Origins

The peoples of Titanhold tell different myths and legends about Khaia, the war with the Outsider, and how their people came to Titanhold from a homeworld elsewhere in the Gyre. Each of the peoples left their homeworld under different conditions, brought there by different deities. And although individual archmagi have crossed the planar boundaries, the journey is quite harrowing and requires a master of magical crafts. Even if a people wished to return to their homeworld, a mass exodus is therefore impossible for the millions of inhabitants. The peoples have made a new home in Titanhold because they have no choice – unless, of course, a sleeping goddess awakens.

THE FIRST AGE: THE GYRE AND THE MOTHER

Year 1 begins with the creation of the Gyre, and the age ends with year 4258, when the Outsider invades. A cornucopia of planes make up the Gyre, the known universe and its planes, which together spin around a single and central world once called Thronescape. In the heart of Thronescape, in the center of a hollow world, sat the great mother of it all: the creator goddess Khaia. The gods of the outer planes (also called the gods of the Higher Arcana) all called her mother, and owed her their love, honor and obedience.

In this, the First Age, Khaia ruled and rested benevolently with the support of her Celestials. Twenty one planes spun around her, each ruled by the Higher Arcana, and a great wheel held them to the mother, and life began in each of those worlds. On the surface of Titanhold, life sprung and thrived as the aasimari civilization flourished. There was peace. And then the vast Gyre was pierced – the fabric of space time was torn asunder.

THE SECOND AGE: THE SUMMONING

Year 1 begins with the Outsider’s invasion, and the age ends with year 581, when the Outsider is defeated. In the Second Age, a being from the void pierced the walls of the Gyre and the heart of Thronescape, and with his hordes of minions, challenged Khaia for the throne. This being was known only as Vecna the Outsider. Thronescape was torn asunder, and the mortal assimari civilization on its surface was shattered. The gods of the Higher Arcana were assembled by free celestials in the outer planes and mobilized to aid Khaia – even the Devil came to contribute. As the Outsider’s minions were so numerous and pervasive, the Higher Arcana assembled mortal armies that would face them on the surface, while the gods would battle beneath the earth. The elves volunteered to lead the mortal armies, and brought with them their gnomish servants and attendants. The stonefolk came from Stonehold, and the ifrit from Firehold. Orcs, crowfolk, sylph, humans, dwarves, goblins and their hobgoblin kings: they all came from their homeworlds to contribute to the war. Each of the planes contributed millions of mortals to go and fight the Outsider in the greatest war to face reality.

To travel to Thronescape, the gods of the Higher Arcana crafted goliath avatars larger than the tallest towers, called “Titans.” And to access Thronescape they built massive, divine gateways that carried their mortal armies to the frontlines. Khaia, the Higher Arcana, and the mortals they brought finally dispatched Vecna and the universe was united – briefly. Khaia, the greatest Titan of all, was deeply wounded and retreated to the center of the hollow world. There she went to sleep, and recover over time. She sleeps yet.

THE THIRD AGE: THE WAR OF THE TITANS

Year 1 begins with the sleep of Khaia, and the age ends in year 423 with the Great Accord. With Khaia asleep and the Outsider dispatched, the Higher Arcana soon turned one against the other. The Emperor and Empress incited the elves to conquer the world, and the Sun dried up the fields in response. The Hierophant declared himself King, Death refused to collect the dead, while the Devil seeded conflict among them all. Titan warred on Titan, and the mortals were but pawns of the divine – and the world suffered for it. It was the Wheel and Khaia’s celestials that at last negotiated peace.

THE FOURTH AGE: IN THE SHADOW OF THE GREAT ACCORD

Year 1 begins with the Great Accord and the present year is 1521 of the Fourth Age. An accord was reached. The gods agreed to vacate Thronescape for their homes in the outer planes – Thronescape would be neutral ground. Every god swore that they would not return to Thronescape unless it was with Khaia’s blessing; and Khaia slept.

The gods left, and the Titans became great and empty shells – left abandoned wherever the gods stood when the accord was reached. The great arches, divine portals to other worlds, simply stopped working. And the millions of mortals who followed the Higher Arcana to Thronescape were left to figure out their lives. The original, native assimari civilization had been torn apart by the war of gods, and the new arrivals were simply doing their best to get by. They would attempt to make new homes on a strange world, with strange neighbors from across the Gyre. The peoples saw that there were no thrones in Thronescape, only the giant statues who were once called Titans. And so the mortals who lived there renamed their new world Titanhold.

PRESENT DAY: 1521

Except for a few scattered and decimated peoples, everyone who lives in this world is an outlander – from a distant plane. The mortals of Titanhold have been rebuilding civilization on the shattered landscape. Beneath their feet are the great tunnels and labyrinthine caverns where the gods fought the forces of the Outsider. And although the Outsider was defeated, dark and corrupt descendants of its minions still inhabit the vast underdark where he once faced Khaia.

But, further down below, the peoples of Titanhold know that Khaia herself sleeps. Some hold on to her love with great hope, that she will awake and recognize their stewardship over an abandoned world. Others insist that she will never awaken, and that it would be best to worship the Higher Arcana as the only gods. All of Titanhold’s inhabitants hold some pride in knowing they are the descendants of brave mortals who came together millennia ago to help keep the universe together.

And yet, such myths do not sustain peace for centuries. Instead, the abandoned mortal outlanders who have made their home here have ended like mortals in all worlds – they love, they fight, they bicker and struggle to make sense of a dangerous world.