During the Blue age, Athas was completely covered in water. Creatures lurked in the deep places under the seas, bountiful plant life sprung up in the oceans, and the world was on a whole was a quiet and strange place. The end of the blue age is when the first gods arrive at Athas. They saw a world with potential, and raised islands and continents from the sea floor. This angered the lurking creatures in the deep, who fought back. During this confrontation, the chaotic energies released tainted Athas, scarring it with a flaw that would later allow the use of defiling.
Athas World History
This History of Athas, as best understood by scholars of the White Age.
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0 B.C.
4000 P.V.
The Blue Age
Era beginning/end -
4000 P.V.
5999 P.V.
The Green Age
Era beginning/endThe beginning of the Green Age is marked by the retreat of the deep ones. Some were destroyed and some slept until a better time. The victorious gods seed Athas with new races such as elves, halflings, humans, orcs and dwarves. Towards the end of the green age, a magic user by the name of Rajaat is born and rises to power. He masters both the powers of psionics and magic and with his talents, he discovers the scar of Athas; the deep wound left from the gods violent entry in the world. Aware of this flaw, Rajaat uses this to fuel his powers to a point that rivaled divinity, becoming the world's first defiler. During this time, an orc warlord raised a mighty army and starts a war, trying to conquer the world. He strikes first at the halfling kingdoms. The other races band together to fight, but it is too late for the halflings. Their only remnants are small communities scattered across the world. They became a reclusive race. Rajaat was incensed that the other races didn't do more to help the halflings. Seeing a chance to become their hero, he wielded his powers against the orcs, completely eliminating their kind from Athas. After his success, Rajaat grew mad with power and appointed 15 other champions and tasked each one with eliminating a race on Athas. He claimed these races were evil, and the only way to ensure peace was to destroy them. This began the Cleansing Wars and they lasted until the end of the Green Age.
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6000 P.V.
6500 P.V.
The Red Age
Era beginning/endThe beginning of the Red Age Starts with the champions of Rajaat betraying their master. Rajaat at this time was a master defiler, and researching dragonhood. He extended his defiling knowledge to his champions out of frustration with the slowness of the Cleansing Wars. For a short time, this nearly ended all life on Athas as defilement was used with wild abandon. The gods saw the destruction that defiling caused to the world, and turn their backs on Athas. This happens slowly over the course of the red age, as haughty champions and bloodthirsty monsters scar the land, the god's ties to the world become weak and tenuous. The champions learn that Rajaat does not plan to stop with the 'evil' races, but wants to cleanse Athas of all races except the halflings. The remaining champions band together and exile Rajaat into a prison of darkness and shadow. One of his Champions, Borys, calls on the others to help him become the Dragon of Tyr, so he can have the power to watch over Rajaat's prison. The others agree, and so Borys kept watch over the prison while the other champions become the Sorcerer-kings. The tumultuous defilement that occurred during the battle turned the sun a dark crimson, and thus the Crimson age began.
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6500 P.V.
6700 P.V.
The Crimson Age
Era beginning/endThe Crimson Age was marked by yet another betrayal and war amongst the Sorceror-Kings. During this period, the Sorcerer-Kings expanded their influences and became increasingly competitive with one another. Borys was the most powerful of these, his power in a draconic form rivaled that of the imprisoned Rajaat whose prison he watched over. In their ambition, the Sorcerer-Kings grew crueler and crueler, each ruling their city without regard for those that lived in it, treating them as the winds of the desert did. But most of all they grew frustrated with Borys, his power, and his increasing demands for tribute. So, the remaining 12 banded together and fought against Borys, killing him. The battle sunk the city of Ur-Draxa, the most magnificent on Athas, into the lava lake in the Valley of Fire and Dust. Though the protector of Rajaat's tomb was defeated, enough older sorcerer-King died that the remaining young ones did not see reason in replacing Borys' positions. Of the 7 that survived, they made a pact to prevent any of the others from utilizing draconic ascension. The sun darkened further as a result, taking on a reddish-brown hue and beginning the current age, The Umber Age.
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6844 P.V.
The Umber Age(Current Day)
Era beginning/endFor the last 30 years, a strange phenomenon has been causing the some of the sands of Athas to turn pure white. The phenomenon of the white sands has been increasing in frequency and prevalence across the continent drawing cursory from erudite minds as to the cause, and sophists to fabricate causes. Some demark this as the beginning of a new age, "The White Age", proposing all sorts of things from a return of Rajaat, to a return of Borys, to a return of the Gods themselves, to an indicator of the last days of Athas. Regardless of whether considered a formal new age, this time is marked by all sorts of rising new philosophies and belief systems. The long reign of the Sorcerer-Kings waxes as populations swell and the popularity of old ways drops. Still, without any real power, the people of the city-states of Athas have little idea of revolting on their own, hoping for some celestial or otherworldly intervention, despite the taboo such a belief would have carried only 20 years prior.