Chronology of Eldareth

The first mortal peoples rise across Eldareth – fragile, inquisitive, and filled with potential. As they navigate the world shaped by cosmic conflict, the Primarchs serve as their guides.

These elemental stewards teach the nascent races to harness the elemental forces of the world, fostering resilience and understanding.

They prepare the mortals not only for the Titan threat, but also for the trials and challenges ahead, laying the groundwork for their survival and future civilizations.

Following the hard-fought victory of the divine forces and their mortal allies in the Dawn War, the Primordial Titans are defeated.

As their immense essence dissipates, it seeks out new vessels. Five of the eldest dragons, scarred from the conflict, find themselves transformed, their forms bathed in celestial light, ascending to new heights of power as the Dragon Ascendants.

Simultaneously, the giants fighting in the war are transformed by the primordial essence, emerging as the progenitors of new giant races, infused with elemental power.

With the titans gone, these newly ascended and transformed beings define a new era, becoming dominant forces reshaping the world.

Following their ascension in the wake of the Dawn War, the five Dragon Ascendants journey to a remote volcanic archipelago in the Stormbreaker Sea. Here, they establish their domain, infusing the land with their essence and elemental power.

These islands, later known as the Aldramar Isles, become a reflection of the Ascendants' might and philosophy, shaped by colossal dragons and crackling with raw elemental and arcane energy, serving as their sacred territory for millennia.

The Jarl Triumvirate, Thalkor, Saaktar, and Thorden, craft the legendary Soul Forge, and channel the raw power of creation to shape resilient forms from living stone and tempered metal.

These are the first dwarves, imbued with an innate connection to the earth and a divine affinity for craftsmanship and endurance, destined to carve their legacy across Eldareth.

In regions of Ethelra, early human societies expanding into the foothills encounter the newly forged dwarves carving their first halls.

Recognizing shared interests in resource extraction, defense against monstrous threats, and navigating the challenging terrain, these disparate mortal races begin to form early alliances and cooperative ventures.

This period marks the foundation of a long and complex history of interaction and sometimes conflict between dwarves and humans.

As mortal societies develop across Ethelra, driven by ambition and the need for defense, they grow beyond simple communities into independent city-states.

These nascent city-states, each with their own leaders, territories, and burgeoning cultures, often find themselves in rivalry. Conflicts break out between them over resources, land, trade, or influence.

Some of these early city-states manage to endure and grow, laying foundations for future nations, while others are lost to history, vanishing due to war, decline, or other pressures, a testament to the volatile nature of early mortal civilization.

As the Age of Divinity progresses, fueled by the fear, war, and agony that gripped Eldareth during conflicts, the lingering divine essence of the fallen deity Lymarel coalesces.

From this wellspring emerges three new malevolent entities: Malgathar, Lessarith, and Vorandor, collectively known as the Triad.

Born from the darkest recesses of the mortal soul, they quietly amass power and influence, subtly corrupting mortals and sowing seeds of discord across the world from the shadows.

In the southern jungles of Zalthyx, slithers Lessarith ,and speaks to tribes guided by Yssarel, promising ascendance beyond servitude.

In a cosmic conflict against Yssarel, Lessarith triumphs.

From this victory, those tribes who listened shed their lesser forms, transformed by Sszal'Zirith's will into the Ssith'katha, serpents of cunning, and wisdom, designed to shape the world's spiral to their will.

Centuries after their creation by Lessarith, the scattered Ssith'katha tribes and city-states in Zalthyx begin to unify.

Driven by ambition and a shared belief in shaping destiny, they forge early regional dominions, establishing ritualistic and hierarchical societies.

While not yet a single unified empire, this marks the rise of significant serpentfolk power centers in the southern lands.

In the deepest reaches of the Hollow Depths, the Ul’Zar, colossal arachnids, weave intricate webs, slaves to instinct.

Lessarith, perceives their potential and whispers promises of purpose and power.

Through divine manipulation and arcane metamorphosis, the strongest among the Ul’Zar awake to self-awareness and ambition, transforming into the Threz’kathar, the Ascended Brood.

During the time the Triad exerts its corrupting influence, Vorandor, the twisted deity of decay and entropy, actively blights reality with his presence.

A vile, insidious corruption begins to manifest and seep across Eldareth. This blight spreads subtly across the land, particularly affecting the natural world, a growing scar and persistent symptom of the Triad's malevolent power reaching into creation, foreshadowing the coming conflict.

After centuries of consolidation and building major strongholds like the Obsidian Spine, the early power of the Ssith'katha begins to fracture.

