The Simbul

Over the years, the Simbul has employed multiple permanency spells in combination with the spells detect invisibility, protection from evil, shape change, and Serten’s spell immunity, as well as an amulet of proof against detection and location and a ring of protection +3, to somehow achieve the continuous functioning of all these magics on her person without the actual rings being present. While leaving these protections fully functional, the Simbul is able to control changes of her shape instantly by silent act of will and even to confer all or part of the protective effect once exhibited by the ring of protection to another being, as long as she is in flesh-to-flesh contact with him or her.

Even the most powerful and ambitious mages are advised not to try duplicating her feat. The attempt is known to have torn apart several sorcerers, and many folk learned in magical matters are of the opinion these internal magical fields, which cannot be dispelled, have cost the Simbul her sanity. Certainly, they have robbed her of much of her patience. She seems restless in the presence of strong magic, and she can feel when magic, extant or hanging (waiting to be triggered) is within 90 feet.

Alassra has also somehow gained the ability to transform her body into chain lightning, with the same effects as the spell. However, the last bolt becomes a streaking meteor that flies off at MV 27 (B). When she does this, her body cannot coalesce again for 1d4+2 hours, and she is helpless while she solidifies - —which takes an entire turn. In meteor form, she inflicts 4d4 points of electrical damage upon creatures she contacts, and she cannot be harmed by electrical, energy burst, or explosive spells, though metal weapons do her double damage. The Queen of Aglarond uses this power only as a last-ditch defensive maneuver. As it is a natural ability and not a spell, anti-magic cannot prevent her from doing it nor stop her passage while in meteor or lightning-arc form. Some legends insist she won this power by defeating Azuth in a contest or battle, while others say Mystra bestowed it upon her ingratitude for her creation of her synostodweomer healing magic.

These magical abilities may have driven the Simbul wild, but they have also kept her alive in the face of powerful sorcerous foes. Over the years, they have shielded her from many waiting traps and multiple attempts by the Red Wizards and other mages to track her down and control or destroy her.

Like all of the Chosen, the Simbul is immune to one wizard spell of each level. This immunity includes magical item effects that duplicate such spells, but not all spells of the same school or type of effect. When these spells are used against her, they simply do not affect her in any way The Simbul is immune to magic missile, blindness, fireball, ice storm, feeblemind, disintegrate, limited wish, maze, and wish. She is also working on altering her life force still further to make herself immune to time stop.

The Simbul also has bonus spells gifted to her by Mystra (as do all magically gifted Chosen) that she need not study. When cast, they return to her mind through Mystra’'s grace by themselves 24 hours (144 turns) later. She needs no material components to cast these, and they do not count as part of her roster when she is memorizing spells. The Simbul’s bonus spells are feather fall, web, fly, polymorph other, hold monster, anti-magic shell, delayed blast fireball, prismatic wall, and the Simbul’s synostodweomer.

Most common folk across the Realms think of the Simbul as a fey witch best kept well away from. Some go so far as to denounce her as a baatezu or tanar’'ri using human guise to escape being slaughtered by the risen might of all human mages in Faerûn. Many folk privately think the unpredictable, awesomely powerful sorceress who rules Aglarond must be insane— but they are still glad she roams the Realms. As one merchant of Suzail put it, “Better her fury and spellhurling than all of us being spelltwisted slaves of the Red Wizards.”

In Aglarond, of course, and in the halls of the Harpers, the Simbul gets a different reception. The folk of her kingdom worship her for working so tirelessly to keep them alive. The Harpers, as well as the folk in Telflamm and in Shadowdale, which she visits often to see Elminster, respect her more than they fear her. None of them want to be in her shoes, but all of them would move swiftly to aid her when necessary. It is better to do so than to be changed into a frog, or blasted right through the walls of one'’s own castle.

The endless plottings of the Red Wizards and the Zhentarim infuriate the Simbul when they are not so laughable as to amuse her. Having seen the doings of the Shadowmasters and others herself, she wishes these dolts dabbling at ruling the Realms through magic could see them too, and scramble away in fear - —or perhaps even grow up.

Acts of cruel magic, misused authority, slavetaking, and deeds harmful to Aglarond typically move the Simbul into cold fury —and instant magical attack. She is swift and ruthless when aroused, preferring to make an example of those who dare to challenge her by destroying them with far more force than necessary. Magical deceit, whether employed in large ways —such as by a wizard to frighten and coerce others, and thus rule a kingdom—or in small ways —as when used by a tutor to hold back from telling a student all about a topic, for example— - infuriates the Simbul. If she does not want to reveal something, she says so, bluntly. Only in tactics against the forces of Thay does she employ trickery or tolerate it in others.

Though she is often justly accused by others of being arrogant, the Simbul cannot abide arrogance in others. However, she is merely amused by nonmagic-using beings who sneer at others. Mages who behave thus always make her determined to smash their feelings of superiority. She feels almost morally obligated to manipulate events to make them feel foolish if they are friends, allies, or harmless folk, or to teach them swift and harsh magical lessons if they are not.

