In the beginning, the sun rose. Light touched Arch and time awoke. Oceans roared. Flowers bloomed. Eyes opened. Life arose. The Arch refers to the worlds, planes, and the magical Weave that flows between them all. The World Axis, the arrangement of the Arch, was built before the very gods and primordials. The Ancient Primordials forged the world from the very elements of creation and the Ancient Gods filled it with life. The Ancient Primordials and the Ancient Gods (often referred to collectively as the Ancients) saw the world differently with the primordials wishing it to remain in constant chaos as a crucible of creation, being reforged for all time. The gods wished it to be filled with life to serve them and their purposes. This led to the Dawn War.
History and Cosmology
According to Grinius
Sages tracked the histories throughout the ages. Greater Ages are comprised of hundreds or thousands of years. Ages may only be comprised of nearly one hundred years. The beginning and end of an Age is determined by the Court of Stars and is influenced by celestial and cosmological events.Age of Creation
Long Before Recorded History
Long before recorded historical records, the Age of Creation marks the beginning of the known multiverse.
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Long Before Recorded History
The Ancients
Era beginning/end -
Long Before Recorded History
The Archborn
Life, BirthThe first children of light were the Archborn. Tall, muscular, and slender creatures with sleek features and pointed ears. Their skin colors ranged across the visible spectrum. Their eyes were dark orbs speckled with light, resembling the night sky. Some say that Archborn still exist somewhere within Prime. But we are their descendants. Elves, orcs, and all humans are children of the first Archborn. As the world grew in age, it became more divided. The tribes of Archborn now numbered in the thousands. Tribes discovered farming and founded the first towns and cities of the world. But with the creation of borders came war. With war, glory.
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Long Before Recorded History
The Dawn War
Military actionThe Ancients collided in a battle that shook the heavens and reformed much of the world. Gods and primordials waged war across the Planes of Existence, from high in the Astral Sea to the very depths of the Elemental Chaos. The Upper Planes and the Lower Planes were torn apart from the trials of war. One great battle, tore at the very fabric of space, destroying an ancient device known as the Living Gate allowing the first incursion from the Far Realm. Pelor secretly sealed the remains of the gate deep within his palace but the damage had been done. The Far Realm had discovered the world. Some Gods thought rebuilding the Living Gate would end the connection to the Far Realm but Pelor disagreed.
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Long Before Recorded History
The Origin of Species
Life, BirthThe battles waged on until finally, the gods emerged victorious. By this time, the common origin known as the Archborn had become something else entirely. Recruiting by the gods during the war led to a heavy divide in beliefs, cultures, and rituals. The once proud origin was almost gone and three major divisions remained; the elves, the orcs, and the humans. During the war, the Ancient God Moradin called forth life from the very rock of the mountains and it later became the dwarves and gnomes of the world. In the wake of the Dawn War, thousands of dragons were spawned by the death of Io. They created the dragonborn to serve them. Jealous gods tainted some origins. Lolth attracted elves and corrupted them. Asmodeus made a pact with humans that led to the turathi (tiefling). The Ancient Gods were dividing themselves much as the origins in the world were.
Ancient Age
Circa 6000-4900 BN
The Ancient Age is written about in some of the oldest known historical sources. Some say it's the beginning of known history.
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6000 BN
5000 BN
Arkhosia
FoundingThe empire known as Arkhosia was the largest empire in written history. Much of that history was lost due to a later conflict with the empire of Bael Turath. What is known is that the death of Io (the spawning of Bahamut & Tiamat), led to the birthing of thousands upon thousands of dragons across the mortal realm. Many of these dragons mastered their blood-lined dragonborn kin and began to build a great empire in honor of the dragon. Architecture resembled the jagged edges yet firm foundations of dragonkind. Some locations radiated with Bahamut’s beauty and justice while others kept to the shadowy ways and devious plots of Tiamat. A truly great empire was rising from the ashes of the Dawn War. At its peak, however, a devilish fiend was rising in the south…
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5000 BN
4900 BN
Great War of Arkhosia & Bael Turath
Military actionIt is well documented that leaders of Bael Turath swore pacts with devils to solidify their hold over the enormous territory. The devils took hold and ruled the empire through the newly birthed turathi. Bael Turath rose in power with such fantastic settlements as Vor Rukoth and Vor Kragal leading the way. This fast-rising empire soon ran into a big, winged problem. The Great War of Arkhosia & Bael Turath had begun. Sometime near the end of the war, a turathi warlock made a powerful pact to ensure victory but something went awry.
Common Age
600 BN 307 AN
The Common Age is considered modern history. Most accounts can be verified and original sources of historical records are plenty.
