was quickly stopped after at least one bad incident (IIRC).
Damn, I miss my sources. 
Mageduels can occur anywhere, anytime, and are usually private affairs but are sometimes made into public spectacles. Many of those occur at Magefairs. They are controlled by Mystra and the Weave to help folks test their magical aptitude without Mages killing each other in the process.
I would assume any culture with arenas would have an occasional Mageduel scheduled. Halruaa may have even had them regularly (as part of the magical colleges?) |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 23 May 2011 16:16:08 |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2011 : 16:41:20
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Maybe Halruaa had it in their colleges. But what we see in C&K are only academic duels between jordaini and wizard, or fellow jordaini. |
Every beginning has an end. |
Edited by - Dennis on 23 May 2011 16:44:25 |
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3736 Posts |
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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader
USA
3750 Posts |
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3736 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2011 : 19:59:12
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quote:
Originally posted by Alystra Illianniis
Conversely, I love it. It's a mages-only event, so why NOT keep out those non-magical folk with prying eyes? Although I"m sure a few merchants of magical wares might be invited to attend, but otherwise, it's a "social club" situation for mage-types to hob-nob and compare notes peacefully. Certainly not something I'd want a bunch of random locals barging in on.
-I have no problem with it being mage-only, and secretive. I don't like how, since Faerūn doesn't have much of a postal system, even with magic, they're organized to be on the spur of the moment, for a lack of better words. It doesn't strike me as too realistic, given what kinds of people are being invited. The people who might be marquee names at these events are going to be the types of people who are busy with intense research about a topic, or are busy running around saving the world, preventing the PCs from doing anything meaningful if you're Elminster (I kid), and stuff like that. They're not going to want to drop everything because they received an invitation to a Magefair to be held in a tenday-and-a-half, or would possibly have some difficulty doing so, anyway. |
(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)
Elves of Faerūn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerūn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium |
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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader
USA
3750 Posts |
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3736 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2011 : 20:11:20
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quote:
Originally posted by Alystra Illianniis
Maybe that's WHY they're spur-o-the-moment? Cause maybe the mages have to find a single time when they're not all busy elsewhere. Sort of like trying to co-ordinate one's schedule with a bunch of business associates, and all of them only coming up with one date- which is, of course, subject to change each year.
-What I meant is that the spur-of-the-moment invitationals would hamper the ability of those to attend who have busy schedules. Unless, ahead of time, whoever is organizing them "checks in with everyone" ahead of time, but if they did, that would kind of going against them being planned out shortly before the day of the event. If a magician is doing X, and he gets wind that there's going to be a Magefair where ever in a tenday or two, dropping X to attend isn't always easy. |
(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)
Elves of Faerūn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerūn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 24 May 2011 : 05:26:54
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I agree with LK. By making it more organized, which includes pre-determining a date, more and more mages would be able to attend. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 26 May 2011 : 15:40:59
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While I agree with the two of you in-theory, part of the problem lies in the fact that given time, many 'bad types' will be able to set up all sorts of traps and what-not for others.
The exact date is probably given far-enough in advance, and after the RSVP the mage is contacted just before the date and told where to be. That's my thoughts on it. Distance in a fantasy setting would have little or no bearing on attendees.
And the idea is that you do NOT want every single archmage on the planet in the same place at the same time. Most of the mages are probably middling levels, with the rare appearance by a famous individual. Its not like a SciFy con or a Renfaire, with scheduled events.
Enough Mages from different regions are involved in the planning to allow for a large enough cross-section of individuals to attend - every mage knows at least a few others, and word-of-mouth is nothing to sneeze at (revolutions happen that way), especially given the abilities of folks involved.  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3736 Posts |
Posted - 26 May 2011 : 17:00:26
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
While I agree with the two of you in-theory, part of the problem lies in the fact that given time, many 'bad types' will be able to set up all sorts of traps and what-not for others.
-Hey, some of those guys would be invited, too! The magically inclined, anyway.
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
Distance in a fantasy setting would have little or no bearing on attendees.
-It's not distance. To magicians, distance is negligible, like you say. A teleport spell, a flying carpet, whatever, they get around pretty easily. It's prior engagements that I'm talking about. Some magician is conducting research on something, and doesn't have the time to attend, because he can't leave his research unguarded or unobserved, or whatever. Magicians, especially the stronger ones, can't necessarily just drop their plans on a relative drop of a hat to attend these kinds of things. |
(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)
Elves of Faerūn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerūn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 26 May 2011 : 17:21:06
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Which is why I think attendance would be handled in advance - with promises to "come next year", and also constituents (both good and evil) 'asking around' - and the location would be revealed at the last possible moment. Also, Mages of middling level (which I pointed out is the majority of attendees) would not be as confined to set agendas as an archmage would be. Elminster may have other things to do, but Phred of Mistledale would not. I am also sure many mages look forward to this exchange of magic and intellectual conversation every year, and make sure they clear their schedule. The precise date might not be revealed until close to the time, but I am sure they are given some sort of indication ahead of time ("Don't be busy the last tenday of Eleint", etc).
Just my thoughts on the matter, of course.
quote:
Originally posted by Lord Karsus
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
While I agree with the two of you in-theory, part of the problem lies in the fact that given time, many 'bad types' will be able to set up all sorts of traps and what-not for others.
-Hey, some of those guys would be invited, too! The magically inclined, anyway.
That's my point - you do not want attendees to be able to set-up any advantages they may want to have over others.
Although I am sure most Mages understand that knowledge is power, and that the knowledge available (not just spells - info on one's enemies as well) at a Magefair outweighs the benefits of disrupting one (and also pissing-off any archmages hiding in the crowd incognito). However, you will always get some that lack enough common sense to see that and cause problems, thus the security involved with the location.
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"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2011 : 04:58:59
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Who ensures order and security in a Magefair? In the Festival of Estark, there's the Grand Master, the most powerful mage in the city; the House Masters, leaders of the five Mage-Houses; and of course, their guards. While the Grand Master decided almost everything--from the type of fight to the bets, his decisions can be revoked if all or majority of the House Masters willed it so. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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The Festival of Estark
