Tales of the Lance Contents Welcome to the World of Krynn Creating the Flavor of Krynn The Iconochronos of Astinus Lost Notes of Sir Tracy The River of Time History of Krynn Astinus, Scholar and Mystery The Creation of Krynn All Dragons War All Saints War Starbirth of Mortals Arrival of the Last Gods Age of Dreams Age of Light Graystone of Gargath The Second Dragon War Ergoth Ascendant Kinslayer War Swordsheath Scroll The Rose Rebellion Birth of Nations The Third Dragon War A Golden Age Peace in the Land Knight of the Black Rose The Fall of Istar War of the Lance Geography of Ansalon The World That Was The Cataclysm The World That Is The World That Might Be People of Ansalon (PC Races) Barbarians Dwarves Gully Dwarves Elves Gnomes Kender Minotaurs Ogre Irda Character Classes of Ansalon Overview of Character Classes Class Descriptions Warrior Group Classes Wizard Group Classes Priest Group Classes Rogue Group Classes Normal Group Classes Optional Rule: Status Cast of Characters Friends Neutrals Foes Gods of Krynn Gods in Creation Descriptions of the True Gods Gods of Good Gods of Evil Gods of Neutrality Beasts and Monsters of Ansalon Children of Krynn Draconians Dragons Goblins Lost Folk of Ansalon Monsters of Ansalon Special Artifacts of Ansalon Scroll Rings Rods, Staves, and Wands Miscellaneous Magic Items Magic Armor and Shields Magic Weapons Random Treasure Determination Individual and Small Lair Treasures Using the Adventure Map and Talis Cards How to Read the Map Getting Started Descriptions of Terrain and Locations Creating Chases Adventure Generation with Talis Cards Talis Deck: Random Role-Playing Notes Talis Deck: Random Event Notes Ansalonian Calendar Allowable Clerical Spells Exchange Rates Upon Krynn *** Ten years have passed since the creations of the DRAGONLANCE(R) fantasy setting. What began as a series of game adventures has grown into over three dozen novels and anthologies, six calendars, a comic book series, a number of best-selling computer games, award-winning miniatures sets, and numerous game materials. Yet, in ten years, we never offered a clear starting point for DRAGONLANCE campaigns -- an introduction to the world of Krynn. Now, we do. This boxed set guides you through the lands and legends of Ansalon, the continent where the DRAGONLANCE saga takes place. The World Book you now hold outlines Ansalon's flora, fauna, nations, people, heroes, histories, myths, and more -- all the critical features for starting a DRAGONLANCE campaign. As well as providing a starting point for DMs who are new to Krynn, this boxed set sums up the voluminous work of a decade of adventure for long-time fans of Ansalon. The ten-year lifespan of the DRAGONLANCE world places it among the most venerable of game settings. The past decade also leaves the DRAGONLANCE game world in need of revision and summation. This boxed set fully expands the DRAGONLANCE saga for AD&D(R) 2nd Edition rules. It also clarifies contradictions, corrects errors, and fills in information omitted from earlier products. For old and new adventurers alike, the Tales of the Lance boxed set is the source of information for the continent of Ansalon. Creatng the flavour of Krynn Adventuring in Ansalon differs from adventuring in any other fantasy setting. The DRAGONLANCE saga is high fantasy -- a struggle of Good versus Evil and the triumph of heroism in the face of overwhelming odds. Hope, honor, loyalty to one's friends and gods, courage, self-sacrifice, and perseverance are the meat and drink of adventures on Ansalon. This World Book provides the one-of-a-kind color and flavor of Krynn. From its mundane features, such as exchange rates and month names, to the esoteric psychology of dragons, Krynn is unique. Caeatures of Krynn On Krynn, you will meet many unique races -- kender, draconians, minotaurs, gully dwarfs, and high ogres, to name a few. On the other hand, some stock fantasy creatures do not appear -- lycanthropes, orcs, half-orcs, and half lings. All of the races and beast of Krynn, however, are marked by individuality and diversity. Every creature -- even goblins and hobgoblins -- are fully detailed and three-dimensional. A sense of wonder and amazement surrounds every creature of Krynn. Dragons of Krynn provide a perfect example. They embody the raw fury of the elements -- wind, storm, fire, cold, and noxious vapors. The origins of the Good metallic dragons and the Evil chromatic dragons lie in the foundations of the world itself. The high intelligence of all dragons of Krynn makes them calculating, unpredictable, and deadly. Worse yet, Krynn lacks most of the magical devices and weapons that control or slay dragons, devices all too common on other worlds. Those few magic items that do exist on Krynn prove dangerous to employ because of their natural alignment to dragons. Fallen Nations Since the Cataclysm, which disrupted society and remade the world of Krynn, scholarly knowledge in Ansalon has grown hopelessly confused. Every journey is, therefore, one of discovery. Once-mighty civilizations lie shattered and suspicious of their neighbors. Fearful folk distrust or revile their brightest and best, the mages and the Knights of Solamnia. Many cities still labor under the draconian yoke. Clearly, the time for heroes is at hand. Gods of Krynn Krynn is ruled by a vast pantheon of gods, each with his or her own history and motivations. Even so, the peoples of Krynn have abandoned the true gods, believing that the gods forsook them to the Cataclysm. Only a handful of priests can still perform the miracles of faith. But slowly the world rediscovers the truth and returns to the gods. For their part, the gods continue their eternal struggle across the face of Krynn. They occasionally appear upon the world in avatar form, but more often shape history through worshippers, omens, and go-betweens. Stories and Sagas The tales of Krynn center around glory, honor, and love of family, friends, and heart-mates. Treasure and personal gain are devalued next to justice, truth, knowledge, and freedom. The tales are epic in scope -- continuing sagas with profound conflicts and recurring villains. Through personal heroism, adventurers face overwhelming odds and victor at the last. Fate diverts the lives of common men and women onto the path of heroism, making their small and private struggles pivotal in the grand future of the land. In all cases, the heroic spirit provides the brightest spark of hope in the darkness. Those who can laugh in the teeth of dragons or, singlehanded and weaponless, charge a passel of draconian guards, can coax that spark of hope into a flame. And always behind the grim struggle of today lies the bright hope of tomorrow. A sense of wonder and awe pervades the world of Krynn and the cosmic struggle in which it is embroiled. Despite, or perhaps because of, the unending wars, the tapestry of Krynn is richly textured and brightly hued. Lastly, the world of Krynn abounds with diversity. Each monster, each hero, each villain is unique and individual. By combining the threads of countless lives, the grand tapestry of the saga emerges. Create your own tales and help weave the grand history of Krynn! The next stories to be sung are about you and your companions. The Shadow Years press like a weight upon the land and the devastating War of the Lance has troubled every corner. Now, more than ever, Krynn needs heroes such as you to right the wrongs of this terrible age, and usher in the new time of hope. Other Books for Exploring Krynn Monstrous Compendium, Volume 4 -- DRAGONLANCE(R) Appendix (2105) The Atlas of the DRACONLANCE(R) World (8448) *** Astinus of Palanthus, the renowned historian, made great efforts to chronicle the history of Krynn in his scroll set, the Iconochronos. These scrolls now fill the shelves of the Library of the Ages and the Master Lorekeeper continually adds to their number. One long scroll depicts the history of Ansalon as an unravelling river of time in which famous events form clear currents. Much of this scroll is illustrated with pictures of these key events. The scroll was undoubtedly written by Astinus, but the origin of the art is a mystery. This scroll appears in its entirety in the following pages. In this scroll, Ansalonian history has been divided into several ages, which mark significant periods of cultural change. The ages that passed before the elven scholars began to write are vast and uncertain; they may span two to one-hundred millenia. None knows for sure. The telling begins with the creation of the world, the Age of Starbirth. These accounts came from the Plates of Pakafhas -- writings of an early historian and religious leader from the Age of Dreams. While much of that text is considered apocryphal by scholars, Pakafhas nevertheless seems to be the most reliable source of early written history. Following this age is a span of uncertain