Forgotten Realms Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Forgotten Realms Wiki

The Era of Upheaval was the time period between Time of Troubles of 1358 DR and the Second Sundering of the decade of the 1480s DR.[1][2] The Era of Upheaval was part of the historical period known as the Present Age.[3]

Description[]

Most scholars believed that the Era of Upheaval started with the calamitous event known as the Time of Troubles, that took place in 1358 DR, when the gods were cast down from the Upper planes and roamed the land incarnated as mortals.[1] The chaos of the Time of Troubles left a lasting mark on the world. When Lord Ao destroyed the Tablets of Fate, he unraveled the laws of Realmspace and the worlds of Abeir and Toril, separated since the Tearfall, began to join once again.[2]

Among the known effects of the Time of Troubles are:

  • Wild and Dead-magic zones, areas where magic behaved erratically or ceased to function, were direct effects of the Time of Troubles.[4]
  • Because of the destruction of the Tablets of Fate, the planar barrier that separated the worlds of Abeir and Toril weakened, and both worlds began to exchange small, almost imperceptible parts of their lands between them.[5]
  • Many gods died or disappeared, while dead gods returned to life without explanation; many mortals ascended to divinity as well.[2]
  • Likewise, denizens of the Outer Planes theorized that the gods of Realmspace became interested in becoming multi-spheric because of the heavy-handed methods used by Ao during the Time of Troubles.[6]

Mimicking the cosmic chaos, the political landscape of the world became tumultuous as well. The Tuigan invasion, the Twelfth Serôs War, the return of Netheril, the last Rage of Dragons, among other huge political conflicts happened in less than thirty years.[2]

Then, in 1385 DR, Cyric, aided by Shar, murdered the goddess Mystra. This act ripped asunder the Weave, unleashing its raw power in a catastrophe known as the Spellplague.[7][8] This accelerated the fusion of Abeir and Toril, and whole regions and even continents were exchanged between the two worlds.[9][10]

More gods died and others simply vanished. Some gods were revealed to be aspects of others or not gods at all but primordials, while a few gods were so weakened after the chaos that were subsumed by other gods of similar nature, or became exarchs under the service of more powerful gods. Interloper deities began to migrate to the sphere of Abeir-Toril, as well.[2]

While recovering from the effects of the Spellplague during the Wailing Years, the political upheaval continued in the world. New nations were created,[10] while older ones, like Myth Drannor, were restored.[11] The major political crisis of the late years of the 14th century DR were the conquering of Sembia by the Netherese and the fall of the zulkirs in Thay.[2][9][12][13]

In 1482 DR Lord Ao began the Second Sundering as a way to restore the worlds of Toril and Abeir of the ravages of the Spellplague.[14] When the Second Sundering ended, in 1489 DR,[15] Lord Ao decreed the end of the Era of Upheaval.[2]

Timeline[]

Appendix[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 43. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Ed Greenwood, Erin M. Evans, Paul S. Kemp, R.A. Salvatore, Richard Lee Byers, Troy Denning, James Wyatt (August 21th, 2012). What is the Sundering? (Part 1). Retrieved on September 7th, 2017.
  3. Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 17. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
  4. Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb (April 1998). Cormyr: A Novel. (TSR, Inc.), p. 287. ISBN 0-7869-0710-X.
  5. Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 50–51. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
  6. Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 168. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
  7. Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 50. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
  8. Richard Lee Byers (March 2008). Undead. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 64. ISBN 978-0-7869-4783-6.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Brian R. James (2008-02-27). Spellplague: The Wailing Years. Dragon Features Archive. Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved on 2008-04-14. (Registration required to view.)
  10. 10.0 10.1 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 87, 90, 186, 200. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
  11. Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 150. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
  12. Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 176. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
  13. Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 180. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
  14. Paul S. Kemp (2012-08-20). The Sundering. Retrieved on 2016-12-13.
  15. Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 18. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 144. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  17. Eric L. Boyd, Eytan Bernstein (August 2006). Dragons of Faerûn. Edited by Beth Griese, Cindi Rice, Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 9. ISBN 0-7869-3923-0.
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 18.6 18.7 18.8 Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 146. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  19. Douglas Niles (1991). Feathered Dragon. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 1-5607-6045-1.
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 147. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.

Connections[]

Advertisement