Dawn Age

The Dawn Age, also known as the Age of Dawn, the Time of Dragons, or the Time of Giants, was a period lasting from to, when the powerful empires of the creator races disappeared from the face of Toril and their land was occupied by giants and dragons far more powerful than those of the Present Age. It was a time of constant war for land in Faerûn, that led to the creation of great kingdoms and empires.

Scholars believe the Dawn Age began circa −30,000 DR, when dragons launched devastating attacks against the dominant Aearee Empires throughout the land, air, and underground, creating the first flight of dragons, destroying those nations completely. They also battled against giants over territory, forcing giantkind to yield their lands and flee to the north. Individual dragons and dragon clans came to rule large swaths of territory and battled with their rivals not only for dominion of those lands, but also over matters of religious nature as the dragons of this age were devout followers of the Draconic pantheon. Those wars, known as the Draco Holy Wars, led the race to near extinction.

During that time, the "lesser" races (those of primitive humans and other demihumans) were enslaved by the dragon lords. Although some believe the metallic dragons were less brutal masters than the chromatics, a few metallics believe this was not the case.

The Dawn Age came to an end after the first Rage of Dragons had devastated the dragons' civilizations, and elves began to build their first empires in Faerûn, starting the age known as the First Flowering.

Timeline

 * c.
 * The Time of Dragons: The first dragons begin spreading across Faerûn. They soon establish the realms of Argissthilliax, Caesinmalsvir, Darastriverthicha and Tharkrixghontix.
 * Fall of the Aearee Empires. Led by the powerful dragon general Nagamat, the dragons destroyed the empires of the avians.
 * The great giant god Annam All-Father marries Othea, a lesser demigoddess of Toril. Their union produces eight terrestrial children. The giant realms of Ostoria, Darchar, Grunfesting, Helligheim, Nedeheim and Rangfjell are founded by Annam and his sons.
 * Araushnee is banished from the elven pantheon and cast into the Abyss. Her son Vhaeraun (who was also banished) and daughter Eilistraee (who chose exile) start wandering on Toril. Araushnee makes a new home for herself named the Demonweb Pits and becomes the demon-goddess Lolth.


 * c.
 * Within a few centuries of their arrival on Faerûn, after some of the dragons reached maturity, the giants recognized the great reptiles as powerful and cunning interlopers who threatened their very existence. Soon open warfare rages between giant and dragonkind with the rich resources of Faerûn awaiting the victor.
 * The Draco Holy Wars begin when religious factions among dragons began to fight over their different philosophies. The most violent conflicts were those fought among the followers of Asgorath.
 * The Dragonfall War begins when followers of Xymor kill Nagamat, sparking the war between the followers Bahamut and Tiamat which continues unabated in the present day. Tiamat began to breed aberrant creatures known as of the Spawn of Tiamat, and unleashed them on the followers of Bahamut. To counter them, Bahamut created the dragonborn to act as his soldiers and knights.
 * While dragons and giants battled, members of the smaller humanoid races began to carve out their own civilizations.


 * c.
 * The Colossal Kingdom reaches its height, stretching across Faerûn from the Cold Lands to the Vilhon Reach.


 * c.
 * Trying to undermine dragon rule, the Fey opened planar gates to allow the first elves to immigrate to Toril. Although most elves were content to remain in small scattered tribes, one group of green elves known as the Ilythiiri negotiated with dragons to allow them to carve out a small kingdom in the south.


 * to
 * The Thousand Year War: An avatar of Garyx led red dragons to invade Ostoria. Eventually all of dragonkind was drawn into the conflict.


 * c.
 * Othea, mother of giantkind, pursues a series of unsatisfying affairs with various powers such as Vaprak, father of the ogre race.
 * Draconic philosophers came to the conclusion that religious fighting was wasteful and that gods who allowed such behavior were not worthy of their worship. This started the dragon's apathy toward their gods, which lasted for thousands of years. Due to this, it was speculated that several members of the original draconic pantheon just died due to the lack of worship.


 * c.
 * Othea begins an affair with Ulutiu, a minor sea god of the Savage Frontier. The union of Othea and Ulutiu ultimately produces four races: firbolg, verbeeg, voadkyn, and fomorian.


 * c.
 * Durothil took a silver dragon mount and became the first known dragonrider.
 * Elf survivors of the Kingdom of Tintageer (a realm of Faerie) summon the power of elvish High Magic and escape from Faerie to Toril, and found the first elven nation on Faerûn.
 * The elves from Tintageer defeat the great red wyrm Mahatnartorian, Master of the Mountains, although Durothil also died in the battle.


 * c.
 * Ostoria reaches a truce with dragonkind and the Reign of Giants comes to an end. Ostoria has shrunk to only a shadow of its former self. The Colossal Kingdom now occupies only the northernmost edge of Faerûn (present day Great Glacier and the Cold Lands).
 * Draconic legends first speak of Ironfang Keep, a stronghold built on the cliffs of the White River, overlooking the Dragons’ Sea.
 * First Rage of Dragons: Elves created the Dracorage mythal in a citadel in the northernmost reaches of Toril, tying it to the appearance of the King-Killer Star. This powerful magic incited dragons across Faerûn to madness and mindless destruction, turning them against each other and even against their offspring.


 * c.
 * Legends tell that either, Tiamat or the green dragon Caesinsjach, created the first of the dragonspawn, Kurtulmak. Soon afterwards, new kinds of dragonspawn began to appear, among them the kobolds and the urds.
 * Kobolds from Darastrixhurthi discovered Garl Glittergold's gem caves, where the god had stored the soul-gems that contained the souls of the gnomish race. The kobolds enslaved the gnomes.
 * Destruction of Darastriverthicha: Dragons affected by a Rage destroyed the dragon realm of Darastriverthicha.
 * Destruction of Darastrixhurti: Garl Glittergold rescued the gnomes while the dragons attacked Darastriverthicha, and then destroyed Darastrixhurti, killing all the kobolds living there and creating the Hidden Lake. Seeking to compensate and protect the kobold and urd races, Asgorath elevated Kurtulmak and Kuraulyek to godhood.


 * c.
 * End of the Time of Dragons: Desperate, a few of the remaining dragon lords try to destroy the Dracorage mythal. Brave avariel defenders sacrifice their lives to protect it, and the dragons are unable to stop the magic fueling the Rage. The avariel race is almost wiped out during this battle.
 * The great wyrms of the southern lands continuously assault the cities of Mhairshaulk, causing the yuan-ti realm to fall.
 * Lolth's attention is drawn to Toril for the first time in history, due to the elf Kethryllia Amarillis fighting the demon Haeshkarr in the Demonweb Pits. The Spider Queen begins to seduce dark elves and takes Ka'Narlist as her consort.
 * Occidian is sacked by a horde of orcs led by Haeshkarr, which then attacks Sharlarion. The invaders are defeated by the elves at great cost.

Connections
Zeit der Drachen