The First World
"Elegy for the First World" narrated the story of creation of the First World, a world that existed before the many worlds of the Prime Material Plane were created. According to the poem, the Dragon gods Bahamut and Tiamat worked together to create the First World, as the poem named the Prime Material Plane. After finishing their work, Bahamut and Tiamat then created the firstborn of dragonkind, Sardior, in their own likeness. Sardior helped them to create the intended inhabitants of the First World, the different metallic and chromatic dragons.
The poem then narrated the invasion of the gods of the Outer Planes, who wanted to make the First World the home of their mortal creations. The dragons opposed the invaders but were overwhelmed by their incredible might. After Bahamut was defeated by the gods, Sardior hid in the heart of creation. Alone, Tiamat continued the fight until eventually she was defeated as well and sealed in a place of darkness. The victorious gods then gave the First World to their creations, who went to live in different lands according to their individual natures. Elves went to live in the forests, dwarves in the mountains, humans all over the world, and so on. When Bahamut recovered, he began to travel the world striving to understand the gods and their creations, eventually being accepted as one of the Deities of Mount Celestia. Meanwhile, Tiamat, loosened from her prison, set her chromatic dragons against the gods and their creations as her revenge.
Finally, the poem narrated the sundering of the First World in some unexplained catastrophe. The poem implied that Sardior died during this catastrophe and the First World was divided into the infinite seedling realities that eventually became the different worlds of the Material Plane.
The poem then narrated the invasion of the gods of the Outer Planes, who wanted to make the First World the home of their mortal creations. The dragons opposed the invaders but were overwhelmed by their incredible might. After Bahamut was defeated by the gods, Sardior hid in the heart of creation. Alone, Tiamat continued the fight until eventually she was defeated as well and sealed in a place of darkness. The victorious gods then gave the First World to their creations, who went to live in different lands according to their individual natures. Elves went to live in the forests, dwarves in the mountains, humans all over the world, and so on. When Bahamut recovered, he began to travel the world striving to understand the gods and their creations, eventually being accepted as one of the Deities of Mount Celestia. Meanwhile, Tiamat, loosened from her prison, set her chromatic dragons against the gods and their creations as her revenge.
Finally, the poem narrated the sundering of the First World in some unexplained catastrophe. The poem implied that Sardior died during this catastrophe and the First World was divided into the infinite seedling realities that eventually became the different worlds of the Material Plane.
Historical Basis
According to scholars, the "Elegy for the First World" was found in the traditions of dragons across the many worlds of the Prime Material plane, and it was also said that the various creation myths of the different worlds reflected some elements of the poem, specially those myths that described dragons or dragon gods being involved in the creation of these worlds. However, there were unique elements of the poem that were not reflected in any myths.[1]
These elements were the implication that the many worlds of the Material plane were derivatives of the First World, created from its sundering. It also explained why Bahamut and Tiamat existed in the myths of many worlds, even if they were known by other names. However, the poem also included a third divine dragon, Sardior, that wasn't known in many worlds. Another implication of the poem was that dragons were intrinsically tied to the Material plane, being the living embodiments of the primordial magic of that plane. It also implied that while metallic and chromatic dragons were created by the dragon gods, gem dragons were created from the remains of Sardior.[1]
Some sages from Toril believed that "Elegy for the First World" contradicted with the evidence of the existence of the proto-dragons, the reptilian ancestors of dragonkind that existed in the Days of Thunder, implying that dragons appeared recently on the world. However, proponents of the poem believed that this was no contradiction, stating that the proto-dragons were a way for Toril to try to recreate its original inhabitants, the dragons, after being sundered from the First World. As evidence, they pointed to the fact that the most common dragons of the multiverse, the metallic, chromatic, and gem varieties, also existed on Toril; and that Bahamut and Tiamat were among the oldest deities of Toril, even if they were known by other names in ancient times.[3]
In Literature
"Elegy for the First World" was an ancient draconic poem of unknown origins.
Breathe, dragons; sing of the First World, scattered in infinite seedling realities. Sing of Bahamut and Tiamat, watching its sundering, mourning their labor. Sing too of Sardior, sundered, consciousness scattered in minuscule fragments. Breathe, dragons: you are inheritors, ruling the wreck of the First World's destruction. ”