Some folk find it prudent to go through life making as few enemies as possible— - Laeral of the Seven, for example, subscribes to this view. The Simbul cares not a whit how many foes she makes in a day.

Alassra misses most her innocence— - chances to relax without the cares of the current plots of Thay weighing upon her. When she finds young children she can play with, outdoors and well away from fearful parents, she delights in doing so even if she has to change into the form of a faerie dragon or other trusted, amusing creature and remain that way for some time. She also finds chatting or sharing a cup of broth, ale, or berry or bitterroot tea with adults —most often elderly people —who make her welcome and do not fear her the most precious and delightful encounters of all. Alert at all times for Zhent and Red Wizard traps or treachery, the Simbul does not let her guard down during such interludes. But she does appreciate those who are friendly and easy with her, and she often works magic to aid or protect them— usually in such a way that they do not realize what she has done until later. Gifts also please the Simbul, because she gets so few of them— and even fewer that are not trapped with spells or contact poison.

The Queen of Aglarond deliberately eschews all routine. This randomness in her daily activities is her best defense against Red Wizards seeking to slay her. She always considers survival of her beloved Aglarond the foremost of her goals, and she spends her time manipulating events in the Realms to further her goals and observing the Realms in general. She wanders and watches the Realms so as to savor the richness and beauty of the lands, to see all she can of lifestyles she dare not embrace, and to learn more about the ways of Faerûn and the doings of her many foes.

Recently, fresh joy has come into her life because she has finally found a man who can stand up to her —and who now regards her as an equal, not a wayward little girl. This person is her chosen consort, Elminster. Though he does not know it yet, she has every intention of bearing his child.

Alassra has wandered Toril and many other worlds and planes, and may just be the most widely traveled mortal being in existence. Since the death of the sorceress she was apprenticed to, Queen Ilione of Aglarond, the Simbul'’s travels have been more fleeting than before she had a throne to sit on and a realm to worry about.

Although she secretly enjoys matching wits and spells with hostile mages, she bitterly resents the time she must waste foiling the plots of Thay. She counts it as time she could be spending building the strength and prosperity of Aglarond, making her citizens happy, and transforming their realm into a carefree sylvan paradise.

One day, she vows, Thay will be destroyed, and she will call together the witches of Rashemen, the druids of many faiths, and the elves from all over Toril, and work on founding a new forest east of Aglarond, centered on Lake Thaylambar. There elves can settle in a new realm, and Alassra can then forget all the cruelties of Thay and set to work smashing the decadent Old Empires of Unther and Mulhorand, and reforming them into farming realms rather than dust-blown slave empires ruled by the crazed and the cruel. When the human-held surface lands are patchwork places of local powers and small grasp, she can set about encouraging settlements of halflings nearby, and dwarf and gnome settlements below, until those races recover the numbers, pride, and culture they enjoyed before being crushed beneath the ruthless numbers and ambitions of orcs and humans.

The Simbul revealed these intentions to a sage in Candlekeep once, and he asked her (outrage overwhelming prudence) what gave her the right to dare to try to reshape the Realms into just what she wanted them to be.

“"Right?"” Alassra replied softly, “"Nay ‘tis a duty".”

And so she truly believes: that all archmages and truly powerful priests have a duty to try to improve the world they find around them as much as possible. Though pursuing such a course is meddling, they are the only beings blessed with power enough to even hope to manage any improvements. It is therefore their responsibility to attempt such improvements.

Many would (and do) disagree with her, but the Simbul ignores them. If compelled to listen to their protests, she dismisses them impatiently with the statement that if they had lived as long as she has, done what she has done, and experienced what she has seen, they would see things as she does. And, right or wrong, they would do as she is trying to do. Such lofty ideals may be scant consolation to a Red Wizard or Cult of the Dragon wizard she has smashed to pulp along with his tower, but Alassra has no remorse for her slayings of such beings:

"“By choosing the lives they did, they chose also their deaths,"” she has said more than once. “"They could have cultivated wisdom enough to stand clear of me.”"

The Simbul’'s wide experience and her almost instinctive feel for magic not only allow her to anticipate what spells lesser wizards will hurl before they begin to cast them, but enable her to hold to her own personal goal of devising a new spell, or improving an existing one, once every moon. As a result, she is always alighting in secluded, lonely places to experiment with magic, often to the delight and fearful awe of a being who observes her. She always has spells at her command that even experienced adventurer-wizards have not seen before.

Common folk across the Realms rightly fear the Simbul more than any other of the Seven Sisters. She is not safe to be around, as she has admitted. She is always thinking about how to further her aims in ways both large and small— and acting on her thoughts. “

"Of us all, Alassra should have been called Storm, not me,"” her sister Storm once said as she watched the Simbul ravage a Zhentarim-led army single-handedly in a wild maelstrom of spells. ''“"I'’m but a minor squall from time to time - —but her fury challenges the anger of the gods!”"''

Few of those who have faced her in battle would disagree. And whether they do or not, the Queen of Aglarond cares not a whit, as she carves her way toward her goals, and through Faerûn, day after day.