AMIA ARCHIVE • View topic

Seeking info on this group! I've been through my relevant PnP materials and found only the most basic of info on them... in summary, they're an order of Mystran paladins, dedicated to finding lost artifacts and guarding Mystran temples. That's all I'm able to find; every source I've come up with basically just re-quotes the same couple of sentences almost verbatim.

What leads me to suspect that there may be something more on them out there is a bit of unsourced stuff in FRWiki, giving the name of the order's founder and home temple. But, as I said, no source is cited for that stuff, and it's FRWiki in the first place, which... yeah. Grain of salt, et cetera.

Does anyone know of any further detail on these guys?

(Edit: I've seen IronAngel's stuff here. I'm hoping for more, or sources, or something.)

The FR Wiki stuff is definetly grain of salt, yeah. I'm pretty sure that's just some guy inserting his own PC into the Wiki. The only other reference to it google sees is someone making a post that is obviously referring to what he's read on the wiki. I'd expect a lot more entries if there really was a chosen of Mystra by that name. I think you can ignore that.

Anyway, to the point. Which I'm sure you've already found, but lets be certain...

Quote:

"Knights of the Mystic Fire: This order of paladins and rangers serves Mystra. The paladins accompany other members of the church on quests to locate lost hoards of ancient magic, and most of the leaders of temple guardians are drawn from this order. The rangers (sometimes called the Order of the Shooting Star) serve as long-range scouts and spies for the church and deal with magical threats against the natural order, such as rampaging monsters and creatures born of mad experimentation. The order has at least five hundred members, though rarely are more than a dozen gathered into a single place. Paladins of this order can multiclass freely as wizards and guild wizards of Waterdeep."

This comes from the Minor Organizations bit of Champions of Valor. That's the entry in its entirety. So far, that's everything I've found. But there's another organization on the same page that I know a lot more about, and that one was detailed in older editions before being condensed into that sourcebook. I'm going to try and find where this Order first appeared...I bet its the same place...

...Well, that didn't take long. Yeah, it gets mentioned in Faiths and Avatars.

Quote:

The church also sponsors a knightly order of paladins and a small order of rangers. The paladins, the Knights of the Mystic Fire, are granted their spells by Mystra. They often accompany members of the clergy on quests to locate lost hoards of ancient magic and also form the cadre from which the leadership for the small groups of armed forces who guard Mystra's larger temples and workshops is drawn. The rangers, known as the Order of the Shooting Star, also receive their spells from Mystra. They serve as long-range scouts and spies for the church and also deal with magical threats that threaten the natural order of things, such as unloosed tanar'ri and baatezu and creatures born of irresponsible wizardly experimentation.

It's basically the same entry. Probably less detailed in 2nd edition, which seems bizarre, given how things work generally.

There's a chance that this might have got a mention in Dragon Magazine, maybe. A bit more fluff. But I think that's it, sadly. It doesn't even get a mention on the Candlekeep FRindex, which is what I use to find things.

I would be content to fill in the blanks yourself. Put the HQ in the basement of the largest church of Mystra in the realms, maybe. Why not.

A Candlekeep topic mentions that there's a paladin of Mystra in Shadows of Undrentide, named Mischa.

Candlekeep forum search didn't turn up anything else interesting. I think you have all the material you're going to find, unless you specifically ask the authors and authorities of Realmslore (which is quite possible at Candlekeep, there's a whole section dedicated to it). Even then it will be "tentatively canon".

There really isn't much more info on them that I have ever found, beyond what you have listed and what was linked to our own lore section.

So here is a little something:

The Order of Mystic Fire, mirroring its mother church, is likewise loosely organized. Once a year, at a given place named the previous year, members of the order gather. It is always a place where there are open skies, and the meeting is opened with a prayer at the midnight hour. The 'Invocation of Mystery' is a prayer uttered and known by all members of the Mystic Fire, and upon its conclusion a bonfire is set ablaze with silver fire, a show of the goddess' favor upon the meet. At this meeting, order business is conducted. New members are inducted, places of magical importance are discussed, and assignments are given out by order leaders to new members, as well as old members being reassigned as necessary. From this meeting, members of the Mystic Fire then spread out into the world and serve the Lady of Mysteries. Some are responsible for hunting certain artifacts (or simply ensuring they are kept safe - possession of artifacts is less important that knowledge of where they are), some are tasked with guiding young arcanists and finding those Gifted, some are given the duty to serve certain temples and other places of mystical importance as guardians. The House of Mysteries at Elventree, The House of Wonder in Waterdeep, and the High Temple of Mystra in Halruaa are some places where Knights of the Mystic Fire are typically stationed. Some are simply knights-errant, serving Mystra as they can where they can. This is typically how young members begin their career, being given a chance to prove their worth. These are also your typical adventuring paladins, and are the ones most prone to joining with adventuring parties. Especially if doing so will allow the paladin to foil and oppose traditional enemies of the faith (Sharrans, Banites, Red Wizards).

