User:Old Zebular/Grimoire of Time

= The "Grimoire of Time" =

You come across a massive square book measuring three feet in height and width, filled with thousands of pure-white pages making the book almost a foot thick. It is bound in hard-black leather from an unknown beast with an engraving of pure white lettering in Thorass on the front and side binding that reads, "Grimoire of Time by Archmage Zebular the Terraseer of Mystryl." On the base of the side binding, it is also printed in pure white lettering reading "Printed 1479 DR."

Trying to move or take the massive grimoire proves futile as it seems to weight more than anything you have ever tried to pick up and are unable to even move it in the slightest. Any flames brought within a few inches of the book change to a pure white light and emit no heat and cause no damage to the book or its pages. Striking any part of the book only resounds in a deafening clang as though you have struck sold steel with steel.

As you open the massive cover of the grimoire, you are taken back as at first glance the pages appear empty. As you focus on them however, words of pure-black ink begin to write themselves in Thorass, never showing you more than what you have not already read. As you flip the pages and continue reading, each fill with more and more information, seemingly pertaining to the passages of Time and Events through out the Realms. What you have read so far, is as follows:

((Note: Gray Lettering and Double-Parenthesis is used to note information that is only relevant to Real World information and should not be noted in any "Role-playing" sense, in all intents and purposes, it is "OOC" or "Out of Character."))

= The Harptos Calendar and Notable Days of Festivities =

In the Harptos Calendar, there are exactly 365 days in a Year consisting of 12 Months and each Month has exactly 30 days. There are three Weeks in every Month and one Week is exactly ten Days long in the Realms. There are five days that fall in between certain Months and additional sixth Day that occurs once every four Years. The Harptos Calendar is the most widely used calendar system through out the North of Faer&ucirc;n. It is named after its inventor, a long-dead wizard by the name of "Harptos of Kaalinth."

The Days of the Week, aka "a Tenday"
By most, these ten-day periods are known simply as "Tendays." Through out the regions and cultures of Faer&ucirc;n, others refer to them as "Eves," "Rides," "Hyrar," or "Domen." The days themselves have no special names and from most languages, they simply translate into Thorass as the following, in order: "First-Day," "Second-Day," "Third-Day," "Fourth-Day," "Fifth-Day," "Sixth-Day," Seventh-Day," "Eighth-Day," "Ninth-Day," and "Tenth-Day."

Calendars of the Years
= Special Days in Order of Occurrence =

These are the six Special Days that fall in-between the Months. They are generally celebrated with festivals, observances, parties, and other traditions. As well, many faiths see them as Holy Days and observe them in their own ways.

= The Moon of Sel&ucirc;ne =

The Moon circling Toril is called Sel&ucirc;ne, after the Goddess herself. The Phases of the Moon of Sel&ucirc;ne is used through out history as markers for various holidays, rituals and ceremonies across many faiths and cultures. The phases are, in order: Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, Waning Crescent, New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, and Waxing Gibbous. ((These phases are exactly the same as Earth's Moon.))

= The Forgotten Realms Pantheons = Dozens of deities are revered, worshiped, and feared throughout the world of the Toril. Many gods are widely known across the Realms, and even more are found locally worshiped, whether by cults, tribes, or even as a part of larger religious organizations.

The Deities of Neverwinter
While there are many deities to be found in the Realms, the majority of the citizens residing in Neverwinter pay homage to a select few.

((This list is that of the one found in-game when creating a new character. If you're looking for an updated list for 5th edition lore, see the section below this one.))

Amaunator, The Keeper of the Sun

Description: Amaunator is the god of the sun and time. His church teaches that he has died and been reborn time and again, like the turning of a great clock. He is revered by farmers, merchants, and nomads who follow the seasons and the turning of the celestial clock, as well as paladins who battle undead.

Followers are called: Amaunatoran / Amaunatorans

Holy Days: The Summer Solstice

Notes: The Third Full Moon of the Year is an important Holy Day in ancient Amaunatorian history. It marks the signing of the Pantheon Contour and was marked by donning magisterial vestments and walking in parades through every court and street showing the sign of Amaunator. Summer Solstice is the most important day to the Amaunator faith and is spent sunbathing, relaxing and thanking Amaunator for the gift of Sunlight upon the world. It is believed that if this day is not celebrated, Amaunator would withhold sunlight from Toril for a year.