Driven by internal conflicts, ideological splits regarding their divine purpose, or perhaps simply the challenges of maintaining control over vast territories, their unified rule collapses.

Dominions splinter into rival city-states and scattered tribes, marking a period of internal strife and setting the stage for the state of fragmentation seen centuries later.

In the eastern lands of Shen-Su, the arrogant city-state of Noryeong declares dominion over the sea itself. The Water Primarch, watches their pride, sends warnings, and finally, unleashes a great tsunami that swallows the city whole. As the survivors sink into the deep, another voice answers: Lessarith.

She appears in the darkness, offering them rebirth if they accept her embrace. In their desperation, they accept, reshaped into the Hae’Rang, given coiled bodies, scales, gills, and sharpened minds—the last of Lessarith's chosen races.

As the Triad's influence grows, Malgathar, the Destroyer, actively instigates conflict across Eldareth. He whispers into the minds of rulers, generals, and populaces, exploiting ancient rivalries, amplifying grievances, and sowing seeds of hatred and distrust.

His insidious work drives nations toward hostility, causing them to raise armies, test alliances, and eye each other warily across borders.

This period sees the mortal realm teeter on the precipice of widespread war, a direct result of Malgathar's malevolent hand pushing them toward bloodshed.

In the wake of Io's and Ao's intervention and the guidance of the seven dragons sent to Shen-Su, distinct cultures and nations begin to form across the eastern lands.

Guided by the unique ideals embodied by the dragons, the foundations of realms like Shen Xha, Jinshan, and Takorei are laid.

This period marks the birth of the diverse Eastern Kingdoms defined by draconic wisdom.

As the Age of Divinity progresses, concurrent with increasing mortal conflict and the rise of the Iron Horde, Vorandor, the Defiler, unleashes a second, virulent plague across parts of the world known as the Scab-Rot Plague.

It spreads rapidly through vulnerable populations, causing rapid physical decay and suffering, and defies conventional healing and divine intervention from other deities.

As mortal conflict escalates, the Celestial Accord unites against the Triad. Their conflict culminates in the brutal Last War of the Gods.

The Triad is defeated and sealed away, but the victorious deities, recognizing the danger of direct divine interference, then erect the Sanctified Archway, a powerful barrier limiting their future influence in the mortal realms, with the exception of one deity- Feonar.

Following their respective exoduses from the Feywild, the different elven lineages encounter one another in Vel'Nathar.

The Archfey Liadrius, who guided the Sera'drin, acts as a bridge between these groups. Reminding them of their shared origin and common purpose in the Material Plane, he guides them towards unity.

Rather than retreating into division, the elven lineages find common ground through kinship and a shared reverence for their new lands.

As the Age of Wonders progresses, while elves remain present in Vel'Nathar, many increasingly choose Alven'Nathiss as their primary residence.

Concurrently, human populations and other races continue to grow and settle in Vel'Nathar, leading to a significant demographic shift where humans and other non-elven races become the dominant population in the region over centuries, defining its character leading into later ages.

Giznat goblins discover the versatile magical mineral known as Galarium.

Imperial scholars and innovators quickly refine its arcane applications, leading to a revolution in technology and infrastructure. Self-lighting streets, Galarium-powered transport, and advanced arcane constructs become widespread.

Academies and magical institutions dedicated to Galarium flourish, transforming the daily lives of many and fueling an age of unprecedented magical achievement and ambition.

Arcane institutions and imperial engineers collaborate on ambitious, large-scale projects to understand, stabilize, and harness the world's raw magical power. They construct massive conduits and nexus points, often powered by immense Galarium cores, creating interconnected networks that channel leyline energy.

These networks power vast cities, facilitate rapid arcane travel through portals or dedicated pathways, and define the magical infrastructure of the Age of Wonders' most advanced civilizations.

As Vashkova's necromancy matures, its lords delve deeper into forbidden rituals, no longer content with animating the dead.

Driven by the pursuit of true immortality and a desire to transcend the cycle of life and death, they experiment with ancient pacts and dark magic. Through these blasphemous acts, they create a new, powerful form of undeath—the vampire.

The first vampires, the Antediluvians, rise from this grim innovation, marking a new, terrifying chapter in Vashkova's history and adding a potent, immortal threat to Eldareth.

After centuries of centralized rule, the vast Thessaric Empire begins to fracture.

Relentless demand for Galarium depletes sources, creating conflict. Mage orders and noble houses grow insular, pursuing private power beyond oversight. Corruption weakens the bureaucracy.

Tensions break during the Sundering Years, a century of intermittent civil conflicts, assassinations, and mage uprisings. Rival archmagi and noble houses wage war over resources and power, turning provinces into battlegrounds.