years, called the Age of Dreams. This age was chronicled only in folk songs and ballads during the Age of Light that followed. These songs were compiled in the Lifescroll of Song by the elven bard, Quevalin Soth from Silvanesti. A copy of that scroll was later presented to the Library of the Ages at Palanthus, and was found therein by Astinus. The Age of Light marks the ascendance of the races of elves and men, as the oppressive ogre empires fell into corruption. The elven nation of Silvanesti shone then as a beacon of culture and art throughout the known world. This age marks the "awakening" of magic through the arrival of the Graystone of Gargath, and the rise of Ergoth, the first empire of humans. Next, recent discoveries have led historians to rename the second thousand years of Light the Age of Right. During this millennium, honest peasant folk rebelled against the injustice of Ergoth. Thus, Solamnia came into existence, and so too the Knights of Solamnia. Records of this period have only recently been unearthed: a cache of silver disks was found sealed away in the ancient tomb of the legendary knight, Huma. These plates record the growth and trials of the Knights of Solamnia. They also tell of a titanic battle against the forces of the Dark Queen, a battle that ended the fourth age. The Age of Might followed the exile of dragons from the world. This age was well chronicled historically, beginning with the rulership of Karthay Pah in Istar. It was he who first ordered the keeping of a chronicle. Scribes etched his deeds on plates of gold and silver, storing them on rings in his treasury. Two centuries after Karthay Pah's reign, a scribe journeyed from Palanthus to Istar and spent three decades transcribing Pah's records onto scrolls. One-by-one, the scrolls were shipped back to the Library. Though many were lost, some did survive, and it is from these and from Astinus's personal recollections that we learn of the blasphemy of the Kingpriest. Finally, the Cataclysm, as recorded here, is a compilation of many legends and folktales. These stories come primarily from Tale of the Nightfall Years, a record of personal recollections and letters of the heroes and many of the Knights of Solamnia. Tale was penned by Astinus himself. History, as recorded by Astinus, is divided into two parts: AC (Alt Cataclius, or "after the Cataclysm") denotes the history from the Cataclysm to the present; PC (Prae Cataclius, or "before the Cataclysm") denotes dates that have been renumbered backward from the Zero Hour of the Cataclysm. Dating in PC is only approximate. Lost Notes of Sir Tracy The Cataclysm itself threw the history of Krynn into shambles. So many records were destroyed by fire and water that history before the Cataclysm was at best a series of errorriddled conjectures. One night, however, while searching through musty bins of archives, two boxes were unearthed, holding ancient scribblings by the noble scholar Sir Tracy, best known for his untiring efforts to translate Astinus's histories. There, among crumpled and yellowing pages, historians found a two-page sketch labeled the Iconochronos. This timeline showed the major events of Ansalonian history over several thousand years. It also showed the source of the discrepancies to date. Two major differences appeared: a Third Dragon War, which Huma Dragonbane concluded a millennium later than once thought; and the dating of the Rose Rebellion of Vinas Solamnus in 1775 PC rather than 1225 PC. First, historians assessed the question of the new Dragon War. Clearly the reason that two and not three Dragon Wars had been recorded prior to the Cataclysm is that humans were not involved until the Second and Third (previously named the First and Second) Dragon Wars. The First Dragon War involved only the elves, who battled to pry the dragons from Silvanesti. Once this first Dragon War is counted, Huma would have fought not in the Second but the Third Dragon War, which took place in 1060 PC. Thus, until now, Huma's legend had been misplaced by 1,000 years. Secondly, a 550-year discrepancy existed between the actual and the supposed dates of the Rose Rebellion. The reason for this discrepancy was elusive. Then, while reading about the kender, historians noted that kender history progressed from 250 PC to 400 PC to 800 PC -- that is, it went backward! Then historians realized that this was not a PC dating system, but a dating system of years during the Age of Light: 250, 400, and 800 Age of Light equal 2750 PC, 2600 PC, and 2200 PC, respectively. The same confusion of dating systems had occurred in regard to the Rose Rebellion. Vinas Solamnus led his rebellion not in 1225 PC, but in 1225 Age of Light, which translates into 1775 PC! At last, the mystery of the missing years was solved! The High God Awakens. Out of the chaos, there was thought and being; there was the High God. With celestial hands, the High God drew the plans for a new realm, a new beginning. These plans were written in a book called the Tobril, a book that makes gods of mortal folk. The Gods are Called. Into the Beyond, the High God called. There came an answer from two beings: one of light, and one of darkness. They were lesser gods, seeking greatness in the chaos. The king and queen of wyrms, they were. They abandoned their twining struggles against each other and worked together to create a new place for them, a place for greatness. Gilean is Drawn Forth. Out of chaos and out of time, the High God summoned a third god. He was Gilean, greatest of sages. Gilean alone, in all of time, was worthy to bear the High God's plans for the universe. He received the plans, the Tobril. Then, the High God departed, for the planning was done and the creation was about to begin. Reorx and the Companion Gods Come. Together the three gods summoned helpers. Other, lesser gods came. The greatest of these was Reorx. "Give of yourself," he said, "and I will tame the chaos." And from the gods, Reorx forged a mighty hammer. With the hammer, he smote the chaos and it slowed. Sparks flew from the hammer and lighted the heavens. And there were stars. Krynn is Made. Reorx shaped a mighty globe and separated the lands and seas, the light and dark, the heavens and the soil. Then, the other gods gifted the world, each to his or her own. Krynn was blessed with plants and trees, creatures of the earth, water and air, seasons and weather, and untold beauty. Dragons are Made. Together, Paladine and Takhisis guided the hand of Reorx and made five rulers of the world. Drawn from the savage elements and encased in frames of base metals, these rulers became one with the world. They were the dragons. But the Dark Queen coveted the dragons and corrupted them. Their metals were tarnished and lost to light. Good Dragons are Made. Paladine mourned the loss of his dragon children. He turned to Reorx for comfort and Reorx made five monuments to the lost dragons. He forged these monuments from precious metals. But, Paladine longed to behold his children whole, alive again. And so, he breathed life into the statues. All-Dragons War. The gods, the dragons, the beasts of the world, and the light and the dark themselves made war over Takhisis's treacheries. Chaos swirled at the corners of the world, threatening to unmake it. When the gods saw the harm they caused their world, they withdrew, light gods to light, dark gods to dark, and gray gods to gray. There they agreed to stay. They lived and loved for countless eons; thus were born the lesser gods, their children. The Stars are Claimed. In the silence that followed, there came the sound of chimes, of heavenly singing. The gods pondered it, and saw that the stars lived. They shone like the gods themselves, shone as pieces of the gods. And the gods coveted these countless spirits. All-Saints War. Once again war erupted in the heavens. The firmament shuddered with the struggles of the gods. The gods of light sought to nurture and lead these star spirits. The gods of darkness sought to bind and control them. The gods of gray sought only to set the fledgling spirits free. The Balance Restored. Hearing the battle, the High God returned from the Void. And the High God knew wrath. From the fire of wrath, the High God forged the Balance: each family of gods could gift the spirits with one gift. Afterward, the gods must let the spirits be. The gods of light gave the spirits physical bodies so they might become masters of the world. The gods of darkness cursed them with weakness, want, and mortality, that the fearful spirits might be brought to serve Evil. And the gods of shadow gave unto the spirits free will, the ability to shape their own fates. Birthing Age. And so, the peoples of the land were formed. The people of the land were three. Stony ogres there were, cold and beauitiful, strong but hollow. Wooden elves rose like living trees, tall and regal, graceful, solitary, and proud. And, least of all, were creatures of clay -- humans, short and common, simple and bestial. The humans had the capacity to destroy, and to love. These were the children of the world. Age of Dreams: 9000-5000 pc (foundation Age) The People Choose Places. Ogres, first to awaken, claimed the mountains. From that lofty perch they gazed upon the world. Elves withdrew to the forests and there they lived in quiet harmony, pondering the world. But to humans fell the plains, and there, exposed to savage winds and rains, they grew savage themselves. 