Chauntea, The Great Mother

Description: Chauntea is the mother of Toril, and she oversees the interaction of sentient mortals with the natural world. She draws worshipers from all who depend on the land for their livelihood, including farmers and villagers (who live close to the land) and druids (who tend the wild reaches). Chauntea is a kindly goddess who nurtures and feeds the world.

Followers are called: Chauntean / Chaunteans

Holy Days: A general observance of the Solstices and Equinoxes

Notes: Every day begins with a prayer and every sunset is equally met in prayer. Prayer is made whenever a seed is planted but is otherwise left up to the individual to decide when to offer prayers and homage to Chauntea as they are moved and bound with the flow of Nature. Observances of the Solstices and Equinoxes are common but not mandatory, instead each community observes the Harvests of local crops, many of which happen to fall during these times as well as during Higharvestide.

Corellon Larethian, First of the Seldarine

Description: Corellon is a skilled warrior and the father of the elven races, who were born of the blood he shed in his epic battles with Gruumsh. Corellon is worshiped by the elven races and half-elves, as well as those who work magic. He is a benevolent protector of his followers and is focused on long-range goals.

Followers are called: Corellite / Corellites

Holy Days: Shieldmeet

Notes: Monthly reverence is held during Lateuquor, also known as "The Forest Communion of the Crescent Moon" and takes place on the Waning Crescent of the Moon's phase. The followers of Corellon also observe a great number of holy days which happen only once every few years, such as Shieldmeet, as well as others that happen every decade. These holy days are often in alignment with both major and minor astronomical events.

Kelemvor, Lord of the Dead

Description: Kelemvor presides over the passage from life to death, judging the faithless and the false and apportioning souls to their proper fate in the afterlife. His followers are drawn from those find comfort in the natural transition from life to death and those who battle undead and the practitioners of necromancy, wherever they may be found. Kelemvor's absolute fairness, firm hand, and steady grace bring comfort to those who lose a loved one.

Followers are called: Kelemvorite / Kelemvorites

Holy Days: Shieldmeet and The Feast of the Moon.

Notes: Shieldmeet and The Feast of the Moon are days of remembrance. Doomguides seek the counsel of the dead on these days and tell tales of the deceased's deeds and are sometimes used as holy days to bring back heroes from the dead that Kelemvor feels is needed once again within the Realms to uphold the balance of Toril.

Moradin, The Soul Forger

Description: The All-Father forged the dwarf race from gems and precious metals and imbued the dwarves with souls with the strike of his mighty hammer. Moradin is revered by dwarves, blacksmiths, and those who work with gems or metals. The Soul Forger is stern, stubborn, and uncompromising, but tireless and brave in the defense of his creations.

Followers are called: Moradinian / Moradinians

Holy Days: Varies - Full Moons or either Crescent Moons

Notes: Each Clan often takes their own days of holy obligation to Moradin. While their "holy water" remains the same through out, which is a very good pint of beer, the times at which these days are observed vary greatly but always fall on either the Full Moon, Waxing Crescent Moon, or Waning Crescent Moon.

Oghma, The Binder of What is Known

Description: Oghma is the lord of knowledge and thought, both the spoken and the written word. The Binder is served by all who seek knowledge, including bards, lorekeepers, sages, scribes, and wizards. Oghma thrives on new ideas, regardless of their consequences, and the communication of knowledge in all its forms.

Followers are called: Oghmanyte / Oghmanytes

Holy Days: Midsummer, Shieldmeet

Notes: Midsummer and Shieldmeet are generally venerated by renewing contracts and obligations and also are seen as the best times to form new bonds and agreements. However, priests must partake in two sacred rituals daily, the Binding and the Covenant. The Binding is a morning service of written symbols while the Covenant is an evening ceremony of recited wisdom, whether by speech or song. The ways in which rituals and observances of the Oghman faith are portrayed vary greatly between almost every temple and monastery.

Sel&ucirc;ne, The Moonmaiden

Description: The goddess of the moon governs the ebb and flow of the tides and comforts the world with her silvery glow in the black of night. She constantly battles the darkness of her sister Shar. The ranks of Sel&ucirc;ne's faithful include mariners, travelers, and those who seek comfort in the night. Sel&ucirc;ne is kind, caring, and ageless, ever waxing and waning in power.