Turning their gaze eastward, the Orzhun under Uluug Khaan Borukhai the Bold launch a great march across the steppes against the legendary Xha’zin Empire, one of the great eastern powers.

Seeking to claim dominion over its lands, their armies shadow the sun. For three years, they batter against the dragon-warded walls of Shen Xha.

As victory seems impossible, war shamans weave the Horde's wrath into form, invoking the colossal First Shura, a manifestation of endless conflict, to break the Celestial Gates. But the Eternal Emperor unweaves it. Though they fail, the Orzhun leave black monoliths at the border as a promise: We will return.

Within the arcane institutions of the Age of Wonders, a new philosophical movement gains prominence.

Championed by influential magisters, it emphasizes strict logical principles, empirical study, and the standardization of spellcasting and magical theory, moving away from more intuitive, faith-based, or traditional approaches.

This era produces groundbreaking theoretical works and systematic magical practices but often dismisses older or less understood forms of magic as unreliable or chaotic, shaping the direction of arcane research for centuries.

Around this time, a powerful theocratic empire emerges in the southernmost jungles of Zalthyx—the Xal’Tarothi.

Driven by strict divine law centered on the Pantheon, with Xal'Zorath as a dominant figure, they consolidate power under leaders who prioritize spiritual structure over secular ambition.

This empire establishes itself as a culturally distinct serpentfolk civilization of the Age of Wonders, existing concurrently with the Zsarthal Basin Empire to the north.

Beginning around this time, the Thessaric Empire’s authority steadily erodes as provinces, driven by ambition and discontent, withdraw one by one from imperial rule. This process accelerates, and by -325 B.U.R., the unraveling reaches its peak.

Major provinces like Calvessa, Vel’Nathar, Tessarion, Célaine, Vashkova, and Ostheria complete their break, each establishing new systems of rule. From this moment on, imperial authority is confined to Thessaria and a few loyal enclaves, and the empire exists in name only.

After decades existing in name only, confined to Thessaria, the last vestiges of the Thessaric Empire's central authority finally collapse.

Reforms attempted by the last Sovereign fail, the imperial treasury cannot pay the legions, and the court dissolves into symbolism before vanishing entirely.

With its authority spent and its last ruler lost, the empire ceases to function as a governing body. Thessaria becomes merely a historic capital, marking the true and final end of the Thessaric Empire.

In the years following the Upheaval, Vel'Nathar becomes a center for restoring order.

At 5 U.R., the Cobalt Lyceum is founded, becoming a globally recognized institution for arcane research and ley line stability.

This era also sees the rise of the Iron Assembly (c. 10 U.R.), a new meritocratic government that steers Vel'Nathar to prominence in trade and naval power.

By 15 U.R., the Assembly sanctions the Veilbound Order, an organization dedicated to policing forbidden magic that gains influence across many regions wrestling with arcane breakdown.

Centuries after their enslavement began, the Vashkari orcs held in serpentfolk bondage seize a moment of cosmic chaos. Taking advantage of the Upheaval's devastating impact on the serpentfolk powers and the destabilization of the Spine strongholds, they rise in a brutal revolt.

They shatter their chains, seize ships, and flee westward across the sea to their original homeland, the Vaash’toran Archipelago.

This rebellion marks the end of centuries of brutal bondage and serpentfolk control over the Vashkari.

In the decades that follow the world-shattering Upheaval., the influence of distant planes begins to manifest in new ways.

This shift in cosmic balance leads to a noticeable increase in the number of individuals born with strong ties to other planes, or whose planar heritage manifests more prominently. These are the Planetouched.

Their emergence in greater numbers is one of the early widespread signs that the world's relationship with the multiverse has been irrevocably changed.

Tensions escalate between the powerful maritime nation of Vel'Nathar and major rival merchant fleets, representing other established trading powerssuch as Tessarion or Calvessa, over control of critical international sea routes and the lucrative trade of Galarium.

This war fundamentally impacts global trade patterns and the balance of naval power.

Having emerged as dissenters during the Age of Wonders empires, serpentfolk who rejected the doctrines of conquest and rigid hierarchy find their way in the chaos following the Upheaval.

Gathering in less controlled regions like the Riven Strand and the Shahoya/Avermont frontier, they consolidate their distinct identity as the Dawncoil—serpentfolk dedicated to peace, coexistence, and shedding the venom of the past.

This marks their formal emergence as a recognized group, distinct from the warring factions of their kin.

Across different regions of Eldareth, individuals attuned to subtle energies and dream seers begin experiencing a series of vivid, shared prophetic dreams.

