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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
 Posted - 26 Feb 2006 : 02:39:26
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What follows is an excerpt from the research journal of a travelling sage, Alraedus of Elversult. Alreadus stayed briefly at Candlekeep while trying to uncover the secrets that he was musing in this journal, and left behind this segment of his notes.
Alreadus travelled to several places to follow up on his information, and eventually wound up in Mulmaster, consulting the Demonologist Heargriist Arandagrist. Neither Alreadus nor Heargriist has been heard from for the last decade, and Heargriist's notes and most of his magic was spirited away by his assistants, who likewise have all managed to disappear from the notice of anyone in Faerun.
Legends of the Magus-Progenetor
This particular legend has facinated me for some time. The Magus-Progenetor is a legend that has been repeated in several cultures, and though the legend is persistant, it has never been particularly well known. Still, I have found variations on the tale in ancient Imaskari ruins, Netherese and Elven books, Mulhorandi and Untheric tablets, and even references to some of the characters that figure into the story in Nar records.
The Magus-Progenetor was said to be a tall man who always covered his entire body in clothing. He wore heavy robes, heavily stitched and riveted, and also work thick gloves that still allowed for deft finger movements, and boots. He always wore a hood up over his head, and always had a mask over his face. This mask was said to appear as a humanoid face, carved to appear absolutely impassive. His true race was never mentioned in any of the legends.
According to some records, the Magus-Progenetor's robes and other clothing bore a powerful enchantment that kept him from aging, as well as allowing his body to constantly regenerate itself. It was rumored that if even so much as a drop of his blood remained to stain his robes, and if his robes remained intact, that eventually the Magus-Progenetor would be whole again.
While most stories mention the glowing city that the Magus-Progenetor ruled from, the specifics of the city varied by account. Some accounts said that the city could travel instantaneously from one location to another, appearing in various places around Toril in order to facilitate the Magus-Progenetor's experiments. Other stories, however, say that the Magus-Progenetor's city actually travelled from world to world, and that the powerful wizard was not native to any known world, but has travelled extensively among them.
The Children of the Magus-Progenetor
The Magus-Progenetor was facinated with life in all of its forms, and was said to constantly modify it, creating several creatures for only the very basic humors of life. He was said to be thrilled to alter such humors and grow life from nearly nothing. He was particularly fond of altering animals that he found in nature, and adding the humors of more intelligent creatures to them. Depending on the tale, the following creatures are all said to be, in one way or another, his "children": Catfolk, Equicephs, Gnolls, Minotaurs, Desmodu, Armand, Goatfolk, Nycter, and Lupin.
A particularly interesting variation on this tale places the Magus-Progenetor in Faerun during the age of Ostoria. According to these legends (mainly those found in Netherese records), the Magus-Progenetor alernatively asked Annam himself, or the ruler of Ostoria, Lannaxis, for permission to use large numbers of ogres for his experiments. The legend then says that either Annam granted him dominion over the ogres, or that Lannaxis sold him ogre slaves wholesale for his experiments. Some legends say that minotaurs were created from adding the extracted humors of humans and ogres to the bodies of great bulls.
The Prodigal Sons
It is said that each of the races spawned by the Magus-Progenetor had a leader, an exemplar that was placed above the rest as the paragon of that particular species. While many are mentioned, two names, Yennogruth (associated with gnolls) and Baztopheth (associated with minotaurs) come up more than any other. Yennogruth and Baztopheth were said to be favored above all other paragons, and the two were fierce rivals.
After years of rivalry between the two, Baztopheth (having just stolen many magic items and some artifacts from his "father") grew restless, and led a band of minotaur rebels and ogre slaves against the other man-beasts, but Yennogruth and his gnolls managed to drive back Baztopheth's forces. Baztopheth managed to escape the city and instead began to rouse ogre tribes to his banner, carving out a small region under his control with his minotaur and ogre troops.
Eventually, the Magus-Progenetor gave Yennogruth his choice of artifacts and items to take with him to aid in a hunt to bring Baztopheth back to the city. He worried that Baztopheth would rouse the giants against him. Yennogruth took a large force of gnolls, and also took several necromantic items with him, allowing him to raise his fallen adversaries as ghouls, creating a hunting pack to aid in his tracking of Baztopheth.
Yennogruth brought Baztopheth before the Magus-Progenetor, but rather than yeild to the judgement of the powerful wizard, Baztopheth grabbed a book of lore on the modification of creatures, and dove for a portal that he remembered how to open. He cast himself into the Abyss, and while some stories have him being destroyed by the demons there, other stories say that he used the book stolen from the Magus-Progenetor to bargain for a position under some demon lord or another.
