Convergence of Planes, the Age of Dragons

Era beginning/end

The arrival of dragons from another plane.

According to the earlier scraps of recorded history we have managed to salvage, Veratus, at least at first glance, became a world like any other. Dwarves struggling to keep their expanding domain from everything that besieged it, Elvhenan conceding more and more land to the growing Human population as they focused on opening the floodgates that kept the flow of magic through the world to better safeguard the Darkness. Open them they did. Over the generations, the quest for magic became the ultimate goal of the Elvhenan and the Darkness became another legend told children and adults alike by the bards across Theas.   Eidar dol’Thalan aep El’ana is how history remembers the greatest Elvhenan mage of that time, but this is merely conjecture and a hot topic of debate amongst learned societies. Fact remains that an Elvhenan mage decided to step over the only boundary that remained on Veratus. He used his arcane mastery to transport himself and forty of his best students behind the mountain range in that area, known today as Hakkon’s Spine. Soon after that all people with a sense of magical energy felt the power overflow from the spine bringing more power than they ever thought possible. Few of the Elvhenan that still tended to ancient barriers saw them swell and strengthen. Everyone thought that, what they called “Eidar’s Gift”, would bring an endless era of prosperity to Veratus and by extension, Theas. How wrong they were.   After decades one of Eidar’s students emerged back south of the Spine. High Arcanists secreted the man away and few details ever emerged of what happened. Legends say that Eidar opened portals to planes never imagined before by the Elvhenan and his student ap-peared horribly disfigured, skin of twilight and beastly eyes that belied the horrors they had seen. The truth, however, remains in the, now cooled, ashes of Elvhenan libraries.   Dragons were known to the Elvhenan. Thought of as aspects of the planes, some researchers peered through the veil into their domains to study them. Small fey dragons were even summoned in and kept as pets by the more adventuress types. Never had they thought the dragons were always looking back. With the portals to elemental planes open, those giant lizards entered Veratus. Although their power was immense, and their dominion assured, they rarely appeared or threatened the sentient races and soon became just another dangerous predator. Elvhenan even began to hunt them as their bodies were powerful sources of planar energies and their scales and hides considered a boon for their elite craftsmen.   When an ancient female dragon, with scales of glittering emeralds, referred in legends as the “Calen Tari en' Risa”, passed through Hakkon’s Spine and took residence in the ancient human lands of Zash’iran. No one payed her much mind. It was hundreds of years later when everyone realized what was happening. Luring the, in those times, most common and ever most dan-gerous red dragons to her, promising dominion over all the lesser races in Veratus she locked Zash’iran away so that none may interrupt her. When her barrier was dropped ages later what emerged was death. Fire and destruction raged, horrific hybrids of humans and dragons brought the word of the new rulers of Veratus. Once a beautiful lush jungle, Zash’iran became barren desert, a consequence of the disastrous energies that were at play.   Dragons of other colors resisted at first, unwilling to bow down to the Emerald Queen but faced with a sim-ple yet effective choice, Join or Perish, quickly fell into line. Dwarven holds closed their doors and their people retreated deep into their fortresses. Humans ran and then gave in seeing dragons as new incarnations of their beloved gods. The rage of the dragons turned onto their only real threat. The Elvhenan. The war was long and bloody. Cities burned and ancient lizards fell from the sky. The exact history of that war is not the subject of this paper, but suffice to say that there is no need to look further that this, for the reason the Elvhenan civilization crumbled and decayed.   In a last-ditch effort Elvhenan turned to the cause of their demise for salvation. They found that the hold the Emerald Queen kept over her cohorts was a mixture of magical energies and a web of lies and manipulation. She was the only thing keeping the different breeds of dragons from ripping themselves apart.   Through magic reportedly reaching into planes of un-natural powers, The Elvhenan created a host of warriors. Named “Renan en' i' Elvhenon”, they were to kill the green dragon and spend their lives rebuilding their civilization. The priced to be payed was steep, those warriors were to be infused with the souls of their people who died in the war. As Elvhenan souls re-mained in a life circle tended to by their Druids, it would be the darkest of all spells. The Druids conceded to work on the spell only if Alamara dal’Belena twe Ingis, then Queen of the Elvhenan would join her peo-ple in their suffering so the ritual would never be used without need. With no other choice, she agreed.   Spirits of the slain dragons and dragonkin would take over the souls of dead Elvhenan fuelling the Warrior’s powers but only upon the death of “Calen Tari en' Risa” would the Elvhenan souls be free to return to their rightful place. Details being unnecessary in this short report, the last-ditch effort payed off. The Host suc-ceeded and as foreseen the dragons fought themselves almost to extinction. Legends say the remaining warri-ors joined with the Queen rebuilt as much of the Elvhenan civilization as it was possible, but they never regained their former glory. The rest is as they say his-tory.