Followers are called: Sel&ucirc;nite / Sel&ucirc;nites

Holy Days: Full Moons, New Moons, Shieldmeet

Notes: Followers of Sel&ucirc;ne revere her in individual and often unique ways with usually only one common theme among them all, that they venerate their Goddess under every Full Moon and New Moon. Another important and sacred observance is the Mystery of the Night in which all worshippers are required to participate in at least once a year. Shieldmeet is also an important day for Sel&ucirc;nites on which the faithful perform the ritual of the Conjuring of the Second Moon.

Silvanus, The Forest Father

Description: The Forest Father (or Tree-father) is the lord of nature in all its wild splendor. He is worshiped by druids, rangers, hermits, and others who dwell in the wilderness. Silvanus is wild and unpredictable, given to tender acts of mercy and wild bouts of savagery.

Followers are called: Silvanite / Silvanties

Holy Days: Greengrass, Midsummer, Higharvestide

Notes: Greengrass, Midsummer, and Higharvestide are days, or nights in the case of Midsummer, of meditation and communion with Silvanus. The "Night of the Forest" happens at the whim of Silvanus and is marked by either a global or localized growth of nature which comes to life with a sentience of their own during this period. Sunsets are times of prayer to Silvanus.

Sune, The Lady of Love

Description: Sune is the mistress of beauty and tender emotions. She is revered by artists, lovers, and gallants drawn from the ranks of humans, elves, and half-elves. Despite her flirtatious, loving nature, the Lady of Love holds herself aloof, pledging her heart only to her faithful.

Followers are called: Sunite / Sunites

Holy Days: Greengrass, Misdummer

Notes: Greengrass is observed by Sunites with frolicking in the outdoors while Midsummer is spent by having night-long flirtatious chases through parks, forests and other places of pleasure. Other celebrations are left to the whims and pleasures of each local congregation as long as one night a month is spent observing the "Grand Revel" and one "Feast of Love" is celebrated in every Tenday. The Grand Revel is a dawn-to-dusk party in which outsiders are introduced to dancing and minstrelsy domination to draw in those they wish to convert to the faith with exhibitions of mirth, fun, pleasure and beauty. Where the Grand Revel is open to outsiders, the Feast of Love is strictly a private practice within the Clergy and is a quiet and intimate affair of gentle indulgence and generally breaks up by nights-end into private gatherings of courtly love.

Tempus, The Foehammer

Description: Tempus is the god of battle and patron of martial prowess. He is revered by all warriors, from the lowliest soldier to the mightiest warlord. The fearless Lord of Battle views war as a force of nature that shapes and reshapes civilization.

Followers are called: Tempuran / Tempurans

Holy Days: Feast of the Moon

Notes: The holy days of Tempus vary greatly from place to place as they generally observe the eves of great battles of historical significance. The Feast of the Moon the only fixed holy day to Tempurans and is celebrated as a time to honor the dead. Followers of Tempus are expected to either spill their own blood or that of a wothy foes at least once a Tenday and sing the Song of the Sword in Tempus' honor. The Clergy are also expected to perform two important ceremonies each day, the Feast of Heroes at high-sun and the Song for the Fallen at sunset. The Song of the Sword is often performed nightly in every established Church by the ministering high priest for any faithful who wish to attend, it is not mandatory however for followers to observe.

Torm, The Loyal Fury

Description: The Loyal Fury is the god of law, dutifully upholding the strictures of civilization. Torm is served by paladins and other holy champions. Ever steadfast and true, he is consumed by his sense of duty.

Followers are called: Tormite / Tormites

Holy Days: The Divine Death, The True Resurrection, Shieldmeet

Notes: The Divine Death, celebrated on Marpenoth 13th, is a holy day commemorated to the day when Bane and Torm destroyed each other during the Time of the Troubles. The True Resurrection commemorates Torm's return to life and falls on Marpenoth 15th. During Shieldmeet, Tormites celebrate with rituals that express devotion and loyalty as well as used as a time to renew contracts, oaths, and other past pledges. Prayers must be offered to Torm four times throughout the day, once each at dawn, at noon, at dusk, and at midnight. Three other rituals are required to be observed and performed by the priests of Torm. These are Torm's Table, the Investiture, and the Holy Vigil.

Tymora, Lady Luck

Description: Known as Lady Luck, Tymora is the goddess of good fortune. Those who seek good luck or want to express thanks for having received it pay homage to this Tymora.