8500-5000 PC Birth of Civilization. Ogres set themselves to ordering the land. They seized and enslaved the humans to be their hands in toil. By human sweat and blood, the ogres built a mighty nation of cold stone. The elves watched as order grew. 8700 Favored of Reorx. Reorx gathered to himself humans who worshipped the hammer, who were filled with creation. With these humans, Reorx retired to a northern land. The clay folk would assist Reorx in his heavy labors. Over the centuries, these humans became the short Smith folk. 6320-5980 PC Heresy of Igraine. The ogre Igraine failed to slay the slave Eadamm when he saved Igraine's daughter. Men learned of Eadamm's independence and threw off oppression. As the humans rebelled, Igraine fled for his life from the wrath of all ogres. 6000-5000 PC Decline of Ogres. As ogres embraced cruelty and vengeance, humans asserted their independence. The humans rose up to slay their masters. Civilization fell and barbarism reigned. 5000-3000 PC Elves Ascendant. Elves discovered the value of cooperation, and together they sought to create their own civilization in the southern enchanted woods. Yet this was homeland to the dragons. Over time, they mustered for war. 4000 PC Rise of House Silvanos. The first Sinthal-Elish, the elven council of high ones, was convened by Silvanos. The many elf families unified for the first time, swearing an oath of allegiance to Silvanos. Balif, son of the second largest family, was made Silvanos's lieutenant. The elves prepared for war. 3500-3350 PC The First Dragon War. Elves allied to drive dragons from their chosen lands, but the opposition was fierce. The three gods of magic gifted the elves with five magical stones, which captured the dragons' spirits. The elves buried these stones deep in the tallest mountains of the land. The gods of magic were exiled for their interference. Craystone Forged. The banished gods of magic had Hiddukel trick Reorx into creating a Graystone. They said this stone would remind them of faraway Krynn, from whose lands they were forbidden. Reorx did so, setting the stone on the moon of Lunitari. There, in secret, the gods of magic filled the stone with their essence. 3350 PC Building of Silvanesti. The second Sinthal-Elish was held, once again pledging allegiance to Silvanos. The Kingdom of Silvanesti was decreed and all the elven families were granted lands. The elves copied the ancient and long-lost civilization of the now-barbaric ogres. The Craystone Released. The plans of the gods of magic entered a second phase. They asked Hiddukel to trick one of Reorx's Smiths into stealing the powerful Graystone from the surface of Lunitari. The Smith fumbled, dropping the stone from the sky onto Krynn. With it, magic reentered the world. 3100 PC Arrival of the Craystone and Magic. Reorx punished and deformed his Smith folk for their pride and commanded them to recapture the Graystone. They fled their homeland and followed the Graystone. Wild magic was released into the world into the hands of some reborn Smiths. They became the dwarven mages called Scions. 3100-2900 PC Kal-Thax is Built. Fleeing the Graystone's chaos, the other Smiths hid in caves in the bluffs of Ansalon. There they built the first dwarven kingdom: Kal-Thax. 3051 PC Graystone of Cargath. A ruler named Gargath captured the Graystone and bound it between two god-gems. The Smiths demanded its return. Gargath recruited men and stubborn ogres to defend his prize. Elves, fascinated by wild magic; joined the smiths to reclaim the stone. When at last the stone was freed, it escaped, but not before touching those present and changing their forms to reflect their natures. Thus, goblins and minotaurs, kender and gnomes came into being. Onward the Graystone wandered, changing the world as it went. 2800 PC Thoradin is Delved. Seeking to escape the Graystone's ravages, the smiths -- now dwarves -- became masters of mining, and began to delve the new kingdom of Thoradin in the Khalkist Mountains. They abandoned Kal-Thax for all time. 2750 PC Balif Dies. A kender hero named Balif, a close.friend of the elf-lord Silvanos, died. Balif built the first kingdom of kender in Balifor. 2710 PC Dragon Stones Discovered. The dwarves found the five magical dragon stones that the elves had buried deep in the Khalkist Mountains after the First Dragon War. Hating magic due to the Graystone, the dwarves returned the stones to the surface. 2692-2645 PC The Second Dragon War. The dragons awoke and. struck south at Silvanesti. Accompanied by great armies of lizard people, the dragons ravaged the land. Three wildtalent mages, with the guidance of a lone Scion, summoned potent magics and commanded the ground to swallow the dragons for all time. The dragons were defeated, but magic ran wild and thousands died. The three mages, fearful for their lives, called upon their gods. The tower in which they stood was taken from Krynn to the Beyond. It became the Lost Citadel. 2645-2550 PC Magic Defends Itself. The three lost mages created the laws of magic. They guided their brethren to build five bastions of magic in remote regions to shelter all mages. Thus, the Towers of High Sorcery were built. 2640 PC Thoradin Closed. Ashamed for causing the Second Dragon War, the dwarves withdrew from the rest of the world. Thoradin's gates were closed. 2600 PC The Rise of Ergoth. Ackal Ergot united Khalkist barbarians after the war to build their own kingdoms. They pil laged the abandoned ogre homes and, with their booty, founded Ergoth. 2600 PC Hylo Founded. The second kender nation was founded when an entire kender clan was trapped in the first floating citadel. It crashed against the Sentinel Mountains in northwest Ansalon. 2500-2200 PC Ergoth Dominant. The nation of Ergoth stretched from the southern Kharolis Mountains to the northern shore. These brutal barbarians tried to learn the ways of civilization. Skirmishes broke out with dwarven neighbors and an uneasy truce resulted. Ergoth expanded to the borders of Silvanesti and trade began with elves. Some elves intermarried with humans. 2515 PC Death of Silvanos. The venerable elf Silvanos died and was buried in a crystal tomb. His son Sithel assumed command and ordered the construction of a tower, the Palace of Quinari, in memory of his father. All of Silvanesti counted their leader's death as the end of an age. 2150-2000 PC Thorbardin Delved. Hill dwarves migrated to the southern Kharolis Mountains and, after a time, began delving a new home. Thoradin was in decline, becoming isolated from the outside world. 2308 PC Sithas and Kith-Kanan born. Twin sons were born to Sithel. Sithas was the older by minutes, followed by KithKanan. 2192 PC Sithel is Slain. Sithel journeyed to the outpost of his son Kith-Kanan to assess the half-elf problem. Sithel was accidentally slain by humans hunting on the western border of Silvanesti. The Kinslayer War began. 2192-2140 PC Kinslayer War. Elves tried to drive humans from their border, while humans resisted fiercely. Half-elves were forced to take sides, brother fighting brother. Kith-Kanan led the elven war effort, and was pushed into killing his kin. Finally, Kith-Kanan negotiated a truce with Ergoth. 2140-2100 PC Sundering of Silvanesti. Western elves, ashamed by the bloodshed they had caused with their brother elves, sued for social change and self-determination. The western Silvanesti declared their independence. 2128-2073 PC War of the Mountain. Border disputes between Thorbardin and Ergoth resulted in skirmishes. 2073 PC Swordsheath Scroll. Kith-Kanan engineered the signing of the Swordsheath Scroll, a peace treaty between the elves, dwarves, and Ergoth. Elves were granted a large enchanted forested area as a buffer between dwarves and humans. The land was renamed Qualinesti, and was populated by the discontented western elves. Kith-Kanan was their leader. Ergoth agreed to stop mining the Kharolis Mountains and the dwarves relaxed trade restrictions. 2072 PC Hammer of Kharas is forged. Thorbardin dwarves forged the Hammer of Kharas, a mortal artifact made in the image of the immortal Hammer of Reorx. They presented this greatest dwarven gift to Ergoth as an offering of peace. The Hammer reinforced the peace. 2050-2030 PC The Creat March. Western elves of Silvanesti migrated to the new homeland of Qualinesti. 