These visions consistently warn of approaching instability in the planes, prompting mages and diviners from multiple disciplines and nations to investigate subtle signs of cosmic shifts and heralding a coming, world-level threat.

News of this phenomenon spread among those who watch for cosmic portents.

A vessel of extra-planar origin, the Naerid crystalline ship Ithis Veyra, fleeing cosmic dangers, crashes into the peaks of the Greyspires within Vel'Nathar.

The few survivors of the crash, who would become the precursors and founders of the Venthari order, bring with them ancient knowledge and dire warnings of instability originating from realms beyond the planar veil.

Their arrival and the potent truths they carriy galvanize orders and institutions across the world to prepare for unknown external threats on a cosmic scale. The crash site becomes a location of significant arcane and planar study.

Following their creation at the Soul Forge during the Incursion, the first Dragonborn peoples journey to the Aldramar Isles, the ancestral domain of the Dragon Ascendants. Here, they begin carving a society from the raw, elemental land.

Drawing on their innate connection to draconic might and their unique perspectives, they establish the foundations of their culture and social structure, dedicated to honoring the legacy of the Ascendants in the challenging landscape.

As the Western Exodus brings waves of settlers to the new continent of Avermont, beginning around 575 U.R., their disparate groups begin establishing new communities.

Driven by the lingering memory of the lost Thessaric Empire's ideals of law, order, and shared prosperity, these settlers found the first colonies in the lands that will become the Concord Territories.

These settlements emerge as hopeful reflections of that former glory in unknown lands, laying the groundwork for future nations and complex societies on the western continent. 

As the Western Exodus brings waves of settlers to the new continent of Avermont, their rapid expansion into frontier territories leads to widespread friction with the indigenous Tavaska and Rakkari peoples.

Settlers establish new communities over ancient groves and sacred sites, disregard traditional land uses, and clash with inhabitants seeking to preserve their ancestral lands and ways of life.

These early encounters are marked by misunderstanding, resentment, and localized conflicts across the expanding frontiers.

Decades after the Upheaval, arcane scholars and planar diviners across Eldareth begin to notice and document widespread, inexplicable anomalies.

Reality seems to thin in unusual locations, minor effects reminiscent of other planes appear without direct magical cause, and subtle influences bleed into the Material Plane more frequently and unpredictably.

These events baffle mages, who recognize they point to fundamental changes in the barriers between Eldareth and other realms, signaling a new era of cosmic uncertainty they cannot fully explain.

Decades after the Upheaval fractured ley lines and ravaged Galarium deposits, the slow process of the world's magical recovery begins to yield results. In regions where ley lines stabilize and scars mend, Galarium deposits begin their centuries-long process of regeneration.

Simultaneously, explorers and scholars employ new methods to locate and recover Galarium in the changed landscape, including seeking out post-Upheaval formations or accessing formerly unreachable veins.

This marks the cautious return of a vital resource, fueling hope for renewed arcane achievement.

Having consolidated their rule and defined their theocratic structure, the Xal’Tarothi Empire reaches the height of its power.

Towering ziggurats pierce the jungle canopy, divine decrees are enforced through strict caste, and their unique pantheon worship defines law and hierarchy.

They view the fragmented northern serpentlands with a blend of superiority and vigilance, establishing themselves as the dominant serpentfolk power of the Age of Resurgence.

Amidst rising tensions on the frontiers of Avermont, leaders from Concord settler groups, Tavaska tribes, and Dawncoil serpentfolk communities gather in the region of Tahanwe, known as the Quietmarch.

Recognizing the dangers of unchecked conflict and the land's sacred nature, they negotiate formal accords attempting to define boundaries, respect ancestral sites, and establish protocols for coexistence.

This rare moment of dialogue highlights the complex layers of inhabitants on the new continent and the potential for fragile, localized peace.

Pushing further inland into north-central Avermont, the Concord settlers establish Seravon as a region defined by law, oaths, and regulated growth.

Chosen for its defensibility and position near sacred paths, it becomes the spiritual and judicial heart of Concord civilization on the continent.

Fortified settlements and relic courts solidify its identity as a place of vigilance and memory, though bordered by older Tavaska and Rakkari territories.

As the era of cosmic uncertainty continues, its effects deepen.

Individuals across Eldareth, particularly those with latent magical ability or psychic sensitivity, experience increasingly vivid and often unsettling dreams that feel like glimpses into other realities.Subtle echoes from other planes bleed into the Material Plane more frequently.

These phenomena intensify, including the notable Reverie Murmurs among the elves of Alven'Nathiss, leaving scholars and mystics to theorize that the veil between worlds is thinning in new and unpredictable ways.