In this series I will look at the history of the Forgotten Realms world and publish a series of maps depicting the continent of Faerûn and the wider world of Toril at various points in its past. Like my previous series, Nations of the Forgotten Realms, this series draws on The Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas and other Dungeons & Dragons resources for the setting, particularly The Grand History of the Realms, Netheril: Empire of Magic, Cormanthyr: Empire of Elves and Lost Empires of Faerûn.
The work of Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Eric L. Boyd, James Butler, Thomas Costa, Ed Greenwood, Dale “slade” Henson, Brian R. James, George Krashos, Steven Schend and Travis Stout was particularly useful in compiling this series, along, obviously, with the work of everyone who has ever put pen to paper for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting (officially or unofficially)
The elves had established many great civilisations stretching across much of Merrouroboros. Their power and greatness were unmatched, but many elves were wary and weary, feeling their new kingdoms were becoming too concerned with maps and borders. They yearned for the simpler life they had known in Tintageer and Arvandor, bound to the land spiritually rather than materially. But they also did not want to forsake Toril, at least not yet. They decided to create a new homeland for the elves on Toril, but away from the hustle and politics of the mainland.
To this end, circa 17,600 Before Dalereckoning, the elven High Mages came together in a ritual like nothing seen since the days of Tintageer. The elves chose a mighty fulcrum of magic, the High Mage Starleaf, and through her cast a spell which combined the best of the material world with the best of Arvandor, with the blessing of the Seldarine themselves. Some elves were uneasy about the prospect, recalling myths that it was a High Magic ritual gone awry which destroyed Tintageer, but their fears were dismissed.
The ritual began in a mighty white tower, erected in the very centre of the continent. Magical energy coursed outwards, consuming all of the High Mages in the ritual bar only Starleaf. Then it found faultlines and fissures deep underground, extending through the very rocks of Toril for dozens, maybe hundreds, of miles below the surface. The world tore apart, the single supercontinent of Merrouroboros blowing apart to form a number of lesser landmasses, scattering islands like leaves in its wake. The land quaked and the seas rose. In far Ilythiir to the south, where the dark elves did not worship the Seldarine so had not been invited to take part in the ritual, the seas rose and destroyed the capital city of Atorrnash, consuming it outright. Ka’Narlist, ruler of the realm, was killed. The devastation was extensive, and the dark elves furious when they discovered their erstwhile cousins were responsible.
By all rights, such a cataclysm – the Sundering, now sometimes called the First Sundering – should have destroyed Toril outright, or at least rendered the planet unable to sustain life. But, it is believed, the gods and Ao himself intervened to dissipate the damage with magic, even scattering the forces involved through time. Histories of this period are confused in the extreme, speaking of the Shining Sea, the Chultan Peninsula and the Sword Coast many millennia before they were formed in this event.
The elves assumed their plan had failed and returned to their lives, relieved that their realms had survived the cataclysm mostly intact. But Starleaf awoke to find herself on a peaceful island far out in the new sea that had formed to the west of the elven homelands (the continent they continued to call Faerûn, now just one of many). This was the promised land of the elves, the island called Evermeet, a piece of Arvandor incarnated in the mortal Realms. Starleaf became the first ruler of Evermeet, but for now the island was cloaked in magic. The time was not right for the elves to learn of the success of their plan.
In the aftermath of the Sundering, the three elven kingdoms of the Satyrwood – Thearnytaar, Eiellûr and Syòrpiir – continued their discussions for an alliance. Alarmed, the dark elves of Ilythiir used magic to slay the leader of the Syòrpiir delegation, framing the representatives from Thearnytaar for the murder. War broke out between the two kingdoms, and in their haste to come to blows they violated the territory of Eiellûr that lay between them. The War of the Three Leaves raged for three centuries (17,100-16,800 BDR) before it was confirmed that Ilythiiri agents were responsible. Ilythiir disavowed their actions, and the three kingdoms ceased their conflict, but were now too mistrustful of each other to continue their discussions for an alliance.
This was also the era when other sentient species began to call Faerûn home. From the east came the dwarves, a diminutive people who had build vast mines and mansions under the towering Yehimal for many millennia. The origins of the dwarves, whether they were created on Toril by their god Moradin Soulforger or came to this world from elsewhere via magical means, is unknown. What drove them from their homes under the Yehimal is also unknown, although historians note the proximity of their exodus with the Sundering. By 15,000 BDR, it is known that the dwarves had tunneled under the plains of the Shaar, which narrowly extended from the Satyrwood to Ilythiir, and then under northern Ilythiir itself to established the kingdom and city of Bhaerynden.
From the west came another species, known as humans. The origin of humans is likewise unknown, although it is believed with greater certainty that they originated on a different world and were brought to Toril by the Creator Races. The earliest reports of humans speak of small, primitive tribes dwelling in what is now Katashaka as early as 32,000 BDR. Some human tribes had spread through Katashaka into what is now Chult and Mhair ere the Sundering, and there had fallen under the yoke of the yuan-ti. Other humans later crossed the Shining Sea to settle along the forested banks of the River Wurlur (the modern Ith, in Tethyr). The elves of Keltormir viewed their arrival with initial mistrust, but, around 14,000 BDR, granted them tracts of land to take as their own and co-existed with them with success for millennia afterwards. Around 11,700 BDR, when dragons burned the southern forests of Shantel Othreier, clearing much of what is now the kingdom of Amn, humans were also granted those lands to dwell in.
Around 15,300 BDR, Ivósaar Vyshaan became Coronal of Aryvandaar, marking the ascendancy of House Vyshaan. The Vyshaan had a powerful vision, of all Faerûn united under the rule of Aryvandaar, united in a single powerful elven empire that would make all of the worlds and all of the planes tremble. In 14,700 BDR, Aryvandaar extended a proposal of alliance and friendship to the dark elves of Miyeritar. But the Miyeritari remembered their disdainful treatment in Aryvandaar many millennia earlier and turned them down. To the fury of the Vyshaan, Miyeritar then underwent a Renaissance of art, culture and power. In 13,900 BDR, Miyeritar was acknowledged the centre of elven art, learning and High Magic on Toril, and elven High Mages flocked to the wizard colleges of Miyeritar to learn the ways of sorcery, disdaining those of Aryvandaar. Circa 13,200 BDR, Aryvandaar accused Miyeritar of blocking its trade routes to the south and trying to stymie Aryvandaari growth.
Tension between the two powers continued to rise, despite efforts by the other elven kingdoms to mediate. But by 12,000 BDR it was clear these efforts had failed.
What followed is known to the elves by many names, such as the Time of Great Regret, but to both the elves and other species it is better-known as the Crown Wars.
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Atlas of Ice and Fire 