History of Faerûn

Chronicle of Toril

Faerûn is the northwestern continent in the super-continent consisting of Faerûn, Kara-Tur, and Zakhara on the planet Toril. Faerûn has seen the rise and fall of countless realms under the control of many different sentient species. These realms ranged from small, isolated tribes to great empires that dominated much of the continent, but each left their own contributions to the History of Faerûn.

The Dawn Ages (-30000 DR — -24000 DR)

The Dawn Ages are also known as The Time of Dragons and The Time of Giants. Dragons were the dominant species for 6000 years in which individual dragons and dragon clans fought ceaselessly for supremacy over all of Faerûn while subjugating all "lesser races" under their control. The Dawn Age also saw the birth of the giants as a species and their expansion to control territory formerly controlled by dragons who died during their constant conflicts. Giant-ruled kingdoms quickly became large and powerful enough to challenge dragon hegemony, triggering a war involving the entirety of both species.

The First Flowering (-24000 DR — -12000 DR)

The First Flowering was a period in the history of Faerûn marked by the end of the tyranny of dragons over other species, the establishment of the first elven settlements on Toril, and the expansion of elven settlements into five great elven realms as well as numerous additional smaller states. The great elf civilizations reached their pinnacles during this age, and their success provided the stability and safety allowing for other species to develop their own civilizations.

The Crown Wars (-12000 DR — -9000 DR)

The Crown Wars was a chaotic and destructive period of elven history in Faerûn. The elven realms of The First Flowering began coming into conflict over power, land, elven racial identity, and religious differences. The conflicts escalated, eventually leading to a series of five massive wars that lasted for almost three thousand years, leading to the near destruction of the entire elven race.

The Founding Time (-9000 DR — -3000 DR)

The Founding Time, also known as The Age of Proud Peoples, was a period in which the humanoid species began significant expansionist efforts. Elves and dwarves dominated Faerun, establishing vast realms, settling large cities, and building massive edifices that many current human settlements use as their foundations. This period also marked the establishment of the first organized human realms larger than tribal settlements.

Age of Humanity (-3000 — 1358 DR)

The Age of Humanity saw the further decline of the ancient elven and dwarven empires, a massive expansion of the human population, and the founding of the first human empires. Netheril was both the genesis of and the dominant entity during the Age of Humanity, but all of the early human empires left significant and indelible marks on present day Faerûn.

Founding of Netherese Empire
-2954 DR

Netheril launches its first floating city. The magical achievement allows Netheril to quickly expand their political influence, military might, and magical acumen to farther regions and assert control over the land and its people. In addition, a new caste system is created when the society is split into High Netheril and Low Netheril.

Word count: 53
Golden Age of Netheril
-2207 DR — -1206 DR

Netheril reaches its "Golden Age" in which the civilization flourishes significantly in its native region. Many new settlements are founded in Low Netheril and the first floating enclaves rise into the skies.

Word count: 32
Netherese Age of Discovery
-1205 DR — -697 DR

The Netherese Empire begins exploring far flung regions of Faerûn and establishing colonies. Netherese exploration leads to good relations with many other settled groups; however, it also inevitably leads to numerous conflicts resulting in forcible subjugation by an increasingly imperialistic Netheril. During this period, Netheril begins exploring other planets in Realmspace as well as other planes of existence, often unleashing hostile creatures from these realms.

Word count: 65
Shadowed Age of Netheril
-696 DR — -340 DR

Netherese experimentation with extra-planar travel and dangerous magics becomes adverse and dire. Bizarre aberrations and shadow creatures begin streaming out of Netherese settlements with increasing frequency. Netherese control of various regions of Faerûn becomes more and more tenuous, leading to instability, strife, and chaos.

Word count: 44
Despoiling of Low Netheril
Year of Dark Roads, -461 DR

The vast green fields of Netheril begin desertification. The phenomenon begins in central Netheril but expands rapidly over the next decade, creating hundreds of miles of arid, sandy desert that were once verdant. Unaffected areas begin experiencing mass famine due to loss of crops and livestock. Citizens of Low Netheril begin migrating en masse to other areas controlled by the Netherese Empire.

Word count: 62
Fall of Netheril
Year of Sundered Webs, -339 DR

Nearly every floating enclave of Netheril falls out of the sky, killing all inhabitants and collapsing the Netherese Empire, which is largely blamed on an event called "Karsus's Folly." Civil unrest had been building in Low Netheril since The Year of Dark Roads, -351 DR and reached its peak immediately prior to Karsus's Folly. Desertification of Netheril continues to accelerate forming the Great Desert of Anauroch, and all remaining Low Netherese abandon the land to seek refuge.