2009 PC Thoradin is Lost. None could find the gates of the great city of Thoradin. It was lost to time. Age of Right 2000-1000 PC (knights of Solamnia). 2000-1900 PC Peace and Pax Tharkas. Ergoth and all nations prospered. Kith-Kanan strengthened the peace by convincing men, dwarves, and elves to join together to erect the fortress of Pax Tharkas. This fortress became a monument to the peace. The benign and just reign of the Quevalin line began in Ergoth. 1900-1750 PC Rebellions in the East. The end of the Quevalin line in Ergoth brought brutal kings who sought to exploit the kingdom. After much abuse and taxation, the eastern counties revolted. Small but brutal battles crushed all resistance. 1812 PC Vinas Solamnus Commands Imperial Guard. Skilled commander, Vinas Solamnus, assumed the most important military post in the nation of Ergoth. 1801 PC Creat Uprising in Vingaard. Solamnus marched east with a huge army to crush a rebellion in the lands of Vingaard. 1800 PC Year of Waiting. Solamnus reviewed the rebels' cause, trying to avoid another massacre. He discovered that the corrupt Ergothian empire had driven the desperate people to rebel. Solamnus and most of his army joined the rebel forces. 1799-1791 PC Rose Rebellion and Fall of Ergoth. Nations of eastern Ergoth rallied to Solamnus as their savior. Patiently, Solamnus trained an army while turning back Imperial forces. In 1791 PC, Solamnus marched south to Daltigoth, outmaneuvering Ergothian forces and laying siege to the capital. The emperor finally sued for peace, granting the northern states independence. Solamnus honored the Swordsheath Scroll with the dwarves and elves. 1775 PC Knights of Solamnia formed. After his Quest for Honor, ruler Vinas Solamnus founded an order of knights who would fight for the cause of Good. The order was inspired by Paladine, Kiri-Jolith, and Habbakuk -- three gods of Good. The Crown, Sword, and Rose Knights of Solamnia became the guardians of the world. 1750-1300 PC Birth of Nations. Sancrist, Solamnia, and Istar arose from independent city-states. Solamnia prospered and Ergoth declined. The Silvanesti retired from the world. 1480 PC Istar Crows as Trade Center. Istar grew from a confederation of city-states in the east. Unaffected by the recent wars, Istar became a nexus for world trade. Solamnia became the major military power, and the world looked to it to safeguard the peace. 1399-1010 PC The Dark Queen Plots. With her dragon children buried, the Dragon Queen began a new plot. Calling on the aid of the lizard people, she seeded the mines of Thoradin with dragon eggs, which folk believed to be rare gems. Collectors bought the eggs, which hatched in their possession. The owners were devoured by the wyrmlings. Over 350 years, these eggs seeded wyrmlings across the globe. By the time they were discovered, hundreds of mature dragons had returned to Krynn. 1060-1018 PC The Third Dragon War. The dragonarmies unleashed their fury, first attacking and conquering small borderlands, but finally turning toward Solamnia. The Good folk of Ansalon endured the attacks from the skies, barely clinging to life. Ansalon hung in the balance. 1020-1018 PC Huma Dragonbane. The young Solamnic knight Huma Dragonbane met and fell in love with Gwynneth, a mysterious elf woman who was really the silver dragon, Heart. With the guidance of Paladine, they forged the first true dragonlance and rode into battle. Their victories rallied the other Good dragons; they produced more lances. At last, Takhisis herself fell before the enchanted weapon, and she agreed to retire from Krynn, taking all other dragons with her. Huma and Gwynneth died as Takhisis departed. The Bakali -- the lizard people -- were not seen again. Age of Might: 1000-0 PC (Age of the False God) 1000 PC Hylo Allies With Solamnia. Thorbardin reopened Thoradin by driving occupying ogres out of the delvings. With the nearness of Istar, Thoradin became a major supplier of metals, coins, and tools. 1100-800 PC Istar Dominant. Istarian trade standards spread throughout the world. Istar became the moral center of the world. 980 PC Thorbardin Opens Kayolin. In gratitude for their help during the Third Dragon War, Solamnia granted the dwarves of Thorbardin mining rights in the Garnet Mountains. The dwarves delved the city of Garnet and set up a kingdom there. They called their provincial kingdom Kayolin. 967 and 948 PC Thorbardin Constructs Tree of Life. Thorbardin began construction of Zakhalax, the Tree of Life, and Hillow, an outlying hill dwarf kingdom. Silvanesti and Qualinesti became more isolationist after the war. 910-870 PC Ogres Return to Thoradin. Exiled ogres united to flush the foreign dwarves from the halls of Thoradin. The Thoradin dwarves called on their Solamnic allies to drive the ogres away. 850-727 PC Trade Wars. Istar aggressively imposed and enforced trade standards on neighboring nations, including the kender of Balifor. The riled kender began a trade war. After years of attempted military actions and lawsuits against the kender, Istar admitted defeat and signed an agreement known as the "Kender Tax," exempting them from taxes and trade standards. 673-630 PC Istar and Silvanesti Clash. Istar expansion threatened Silvanesti naval merchants. Several sea skirmishes resulted in blockading of Istarian ports. With the aid of Solamnia as peacemakers, the elves persuaded Istar to add its signature to the Swordsheath Scroll. This signing was called Elfmeld. 530-522 PC Ogre Wars/Dwarfmeld. Ogres from the Khalkists threatened trade routes among Istar, Thoradin, and Solamnia. The dwarves of Thoradin united with Istar and the Knights to drive back the invaders. The dwarves added their signature to the Swordsheath Scroll with Istar. 490-476 PC Barbarian Raiders/Great Meld. Solamnia became more dependent on Istarian trade, currency, and ideals. Repeatedly, they joined the eastern nation in alliance. Barbarian tribes in the Estwilde, resenting the Istarian trade routes, raid ed caravans. Istar branded the barbarian tribes as "pagans, brigands, and villains." Solamnia joined Istar in warring against the barbarians. Solamnia re-signed the Swordsheath Scroll with Istar. 460 PC Peace in the Land. Istar reigned as the center of commerce, tax, and art. 280 PC Istar Declares World Righteousness. Claiming to be the moral center of the world, Istar set up its first Kingpriest. Solamnia approved the effort to promote Goodness throughout the lands. Silvanesti grew increasingly antagonistic toward the arrogance of Istar, Few others noted the signs of doom. 260-212 PC Temple of the Kingpriest Built. The finest artisans in Krynn went to Istar to build the Kingpriest a temple that would proclaim the glory of Istar. 250-100 PC Corruption of Justice -- Elves Shun. Istar began to repress independence and anyone who did not agree with the policies and divinity of the Kingpriest. The elves, reaching a breaking point in their disgust with the arrogance of humans, withdrew into their forests and barred commerce with the outside world. 118 PC Proclamation of Manifest Virtue. The Kingpriest declared that Evil in the world was an affront to both gods and mortals. A rigid list of evil acts was created and those guilty of offenses faced execution or duty in the gladiatorial arena. Priests of Istar began to lose access to high-level spells. These priests became the Kingpriest's enforcement squad. 80-20 PC Dominance of Istar Clergy. Istar claimed itself the center of religion, and all aspects of Istarian life required the approval of the priesthood. While the status of Istarian clergy rose, wizards were hunted as ungodly and uncontrolled. The priesthood lost all of its miraculous abilities. 19 PC Siege on Sorcery. Urged on by the Kingpriest, the people of Krynn laid siege to the Towers of High Sorcery in the Lost Battles. Two of the towers nearly fell into the hands of the uninitiated. Unwilling that novices should unleash the fury of magic, mages destroyed the two towers. Fearful of rampant, unordered magic wielders that might arise if all five towers were destroyed, the Kingpriest granted the mages sate passage to exile if they left the remaining towers intact. The Kingpriest took the Tower of Istar for his abode. 6 PC Edict of Thought Control. The Kingpriest asserted that evil thoughts equated to evil deeds. The priesthood used renegade mages to cast ESP spells at random on all Istarian subjects. A reign of terror and degeneration ensued. 