Second Sundering

The Sundering is an event that will be described in a series of novels and game supplements planned for release in 2013 in anticipation of the newest version of the Dungeons & Dragons game, D&D Next.

As a result of the Spellplague, the worlds of Abeir and Toril became overlapped. The Sundering involves the re-separation of those worlds. In addition, Ao the Overgod will rewrite the Tablets of Fate, and the gods and their most powerful servants make preparations for that event.

History and development
The first announcement of the Sundering came at Gen Con 2012. Wizards of the Coast is calling the event a "cataclysm." Forgotten Realms campaign setting creator Ed Greenwood described the event as "war, gods, and plain folks trying to get by." The novels and adventures will be released in a staggered, overlapping fashion, and the collective results of players in their adventures can be submitted to Wizards of the Coast, and will influence the stories in the novels. The result of the events, in game terms, will be a simplified set of rules detailed in the upcoming 5th Edition, dubbed D&D Next.

Novels
A series of novels explaining the events of the Sundering are planned for release beginning in the second half of 2013:
 * The Companions by R. A. Salvatore, featuring Drizzt Do'Urden
 * The Godborn by Paul S. Kemp, featuring Vasen Cale
 * The Adversary by Erin Evans
 * The Reaver by Richard Lee Byers
 * The Sentinel by Troy Denning
 * The Herald by Ed Greenwood, featuring Elminster