Return of the Heroes of the Lance
Ages of Krynn
The Age of Dreams is a span of uncertain years, mostly chronicled by the folk songs and ballads of the Age of Light that followed. These ballads were compiled on the Lifescroll of Song by the Silvanesti bard, Quevalin Soth. A copy of that scroll was presented to Astinus near the end of the Age of Light, and it is from this work that our knowledge of the Age of Dreams is derived.
The Age of Light was a period of peace and learning, during which the elven culture of Silvanesti shone as a beacon of civilization throughout the world. The history of the Age of Light was chronicled in the songs and artwork of the elves. Thus, the members of that long-lived race have provided beautiful and fanciful, if not entirely accurate, records of the age.
The Age of Might signaled the rise of humanity on Krynn. Humans spread across the world, bringing their frantic energy and aggressive confidence to all corners of Krynn. The initiation of the Age of Might is tied to the rulership of Karthay Pah in Istar. It was he who first ordered the keeping of a chronicle. Scribes carved his deeds upon plates of gold and silver, storing them on rings in his treasury. During this period, the young Astinus journeyed from the Library at Palanthus to Istar and spent three decades copying these plates onto scrolls for transport to the Library.
The Age of Might lasted for many centuries. Finally, the energy and arrogance of man resulted in the Cataclysm. In a single hour, the world of Krynn passed from the Age of Might into the Age of Darkness. As Palanthus was one of the few cities spared by the Cataclysm, the recording of history continued uninterrupted. The black years of the Age of Darkness are described thoroughly, and make for very grim reading.
Three Hundred Fifty-One years after the Cataclysm, in the Age of Darkness, a few adventurers return to a sleepy town to report on their quest for Gods, and news of war.
