The Dawn Cataclysm

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I got interestedf in the Dawn Cataclysm a while back, and did some research. This is the culmination of that effort. Correct me if I'm wrong, and add anything else you know. And could somebody please put a link to this site on the Candlekeep Forums (Recent Events - Lathander's Second Dawn), as i can't do it myself - I'm not a member. Enjoy, and tell me what you think! I might write my own story on it later.


The Dawn Cataclysm


Written by the Smyther, commonly known as Neal Smith.


There are many myths, ideas, rumors, and half-truths going around about the Dawn Cataclysm. But I took an interest in this fictorical event and took the liberty of researching every bit of known data. If I have missed something out, and you know it to be ‘canon data,’ then please don’t hesitate to tell me. I found the bones of the Cataclysm and fleshed them out, filling in the gaps with likely or probable things and events. The following is not ‘canon data,’ but it can be taken as the closest thing to Wizards of the Coast actually publishing something on this mysterious event in the history of Faerun.

The date of the Dawn Cataclysm has been widely varied with the telling. Sources say that it took place after the fall of the Netheril, and before the fall of Myth Drannor. This is true – in fact, it is also said that this event heralded the fall of that great elven city. I am not entirely sure if they played a direct role in the fall, but they may have prophesized it during the war. Back to the point, the most prevalent and relevant information shows that the date of the Dawn Cataclysm was sometime in 720 DR, ending on what would be called the Day of Shadows. (Volo’s Guide to All Things Magical incorrectly states that Azuth was brought to godhood during this time, and that the godswar ended on the Year of Shadows – the year of the beginning of the Time of Troubles.) There are dates putting the Dawn Cataclysm at 161 DR, 134 DR, -331 DR, and –339 DR. These are incorrect. The Cataclysm was in 720 DR, and the date was used by knowledgeable sages to mark the beginning of the Age of Humanity.

The Dawn Cataclysm is regarded as nearly irrelevant to mortal history, and therefore there is no point in considering it at all. Unfortunately, this is not a good view, as the godswar had a great effect on the history of the Forgotten Realms. It was during this time that Lathander formed his enmity with Shar over her servants’ interference with his plans, and his uneasiness with Helm, as Helm’s lover Murdance was killed during this time. But most important of all, it was during this time that the goddess Tyche experienced a schism, forming the two splinter faiths of Tymora and Beshaba – the goddesses of good and bad luck, respectively. In addition, it was during this time that the high god Ao opened up Realmspace to all races and faiths from other worlds, effectively beginning true multi-universe travel; this would likely have occurred at the end of the godswar on the Day of Shadows.

During the Dawn Cataclysm, old feuds were brought anew, new fights were started, old scores were settled, and new enmities began. There are only several gods known conclusively to have existed during this time, and it is certain that all the faiths of the following were affected by the war. All faiths would be affected. The known existing gods were Amaunator, Jannath, Kozah, Moander, Mystra, Selune, Shar, Targus, Tyche, Helm, Murdance, Azuth, Bane, Bhaal, Myrkul, and Lathander. There would definitely be records made by the priests of the gods at the time, as their gods would have instructed them to battle opposing churches, to weaken the gods above.

As for how the Dawn Cataclysm started, the events of the godswar can be directly traced to the god of renewal, youth, perfection, creativity, and new ventures – Lathander. This god decided that evil was on the rise, a view shared by Chauntea and Oghma, who both knew of Lathander’s impending plans, yet decided to do nothing about it. The god of creativity concocted a ritual to use an item called the Dawnstone to destroy every creature on Toril and reincarnate the realms in his own image. Needless to day, the other gods were not pleased upon discovering this plan, and war soon ensued over it. Some gods would likely have been on Lathander’s side, others would have been dead set against this new world order, giving two sides in the physical and magical debate. Evil gods would have likely used the chaos to their advantage, playing gods against gods to further their own ends and create more factions in the fight. It would seem to the gods that the only ones they could trust would be themselves. Sometime at this point, the gods gathered at the Dancing Place in Highdale upon Faerun. It was likely a chance for Ao to moderate what was going on.

Whilst the fights raged, Tyche left the war – likely to escape the chaos, or get away from the ideas of her lover Lathander. Before she left, she kissed Lathander with bad luck, but upon Toril she found a perfect rose that she took to be a sign of Lathander’s apology. However, she ended up having to curse the rose with bad luck in order to pick it and place it behind her ear. Unbeknownst to her, the rose was the hidden form of the god of decay and corruption Moander, whom also decided to seek refuge and perhaps sow some chaos in the realms. The corruption from the god flower spread to her and rotted her core with misfortune, so much so that when she returned to the planes, her ally Selune recognized it and split her in two with purifying light. This split caused the formation of Tymora and Beshaba, who began their feud right then and there, and have continued ever since.

Back in the war, spies of Shar entered the fray, and made their way to the heart of Lathander’s plan. They then either corrupted the efforts of Lathander, or exploited some weakness in the plan that made it doomed to fail – or both. It is not known how the war ended, but it is likely that when Lathander’s plan failed, the gods lost their reason to war, and began to settle down. It is also quite entirely probable that the high god Ao stepped in to settle the disputes, as he would not want the realms to become involved with the godswar, ruining the delicate balance on the mortal world.

Thus the Dawn Cataclysm began and ended. More information is likely to be found on the subject, as old records of sages are uncovered. More things will be known to have happened, each with its effect on the mortal world, increasing the Cataclysm’s significance. The preceding information is not one hundred percent accurate, but it is the best one can currently get on this fantastic event in the history of Toril – an event that shaped the events and people of the realms today.


If you wish to contact me, my address is smyther_3000@hotmail.com. I hope this exposition, comprising of the main points of all the known data on the Dawn Cataclysm, is not too depressingly short.


Sources: A Grand Tour of the Realms, The History of the Realms, The Forgotten Realms FAQ (Steven Schend, Simon Gibbs, Paul Hoyak, Jason Hatter, Travis King), Volo’s Guide to All Things Magical (Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd), http://www.ladylucks.net/aboutme.htm, and http://www.candlekeep.com