The Dawn War was the war between the primordials and the gods.[1] The war encompassed the eras known on Abeir-Toril as the Blue Age and the Shadow Epoch.[2]
The Dawn War began when the mad god Tharizdun marshaled the primordials against the gods in a bid for universal domination after becoming corrupted by the obyriths. After Tharizdun was imprisoned in the Abyss, the primordials were led by a tanar'ri known as Miska the Wolf-Spider.[3]
Shar and Selûne both moved to defend the newly born worlds of Realmspace against the primordial threat. Other gods were born from the conflict or were summoned from other worlds to aid the gods in their struggles against the primordials and their servants.[2]
One legend told that, in one of the most violent battles of the war, the dragon god Io, in his arrogance, faced alone a primordial called Erek-Hus, the King of Terror, and was killed when the primordial cleaved him in two with his adamantine axe. The same legend told that Bahamut and Tiamat were born from the two halves of the god, and joined forces to kill the primordial before they began to fight against each other. Only when Tiamat fled the battle did both dragon gods aid the other gods in the war, though they preferred to work alone. Some dragonborn believed their race was born in that battle, when the first dragonborn arose from Io's blood.[4][5]
Eons passed, and the Blue Age became the Shadow Epoch after the sun was devoured by the primordial known as Dendar the Night Serpent.[2]
An obyrith known as the Queen of Chaos allied herself with Miska the Wolf-Spider, who gave her his allegiance in exchange for her aid in destroying the gods. All seemed lost until the Wind Dukes of Aaqa defeated Miska at the Battle of Pesh on the world of Oerth, which shattered the armies of Chaos, and the Queen of Chaos retreated with her armies back into the Abyss.[6] The primordial Ubtao turned against the other primordials and aided the gods in imprisoning many of his former allies. In the aftermath, the sun was recreated and the oceans thawed. This ended the Dawn War and began the Days of Thunder.[2]
References
- ↑ Rob Heinsoo, et al. (April 2010). The Plane Above. Edited by Cal Moore, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 6. ISBN 978-07869-5392-9.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 42. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ Mike Mearls, Brian R. James, Steve Townshend (July 2010). Demonomicon. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 8. ISBN 978-0786954926.
- ↑ Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 112–113. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
- ↑ Mike Mearls, Stephen Schubert, James Wyatt (June 2008). Monster Manual 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 74. ISBN 978-0-7869-4852-9.
- ↑ Mike Mearls, Brian R. James, Steve Townshend (July 2010). Demonomicon. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 9. ISBN 978-0786954926.