The Dawning

The Dawning is a cataclysmic event from ancient myth, believed to have occurred thousands of years ago on the continent of Roken in the world of Gai. This event marked the arrival of three powerful entities known as The Torments  , whose reign over Roken brought widespread destruction, death, and darkness for over a century.
These entities—Ku-Rath the Sea Serpent, Pyroruck  the Flaming Wings, and El-Gorath  the Darkness—are said to have ruled over Roken with terrifying power, turning the land into a desolate place. Their arrival warped both the geography and the lives of the inhabitants, forcing many into servitude or obliterating entire communities.
The Torments were eventually vanquished and contained through a divine pact between the gods of Gai and the peoples of Roken, though much of this event has faded into legend. The gods themselves, after sealing the Torments, faded into obscurity, replaced by The Blessed, omniscient yet non-interfering being who now watches over the world.
The Torments The Torments are legendary beings, each embodying different destructive forces:
Ku-Rath, the Sea Serpent: Said to rise from the oceans, Ku-Rath commanded the seas, creating massive floods and storms that swallowed coastal regions. Many legends depict him as a serpentine entity with a body that could encircle entire cities.
Pyroruch, the Flaming Wings: This torment is often described as a colossal creature with wings of fire, capable of scorching the sky and raining down molten destruction. Pyroruch's arrival was said to ignite vast regions of Roken, leaving blackened wastelands in his wake.
El-Gortah, the Darkness: The most mysterious of the Torments, El-Gortah is often depicted as a formless entity, an all-consuming shadow that brought eternal night to the regions he touched. His presence smothered hope, plunging entire cities into madness and despair.
Impact on Roken The devastation caused by the Torments left lasting scars on the land, many of which remain visible today:
Auvor Thull desert: This vast, barren desert is believed to have been created by Pyroruch's flames. Once a fertile and thriving region, it was reduced to ash and sand, leaving a scar that has persisted for millennia. The locals still whisper of the flames that once burned so hot they turned the land to glass.
The Dwarven Hog Sten Islands: These islands were once part of the mainland of Roken until Ku-Rath shattered the surrounding land. The Sea Serpent's fury flooded the plains, drowning cities and separating the islands from the continent. To this day, ancient ruins remain beneath the waves, a reminder of Ku-Rath's wrath.
The Pact and the Gods' Role
In the final stages of the Dawning, it is said that the peoples of Roken, in desperation, sought aid from the gods of Gai. Together, they forged a pact to contain the Torments, though the details of this pact are lost to time.
In the aftermath, the gods faded, no longer actively involved in the world. Their withdrawal led to the rise of The Blessed, beings who now oversee Gai without interfering. This change marked the beginning of a new era, one in which the gods were no longer present, and the memory of their actions began to blur into myth.
Legacy and Myth
Though many of the original records from the time of the Dawning have been lost, the stories were preserved through the artwork and texts of the now-extinct elven races. Most modern knowledge of the event comes from the humans, who arrived on Roken during The Landing 500 years ago.
While elves were the primary chroniclers of the Dawning, other races, such as dwarves, orcs, gnomes, and halflings, were also present during this tumultuous period. However, none of these races had the same lifespan or the elaborate cultural traditions that allowed the elves to preserve detailed records. Much of their oral histories have faded over time, further contributing to the mythologizing of the event.
These early human settlers pieced together much of what is known about the Dawning through surviving elven paintings and manuscripts. However, much remains speculative, and many view these stories as allegories or cautionary tales rather than factual history.
Conclusion
The Dawning remains a powerful myth in the history of Gai, a reminder of a time when the world teetered on the edge of destruction. Though the Torments have been sealed away and the gods have faded, the legacy of that ancient event lingers in the landscapes of Roken, and in the minds of those who remember.