Yennogruth took his pack of ghouls and gnolls with him into the Abyss to hunt Baztopheth, and was never heard from again.
While to date no Nar records have a complete recounting of the entire legend of the Magus-Progenetor, it should be noted that the names Yennogruth and Baztopheth both show up at various points in Nar records, though such accounts are fragmentary, and while the names are amazingly similar, they may have nothing to do with the account detailed above.
Future Research
It is very interesting to see these accounts of the genesis of various races. Unfortunately species such as gnolls and minotaurs are notorious for keeping poor records of such things. It this is true, then it would mean that minotaurs and gnolls were part of a civilized society before humans were even a major factor in Faerun.
Of course, if the accounts written in some of the Elven records are to be beleived, these events actually transpired over several different worlds. And of course, there is the possibility that all of these accounts are entirely allegorical or fictitious. Still, the ramifications are facinating, and bear following up.
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Lady Kazandra
Senior Scribe
Australia
921 Posts |
Posted - 26 Feb 2006 : 08:08:27
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I'm no moderator . . . but I sure hope Alaundo has taken note of this. It'd make a great addition to the Candlekeep site proper. And it's great background material for a potential campaign for sure.
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"Once upon a time the plural of 'wizard' was 'war'." -- The Last Continent, by Terry Pratchett |
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Alaundo
Head Moderator
United Kingdom
5692 Posts |
Posted - 26 Feb 2006 : 10:02:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Lady Kazandra
I'm no moderator . . . but I sure hope Alaundo has taken note of this. It'd make a great addition to the Candlekeep site proper. And it's great background material for a potential campaign for sure.
Well met
Mayhaps my eyes lighting up upon seeing this were visible from where thou art sat, Lady K 
Indeed, yet again KnightErrantJR brings some splendid lore to the table, i'd certainly like to make room upon the shelves of the library for this, if I may? |
Alaundo
Candlekeep Forums Head Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
An Introduction to Candlekeep - by Ed Greenwood
The Candlekeep Compendium - Tomes of Realmslore penned by Scribes of Candlekeep
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 26 Feb 2006 : 11:05:23
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| Heh, certainly. As always, I'm honored by such a request. This one popped into my head at work, and I had to get it written down. Thanks everyone, for the kind words and attention. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 00:48:59
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| Oh, that is so a loaded question Sage . . . depends on if you ask my wife or not . . . |
Edited by - KnightErrantJR on 28 Feb 2006 00:49:16 |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 04:48:56
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quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
Oh, that is so a loaded question Sage . . . depends on if you ask my wife or not . . .
Do you want me to? 
You can send a message for me...  .
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 05:11:35
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Sage, I owe you for part of this, because you reminded me of that part in Giantcraft about the Baphomet worshipping ogres with a mad on for giants, so I wanted to make sure there was something in this that might play to that.
But did you catch my inspiration for the Magus-Progenetor? |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 13:04:16
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quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
Sage, I owe you for part of this, because you reminded me of that part in Giantcraft about the Baphomet worshipping ogres with a mad on for giants, so I wanted to make sure there was something in this that might play to that.
Oh yeah, I remember that .
quote:
But did you catch my inspiration for the Magus-Progenetor?
Actually, no. I have a few ideas... but they're likely all wrong given the present state of tiredness I currently occupy.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 15:46:08
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| Given that I have a hard time not throwing comic book references into everything . . . sometimes I can't help myself. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 15:55:29
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I've an inkling that it could be ol' Doc Doom -- but there are just as many other Marvel characters that might be just as probable for this Realms-based character.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
Edited by - The Sage on 28 Feb 2006 15:56:56 |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 15:58:02
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I'm a bit lost here, but I am interested so I must ask:
What is this about? Is this Realmslore KEJR created, or...? |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 15:58:53
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| Nope, most of my Doom musings have to do with Manshoon. This has more to do with Mount Wundagore, atomic steeds . . . that kind of stuff . . . |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 16:02:10
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quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
Nope, most of my Doom musings have to do with Manshoon. This has more to do with Mount Wundagore, atomic steeds . . . that kind of stuff . . .
