Dark Ages

Overview

Dark Ages are events in which the sun either disapears or is obscured entirely for several years. This results in ecological breakdown, famine, and hordes of ravening monsters prowling unchecked across the surface of the world. The cause of Dark Ages remains unknown. The First Dark Age resulted in the destruction of the Old World, and the migration of its surviving inhabitants to the New World. The Second Dark Age is believed to have been less severe, but nonetheless saw millions perish, and most societies partially or fully collapse. In each case, the darkness was ended as a result of an obscure magic ritual carried out beneath the city of Quetzalpa by a powerful political leader (The King of Quetzalpa in the First Dark Age, and the Emperor of Amanecer in the Second Dark Age).

The First Dark Age

Little is known of the specifics of the First Dark Age, but it is believed that the Magi were first sent into the world to either prevent it, or help the people of the Old World prepare for it. The Magi were largely ignored prior to the First Dark Age, and as a result humanity and the other mortal races were completely unprepared for it. Famines were mitigated somewhat by the magics of the Magi and the newly established line of Emperors, but nonetheless weakened the realms of old such that they were unable to resist the onslaught of the Twisted - the unhallowed dead turned to monsters. The last Emperor of the Old World fought against the Twisted for years as the kingdoms surrounding his realm fell one by one. As his armies dwindled, the Magi showed his people the way to reach the New World by ship, and many thousands fled as the Imperial armies made their last stand, slowly falling to the monstrous onslaught over a period of months or years.
The New World was not spared the darkness, though they did not suffer invasion by the Twisted. Two brothers ruled the land of Ahuilel, one in the north named Metzliatl, and one in the south, known only as the Righteous King. Both sought ways to end the darkness, with the Righteous King supposedly seeking the aid of the Odists, and learning of a solution that would require the cooperation of both his and his brother's kingdoms. Metzliatl, being prideful, refused to share the glory of saving the world with his brother, and believed he could end the darkness himself with enough power. Metzliatl convinced his people that they must sacrifice themselves to him, lending him their metaphysical Authority, so that he could amass enough power to bring the sun back. The Righteous King, lacking the support of his brother's kingdom, was forced to perform a lesser ritual, the specifics of which are unknown, but which was likely only a temporary solution. The Righteous King seemingly died in the process of casting this spell, and his kingdom was partially destroyed by the backlash from it, before being conquered by Metzliatl.
As this happened, hundreds, possibly thousands of ships sailed from the Old World in a vast fleet, reaching the shores of what are now known as the Amaneceran Isles as the sun rose for the first time in more than a decade as a result of the Righteous King's sacrifice. The infant son of the last Emperor of the Old World was aboard this fleet, and he inherited the metaphysical Authority of his father. As such, the Imperial line continued in the New World with the establishment of the Empire of Amanecer in the Dawn Sea, where most Old Worlders originally settled.

The Second Dark Age

The First Dark Age was long believed to be myth or hyperbole, until in the year 1340, exactly 1024 years since the supposed end of the First Dark Age, the sun disappeared from the sky once more. To this day it is unknown what caused either the First or Second Dark Ages, with even the Magi seemingly unsure of the cause. Regardless, the period between 1340 and 1346 saw untold devastation and loss of life throughout the New World. The lack of sunlight meant not only famine and cold, but allowed monsters of all sorts, most notably the Twisted, unfettered access to the surface world. The powers of the Magi and the Imperial Authority were enough to protect and feed most of Amanecer's population, as well as many refugees from outside the Empire. While the Magi did their best to aid all people, not just the Amanecerans, many millions perished nonetheless.
During this time, the Kingdom of Eslond's mainland territories were almost entirely overrun by the Twisted, with only a handful of coastal cities able to survive their onslaught with the help of the Magi. These cities would eventually proclaim their independence from Eslond after the return of the sun, and the newly established Commonwealth of Free Cities would expel the Order of Magi, ostensibly due to their failure to prevent the Dark Age.
In late 1341, the immortal tyrant, King Metzliatl, returned to his ancient realm of Ahuilel after centuries of exile. He claimed that only he could end the Dark Age by resuming the old practice of human sacrifice. He personally slew King Tlanextli of Ahuilel after slaughtering over a hundred of his soldiers in the streets of the capital. This display of power, combined with the Ahuilelites' desperation, made his ascension to the throne swift and almost entirely uncontested.
Despite Metzliatl's resumption of human sacrifice giving him immense metaphysical Authority, he was barely able to defend his kingdom from the Twisted and keep its people fed, let alone bring the sun back. His issues were compounded when in 1343, the young Emperor Rolando of Amanecer landed and army in the south of his kingdom. Under the guidance of the Magi, Rolando had learned of the sacrifice of Metzliatl's brother over a thousand years ago, which had ended the First Dark Age. As such, he had brought a large host to find and capture the lost city of Quetzalpa, in the hope of repeating the Righteous King's ancient deeds. It took nearly three years of brutal fighting for the forces of Amanecer to finally drive back Metzliatl's armies and seize Quetzalpa, but in what would have been the summer of 1346, Emperor Rolando descended into the cyclopean citadel of the ancient city with a small retinue, never to be seen again. Four days later, the sun returned to the sky, and the leaderless Amaneceran host retreated back to the sea.
The Second Dark Age devastated the entire New World, with every known society forever changed by it. King Metzliatl continues to rule Ahuilel, claiming that it was he who returned the sun to the world. Amanecer descended into generations of infighting, only finally beginning to recover in recent decades. The Kingdom of Eslond lost all its mainland territories, retreating to its home island, while most of the peoples of the northern continent adopted nomadic lifestyles to survive the now continual nightly raids by the Twisted.

Type

Metaphysical, Supernatural

First Dark Age
307-316
Second Dark Age
1340-1346