Return to the Assault on Glantri
by The StalkerA year or so ago we discussed the circumstances of end of WotI, particularly the assault on Glantri by the Alphatians' Thousand Wizards (a.k.a. The Great Council). In the end Hervé Musseau wrote a short bit about it meant as a compromise and to patch up some holes in WotI, and mentioned that the Week Without Magic would then occur afterwards.
However, I have just played through the final bits of WotI, which made me think that there are still a few problems to deal with. I'll bring those up below and then offer my own solutions, but first a little look at some events at the end of WotI, listed in reversed chronological order to establish their relevance (how each event is a consequence of the former, or how the former is required for it to take place).
4. The Assault on Glantri won't occur unless ordered by Zandor.
3. Zandor can't order assault unless he is emperor.
2. Zandor can't be emperor unless Eriadna is dead.
1. Eriadna won't be dead unless the Week Without Magic and the Destruction of Sundsvall occurs first.
Problems:
A. Hervé once argued there shouldn't be two Weeks Without Magic. I tend to agree given that it would indicate the Nucleus of the Spheres was drained far more than intended. However, if you note the above, it seems obvious that you need both - one to destroy Sundsvall and kill Eriadna, and then one that occurs once Rad is consumed by the Nucleus of the Spheres, and which strands or kills the Thousand Wizards in Glantri.
B. WotI says Eriadna dies from being magically aged when magic failed during the Week Without Magic. The problem with that is that lots of other Alphatians should then have died as well, Terari/Tylion not least of all, and he is very much alive after this - note how he is mentioned to choose exile when Zandor orders the attack. Something similar might be argued for Mylertendal.
My humble suggestions for solutions (what I did IMC):
A. There is only one Week Without Magic. It occurred just after the Destruction of Sundsvall, long before the Assault on Glantri. When magic failed during the Assault on Glantri, it failed only for a day, as per the subsequent annual Day of Dread. In fact, it might be argued that this was the first Day of Dread (unless the DM already had that established in his campaign, of course, only I didn't in mine).
B. Eriadna was killed only indirectly by the Week Without Magic. Instead of being magically aged, she was crushed under tons of marble when the imperial palace collapsed over her head. With no magic to protect her, she was doomed. Eriadna will be just as dead, but this solves the problem of why Terari and others didn't then die as well.