REALMSLORE: The Time of Troubles & the Era of Upheaval

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Red Ropes
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REALMSLORE: The Time of Troubles & the Era of Upheaval

Post by Red Ropes » Thu Dec 23, 2021 2:12 pm

In this thread I am going to try and organize all the Realmslore relevant to the setting regarding the Year of Shadows (1358 DR), which is the Year that the Time of Troubles (known as the Godswar) takes place. A lot of things happen during that time and just after it in what is known as the "Era of Upheaval" and are very relevant to characters, I think, now that our "time has been normalized".

From 1358 DR to our beginning date of 1372 (with most events passed this point discounted).

I also want to try and give some context of ongoing dramas between states and churches - as well as some insight of what "normal people" might feel in the Realms.

[TBD, editing direct sources as I go]

Grand History of the Realms, pg 149 wrote: — The Time of Troubles: Cast out from their otherworldly domains by the
overpower Lord Ao, the gods of Toril wander the Realms as mortals. They
seek the stolen Tablets of Fate, which are the key to their return. During this
dark period, known as the Time of Troubles, magic becomes unpredictable
and the prayers of the faithful go unanswered. By its conclusion, Faerûn’s
pantheon of gods witnesses the ascendancy of Cyric, Midnight (Mystra), and
the Red Knight, the death of Bane, Bhaal, Ibrandul, and Myrkul, and the
death and rebirth of Torm.

— Accompanied by fire from the sky, Bane’s spirit falls from the heavens,
directly on top of the Black Altar, his dark temple in Zhentil Keep. This event
is remembered by the Zhents as The Arrival.

— Waukeen places her divinity in trust with a fellow goddess, Lliira, and
escapes the Realms to the Astral Plane with the aid of a god from another
world. Soon afterward, the Merchant’s Friend is betrayed by the Demon Prince
Graz`zt and imprisoned in the Abyss.

— A large force of malaugrym [1182] enter Faerûn hoping to take advantage
of the Time of Troubles and slay Elminster [1357, 1374]. They also seek to
infiltrate Faerûnian society in preparation for the killing and replacing of
many important personages. Most of the malaugrym are defeated and slain,
but several escape to unknown locations.

— The god Moander returns to the Forgotten Vale and takes control of
this saurial settlement, but is driven back into the planes by Alias [1367]
and friends. Finder Wyvernspur, The Nameless Bard, destroys Moander and
becomes a demipower.

— The soon-to-be deity known as the Red Knight defends strife-torn Tethyr
from an army of monsters that threaten to surge forth from the Forest of
Tethir.

— The avatar of Sseth appears briefly above the water of the Lapal Sea before
battling the dinosaur avatar of Ubtao on the eastern edge of the Jungles of
Chult. The sarrukh of Okoth approach the divine minions of the deity Set
and agree to bind their god Sseth into eternal slumber if they are granted
spells and aid in their ancient battle against the khaasta.

— The Lords’ Alliance of Waterdeep expels Luskan’s forces from Ruathym
[1357, 1361] by applying combined diplomatic and military pressure. Luskan
and the allied island realms of the Trackless Sea join to form the Captain’s
Confederation. Ruathym becomes a battleground for the deities Clangeddin
Silverbeard and Labelas Enoreth when their avatars confront each other.

— The visitations of Sekolah, Anhur, and other lesser water powers cause
much disruption in Serôs. Umberlee ravages the Pirate Isles of the Inner Sea
with hurricanes and storms, destroying more than two-thirds of the pirates’
fleets. Appearing also in the Trackless Sea, the Bitch Queen adopts the kraken
Slarkrethel as her seraph.

— Tiamat slays the deity Gilgeam, and Unthalass [731] is heavily damaged
during their battle. Assuran (Hoar) also slays the deity Ramman, bringing
the Untheric pantheon to an end. Riots erupt throughout Unther, and the
empire falls into chaos.
Grand History of the Realms, pg 150 wrote: 1358: A Red Knight for Tethyr

The Fall of the Gods brought avatars in plenty to Faerûn, to stride among mortals in what has become known as the Time of
Troubles. During this time, magic went wild, order was shattered, gods died and new gods rose, and heroes held Faerûn together
through their strivings. One such hero received the ultimate reward, yet is little lauded for it. The sage Terithus of Athkatla has
set about addressing that neglect in his 1364 DR chapbook Red Her Valor. The following passages are taken from that text.

