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Ansalon Post Cataclysm

Map of Ansalon post Cataclysm

Ansalon is one of several continents of Krynn, with some saying one of five major continents. A relatively small continent measuring 1,300 miles east to west and 1,000 miles north to south, Ansalon is located in the southern hemisphere. The continent of Ansalon ranges in climate from arctic tundra in the south, and tropical conditions in the north. It was once a large singular landmass, however the continent was fractured during the Cataclysm, which cause the emergence of some lands and for other realms to sink. Many islands dot the coastline of the continent. Adlatum is located to the northwest of it and Taladas is to the northeast.

Age of Dreams[]

The emergence of mortal races on the world of Krynn sees elves take to the forests, humans to the plains, and ogres to the mountains. Soon the High Ogres establish a grand empire, enslaving the humans of the plains. Centuries later, the ogre Igrane show compassion to a human slave, and is declared a traitor. Igrane and his followers flee the ogre nation, becoming the Irda, and travel to a distant land. In the following years, the enslaved humans rise up against the ogres, destroying their civilisation. The ogres are cursed for their cruelty and degenerate into the brutes known in contemporary Ansalon.

The Graygem of Gargath is released upon Krynn and travels across Ansalon, transforming many folk and animals into new races. The birth of kender and dwarves occurs at Gargath, when the Graygem transforms the gnomes in the surrounding area. The First Dragon War breaks out on Ansalon, as the metallic dragons and the elves war against the chromatic dragons. The war ends with the capture of the chromatic dragons into magical dragon stones. The sea elves are created by the Graygem, giving birth to the Dargonesti elves and the Dimernesti elves along the southern coastline of Ansalon.

Dwarves build their first nation of Kal-Thax, and the first minotaurs arrive on Ansalon, building their nation of Mithandrus. However the minotaurs are quickly enslaved by the dwarves of Kal-Thax. A dispute between the dwarves, leads to a number of them leaving Kal-Thax and founding a new realm in the Khalkist Mountains which they name Thorin. Kal-Thax is shutdown shortly after, following rumors of monsters and disappearances, and the minotaurs build a new kingdom called Ambeoutin, in honor of their leader. Although in a short time, the nation is split between the two sons of Ambeoutin, Mithas and Kothas.

The Second Dragon War breaks out in 2692 PC, when dragon stones are discovered and chromatic dragons are released onto the world once more. The war comes to an end when three elven mages use their magic to swallow the dragons and their bakali servants, however thousands are killed by the use of wild magic. The gods of magic intervene and teach the mages of High Sorcery, which then leads to the mages founding the Orders of High Sorcery.

The nation of Ergoth rises as Ackal Ergot unites the barbarian tribes in the west of the continent, and the empire grows to be one of the most powerful over the next millenia. The elven nation of Silvanesti falls into turmoil when the Speaker of the Stars is killed by a human hunter, and his twin sons led the elves in the Kinslayer War against the humans. A truce is finally negotiated between the two races.

Many dwarves leave the realm of Thorin to found a new nation in the Kharolis Mountains, which they name Thorbardin. Whilst a number of elves under the leadership of the elven prince Kith-Kanan form the nation of Qualinesti. The Swordsheath Scroll is created in 2073 PC, which sees a permanent truce formed between the dwarves, humans and elves. Shortly after, the fortress of Pax Tharkas is built as a sign of peace between the races.

A rebellion in the empire of Ergoth, sees the rise of Vinas Solamnus who is sent with imperial forces to crush the rebels. Vinas soon sympathises with the rebels however, and instead marches back to Daltigoth to lay seige to the capital. The Emperor of Ergoth cedes the eastern provinces to Vinas, allowing him to form his own nation of Solamnia. In 1775 PC, Vinas founds the Knights of Solamnia, and shortly after turns the lawless city of Bright Horizon into the lawful city of Palanthas. The wise ruler then orders the building of the High Clerist's Tower, whilst the Great Library of Palanthas appears in the city of Palanthas, and the sage Astinus appears to run the library.

The nation of Istar is founded, and gradually grows to become an important centre for trade across the continent. The Third Dragon War begins in 1060 PC as the goddess Takhisis plots to conquer all of Ansalon. The wizards of High Sorcery create five dragon orbs to defend their Towers of High Sorcery against the chromatic dragons. The war rages for several decades until it comes to a conclusion in 1018 PC, when Huma Dragonbane defeats the renegade mage Galan Dracos and then Takhisis herself in battle, forcing her to retreat from Ansalon and back into the Abyss.

Age of Might[]

The dwarves found the realm of Kayolin in the Garnet Mountains, whilst hill dwarves form their own clan outside the realm of Thorbardin. Ogres launch a series of large attacks on the dwarves, but are driven away by a unified dwarven-human front. The realm of Istar continues to grow as an important power, eventually installing a Kingpriest, who is considered the religious leader of the entire continent. Istar then leads a campaign to exterminate evil, sending hunters across Ansalon to kill or enslave all "evil" races. The empire of Istar turns its ire onto wizards, sending their forces to destroy or capture the Towers of High Sorcery. Eventually the gods send a series of signs to deter the Kingpriest from his blasphemous path, however the Kingpriest continues to attempt to become a god. The gods give the Solamnia Knight Loren Soth, a chance to prevent the Cataclysm, however he fails to do so and is cursed and made into a Death Knight.

The gods unleash the Cataclysm onto the world of Krynn, launching a fiery mountain at Istar, completely destroying the empire and sending it beneath the waves. The Blood Sea of Istar is formed, the empire of Ergoth is split into two nations, the New Sea emerges, the realm of Nordmaar rises from the waves in the north, and the city of Tarsis becomes landlocked.