Followers are called: Tymoran / Tymorans

Holy Days:

Notes:

Pantheons after the Sunderings
As Neverwinter rose from the ashes of the Spellplague and struggled to remain intact until the havoc of the Realms came to an end with the Third Sundering, different gods were worshiped. As the world mourns their losses, great and small, divine and mortal, new and old gods have returned to the Realms while others are no more.

((The following are lists of the Deities found in 5th Edition and in the timeline of the Realms would be akin to when a character enters the Well of Dragons, as the Tyranny of Dragons ushers in 5th edition lore and source material for the Realms and Dungeons &amp; Dragons as a whole.))

Forgotten Realms Pantheon
These are the primary deities within the Forgotten Realms, known as the "Forgotten Realms Pantheon."

Deity: Auril

Portfolio: Goddess of Winter

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Suggested Domains: Nature, Tempest

Symbol: Six-pointed snowflake

Deity: Azuth

Portfolio: God of Wizards

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Suggested Domains: Knowledge

Symbol: Left hand pointing upward, outlined in fire

Deity: Bane

Portfolio: God of Tyranny

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Suggested Domains: War

Symbol: Upright black hand, thumb and fingers together

Deity: Besheba

Portfolio: Goddess of Misfortune

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Suggested Domains: Trickery

Symbol: Black antlers

Deity: Bhaal

Portfolio: God of Murder

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Suggested Domains: Death

Symbol: Skull surrounded by a ring of blood droplets

Deity: Chauntea

Portfolio: Goddess of Agriculture

Alignment: Neutral Good

Suggested Domains: Life

Symbol: Sheaf of grain or a blooming rose over grain

Deity: Cyric

Portfolio: God of Lies

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Suggested Domains: Trickery

Symbol: White jawless skull on a black or purple sunburst

Deity: Deneir

Portfolio: God of Writing

Alignment: Neutral Good

Suggested Domains: Knowledge

Symbol: Lit candle above an open eye

Deity: Eldath

Portfolio: Goddess of Peace

Alignment: Neutral Good

Suggested Domains: Life, Nature

Symbol: Waterful plunging into still pool

Deity: Gond

Portfolio: God of Craft

Alignment: Neutral

Suggested Domains: Knowledge

Symbol: Toothed cog with four spikes

Deity: Helm

Portfolio: God of Protection

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Suggested Domains: Life, Light

Symbol: Staring eye on upright left gauntlet

Deity: Ilmater

Portfolio: God of Endurance

Alignment: Lawful Good

Suggested Domains: Life

Symbol: Hands bound at the writs with red cord

Deity: Kelemvor

Portfolio: God of the Dead

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Suggested Domains: Death

Symbol: Upright skeletal arm holding balanced scales

Deity: Lathander

Portfolio: God of Birth and Renewal

Alignment: Neutral Good

Suggested Domains: Life, Light

Symbol: Road traveling into sunrise

Deity: Leira

Portfolio: Goddess of Illusion

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Suggested Domains: Trickery

Symbol: Point-down triangle containing a swirl of mist

Deity: Lliira

Portfolio: Goddess of Joy

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Suggested Domains: Life

Symbol: Triangle of three six-pointed stars

Deity: Loviatar

Portfolio: Goddess of Pain

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Suggested Domains: Death

Symbol: Nine-tailed barbed scourge

Deity: Malar

Portfolio: God of the Hunt

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Suggested Domains: Nature

Symbol: Clawed paw

Deity: Mask

Portfolio: God of Thieves

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Suggested Domains: Trickery

Symbol: Black mask

Deity: Mielikki

Portfolio: Goddess of Forests

Alignment: Neutral Good

Suggested Domains: Nature

Symbol: Unicorn's head

Deity: Milil

Portfolio: God of Poetry and Song

Alignment: Neutral Good

Suggested Domains: Light

Symbol: Five-stringed harp made of leaves

Deity: Myrkul

Portfolio: God of Death

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Suggested Domains: Death

Symbol: White human skull

Deity: Mystra

Portfolio: Goddess of Magic and Time

Alignment: Neutral Good

Suggested Domains: Knowledge

Symbol: Circle of seven stars, or nine stars encircling a flowing red mist, or a single star

Deity: Oghma

Portfolio: God of Knowledge

Alignment: Neutral

Suggested Domains: Knowledge

Symbol: Blank scroll

Deity: Savras

Portfolio: God of Divination and Fate

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Suggested Domains: Knowledge

Symbol: Crystal ball containing many kinds of eyes

Deity: Sel&ucirc;ne

Portfolio: Goddess of the Moon

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Suggested Domains: Knowledge, Life