0 Cataclysm. The Kingpriest tried to elevate himself to godhood and command the other gods. He used their gifts to the world to control them. The gods were wrathful. True priests disappeared from the world. The gods sent thirteen signs to warn the people of the coming Cataclysm. The Solamnic Knight Lord Soth, although given the chance to save Krynn from the Cataclysm, refused. On the thirteenth day of Yule, the third of the new year, the sky burned and a fiery mountain fell from the heavens. It dragged Istar to the depths of the ocean. Age of Darkness: i-??? AC (Age of dragons) 1-300 AC Shadow Years. The world was reshaped. New mountains arose; elder mountains fell; seas rushed in. Famine and plague spread across the world. Krynn became a place of distrust and hatred. Every fallen race blamed others for the world's pain. All Good priests, knights, and mages went into hiding. 3-140 AC The Dark Queen Finds Istar. The Temple of Istar was not destroyed, but gated to the Infernal Realms where Takhisis found it. For years she pondered the possibilities, sending agents abroad through Krynn to gauge the opportunities in the world. 39 AC Dwarfgate Wars. The men and hill dwarves of Xak Tsaroth fled southward, seeking refuge in Thorbardin. The mountain dwarves barred their gates and turned back the refugees with sword and spear. Then the evil mage Fistandantilus built the magical fortress of Zhaman in the shadow of the mountains. From there, he waged war on Thorbardin. When at last his defeat was certain, he obliterated his tower with spell power, forming Skullcap. 141 AC The Stone is Planted. Using the Foundation Stone from the ruined Temple of Istar, Takhisis opened a gateway back to Krynn. She carried the Stone from the Blood Sea and planted it in the remote vale of Neraka. There, it grew into a dark version of the Temple of Istar. 142-152 AC Dragons Awakened. For ten years, the Dark Queen wandered the lands in disguise. She delved into the remote netherlands and depths of Krynn to find and awaken the Evil dragons and prepare them for her dark work. Then she returned to Neraka and, from there, to her home in the Infernal Realms in the Abyss. 157 AC Berem Finds the Stone. The young hunter Berem and his sister Jasla discovered the Foundation Stone. Be rem coveted the gems in the stone and pried one lose. Jasla counselled him against it. They struggled and Jasla struck her head on the foundation stone. She died. Fearing discovery, Berem fled with the gem hidden in a pocket of his tunic. The gem bonded with the man's flesh, becoming imbedded in his chest. Jasla's spirit was drawn into the Foundation Stone, occupying the void left when Berem stole the stone. 210 AC Takhisis Finds the Gate Barred. Because the Foundation Stone stood incomplete, Takhisis could no longer use it as a gate. Her sleepless senses searched through the land to discover the reason for the stone's disfunction. She soon tracked down Serem and learned of his capricious acts. 287 AC Dragon Eggs Stolen. Evil dragons raided the homes of Good dragons and stole their eggs. They hid the eggs beneath the flaming mountains called the Lords of Doom. 296 AC The Oath. Takhisis awakened the Good dragons and presented them with an ultimatum. They would remain out of the coming war that Takhisis had planned, or have their precious eggs crushed. Knowing they could not hatch such a store of eggs for another century, the Good dragons swore noninvolvement in the coming war. Takhisis promised the return of their eggs once the war had concluded. 300-320 AC Agents of Evil. Takhisis sent secret minions and worshippers to search for the gemstone man. She needed him to complete the Foundation Stone so that she could reenter the world. Berem fled from Takhisis, entering Tarsis and Barter and Thorbardin. In the last of these, he was caught by Daergar and thrown in a dungeon to rot. But the gem sustained Berem for nearly fifty years in the dark. In those dungeons, not even the Dark Queen could find him. 332-340 AC Dragons Cather; Dragonlords Made. At their queen's direction, the Evil dragons formed an unholy alliance with wicked men and ogres. These barbaric men and brutal ogres became the dragons' commanders and masters.The Highlords, as they were called, proved as willing and able to torture their own forces as well as those they conquered. 337 AC Sanction and Estwilde Corrupted. The blight of darkness in Neraka verged into the neighboring nations. Takhisis established the lava-besieged town of Sanction as her major port city. The Evil humans and humanoids of Estwilde became reluctant reserves for the Dark Queen's armies. 341 AC Dragonarmies Offer Alliance. The dragonarmies offered alliance to the lands of Kern, Khur, Blode, and the Pirate Isles, an offer they swiftly accepted, knowing refusal meant death. 342 AC Draconians Created. Takhisis taught a dark mage and an Evil priest the ceremony for creating draconians. By corrupting the stolen eggs of Good dragons, the mage and priest raised an army of dragonmen from a single egg. The first to be created were the baaz and the kapak; the bozak, sivak, and aurak came later. 343-347 AC Evil Marshals its Forces. Takhisis and her generals trained their army of human rogues and cutthroats, goblins, hobgoblins, and ogres. Violence occurred among the allies of Evil, fights that weeded out the weak. At last Takhisis judged her troops ready. 348 AC War of the Lance Begins. In spring, the Dragonarmies poured eastward from the Khalkist mountains to overrun Nordmaar and Balifor and to threaten lands beyond. Silvanesti accepted emissaries of the Highlords, who swore that the elves need not worry for the safety of their lands. 349 AC Silvanesti Betrayed. Flushed with victories, the dragonarmies turned south on a "routine patrol" and attacked Silvanesti's northern border. Losses were heavy on both sides. Elves lured their foe into ambush. Takhisis committed the rest of her troops to the battle and the forest border was ravaged. Supplies low, the elves retreated to Silvanost, where they stood a good chance of outlasting the siege. However, King Lorac of the Silvanesti had become enchanted by the Dragon Orb of Istar, an artifact he had rescued from the lost city before the Cataclysm. Lorac ordered the evacuation of Silvanesti. The elves fled in ships, heading for Solamnia and Qualinesti. On the last day of the year, the dragonarmies reached the edge of Silvanost. Then, Lorac commanded the Orb to destroy the dragons. However, Viper, the Evil spirit residing in the Orb, seized control of Lorac. The elven king's mind went mad. The Dragon Orb projected Lorac's nightmares out into the land he loved. Silvanesti became a spiralling nightmare. The dragonarmy abandoned its conquest, which had grown worthless and corrupt. 350 AC Evil Rearms Itself. Licking its wounds, the dragonarmies rebuilt their forces from the Evil folk they had conquered. Takhisis controlled all of eastern Ansalon, save Saifhum. The minotaurs of Mithas and Kothas harried the retreating Silvanesti refugees. 351 AC Evil Turns West. With the coming of spring, the dragonarmies began skirmishes on Solamnia's eastern border. The Blue Army struck across the Dargaard Mountains, aided by goblins. The Knights of Solamnia, in recent disarray, could not repel the attack. The Blues occupied Kalaman, Hinterlund, and Nightlund. They pressed the borders of the Plains of Solamnia and Gaardlund. Lemish betrayed humankind, opening a door in the south for the dragonarmies to enter Solamnia. The dwarves of Kayolin, however, proved an insurmountable bulwark against the advancing dragonarmies. By autumn, the Knights responded and Solamnia became entrenched. The Red Army led an amphibious flanking assault along New Sea and across the Plains of Abanasinia. The barbarians fell to their advance and the war verged upon Qualinesti. The Qualinesti elves fled to join their cousins in Southern Ergoth, but not until first delaying the foe's advance. The dragonarmies marched against the dwarven kingdom of Thorbardin, laying siege to its northern gate. A wing of the Blue Army then struck south around New Sea to Tarsis and the Plains of Dust. They marched then toward Kharolis to cut off all retreat for the dwarves. By year's end, much of Ansalon had fallen beneath the dragons' shadow. 