The Mystran faith is highly meritocratic, and the Order of Mystic Fire is no exception to this trend. Standing within the order does not come from noble title, wealth, or political power of the individual member. Rather ability and accomplishment stand above title, and assignments/promotions are given based on skills of individual knights. This applies to applicants, as well. An applicant from a poor family with talent is much more likely to be admitted, as compared to an applicant from a rich or affluent family that is otherwise lacking.

However, there is no official presence of Knights of the Mystic Fire on Amia or the surrounding region.

Ooo, that's super cool, Nivo. Thanks much.

Soooo.... if one wanted to rp being a member, how would they go about this? Would a DM request be needed?

Wouldn't think so, no, but it would be beneficial to send a note to the DMs letting them know. Heck, some of them may be able to make some good recommendations to you to help you integrate your PC into the story. (Nivo might be a good candidate to inform.)

<3

Favorite order. I have a character which traces her background with them.

Hmm. It seems mostly a paladin service, this answers a big question of the skepticism of Mystran Paladins. This order resides you say in Waterdeep and if so, is there any conflict of interest between these mages and the Khelbun Blackstaff's Moonstars? I feel like they would constantly be scrutinizing the Moonstars, ex-harper patriots themselves, and as well, would have a sort of awkward relationship in Halruaa! I imagine though in my minds eye that if they are of the church of Mystra in Halruaa (the big one located in the The Walls, I forget the name right now) they would rarely leave this pilgrimage site unless requested by the Netyarch or Mage Hounds.

I always have difficulty with the Mystran Paladin and seeing their utility compared to the Mystrans who may employ them. I hate to think they are "just the dumb muscle I need for this dangerous mission!" So perhaps they have some more formal significance. Your guess is better than mine!

Here is Mount Talath, which is the name of the temple built on the North Wall of Halruaa (Nathaghal):

Considered by some to be the center of magic in Halruaa, Mount Talath is a small town located high on the slopes of one of the tallest mountains in the Walls. The town is really nothing more than a series of houses for the folk who work in the high temple to Mystra carved into the mountainside.

The high priestess of the temple is Greila Sontoin (LN female human cleric 20 of Mystra), who is said to have gained unearthly wisdom and insight into all things magical through both her own magic and the favor of Mystra. Though Greila is very old and seldom leaves the temple anymore, she is still capable of powerful magic, and she could be a formidable challenger to Zalathorm should the two ever cross one another. Fortunately, the wizard-king and the high priestess are on good terms and communicate regularly because each trusts the other's judgment about most issues.

The Temple of Mystra is a magnificent structure with soaring spires that seem impossibly tall alongside the steep mountain slope. Like the grand towers of the wizards in the cities below, the temple is built primarily of stout stone, but it also includes crystalline walls and permanent walls of force. Anyone wishing to pay homage to the Mistress of Magic may enter here to worship, but those who come expecting to get their hands on unique spells or magic items are invariably disappointed. All items of true value are kept behind and beneath the temple proper, in a huge cavern complex designed to store centuries of magical knowledge safely.

Gaining access to the temple storerooms is no easy matter. Visitors who wish to enter the storehalls must undergo a rigorous series of magical screenings. Those who pass muster are admitted, but the depth to which any particular individual may roam is strictly defined, and the temple staff might require the visitor to be escorted while inside. A member of the Council of Elders is permitted access to almost every section, but other natives of Halruaa are restricted to the more mundane areas. Visitors to the country can only scratch the proverbial surface, and each must pay a ridiculously high fee to gain access at any level. Travelers who return to their native lands from a trip to the temple at Mount Talath often speak of its wondrous libraries, not realizing that they have not seen a third of its treasures.

Despite the best efforts of the priests, thieves and spies occasionally gain entrance, but ample abjuration magic is always in place to deal with such intruders. Many are not found for several days after they have been fried, frozen, or partially disintegrated.

The complex has some degree of organization - visitors can usually locate any desired piece of magical knowledge with no more than five or six years' worth of diligent research. Halruaan wizards pride themselves on their ability to track down the information they need in Talath's caverns, and some diviners have actually devoted their lives to the goal of devising new spells expressly for speeding that process. In the end, though, no one in all Halruaa - except perhaps a lich or two with knowledge of such matters - has any real idea just how vast the body of information within Mount Talath is.

Knights of Mystic Fire

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