Symbol: Pair of eyes surrounded by seven stars

Deity: Shar

Portfolio: Goddess of Darkness and Loss

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Suggested Domains: Death, Trickery

Symbol: Black disk encircled with a border

Deity: Silvanus

Portfolio: God of Wild Nature

Alignment: Neutral

Suggested Domains: Nature

Symbol: Oak leaf

Deity: Sune

Portfolio: Goddess of Love and Beauty

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Suggested Domains: Life, Light

Symbol: Face of a beautiful red-haired woman

Deity: Talona

Portfolio: Goddess of Disease and Poison

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Suggested Domains: Death

Symbol: Three teardrops on a triangle

Deity: Talos

Portfolio: God of Storms

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Suggested Domains: Tempest

Symbol: Three lightning bolts radiating from a central point

Deity: Tempus

Portfolio: God of War

Alignment: Neutral

Suggested Domains: War

Symbol: Upright flaming sword

Deity: Torm

Portfolio: God of Courage and Self-Sacrifice

Alignment: Lawful Good

Suggested Domains: War

Symbol: White right gauntlet

Deity: Tymora

Portfolio: Goddess of Good Fortune

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Suggested Domains: Trickery

Symbol: Face-up coin

Deity: Tyr

Portfolio: God of Justice

Alignment: Lawful Good

Suggested Domains: War

Symbol: Balanced scales resting on a warhammer

Deity: Umberlee

Portfolio: Goddess of the Sea

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Suggested Domains: Tempest

Symbol: Wave curling left and right

Deity: Waukeen

Portfolio: Goddess of Trade

Alignment: Neutral

Suggested Domains: Knowledge, Trickery

Symbol: Upright coin with Waukeen's profile facing left

Nonhuman Pantheons
Many gods closely associate themselves with nonhuman races and are worshiped on a variety of different Worlds, even if their practices of worship and beliefs vary from World to World. For example, the nonhuman deities of the Realms are also the same as the nonhuman deities found to be worshipped on the World of Oerth, also known as Greyhawk.

((A listing of the nonhuman pantheons will come as further 5th edition source material is released.))

Divine Domains
In any pantheon, every deity has influence over different aspects of mortal life and civilization, called a deity's domain. All the domains over which a deity has influence are called the deity's portfolio. Clerics choose one aspect of their deity's portfolio to emphasize in, and are granted powers related to that domain. A cleric's choice may correspond to a specific area dedicated to their deity.

The known Divine Domains include, but may not be limited to: Knowledge, Life, Death, Light, Nature, Tempest, Trickery, and War.

Life Domain
The Life domain focuses on the vibrant positive energy, one of the fundamental forces of the universe, that sustains all life. The gods of life promote vitality and health through healing the sick and wounded, caring for those in need, and driving away the forces of death and undeath. Almost any non-evil deity can claim influence over this domain, particularly agricultural deities, sun gods, gods of healing or endurance, and gods of home and community.

= Festivals of the Realms =

Midwinter
Festivity: Winter Festival in Twilight Tor

Date:

Locale: Town of Twilight Tor, Northwest Faerûn (Northeast Sword Coast)

Notes: The Winter Festival celebrates Simril, the holiday of the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. Despite the cold and darkness of winter, Simril is not considered a time of dread or fear. Instead, the hardy people of the Sword Coast consider Simril to be a festival about surviving winter instead of fearing it.

Simril thus becomes a holiday of festive defiance. Instead of fearing cold and starvation, people put away extra stores so they can have a feast of roasted meat and sweet winter wine by roaring bonfires. Instead of fearing the dark of the longest night, they stay up until dawn to gaze up at the starry night sky, looking for good omens for the coming year.

The small town of Twilight Tor, "Anaurdahyn" as it is known in dwarvish, nestles in the shadow of the hill which gives it its name. The town was founded by the dwarves of the Vault of the Lost Wayfarer, a subterranean enclave for dwarven outcasts seeking a new home.

While most in the town are still fishermen or mine the hills for gold or star metal, several scholars, astrologers, and diviners have also made the town their home. This is an ancient pattern, as ruins of ancient Uthgardt stone circles, and even Illefarn artifacts show Twilight Tor has been used for watching the stars since ancient times.

The lake at the foot of Twilight Tor is called Glorfindarm, which means "the lake of fair fortune" in the common tongue. The lake is fortunate indeed, for even in the depths of winter it still teems with all manner of fish from the common knucklehead trout to the rare candlefish.