352 AC Whitestone Council. Representatives of the surviving nations gathered on Sancrist at Whitestone Glade and forged an uneasy alliance. The secret of the dragonlances was rediscovered and these supreme weapons began to be forged anew. With the arrival of spring, the Blue Dragonarmy besieged the High Clerist's Tower in Palanthus. They were repelled by the Knights, using the new-forged dragonlances for the first time. A special force made a surprise stab at Sanction and discovered the blackmail that kept the Good dragons out of the war. With the aid of the silver dragon D'Argent and the copper dragon Cymbol, the special force rescued the Good dragon eggs. The Good dragons swiftly entered the war. In the summer, the armies of Whitestone began to strike back. They reclaimed much of fallen Solamnia. The dragonarmies responded by bringing five flying castles into the battle. But already the dragon alliances and conquests were slipping away, The siege of Kalaman by Whitestone forces marked the beginning of the end. Released from years of imprisonment in the dwarven kingdoms, Berem, the gemstone man, was sighted again. Takhisis moved agents to find and capture him. Thus, she might open the gates of the Infernal Realms and bring her armies of dread to reinforce the flagging dragonarmies. But Berem constantly evaded her best efforts. In a desperate ploy, Whitestone forces marched across the Estwilde and assaulted the vale of Neraka, stronghold of Takhisis's might. The Heroes of the Lance, by Fate's hand, found Berem and journeyed to Neraka. As Evil rallied its forces around the crippled form of the dark Temple, Berem reunited the gem with the Foundation Stone. Whole, at last, but now inextricably linked with Jasla, the Temple healed itself. Then, as Jasla's spirit fled the stone, the Temple crumbled. Takhisis's gateway was destroyed. Evil turned in on itself. The weak alliances of Evil fought over the dropped crown of rulership. The War of the Lance faltered to an end. 353 AC The War of the Lance Ends. The former armies of the Dark Queen fragmented and fled to remote regions of Ansalon. The dragons, in their retreat, entered lands with climates harsh to them. They grew weakened. 353-357 AC Harrying the Foe. The Whitestone forces continued to scour the land, driving out the last pockets of darkness. Even after the last pockets of resistance disappeared, the dragonarmies still occupied large regions of central, eastern, and southern Ansalon. 356 AC The Master of Past and Present. Raistlin Majere and his brother Caramon used a time-travel device to journey into the past. They reached the corrupted Istar, intent on changing history and challenging the Dark Queen herself. Raistlin became one with Fistandantilus. He journeyed through the years and into the Abyss, hoping to defeat the Dragon Queen. 357 AC The Blue Lady's War. The Blue Lady, one of the most powerful and ruthless Dragon Highlords, made an unholy pact with the death knight, Lord Soth. Together, they led a dragonarmy from Neraka and, with a flying citadel above, attacked northern Solamnia. They besieged even Palanthus, but the effort was doomed. The Blue Lady and Soth were defeated. 358 AC Sealing the Gates of Hell. Raistlin Majere made the ultimate sacrifice to bar the return of Dark Queen Takhisis. In order to seal the gates of the Abyss, Raistlin surrendered his own life. His brother, Caramon, and all the Heroes of the Lance grieved the loss of the great mage. 358-369 AC Changing of the Cuard. A new generation of Knights worked to reclaim the peace and aid in rebuilding of the wounded nations. The Heroes of the Lance were replaced by youthful counterparts. *** Many years have been spent compiling this paper for the enlightenment of the world. Numerous scribes spent countless hours poring over yellowed manuscripts, ancient scrolls, and record disks. The newly found clay tablets of Khur, with their old-world Istarian record of time, have also informed this document. While this work is far from completed -- and perhaps may never be finished -- it is the best effort of Ansalon's brightest minds in this present age. Only Astinus of Palanthus politely declined a request for aid in this work. But Astinus did agree, with a faint smile, to open the annals of the great Library. We have worked to be ac-curate and open-minded about each discovery and enlightenment along the way. Whenever we had cause to believe that traditional histories had erred on some point or other, we were cautious about such assumptions. In some extreme cases, we chose to record these new insights into Ansalonian history. The reader may accept or reject them at will. We hope not to offend anyone's sense of past events, but would like to remind readers that history is not an exact science. Histories result from the interpretation of past events using one's own experiences and prejudices. Many of the revelations and revisions present in this document arise from two previously unknown sources. The Knights Annals, recently found in Huma's tomb in Southern Ergoth, detail the history of the Knights through the early years of the Age of Might. Likewise, the clay tablets of Istar, discovered in sunbaked Khur, shed light on Istarian history from the Age of Light through 200 PC. Before beginning the history proper, we wanted to investigate the origin and past of arguably the most historical figure in Ansalon: Astinus of Palanthus. Astinus, Scholar and Mystery Speculation abounds on just who the mysterious scholar Astinus of Palanthus is. Certainly since the time of the Cataclysm, he has been with us. Some tales even tell of times before the Cataclysm when he lived, forever ensconced in the musty Libraries of Palanthus. And none foresee his demise in the near future. He seems ever the same, ageless man. An uninformed rumor claims even that Astinus is eternal, immortal, or one of the gods (perhaps Zivilyn, who is said to have branches in every realm, or Gilean the master of knowledge). Rumors aside, the following account records what we, as scholars, have deduced. There was indeed a time when Astinus was not around. No records are known of his presence during the Age of Dreams, and indeed his own Iconochronos references the works of scholars more ancient than he: the historian Pakafhas, the elven bard Quevalin Soth, and the first king of Istar, Karthay Pah. Further, we know that Astinus possesses the globe of present time passing, a mystic artifact given to him by the Master of Past and Present. With a hand on this globe, one can travel the face of the world in spirit form, searching out the bravest deeds and recording the acts of greatness that weave the tapestry of history. Clearly, this is what Astinus has done. Our research further speculates that Astinus's mastery of history and his iron will allow him to use this mystic globe to walk even the River of Time. Thus, Astinus has viewed past events as if they were present. The more distant the event, however, the more uncertain that Astinus's spirit can find its way back to his mortal shell. To our knowledge, none but Astinus has used this device in such a fashion, and he has explored only a millennium or two from his current time. Even so, the use of such a device would explain his detailed histories from before the Cataclysm as well as the apocryphal sightings of Astinus a millennium ago. Three other theories may explain Astinus's longevity. (He, himself, declines comment). First, there are those who believe he is god-touched, the right hand of one of the old gods of Krynn (Zivilyn or Gilean). Such speculators appear unable to believe that a mere mortal could accomplish what Astinus has. Perhaps they are correct. Second, some hold that Astinus is not a person, but an office, filled in serial fashion by one historian after another. Tales tell that during the Age of Dreams, a race of scholarly dragons called the Astini existed. Some claim that Astinus shares dragon blood, and is therefore somehow eternal. Perhaps he shares an office with a dynasty of dragon-blooded men. The third theory is ours. We have observed that Astinus appears ageless. We have never seen him with a beard or facial hair and suspect he has none. This leads us to believe that he is either elven or shares elven blood (the latter is more likely, for we detect no hint of pointed ears). If he shares the blood of that incredibly long-lived race, his seeming immortality might be explained, along with his preference for solitude and his unending patience with the slow progress of time. Whatever the truth, Krynn and our meager efforts would be impoverished without the works of this renowned historian. The Creation of Krynn Before the beginning was Chaos -- without form, without purpose. A maddening silence blanketed the swirling mists. Into that Chaos there entered thought, and with thought, being. And there was the High God. And the thoughts multiplied. There were many, but the many were one. The High God moved through the Chaos, and patterns grew where there were none, forms took shape in the formlessness, purposes imbued the meaninglessness. The One-Who-WasMany determined to make it so, and accordingly, the High God formed plans. He and She fashioned words and thoughts and held them in their mind. When at last the work was done, the High God turned to find those who would help in creation. The High God called into the Beyond, speaking words from the plan of creation. There came an answer. Two beings responded: one of light, one of darkness. Twined and inseparably linked they were, two halves of a whole. These gods, who were lesser creatures in the Beyond, answered the call that they might be greater. They were to be the Mother and Father of the new creation, the King and Queen of glory. They were Paladine and Takhisis. Yet as the High God gazed on them, he saw their eternal clash: though neither could live without the other, they pulled and tugged as if