The Ages of Raen'dor
Raen’dor’s long history has been broken into several ages, spanning thousands of years; while the influence of the Feywild has slightly altered the number of years that have passed when compared to the wider Material Plane, the realms are still enough a part of the Material that time was not intensely distorted. These eras are marked by major shifts in the primary powers and influences that have ruled Raen’dor (or at the very least have been at the forefront of history during that era). The ages are as follows:
- The Age of Gods: ???-Raen’den Calendar Year 1 (Darcassian Calendar Year -568). This age refers to the time before Raen’dor was separated from the greater Material Plane; while there is little recorded history of this area, it is known that the Fey and Shadowfell influences that are now so tied to the realms were not so close– and the gods (aka Pelor and the gang) were worshiped across Raen’dor. There are artifacts and historical writings of such a time, but it has been so long since Raen’dor has known the influence of gods that this ancient time has faded into relative obscurity (as have the proper worship of most of the gods themselves; while clerics and paladins devoted to the gods do still exist, the gods themselves have little to know influence over the personal lives of Raen’dor’s people nor in the historical events following this age). Most calendars used throughout Raen’dor do not acknowledge the Age of Gods, instead choosing to begin with…
- The Age of Two Seasons: Year 1-Year 294 (DC Year -274). This age began with the great planar shift that separated Raen’dor from the rest of the Material Plane, causing the overlap between it, the Feywild, and the Shadowfell. The origins of this cataclysmic event are unknown, but what resulted was the domination of most of the realms by the two fey Queens (Titania and Mab) as they vied for control of this new extension of their realm. While the Summer and Winter Courts are not known for outright wars, nor the Queens as tight-fisted rulers, most cities and kingdoms built during this age were sworn (willingly or unwilling) to the Courts. This age encompasses nearly three centuries of Raen’dor’s history and is often broken into a few sub-eras by historians and scholars (including various conflicts between both fey and mortals), but most common folk of Raen’dor simply know that the Fey Courts were the dominant powers in the world until the year 294, when seven ancient noble families of Raen’dor came together and convinced the Queens to relinquish direct rulership of the realms. It is unknown what was given to the Queens in return, but this meeting is known historically as the Pact of Melting Snow.
- The Age of Bone: Year 294-987 (DC Year 419). This age emcompasses the development of Raen’dor into the realms that its people recognize today. The two pillars of this age are the rise of “modern” cities/noble families, and the rise and fall of the Undying King. There were three major wars waged between the Undying King and the free people of Raen’dor during this time, the third and final of which was ended when the Evenlights recovered the lich’s phylactery and destroyed him once and for all.
- The Age of Adventurers: Year 987-1077 (DC Year 509). This golden age marked a new era of peace for the realms; the first Queen of Raen’dor (Imogen Duhem) was crowned in the Year 987 following the Undying King’s defeat, and while tensions have risen and fallen since her passing there have been no major wars or massive threats to the realms as a whole. This era is also marked by the establishment of Nightcrest Academy for Adventurers, along the Adventurer’s Guild, in the Year 989; the success of these institutions, alongside the heroic efforts of the Evenlights, gave this age its name.
- The Age of Realignment: Year 1077-Year 1087 (DC Year 519). While there is still debate over whether or not a new Age should be proclaimed and accepted so soon after the Age of Adventurers, few can argue that the Realignment (the name given to the separation of the Raen’dor, the Feywild and the Shadowfell as Raen’dor was returned to the greater Material Plane) is one of the most colossal shifts in the history of the realms. The cause of the Realignment is widely unknown (scholars attribute it to the work of strange, new gods for the western world) but its effects were immediate and immense. Not only was the Eversea, once an endless Fey ocean, now part of the Eirion Sea (opening communication, trade and cultural exchanges between Raen’dor and denizens of other lands to the west), but much was lost as the three overlapping planes were pulled apart. People, structures, and even entire landmarks that were in the Feywild or Shadowfell at the moment of Realignment were lost to the majority who returned to the Material Plane, their fates unknown. While crossing into and out of the Feywild and Shadowfell remains possible, the realms of Raen’dor are now wholly a part of the wider Material world– a change that seems fitting for the start of a new Age.
The Passage of Time
Unlike the real world, different races of people in D&D experience the passage of time quite differently; while most races have a similar lifespan to humans, some folk (elves, dwarves, gnomes, etc.) live for far longer than most and will see many more years of history pass them by. Elves are particularly notable as they take far longer to mature than others, in addition to having by far the longest lifespans.
If you are creating a character to play in Raen'dor, consider this when choosing what race you would like to play as and how it affects both your perception of the world and your family history. A human born in the year 1069 (meaning an 18-year old character at the starting date of our campaign) would have several generations of family history just in the last age alone; a dwarf born in the same year, by contrast, might have a parent who fought directly in the war against the Undying King and still remembers the horrors of that time. Those memories would be equally if not more fresh in the minds of elvish parents-- and perhaps even the early memories of elvish childen, who would have to have lived for nearly a century before reaching an equivalent level of maturity with an 18-year old of another race.
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