Local fishermen fish the lake year-round, cutting holes in the ice when the lake freezes over to go ice-fishing. Often the town will organize fishing contests around Simril, both to hold contests for Winter Festival celebrants, and to help keep their stocks of food up through the winter.

Summerfest
Festivity: Midsummer Festival in Neverwinter

Date:

Locale: Neverwinter City, Midwest Sword Coast of Faerûn

Notes:

= Timeline of Neverwinter = At first glance, this page seems to contain notes until you see a whole section vanish and begin rewriting itself. You're now sure that the author is updating this massive tome magically from some other location and is currently nothing more than the organizing of key notations for a larger entry at a later time.

The Timeline
Years are recorded in Dale Reckoning, unless specifically noted.

= The Sunderings = Flipping through the many blank pages of the Grimoire, you come across several pages deep within. They seem to begin by over-viewing some of the major catastrophes that have befallen the Realms over many thousands of years that have become known as First and Second Sunderings. You also notice that a few pages in, a third section is marked with an ancient magical symbol that denotes the use of divination magics. By its title of "The Third Sundering," which is an event you have not yet heard of, you are sure that this third section is either a work of fiction or speculation, the ramblings of a mad-man, or a prophetic vision of the future.

((This post and the following two are a transcript of the public address of The Sundering introduction at the 2012 Gencon, spoken by James Wyatt. On the panel, but not in this transcript, were the notable authors: Ed Greenwood, Troy Denning, Richard Lee Byers, Erin M. Evans, and Paul Kemp. Not seated but related was the notable R.A. Salvatore. It outlines the events leading up to D&D Next and the Six Novels due out by the afore-mentioned authors, which will lead up to the D&D Next Timeline.))

((Please note: the mentions of "Elliandrith of Orishar" are likely not correct spelling. This was my best interpretation of what was spoken.))

The First Sundering
Nineteen Thousand Years ago in the Forgotten Realms, hundreds of Elven High Mages came together at the gathering place to cast a mighty spell. One that would create a new elven homeland where the elves could live in peace and safe from the forces of Lolth and Malar and the other evils that threatened them. The spell succeeded, more or less -- creating the Isle of Evermeet far off to the West. A green and pleasant land where they could live in peace -- but Evermeet was born out of a tragic catastrophe. Such powerful magic was beyond the control of even these powerful High Mages and even as the new land was born and the one land, Faer&ucirc;n, was torn apart into different continents, giving its name to the largest of those continents. Elliandrith of Orishar was an elven wizard of the time, he was not a High Mage, he didn't participate in the Ritual so therefore didn't die -- but he was still attuned to the Magical Weave and as the spell of the High Mages spread, it rippled forward and backward through Time and Elliandrith saw two similar events to that Sundering and in this verse, he described all three of them as "Sunderings." His verse is actually why the Elven Sundering is called the Sundering and it also pointed to two other events when the world was torn asunder.

So, the first one of those is known to historians as the "Tearfall" and it happened Thirty Two Thousand Years ago, when the world was dominated by the Creator Races and humans were primitive ape-like beings living in caves. One of the Creator Races was an amphibious race called the "Batrachi," and they were embroiled in a war against armies of Titans. Desperate to save themselves in this loosing battle, they cast a mighty spell of their own and they woke several Primordials from their slumber. As Primordials started to rise up and rampage across the World again, the Gods quickly came to confront their ancient foes and mighty battle ensued. Earthquakes, fires, and windstorms tore across the World and as the battle drew to a climax, the Primordial called "Asgorath the World-shaper" took and ice moon and basically said, "If I cannot rule this Planet, no one can!" and hurled it toward the World. Then the Over-god stepped in. Ao said "No, this World is not going to be destroyed." and he created a twin of it. He gave the Gods dominion over Toril, the old World and gave the Primordials dominion over Abeir, the new one.

There are ancient reports from a different creator race, the "Sarrukh" that comment on the changing of the stars -- but until recently no one really understood what that meant or gave it much credence. Asgorath's attack did not leave Toril unscathed, continents were torn apart and the World was devastated. The four inner seas merged together to form what is now The Sea of Fallen Stars. The dramatic climate change that followed pretty much spelled the extinction of the Batrachi and gave rise to the dominance of the dragons. Scholars have long called this event the Tearfall and speculated that a comet or maybe an ice moon and fell from the sky and dealt all this damage -- but again it wasn't until the return of Abeir and the Spellplague that the true significance of the event became clear.