With all due respect, I still do NOT get what you are talking about.  |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 16:06:06
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The original intent of the above article was to create a legend, not a "known history" that might explain several things, including:
1. Where a lot of humanoid animal things came from
2. Where Yeenoghu and Baphomet came from
3. Why Yeenoghu and Baphomet, as well as gnolls and minotaurs, hate one another
4. What Baphomet could have had with him that allowed him to bargain with Pale Night and Dwiergus, and why he built the Tower of Science to tinker with the forms of others (i.e. imitating his father)
5. Why do the Ice Spire ogres hate giants and worship Baphomet, and why is he inspiring them to continue their attacks on giants.
As I said, I wrote this not to say it DID happen, but in a way that it MIGHT have happened, and that there are snippets of legends from different cultures that might reference these events. Part of why I wanted the Magus-Progenetor's city to move from plane to plane is to help explain that these creatures exist in many worlds. |
Edited by - KnightErrantJR on 28 Feb 2006 16:14:23 |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 16:07:44
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quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
Nope, most of my Doom musings have to do with Manshoon. This has more to do with Mount Wundagore, atomic steeds . . . that kind of stuff . . .
With all due respect, I still do NOT get what you are talking about.
Sorry R-F . . . knowing that Sage is an old comic book hand I made a few references to comic books that inspired me while I was writing this, and was curious if he picked out my thought process. None of that has anything to do with either the article or the Realms in general. Sorry for the confusion.
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 16:08:56
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No, I mean the TOPIC of discussion. Your first post. :)
I'm out of the loop, so I may as well just say so, and kindly ask what your post is about. :) |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 16:10:06
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quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
Nope, most of my Doom musings have to do with Manshoon. This has more to do with Mount Wundagore, atomic steeds . . . that kind of stuff . . .
The High Evolutionary was my third guess on the list .
I'm still of a mind of one day trying to fit the Knights of Wundagore somewhere in the Realms. I'm thinking somewhere where there is a high racial mix -- the Dalelands for example.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 16:13:17
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One part that I couldn't work in without making the legend itself a bit more obvious in what it was trying to do, was to point out a way to merge two differnt origins for minotaurs. What I mean by this is that there are already minotaurs according to this story, so some minotaurs can trace their ancestry to the Magus-Progenetor. In this case, Baztopheth is an ancient leader to them, and if he is remembered at all, that is the extent of it.
On the other hand, the Magus-Progenetor made sure the the minotaurs left in the city were not influenced by Baztopheth after his exodus, and thus, when out minotaur renegade enters the Abyss and becomes a demon lord (yes, that should be the proper extrapolated view of what happened), Baphomet sets about making bargains with human warriors and a few other species, that when they do something attrocious, he will aid them and protect them so long as they worship him and he transforms them into minotaurs.
Thus you could have naturally occuring minotaurs and those that arose from a curse at the same time, since Baphomet innitiated the whole curse thing to swell the ranks of minotaurs loyal to him. And given time, this forms a vicious circle, as eventually he might regain control over some "natural" tribes of minotaurs as his "cursed" minotaurs prove dominace in those tribes. |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 16:15:56
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| Of course, the Magus-Progenetor would never name his first minotaur "Sir Bova." Hm . . . perhaps if he did Baztopheth would have been more docile . . . |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 16:35:19
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So you are basically writing up an origin story for minotaurs?
If so, that's neat.  |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 16:48:59
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| Essentially, an origin for minotaurs as well as for Baphomet that would fit a few specific facts established in Realmslore. It was spawned by another thread that was discussing minotaur cultures in the Realms. I had previously written another, more mythological origin for minotaurs, which I would still use as what a lot of people had heard about where minotaurs come from. |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 17:00:43
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quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
Essentially, an origin for minotaurs as well as for Baphomet that would fit a few specific facts established in Realmslore. It was spawned by another thread that was discussing minotaur cultures in the Realms. I had previously written another, more mythological origin for minotaurs, which I would still use as what a lot of people had heard about where minotaurs come from.
All right, thank you for the information. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1564 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 22:34:42
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| Good stuff, Knight However, I am a bit perplexed by the name 'Magus-Progenetor' - it sounds a bit too...hmmm...childish? Maybe a "real" name linked to this myth, such as Maulaugadorn (which was later corrupted into Malaug), might serve better? |
"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 22:45:12
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Hm . . . I was rather attatched to Magus-Progenetor, but I have always been a sucker for people with titles for names. Makes things so much more dramatic. I did avoid making his outfit pink and silver though.