Word count: 76
Retreat
1344 DR, Year of Moonfall

After years of thought and meditation, the leaders of the remaining elf nations agree to withdraw from the increasingly human controlled lands of Faerûn. The majority of the elven communities begin the long Retreat to the Green Isle of Evermeet, the largest bastion of elven civilization remaining on Toril.

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Era of Upheaval (1358 DR — present)

The Era of Upheaval began with the calamitous event known as The Time of Troubles, when the gods were cast down from the Upper Planes and roamed the land incarnated as mortals.

The physical laws of Realmspace unraveled, destroying the planar barrier between the worlds of Abeir and Toril, which began to join once again. Small, sometimes imperceptible, pockets shifted between each world, and portals opened allowing travel between them.

Wild Magic and Dead Magic zones suddenly appeared over the entire world, causing areas where magic behaved erratically or ceased to function.

Numerous gods died or disappeared, leaving their followers powerless and without guidance. Dead gods returned to life without explanation and began struggles to regain their divine portfolios. Many mortals ascended to godhood to replace those fallen or vanished.

Denizens of the Outer Planes had long been prevented from interacting with the Prime Material Plane, but the disruption of Realmspace freed them to pierce the veil once again. Ancient, unknown, and otherworldly beings began plotting and scheming to dominate the multiverse.

Time of Troubles
1358 DR, 15 Kythorn, Year of Shadows

Also known as the Arrival, the Avatar Crisis, and the Godswar, The Time of Troubles lasted from 15 Kythorn to 15 Marpenoth in the Year of Shadows, 1358 DR. During the Time of Troubles, the gods were thrown from their homes in the Upper planes to walk Toril in the mortal Avatar forms. Each of the Avatars of the Gods spent the Time of Troubles in their own way. Some sought refuge away from all mortals, while others recruited armies to do their bidding. Several Gods fought in open battle with one another, causing the deaths of many deities. With the gods cast out of the Upper planes, divine magic ceased working at all, unless the divine spellcaster was within one mile of their deity's avatar. Mystra, the goddess of magic who tended the magical Weave was destroyed. With her loss, Arcane magic became wild and dangerously unpredictable. Spellcasting had chaotic results. Sometimes spells had the normal, desired effect. Other times, spells would result in no effect at all. Some spells could have random Wild Magic effects with the resulting spell becoming devastatingly powerful.

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Return of the Archwizards
1372 DR, 1 Hammer, Year of Wild Magic

The floating city of Unknown appeared over The High Forest in The North. Suddenly, the archmages of the long lost empire of Netheril had returned to Faerûn after over 1500 years of absence. Thultanthar immediately began gathering information about the present state of Faerûn and establishing relations with various Realms across the continent.

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Spellplague
1385 DR, 29 Tarsakh, Year of Blue Fire

The Spellplague was a disaster that befell the entire multiverse when the Goddess of Magic, Mystra, was murdered by Cyric and Shar. Mystra's death triggered a collapse of the Weave, unraveling and reshaping flesh, stone, magic, and even spacetime. A storm of virulent blue flames swept across the face of Toril and into the planes, until it reached the parallel world of Abeir, where its devastating effects also changed that world. In an instant portions of Toril and Abeir switched places, altering the geography of both worlds, destroying entire civilizations, and displacing large populations between the worlds. Many arcane spellcasters were killed instantly when the Blue Fire consumed them. Others were driven mad by the sudden, violent alteration of the Weave. Some were afflicted with Spellscars, magical blue markings that granted them newfound powers but often at devastating cost. Perhaps the most unlucky were those who survived but were transformed into disfigured "Plaguechanged."

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Wailing Years
1385 DR, Year of Blue Fire — 1395 DR, Year of Silent Death

The Wailing Years, also known as the Plague Years, was a cataclysmic time period in which the effects of The Spellplague were at their worst. Gods were killed or otherwise disappeared. The geography of Toril was torn apart and reorganized. Entire climates changed, destroying numerous natural environments. Magic continued to be dangerous and unpredictable, killing or transforming spellcasters,

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History of Faerûn

The Dawn Ages (-30000 DR — -24000 DR)

The First Flowering (-24000 DR — -12000 DR)

The Crown Wars (-12000 DR — -9000 DR)

The Founding Time (-9000 DR — -3000 DR)

Age of Humanity (-3000 — 1358 DR)

Founding of Netherese Empire

Golden Age of Netheril

Netherese Age of Discovery

Shadowed Age of Netheril

Despoiling of Low Netheril

Fall of Netheril

Retreat

Era of Upheaval (1358 DR — present)

Time of Troubles

Return of the Archwizards

Spellplague

Wailing Years

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