What is less well known is the role played in this event by the ancient artifacts called "The Tables of Fate." Ao created these Tables at the separation of the World to stand as a barrier between the two Worlds -- to keep the Gods and the Primordials separate from each other and to maintain a precarious balance between the two. In the immortal words of the novel Waterdeep, "On these artifacts," the Over-lord said, "I have recorded the forces that balance law and chaos." The Tablets of Fate served as pillars to maintain the separations of the Worlds -- anchors for the mighty magic that Ao used to Sunder the Worlds and a clear delineation of the role of Gods and Primordials in the Universe. So that was the First Sundering.

The Second Sundering
Fourteen Thousand Years later was the Sundering of Elliandrith's time, when the Elven High Mages used the spell that was actually similar in concept to the one that Ao used to separate the World in the first place. They were trying to tear the fabric of reality slightly to create this homeland -- but they lacked an artifact that could serve as a focus, the way that the Tablets of Fate had. That's part of the reason that the spell ran out of control and dealt the devastation that it did. Hundreds of cities were washed away, thousands of elves lay dead and the face of Toril was changed forever. Still, the spell was successful. Like Ao's magic, it tore apart the World and even the Planes, taking a little piece out of Arvandor and placing it down in the middle of the Trackless Sea to serve as a bridge between Worlds and a homeland -- a peaceful refuge for the elves.

Then came the "Time of Troubles." In 1358 DR, Myrkul and Bane stole the Tablets of Fate from Ao, believing that they could gain some of Ao's power. Ao called the other Gods into his presence and "Give them back." No body stepped forward and so Ao banished them all into mortal form to walk Toril* . During this Time of Troubles, which is also called the "Avatar Crisis," magic became unpredictable and the prayers of the faithful went unanswered. Now, eventually the Tablets of Fate were returned -- but by then the damage had been done.

Ao destroyed the Tablets of Fate since the Gods had clearly demonstrated that they didn't care anything about the balance they were meant to uphold. Again, in the words of Waterdeep, "The Tablets mean nothing," Ao said to the Gods, because the Gods had made a mockery of their meaning. "I kept them to remind you that I created Gods to serve the balance, not to twist it to your own ends -- but this point was lost on you. You saw the Tablets as a set of rules by which to play juvenile games of prestige and pomp. Then when the rules became inconvenient, you stole them." Since the gods cared nothing for the balance they were supposed to serve, Ao destroyed the Tablets and left the Gods to their games. He destroyed the pillars that kept Abeir and Toril apart.

If the gods were determined to live in strife and upheaval, they might as well fight the Primordials again. So the Sundered Worlds began a slow drift back together. From the perspective of modern histories looking back at this event, this was the beginning of the "Era of Upheaval." The Tablets of Fate might not have contained any of the Over-god's power -- but on them were written the names of all their Gods and their Portfolios, the aspects of mortal life in the natural World in which each God holds sway. When the Tablets were no longer in Ao's control, the Divine Portfolios could shift around more easily and chaos among the Gods was the result.

By the conclusion of the Avatar Crisis, Faer&ucirc;n's Pantheon witnessed the ascension of Cyric, Midnight who became Mystra, and the Red Knight. The death of Bane, Bhall, Ibrandul, Myrkul and the death and subsequent rebirth of Torm -- and once the Tablets of Fate were destroyed the chaos continued for more than a century. Proving that they had learned nothing from the Avatar Crisis, the Gods only stepped up their games of juvenile prestige and pomp. Cyric and Mask conspired to kill Lliira, the Goddess of Illusion. Velsharoon ascended to God-hood. Bane returned to life. Lolth cocooned herself in the Demonweb-Pits and emerged more powerful than ever, then set about consolidating her control over the drow.

The Mulhorandi and Utheric Pantheons disappeared from the Realms. In a single decade between 1375 DR and 1385 DR, no less than seven deities were slain, mostly of the Drow and Dwarven Pantheons -- and then came the "Spellplague."

Cyric, who was aided and abetted by Shar, murdered Mystra in her own domain. The plane disintegrated at once and destroyed the God Savras and sent Azuth and Velsharoon reeling into the Astral Plane. Without Mystra to govern the Weave, magic burst its bonds and ran wild across the World -- and a year later, perhaps hurried by the effects of the Spellplague - that collision of Worlds became complete. "Collision" is at best, a helpful metaphor, because really the Worlds intermingled with regions and continents properly belonging to one World, appearing instead on the other.