to consume each other. The High God pondered: To whom should the plans for creation be given? Neither of the lesser gods were whole. The High God needed a balance to fill the void between the two, to keep them from consuming each other and the creation to be. The High God searched through the realities: they searched the Void; he searched Time; she searched Space; they strove to find one who was balanced, who could let the plan fill his or her being and be all. And, searching through the depths of time, the High God found one such creature. Only one in all time and space was so suited. He was a creature, not a god, but he had godly potential. Out of Chaos and out of Time the High God summoned the scribe Gilean. To him the plans for creation were given, the plans called the Tobril. And the creature became the plan, and the plan was all that he was. The knowledge of all creation made him a god. Then seeing the task complete, the High God departed into the Void, into the realms beyond. The three other gods considered the plan and knew it was good and complete. But they needed help to build such a creation. So together they spoke the words and named the names, and this time many answered. There came Majere, who is hope and dream to the world; Chislev, who is nature; Sirrion, the transforming flame; Reorx, the forge; and Mishakal, who is life and compassion. The Dark Queen cast green eyes on the last, for she coveted the King for herself. The new gods surveyed the sphere and the plan that was Gilean and they saw it was good and complete. But they knew not how to tame the Chaos. It was decreed that a new time and place would come to be. Time would begin again and the spirits would be created to live within the course of time. Then Reorx, greatest of the companion gods, said, "I will reshape the Chaos for us, and all will help. Give of yourselves and I will fashion a tool." So, from the godstuff, Reorx shaped a mighty hammer. With this hammer, he smote the Chaos. And it slowed. Again and again he struck the Chaos. With the fires of Sirrion he reshaped it. And as he worked, sparks flew from the hammer and lighted the sphere. And there were stars. Then, Reorx fashioned a home for the gods, one for each and for those who would come later. These became the constellations, the planets, and the moons. Then, he fashioned the world, hammering out the ball that was to be Krynn. He formed it and hung it in the heavens to cool. Then, the other gods joined the Creation. Together, Paladine and Takhisis guided Reorx in the shaping of the lands, separating the lands and seas, the light and dark, the heavens and earth. Then the companion gods gifted the world. Chislev brought forth the plants and forests of the lands and seas. Sirrion granted the flora infinite diversity and change. Mishakal gave the plants beauty and made them fertile that they might multiply. And Majere gave them order and purpose that they might enrich the world. Paladine said, "We need creatures to enjoy this world that we have made." So Chislev took the clay of the world, that these beasts might be one with the land, and fashioned creatures in the forms of the King and Queen of the gods. There were lizards and serpents and wyrms of every size and shape. Turtles and leviathans filled the seas. Great striders, toothy snappers, horned juggernauts, and gigantic grazers claimed the land. Winged gliders and feathered fliers took the skies. Then the gods rested. All Dragons War The gods pondered which creature should have mastery over their world. Takhisis said, "Let us make rulers in our own image, that they might know their makers and obey us." "Yes," said Paladine, "Let us make them in our own image that they may know compassion and learn to love us." The two gods united. From their essence and their passions, Paladine drew forth colored strands of elemental fury. He weaved five spirits of exceeding power. Reorx crafted five shells, made from the stone of Krynn, for the five children. He made their forms from the base metals of the earth: iron and copper, nickel and lead and tin. And into these shells the five were given form, and Mishakal made them fertile that they might multiply. But they were rebellious children, these dragons, all save the copper dragon, who was true and dutiful. Then the gods sought to teach their dragon children about gods and the ways of gods. The gods created lizardmen, the bakali, to worship and obey the five, that they might better understand how to worship and obey the gods themselves. The world belonged to the five. It was an age of serpents and mighty lizards. Still the dragon children did not obey. So the gods chilled the lands and blighted the world, and many of the creatures died, that the five might learn loss. But Chislev and Sirrion, who grieved for their creations, taught their creatures the ways of fur and of fire. And the races of Krynn survived. Now the Dark Queen regarded the spirits of her five children. She saw their strength of spirit and resolve. She witnessed their unfettered powers and coveted the five to be solely her own. And this covetousness became a hard place in her heart, a dark festering boil. When she lanced that boil, there stood a soul-sibling, a dark and hooded pustule. And the Dark Queen called him Morgion. "Help me my sibling," she hissed. "Help me to make these five mine and mine alone." The darkened sibling nodded and smiled, for they shared their thoughts and minds. The Dark Queen went to the five dragon children and hissed lies in their ears. "Your father fears your power. He would see you destroyed!" Morgion hovered in shadow and whispered, Your father covets your glory. He would see you enslaved! The five dragons growled and snapped at the lies, feasting on the dark meat till it poisoned their hearts. "We are betrayed," they shrieked. "Sut he shall never enslave us; better to be cast out than to be so loathed by one's own parent." Morgion's dark hand seized their spirits and corrupted them. They all pledged allegiance to their mother, forsaking their father, save for the copper dragon, who argued for his king. Then, the dragon of nickel seduced her copper brother with a clever tongue. Then, too, did the copper dragon agree to follow his siblings into the darkness. Morgion twisted and bent the spirits of the dragons, tarnishing and corrupting the metals from which they were made. And thus were born the chromatic dragons. Iron became rust red, hot with anger. Copper became blue as the cracking storm. Nickel turned green, venomous like the snake. Lead turned black, stained and marked with its tongue of acid. And tin turned white, the brittle bite of frost. The Dark Queen's wicked laughter echoed in the heavens. Hearing the laughter, Paladine discovered her handiwork. He was sorely aggrieved at the loss of his children. Cursing his queen's name, he retired for a time. Majere, seeing Paladine's pain, devised a plan. He sent Reorx and Mishakal to comfort the king of gods. "Come, do not grieve," Reorx thundered, "I shall make a thing like no other to fill your grieving heart. I shall make for you five monuments to your five lost children, so you may remember who they are." "Yes, dear one," Mishakal whispered, "Together we will forge a miracle, that your loss shall be the universe's gain." So together were forged five statues of precious metals -- gold and silver, bronze and brass, and least of these, copper, who might have been redeemed save for the corrupting tongue of his sister. When Paladine saw what had been wrought, his heart leaped within. He was filled with love, and the sight of Mishakal quickened his love unto a raging bonfire. Then Reorx heated his hammer in that fire until it glowed white-hot. He struck the metal shells. The five monuments shivered and quaked and quickened into life. Thus, the five dragons were born in love, their passions refined and guided by their parents. So, the good dragons were born. "Betrayed!" hissed the Dark Queen Takhisis. Her spittle melted an opening in the Void, and the two-headed serpent Hiddukel answered the summons. "This is unseemly, my queen. Your love, which is greater, has been slain. Call now my brother, who has been cast into the Void from the Beyond, for his devotion is true and undying.