Few in Tethyr realize that they owe the very existence of
their realm to the valiant strivings of one woman. Though
the Lord of Battles raised her to godhood for her valor,
even some of her priests seem unaware of the glory that
she won for herself in strife-torn Tethyr while the Time of
Troubles raged.

With magic going wild or failing utterly, it was a time of
the sword—a time when brigands ran rampant, people nursing
feuds or grudges demanded redress, and tyrants indulged
their natures. Law, order, and peace reigned in few places,
but in the small locales where such ideals did hold sway, they
were staunchly defended by folk we should see as the true
heroes of Faerûn.

She whom we now know as the Red Knight was one such
hero. Leading her small Company of the Red Falcon, she rode
hard over Tethyr to defend its people against goblinkin and
beasts more fell by far.

These raiders poured forth from the Forest of Tethir and
moved south into Tethyr proper, seeking to butcher and despoil.
Most sages now agree that the Godstrife somehow awakened
the evil in ruined Myth Rhynn, causing it to erupt with all the
wild savagery of fell nature and imbuing nearby creatures with
a desire to maraud and despoil. Band after band of monsters
rushed forth, undisciplined yet compelled to venture together,
even though their disparate natures would normally have
caused them to turn on each other or scatter.

But the Red Knight was waiting for them, deadly and
seemingly tireless. She took little rest—in fact, Boltborm of
Tulmene attests that at times she literally slept in her saddle,
lashed to its high cantles.

Time and again her Red Falcons routed beasts and rallied
local Tethyrians to stand against more organized raiders.
The Red Knight swung her blade as mightily as the strongest
warrior, yet she always remained coldly calm and observant,
planning where next to take her loyal and determined company.

Her followers were always outnumbered by the marauders
surging forth from the Wealdath, yet they always emerged
victorious.

The realm of Tethyr still exists because of the Red Knight’s
brilliant leadership, and that fact must never be forgotten.
Grand History of the Realms, pg 151 wrote: — Malar attempts to enter the confines of the Gulthmere Forest [200] to
destroy the druids residing there but is battled by Nobanion and driven northwest
toward the Sword Coast in what sages later call the Roar of Shadows.

— Silvanus is seen roaming in Winterwood and the heart of the Chondalwood.
He also reportedly provides his special blessing to the island of Ilighôn
[724], home of the Emerald Enclave and his Chosen.

— A great battle in Waterdeep sees Myrkul destroyed, Shar and Selûne do
battle, and Cyric and Midnight (Mystra) ascend to godhood from the summit
of Mount Waterdeep.

— Ao dissolves the Imaskari planar barrier, allowing the manifestations of
Mulhorandi deities to leave Toril and rejoin their divine essences.
— The Ebondeath Sect [1202] in the Mere of Dead Men collapses with the
destruction of Myrkul.

— The Shadow Thieves of Amn lose the entire membership of the Shade
Council and two-thirds of their assassin members with the death of Bhaal. In
response, they undergo a sweeping reorganization.

— In the months following the Avatar
Crisis, the goddess Leira is slain by
Cyric and Mask, though followers
of the Lady of the Mists claim
she is very much alive, having
perpetrated the grandest illusion
of all.

— House Oblodra, its psionic
power unaffected by the disruption
in magic caused by the Time of
Troubles, attempts to seize control
of Menzoberranzan. Upon
the conclusion of the Godswar,
House Oblodra, is destroyed by
the ruling House Baenre.

— Battle of Keeper’s Dale:
House Baenre leads an army of
drow, goblins, and kobolds out of
Menzoberranzan to attack the
dwarves of Mithral Hall [1357,
1370]. The dwarves are aided
by svirfneblin, local barbarians,
troops from Nesmé and Silverymoon,
and even the mysterious
Harpells of Longsaddle and Lady
Alustriel [1357, 1361] herself. The
drow are ultimately defeated and
driven back to their homeland.

— Shond Tharovin [1357] unleashes
the demilich Shoon VII [1357] on Zallanora
Argentresses, a young female moon elf
wizard, and the spirits of the undead qysar and the
young elf switch bodies.

— The realm of Erlkazar is attacked by the goblin hordes of the High and
Kuldin Peaks, east of present-day Tethyr, but successfully defends its lands.
— Mulhorand launches a fleet of ships to capture the island of Alaor [1369]
from Thay. More than half their fleet sinks in storms or due to sahuagin
attacks, and the mission is a failure.

— Tuigan Horselord Yamun Khahan [1335, 1359] unites the barbarian tribes
of the Hordelands.
🤡

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