So, the Spellplague began the second act of the Era of Upheaval, marked by just as much chaos as the first few decades after the Time of Troubles. During the century after the Spellplague, the number of Gods active in the Pantheon dropped again. More deities died, some simply left and a few were revealed to be aspects of other Gods or else they diminished so much that they merged into the essence of similar Gods. Some deities lost so much power that they became servants to Gods, kind-of taking shelter under the wings of Greater Powers. Wholly new Gods appeared in the Realms and Asmodeus became a God in his own right -- and even at the same time as all this upheaval was going on in the Divine Realm, the political realm was not much better -- the geo-political situation, speaking of Lolth. The World of Toril**  was shaken time and again by events from the horde invasion and the threat from the sea, to the conquest of Sembia and the restoration of Myth Drannor.

The Third Sundering
((This entire last post can be seen as a Spoiler in NWO's Timeline!))

So, the third and final act of the Era of Upheaval begins. The next Sundering, the Third Sundering, Our Sundering*** . So, is it possible for the Over-god to change his mind? Perhaps Ao has relented, realizing letting the child gods has done more harm than good to his creation? Or, perhaps he has decided he made his point sufficiently clear and finally the dense, thick-headed Gods would get it? Maybe he planned all along to end the Era of Upheaval at this specific moment in history? In either case, the Gods have realized that Ao plans to recreate the Tablets of Fate. They know the plan but they have no idea what it really means for them. They know that things will be different when he's done -- but different Gods have different ideas of what that might mean.

Some of them suspect that Ao's going to establish a hierarchy of power based on how many worshipers each has when the Tablets are complete -- 'cause at the end of the Avatar Crisis he told them that's what they needed, is to build up worshipers. So they used their mortal agents, their Chosen, to help them gain as many followers as possible in the last remaining sliver of time they have left. Others suspect or fear that Ao will be reassigning portfolios to get them clearly delineated on the Tablets again. So, they imbue their Chosen with the power to exert the God's influence over his or her portfolio over the World, to kind-of stake that claim. Some think it's pretty much the end of the world, so they're sending their Chosens to make sure their followers end up in the right heaven when it's all over. By in large, the Gods feel like they have to do "something" before the end comes, before this Sundering is complete and the Tablets of Fate are re-written.

So, by the time that end comes, the Tablets will be recreated, the Worlds of Abeir and Toril will be separated once more and Toril restored to something a-kin to its former self. The Pantheon will be reshaped and enriched once more and the political landscape of Faer&ucirc;n will change significantly. Once it is over, the Word of Ao declares, "The Era of Upheaval has Ended." Great stories remain to be told in this new Era -- but they are not the stories of Gods and God-like beings, they are the tales of mortal heroes, taking a stand to preserve the World they love. They are your stories.

So, there is no single story of the Sundering. Countless stories emerged during this course of dramatic event. Stories of mighty heroes and ordinary folks who are struggling to stay alive and defend what they hold dear.

((The following is the rest of the address leading up to and introducing the upcoming Novels))

Against the backdrop of this divine drama and this political upheaval of the Sundering, we're highlighting six of those stories and novels.

First, is "The Companions" by Bob Salvatore, then "The Godborn" by Paul Kemp, "The Adversary" by Erin M. Evins, "The Reaver" by Richard Lee Byers, "The Sentinel" by Troy Denning, and "The Herald" by Ed Greenwood.

So in these six novels, we're telling the stories of six people, great and small with their allies and enemies as the great events of the Gods and Chosen, Wars and Upheavals play out around them. None of these characters, even Elminster, can see much less determine what the end of The Sundering will bring -- but all of them, through the choices they make, will leave a lasting mark on the new World. So, these novels are not the only stories to be told during The Sundering.

((End of Address))

Zebular's Noted Amendments:

* He actually said "walk the Earth."

** He actually said "Faer&ucirc;n."

*** By "Our Sundering" he was referring to the Sundering that leads up to D&D Next.

It is also fair to note that while he did indeed say that the novels do not need to be read in any certain order, that they will not only be published in the order stated but also that they will fall chronologically in order. He also said that by the time the first book has been published, all six will have been finished. They Sundering Novels released two months apart, starting in August of 2013 with "The Companions" by R.A. Salvatore.