• -24000 DR

  • The Sundering

    Faerun, circa -24,000 DR

    Hundreds of High Mages assemble in the heartland of Faerun at the tower of the Gathering Place to create the new elven home of Evermeet. Ignoring the lesson learned from the destruction of Tintageer centuries earlier, they cast a spell of elven High Magic designed to create a glorious elf homeland. On the Day of Birthing, the magic reaches its apex as the spell extends both back and forward in the mists of time. Merrourboros, the one land, is sundered apart by the unbridled force of the Sundering. As a result, hundreds of cities are washed away, thousands of elves lie dead, and the face of Toril is changed forever. The name Faerun, no longer the One Land, is given to the largest continent. Surrounded by vast expanses of water, the island of Evermeet, thought to be a piece of Arvandor and a bridge between worlds breaks the surface of the Tracklass Sea. Blessed by the goddess Angharradh, verdant forests and wildlife soon flourish across the island. Corellon Larethian wards Evermeet against Lolth, Malar, and the other powers of the anti-Seldarine and entrusts a unique seed to the Fair Folk of the isle. The seed soon sprouts, growing into a miniature tree known as the Tree of Souls. Over time, the souls of ancient elves who choose to stay on Toril, rather than pass on to Arvandor, merge into the Tree of Souls, slowly augmenting its power. Prophecies reveal that the Tree of Souls will someday be planted on Faerun when the Fair Folk finally return to the mainland after a period of exile on the Green Isle.

    This event is noted as occurring in -17600 DR by some documents. »

  • -13900 DR

  • Miyeritar becomes the center of elven Art and High Magic in Faerun. »

  • -5590 DR

  • Esyae dies in a High Magic ritual gone wrong, and her young brother Mhaenal becomes the sixth coronal of Rystall Wood. »

  • -2465 DR

  • The elves of Lethyr use High Magic to stop the spread of the Great Glacier southward and to regulate temperatures, thereby preserving their forest home and surrounding lands. »

  • -1200 DR

  • Numerous settlements and many more elf patrols fall before a trio of nycoloths rampaging through the forest of Cormanthor. Rumors say jealous Netherese archwizards summoned and sent the yugoloths in to the Elven Wood merely to test what magics they had to array against Netheril. In truth, the archwizard Aldlas Sodhese sought the long-missing Nether Scrolls (the source of Netherese magic). He had tracked the artifacts to somewhere within the Elven Woods, and he summoned the greater nycoloths to wreak havoc and uncover his ancestor's greatest magic.

    The nycoloths, while normally competitive and argumentative, worked well together in their roles as strategist (Aulmpiter), stealthy warrior (Malimshaer), and terrible berserker (Gaulguth). The trio destroyed many villages of elves, whole tribes of satyrs and centaurs and at least two green dragons under Cormanthyr's boughs.

    Despite his not-inconsiderable power, Aldlas Sodhese was sorely outmatched against elven High Magic and bladesingers armed with magic enough to give the Khov'Anilessa pause. While elven casualties were still high over the daylong battle, they managed to nearly slay Gaulguth and Malimshaear and subdue Aulmpiter. Aldlas died when, in a spellbattle against the Grand Mage, an arcane hand reached to wring and twist his mantle around him, crushing him under the power of his own shattering magic.

    Coronal Miirphys, the High Mages, and a number of priests then used the N'Quor'Khaor High Magic ritual to bind and imprison the three. The nycoloths' invisable undetectable subdimensional prison floated high above the city of elves, unnoticed by all. It could be permeated by all sorts of energy and matter, yet it held the nycoloths as if its walls were adamantine. The nycoloths kept all their items and weapons, since their prison rendered both them and their equipment powerless and unable even to return to their home planes. They floated more than a mile above the capital, where they looked down upon the growing splendor of the city they failed to destroy. The elves set the binding ritual so that the only key to freeing the three was when a "red dragon that never knew malice or greed in its heart flies over the Coronal's throne". »

  • -1100 DR

  • Aelinthaldaar, the capital city of Illefarn, is razed by elven High Magic on the order of Illefarn's coronal, Syglaeth Audark and then orders a retreat to Evermeet. Virtually nothing is left to indicate that an elf city had stood on the site for seven millennia. Illefarn fragments into the independent elven realms of Ardeep (present-day Ardeep Forest), Illiyanbruen (present-day Neverwinter Wood) and Rillthar (present-day Westwood and Kryptgarden Forest). By year's end, human barbarian trives are using the site for its excellent deepwater harbor. »