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452 BN
Nerathi Empire
FoundingIn the wake of the Great Wars, the dragonborn and turathi were decimated. Once-great origins of power and nobility were strewn across the lands, desolate and poor. Dragonborn were pitied. The great and powerful origin was now in shambles and scattered throughout the lands, left far from a crumbled homeland by the travels of war. Turathi were scorned and hated. Rumors and enemies grew. “He who deals with devils deserves this fate.” The devil-pact humans were forced to leave their ruined homeland and move on with their lives, knowing that their greatest days were behind them. The world was thrust into darkness as the magic from both sides of the war distorted not only reality, but the very dreams of mortals in the world. Much was forgotten as darkness set in. Evil lurked in the shadows and chaos should have ensued. But a point of light shone in the distance. A light in the west pointed towards a new hope, a new future…for humanity. In the wake of the destruction of the Great Wars, the human origin began to rise in power. Nomadic tribes had began to settle in cities during the Great Wars and it was these growing cities that were left in the west after the destruction of the ancient empires. Shortly after the war had settled, a 15 year old named Magroth gained power as a strong leader and founded the imperial capital. Scrolls speak of his brave acts including his victory over Ayunken-vanzen, the ancient gold dragon whose lair was beneath the land Magroth desired for his capital. After his victory, he lit the Flame Imperishable in the imperial capital and began his decades-long marches of expansion that would conquer most of the known world.
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10 BN
The Ruler of Ruin
Disaster / DestructionThe empire met its finish beneath the rending claws of a seemingly endless horde of gnolls and demons led by the mysterious “Ruler of Ruin.” With the central government destroyed, provincial kings banded together to defend what remained of the empire. One of them, the just King Elidyr, took up the imperial crown and rallied a valiant defense of Nerath, but it was not enough. When Elidyr was slain, the remaining lords of the empire—fragmented, fearful, and desperate—fell upon one another for survival. Commerce ground to a halt. Famine spread. Hope withered, and the Flame Imperishable became a funeral pyre for the world’s greatest empire.
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2 BN
Halandor's Courage
Military actionThe flame extinguished, the hope of man gone. The shadow swept across the land. Nightfall for all mankind. Yet the morning came. The sun rose over Isle Draegor, pushing back the darkness. Halandor’s Courage, like the morning sun, pushed back the eternal darkness that we may have peace. And now the world sits broken. A sword has been shattered but thanks to Halandor’s Courage, not destroyed. Let him rise above the rest, as he passes to eternity. Harpam Halandor, a man from Isle Draegor, would be the one to wield Halandor’s Courage, a famed greatsword. He led a small force directly into the heart of the Ruler of Ruin’s forces. No one knows how he did it but Halandor struck down the Ruler of Ruin, ending the incursion of gnolls into the world.
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207 AN
The Starfire Calamity
Metaphysical / Paranormal eventTwo hundred years after the fall of the Nerathi Empire, a threat was rising. A being known as Starfire was building a magical device known as the Gaze. It would rival the power of the gods. A prophecy led a group that would become the God's Chosen on a mission to stop him. The machination would steal power from the stars which infuriated Iosphael. Before the world breaker would descend upon the Prime, the God's Chosen and Sotanax would fire the Gaze one last time to stop him. The star dragon was defeated but the Gaze shattered The Arch.
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207 AN
The Fallen Star
Celestial / CosmicDeep in the Valley of the Gods, a crater shined white-hot and debris across the fields glowed with a radiant light never seen before. The trees on the edge of the valley were seared and dying from the intense heat. A streak of fire still lined the sky above, telling of the journey that star took on its fall to the world. To the west of the fallen star, the blazing light shined off of a thousand golden helms as the dwarves of Alheim marched proudly to claim the remains to make starsteel, one of the strongest materials known to mankind. To the east of the fallen star, the emerald and silver sparkled in the armor of the elves of K'ndara Thaen as they marched to claim the remains to make stardust, an ingredient used in alchemy, crafting, and spellcasting. Upon meeting in the middle, they would strike no bargains. They would hold no talks. It was a battle and the last army standing would claim the prize. Over the burning and crackling of the crater and fire, one hears the unified clanging of plate mail from the dwarves’ perfectly-timed march. On the wind, one could hear the war chants of the elves. Some tales tell that the Dwarves of Alheim arrived not only with an army but with a Death Knight amongst their ranks. But the elves had more. A Gold Dragon countered a surprise attack by the dwarves and three legendary heroes routed the Death Knight in glorious flame and battle. The Fallen Star was claimed by the elves of K'ndara Thaen but tensions quickly grew between the kingdoms. Some say this battle started the events that led to the Great Silence ten years later. None know for sure…
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217 AN
The Great Silencing
Religious eventMore than a decade after the Starfire Calamity, the gods went silent. Temples went days without prayers answered. Then weeks. Months. After a year of no word from the gods, the spiritual leaders made their claims. For the last 90 years, we have heard not a breath from the divine beings we once worshipped.
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247 AN
The Founding of the Prime Imperium
FoundingKandalur had become known as the Shattered Kingdoms. Travel became dangerous, threatening trade and safety. The religious foundations of the world were in pieces. During the crumbling of these great kingdoms, the Kingdom of Alheim entered a golden age. Dwarves had returned to Hammerdawn, forging a powerful alliance with Hygahr. The King of Alheim proclaimed that Kandalur would become one empire, under the rule of a mysterious stranger he appointed the Emperor Prime. From one shore to the other, all would be the Prime Imperium. The little resistance he faced was easily handled. Though the grip of the empire does not yet reach everywhere, it's only the borderlands where major disputes still occur. The Emperor Prime became the sole ruler of all in the Fold and he remains so today.