Since it was written as a "legend" and not a point of fact, you could twist it to Maulaugadorn or what have you. It could be any ancient wizard that you want to tie to the storyline. On a side note, I do picture him as still being alive, but I don't picture him as still living on Toril. It might make for an interesting trip for characters to have to traipse the planes trying to find answers from him. |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jun 2006 : 01:06:05
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Journal Fragment from Reader Roulaarn Taendar, cleric of Deneir, in Berdusk:
I have stumbled across some even older writings pertaining to the mysterious recurring legend of what many sages translate as the Magus-Progenitor. While many of the later legeds revolve around the species that he spawned, his moving city, and the war between his "sons," these earlier legends mention a rival of the Magus-Progenitor. I am still trying to fully decipher the first set of writings that I have found, Imaskari in origin, that detail a possible shared apprenticeship between the Magus-Progenitor and his rival, a mage known as Thessalar. I will refrain from conjecturing overmuch on this topic until a better, more reliable source document can be found for the initial legend.
Still, among these scraps of nearly indecipherable scripts, a fairly clear story can be gleaned about the rivalry between Thessalar and the Magus-Progenitor. Apparently the mage Thessalar was also a plane travelling arcanist as well, and also practiced the Art of altering the form of existing life forms into augmented shapes. The difference appears to be that Thessalar was more interested with non-intelligent and semi-sentient beasts, while the Magus-Progenitor was more concerned with the creation of intelligent, nearly humanoid creatures.
According to these legends, neither of these powerful arcanists were natives to Toril, but were visitors from other realities. It is intruiging to conjecture on exactly how many of the creatures that we see around us might have indeed been native to completely different worlds, though it is also true that many of the more exotic creatures of the world have been attributed to the so-called "creator races," which of course vary depending on what sage defines that particular term.
While I'll not range too far afield, the dates that might be extrapolated from some of the Imaskari documents may even lend the time of these legends to the Days of Thunder, the golden age of the Creator Races. It may even be that the Magus-Progenitor and Thessalar were at one time apprenticed to some ancient non-human race of creature active during those times, but again, this is speculation, and must be held in check until further documentation can be verified.
What follows is a rough translation into the current common tongue of the fragmentary record:
That Thessalar and the Magus-Progenitor strove against one another cannot be in doubt, as they had hated one another since the early days. The Magus-Progenitor thought that Thessalar's efforts were brutish and simplistic, and Thessalar beleived that the Magus-Progenitor only saught to create his works so that they would be intelligent enough to feed his own ego. The two hated one another with a passion.
Thessalar decided, however, that it might be of use to him to have a few intelligent creatures serving him as bodyguards and war leaders, and thought that the Magus-Progenitor's works might be useful to him in this regard. Thus Thessalar transferred the conciousness of one of his apprentices into one of the beasts that he had created, a stealthy feline creature able to shift and distort where its body actually appeared to be. The apprentice managed to sneak into the Travelling City of the Magus-Progenitor, and secure a samble of the Magus-Progenitor's work and notes.
When the Magus-Progenitor first realized what was missing, he was livid. Not only had his hated rival stolen from him, but he had stolen some of his most precious work. The Magus-Progenitor could not stand to have Thessalar in possession of material that might make his twisted beastial creatures intelligent as well as dangerous. He quickly devised a plan.
The Magus-Progenitor knew that Thessalar had a weakness for females, as well as a taste for exotic creatures, as he had observed when they had been in the company of the Elder Serpent's Children. So the Magus-Progenitor decided to create his own serpent woman, enchanted to aid him in his quest to revenge himself upon Thessalar.
When the Magus-Progenitor finished with the serpent woman, he made her able to charm any man's heart that looked into her eyes, and he made the enchantment such that any exotic attribute that also caught the targets eye, in her case her serpentine form, would further lower the victims resolve against the curse. He sent her out toward the area claimed by Thessalar.
Eventually Thessalar found the serpent woman, and was indeed taken in by her charms. Eventually the serpent woman found the material stolen from the Magus-Progenitor, and was about to return to her master, when she was caught by Thessalar. Thessalar was enraged, and for a brief moment, Thessalar was so angry that the enchantment upon him was undone. He destroyed the serpent woman, and the material he stole from the Magus-Progenitor as well.
But the enchantment still proved to be powerful, and as soon as he saw what he did, he wept for the serpent woman. He fled the plane, leaving it to the Magus-Progenitor, though it is said that they clashed again a few more times centuries later. To this day, Thessalar is enchanted by any female with serpentine attributes, and cannot bear to be apart from them. Such was the power of the enchantment the Magus-Progenitor bestowed upon his daughter. |
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The Magus-Progenetor and his children