  • -255 DR [Year of Furious Waves]

  • Fall of Jhaamdath
    The Twelve Cities of the Sword are destroyed by a gargantuan tsunami raised by the elven High Mages of Nikerymath. This event reshaped the coastline into the contours of the Vilhon Reach known in the present day.
    Some survivors settle in Altumbel. »

  • -240 DR [Year of Enslaved Swords]

  • End of the Elf Purges
    After fifteen years, the worst of the backlash against the sea elves dies down in Seros. Those who survived the attacks from Koalinth, merfolk, and locathah zealots, and the newly returned (and far more evil) morkoth do so by use of magic (including High Magic) and some Dukar protection. »

  • -223 DR [Year of Burning Briars]

  • The Sixth Rysar of Cormanthor (Myth Drannor) begins with the realm's greatest warrior, Eltargrim, taking his first steps toward magic (and High Magic). »

  • 75 DR [Year of Clinging Death]

  • Moander hurls his forces an the "creeping evil" against the elven city of Tsornyl, blighting much of the surrounding woods. The magic of Moander twists all life, both follower and victim alike, into corrupt monsters, including deepspawn and shambling mounds. While the evil could not be destroyed, High Magic severed the creeping evil from Moander and imprisoned the corruption at Tsornyl (later called the Darkwatch and Moander's Crypt). »

  • 171 DR [Year of Unkind Weapons]

  • The elves of Cormanthyr complete a two-year-long siege to destroy the sole surviving temple to Moander in northern Arcorar at the site of present-day Yulash. The wizards of Cormanthyr use High Magic to banish the Jawed God from the Realms. »

  • 714 DR [Year of Doom]

  • The thirteen surviving High Mages of Cormanthyr weave a mythal around the Elven Court, sacrificing their lives in doing so and creating the legendary magic known as the Highfire Crown. The Elven Court becomes the seat of elf power in Cormanthyr, and the realm is barred to non-elves. »

  • 1341 DR [Year of the Gate]

  • In Seros, Sylkiir celebrates as the High Mages Taranath Reefglamor and Yrlimn Tidark announce the first acceptance of students for High Magic study in over two hundred years. Their current student Pharom Ildacer of Naramyr becomes a tutor and High Mage. »

  • 1346 DR [Year of the Bloodbird]

  • Of seven students chosen by the High Mages of Selu'Maraar, three are marked for great destinies. The youths Keryth Adofaer, Talor Vurtalis, and Jhanra Merlistar excel at the basics of High Magic. They privately learn more about High Magic in an unorthodox manner - Taranath unveils three selu'kiira and places them upon their brows, sending the students into comas while the gems force-feed the knowledge of millennia into their brains. All High Mages and students remain behind closed doors in their estate on the outskirts of Sylkiir. »

  • 1375 DR [Year of Risen Elfkin]

  • Winter Solstice Lolth and Eilstraee battle to the death in a divine game of sava, with the fate of the drow hanging in the balance. A Darksong Knight in service to Eilistraee slays Selvetarm, Champion of Lolth, with an artifact known as the Crescent Blade. Drow followers of Vhaeraun employ High Magic for the first time since the Descent. They succeed in opening a portal to Eilistraee's realm, which the Masked Lord employs in an attempt to assassinate his sister. The effort backfires, as Eilistraee kills her brother instead. The Church of Vhaeraun is absorbed into the Church of Eilistraee. The Church of Selvetarm is absorbed into the Church of Lolth. »

  • 1377 DR [Year of the Haunting]

  • Followers of Kiaransalee cause faerzress throughout the Realms Below to affect the ability of drow to teleport or employ divination magic. In hopes of reversing the effect, Eilistraee's worshipers launch an assault on the Crones of Kiaransalee who rule the Acropolis of Thanatos amid the ruins of V'elddrinnsshar deep beneath the Galena Mountains. At the same time, Q'arlynd Melarn and his apprentices, employing six Miyeritari kiira, cast High Magic to strip Kiaransalee's name from the Realms. Bereft of any worshipers, the Revenancer fades from existence. »