® The Dark Queen spoke the words, and there came the goat-headed god of life's betrayal, and in his wake came the darkness of unlife. So entered Chemosh to Krynn, to build a steadfast army for his queen. "Vengeance!" shrieked the Queen, and the universe grumbled. The land melted and out of the seething inferno there stepped a black god of hate. A new god. And in this volcanic being, the Dark Queen found her foul heart's desire. He was a consort of vengeance. He was Sargonnas. "Let us wage war," he bellowed. And the Dark Queen echoed his cry. So war descended on the world of Krynn. Takhisis, her gods of Evil, and her Evil dragons fought Paladine, his gods of Good, and the Good dragons. The forces unleashed by this warfare were horrible to witness and they devastated the world of Krynn. Seas boiled. Forests burned. Land split asunder. The glorious creatures of Krynn died in droves, died for the grief of Paladine and jealousy of Takhisis. All were burned and swept away, save for those few who hid within the bosom of the world. And when the gods saw the destruction they had wrought upon their precious creation, they were pained. They ceased their struggles and withdrew to mend their aching hearts. Each went to his own: light to light, dark to dark, and gray to gray. And there, in their seclusion, they lived and counseled to restore what they had destroyed. New alliances were formed in that silent and empty time and new loves grew. From these loves came offspring to fill the void. To Paladine and Mishakal were born twin brothers: KiriJolith, champion of justice, and Habbakuk, bounty of life. When the two were born, the song of creation swelled in beauty, and Habbakuk laughed. His laughter multiplied and filled the song, bringing to life Branchala, who would be Habbakuk's playmate and companion. To Takhisis and Sargonnas was born the temperamental girl-child, Zeboim, mistress of tempests, weather, and dark seas. She was moody like her sire and violent like her dam. Gilean, too, desired a companion, and so he spoke to his shadow for council and advice. With Chislev's aid, Gilean formed a brother and friend from his shadow. He was the tree of life, Zivilyn. And Chislev took Zivilyn as her consort. Only Sirrion had no heart-mate. Determined to change this fact, he set to sculpting his ideal mate from the finest alabaster. He adorned his creation with precious metals and gems. When she was fully formed, he embraced her, and the fire in his bosom quickened the stone. Thus Shinare was born. But her industrious and pragmatic temper opposed that of the sculptor, Sirrion. They have fought to this very day. Together with Zivilyn, Gilean engineered a treaty, a truce between the dark and the light. Through this truce, the gods rebuilt Krynn. Each god granted the reborn world a gift of his or her own, over which they alone had dominion. And so came the time of rebirth. All Saints War The world was remade. Sargonnas burned away the debris, and Reorx reshaped the mountains and the valleys. Chislev rerobed the land in a mantle of ochres and greens, trees and flowering plants and fruits of every kind. Habbakuk, to the strains of Branchala's music of life, crafted the creatures of the world from the wood of Chislev's trees and the soil of Krynn. He made birds for the sky and fish for the seas. Cattle and beasts of the wilds he made also. Then Majere touched the fallen leaves and twigs, animating them to become the gardeners of the world: the insects. Kiri-Jolith strengthened the creatures' hearts to make them strong to face adversity, and Mishakal blessed them so they would bear young. And Zeboim stirred the air with her storms, cleansing the lands and washing the ruin into her dark bosom. Paladine shaped a light for the sky so plants could grow, whilst Takhisis made the black shawl of night so creatures could rest and resist the light. Gilean gave all things knowledge of themselves, and Zivilyn gave them the wisdom to use that knowledge. Yet three of the wicked gods did naught to strengthen the world. Instead, they created pain and suffering, which they said would teach the world obedience. Paladine did not turn back their gifts, for he saw that in adversity, the folk of Krynn would learn greatness. Morgion gave pain and sickness to the world, Hiddukel gave greed and pride, and Chemosh gave death. Even in these curses lay goodness, for the new mortality taught the creatures to cherish each moment of life. To make sure the world would never again suffer the ravages of the All Dragons War, the gods weakened the dragons, requiring them to rest after they unleashed their destructive powers. Starbirth of Mortals At last, when all was made, the gods fell silent. But across the heavens arose the singing of a glorious choir. Then the gods saw that the stars themselves lived and were like unto the gods. Indeed they were pieces of the gods that had scattered from Reorx's hammer when he smote the Chaos. And the gods forgot their oath not to war upon their world. They bickered over who might rule these star spirits. The gods of light wanted to nurture the spirits and teach them the paths of righteousness. The gods of dark wanted to make the spirits slaves who would bow down and worship. The gods of gray sought only a balance, to give to the spirits the chance and the wisdom to choose which path they would tread. Sargonnas raged that the gods of darkness should never be challenged. Kiri-Jolith stood firm in defense of justice. And so the battle lines were drawn. Again war was waged in the heavens and upon Krynn. The winds and waves, frosts and fires wreaked great havoc upon the weary world. Only the return of the High God saved the world from a second destruction. So awful was the damage that the gods of light and shadow were dismayed and heart-sore. They swore an oath even unto the High God to never again make war on the world. The High God decreed a solution to the matter of the star spirits. Each family of gods would be permitted to give the star spirits one gift. The Gods of light and Good bestowed life, giving the spirits physical form that they might gain mastery over the world and become more like the gods themselves. The gods of light hoped that the spirits would bring peace and order to the world and take the path to righteousness. The Gods of darkness and Evil bestowed the gift of mortality, so the spirits woul hunger and thirst, toil and sweat, fall to illness and at last enter the grave. The gods of darkness hoped that the spirits would trade their freedom to Takhisis in exchange for the removal of their sufferings. Lastly, the Gods of gray and Neutrality gave the spirits the gift of free will. Thus the spirits could choose freely which path to follow. The gods of Neutrality hoped thereby that the star spirits would maintain the Balance of the universe. Then each family of gods fashioned the star spirits into their own peoples. The gods of Good fashioned the elves, forming their bodies from the trees of the forests. Slender, individual, and long-lived, the elves were one with nature. They wielded the life power to reshape the land according to their will. The elven folk were formed to bring change to the world, but to change very little themselves. The gods of Evil formed ogres from the bones of the world. These folk had the sturdiness, beauty, and coldness of stone. The ogres were formed to desire order and utter obedience, taking their orders from Takhisis and the gods of Evil. The gods of Neutrality formed humans, casting them from the clay and waters of Krynn. Humans were malleable and impermanent. These short-lived folk had the greatest potential for Good or Evil, and the greatest freedom to choose between these. Their short lives upon Krynn made them quick to act, often without thinking. Humans gave motion to the pendulum of history, and thus formed a dynamic balance for the world. And last, the High God formed the Children of Krynn -- guardians of the beasts and of the world's bounties. The High God made centaurs and satyrs, pegasi and griffons, unicorns and chimera, And these, too, had the freedom to decide their paths. They chose, as was their nature, to protect their lands. And so, the balance was restored to the world, and Krynn as we know it came into being. Arrival of the Last Gods But the Age of Starbirth did not end here, for three gods remained to be formed. To seal their agreement to nevermore make war upon Krynn, each family of gods agreed to create and raise a child who would become blood-brother to the child created by the other families. And because their wars had wounded Krynn, the gods agreed that these three bloodbrothers would bless the world of Krynn by their creation. The blessing granted Krynn by the brother gods would be magic. To Paladine and Mishakal was born a son of light, Solinari, who gained dominion over quiet and constructive magic. Meanwhile, from Gilean's majestic and beautiful thoughts sprang forth a daughter of Neutrality, Lunitari, who gained domain over illusion and reshaping magic. And last, from Takhisis and Sargonnas, came a brother of darkness, Nuitari, who gained domain over commanding and destructive magic. This dark-haired child of Evil suffered from a throat impairment, which made him speak in hoarse whispers. Age of Dreams When the people of Krynn were made they were scattered across the face of the world. Elves sought the enchanted forests for their homes, each to live in harmony with the land. Ogres claimed the lofty mountains and from that per