Age of Despair[]

Following the Cataclysm, the Knights of Solamnia become persecuted for not protecting the continent, and the Seekers arise as a religious movement, following the withdrawal of the true gods. The Dwarfgate War occurs when humans and hill dwarves demand entry into Thorbardin and are denied by the mountain dwarves. The wizard Fistandantilus casts magic which leads to the destruction of both armies, and his own fortress of Zhaman, which is renamed to Skullcap.

Dragons are awakened throughout Ansalon, as Takhisis roams the land in disguise and prepares her servants for a coming war. The chromatic dragons steal a large cache of metallic dragon eggs and enact the Oath of Neutrality from the metallic dragons, forcing them to stay out of the coming war. The Dragonarmies are formed under the leadership of the Dragon Highlords, the generals and chief servants of Takhisis. The Dragonarmies harness the methods to create draconians, and launch themselves across the continent in five massive armies, to forge the beginning of the War of the Lance.

The Dragonarmies conquer Nordmaar and Balifor, and invade Silvanesti, however Lorac Caladon, Speaker of the Stars, uses a dragon orb which unleashes nightmares throughout his realm, forcing the dark forces to flee, but also turn his realm into a nightmare land. The armies continue to conquer large parts of Ansalon, until they are finally met with resistance by the Whitestone Forces. A band of heroes, who are later dubbed the Heroes of the Lance, defeat one of the Highlords, Verminaard, and contribute greatly to the outcome of the war. One of the Heroes, Laurana Kanan is named the Golden General and leads the Whitestone forces in a series of brilliant strikes that drive the Dragonarmies back to the dark city of Neraka. In the city of Neraka, the hero Tanis Half-Elven strikes down Duulket Ariakas, leader of the Dragonarmies, and the dark forces fall into utter chaos. The War of the Lance ends with the Dragonarmy survivors being hunted by the Whitestone forces and fleeing for their lives.

The mage Raistlin Majere claims the Tower of High Sorcery at Palanthas. He then goes back in time with his twin brother Caramon Majere and the cleric Crysania Tarinius to before the Cataclysm, where he defeats the mage Fistandantilus and absorbs his essence. Raistlin returns back to the present where he enters the Abyss and tries to defeat Takhisis herself, and claim godhood. Raistlin sacrifices himself in the Abyss to stave off the Dark Queen, whilst his brother seals the portal into the Abyss, trapping his twin inside. The Blue Lady's War breaks out when Highlord Kitiara Uth Matar leads the Blue Dragonarmy on an invasion of Solamnia. The Highlord is killed and her body is claimed by the death knight Lord Soth, and the army is forced to flee in defeat.

Following the Blue Lady's War, the warrior Ariakan Ariakas is released from a Solamnic prison. The warrior receives a vision from Takhisis and forms the Knights of Takhisis. In 383 AC, the Knights of Takhisis launch an invasion of Ansalon, successfully conquering the entire continent. However the destruction of the Graygem of Gargath by the Irda, leads to the release of Chaos. The god raises his chaotic minions who stage a massive war against the mortals of the world, decimating whole nations and realms. Eventually the god Reorx aids the young mage Palin Majere in capturing the blood of Chaos in the broken halves of the Graygem, enabling Chaos to be banished from the world. The gods agree to withdraw from the world once more, however Takhisis enacts a plan to steal the world, drawing it through the Gate of Souls and hiding it from the other gods, which left her in a drained state for a number of years.

Age of Mortals[]

The new age sees the coming of the Dragon Overlords vastly powerful dragons from an alien world. These dragons carve up vast domains throughout Ansalon, whilst lesser Dragonlords form smaller realms. A great war occurs between the dragons known as the Dragon Purge, in which the mighty beasts consume one another to grow even further in power. Five powerful overlords emerge as the true masters, and they alter the landscape to suit their tastes.

The climate changes significantly under these new masters, ranging from savannah in Kern and Nordmaar, to desert in Taman Busuk to the tip of the Desolation in the east, lands around Solamnia, including SancristNorthern Ergoth, all the way to Silvanesti as being temperate. Sable's Swamp is a large swampland around Newsea with a large, hot desert on the Plains of DustIcereach and Southern Ergoth are both arctic tundra. The western waters of the Turbidus Ocean have cold currents coming up from Icereach and the eastern waters of the Courrain Ocean bring warm waters from the equator.

The new magic of mysticism is discovered by the folk of Ansalon, and is further developed by the hero Goldmoon at the Citadel of Light on Schallsea. Sorcery is discovered by magic-users, and developed further, with Palin Majere founding the Academy of Sorcery to teach as much as he can about this wild magic. The Heroes of the Heart are formed by Goldmoon to combat the Dragon Overlords, who slay the Sea Dragon Brynseldimer and prevent the overlord Malystryx from becoming a god.

A great storm sweeps across Ansalon, and a young girl called Mina appears calling herself the servant of the One God. The kender Tasslehoff Burrfoot appears in Solace carrying the Device of Time Journeying. Mina wages a war to conquer the land of Ansalon in the name of the One God, whilst three of the Dragon Overlords are killed. Tasslehoff and his companions free the metallic dragons from captivity and restore the gods back to the world. Tasslehoff is sent back in time to restore the world back to its correct place in the universe.

The god Paladine appears to confront Takhisis, and both are stripped of their immortal mantles. Takhisis is struck down and killed, and carried away by Mina, who mourns over the loss of her goddess. The mortal Paladine chooses the name Valthonis and decides to roam the world. The gods restore divine magic and high sorcery to the world.

The final two Dragon Overlords are killed by heroes, putting an end to the rule of dragons over the continent of Ansalon. A great war occurs between the Knights of Solamnia and the wild hordes of Ankhar. The Solamnics ultimately win the day with Jaymes Markham as their new ruler.

Lands and Nations[]

Areas[]

Past Nations[]

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