Time of Troubles (Forgotten Realms)

The Time of Troubles, also known as the Arrival, Godswar, and Avatar Crisis, is a fictional time period in the chronology of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting[1] of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role playing game. Taking place during the Year of Shadows, 1358 DR, the Time of Troubles was a cataclysmic period during which the gods of Faerûn were forced to walk the earth in their mortal avatar forms. However, unlike when a god usually sends an avatar and its true form resides usually on one of the Outer Planes, the gods were all demoted and this was the only form they had at the time, making them very vulnerable. Several major deities died during the Time of Troubles, and a handful of mortals rose to divinity.[1]

Summary

On the fictional world of Toril, the planet on which the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy setting The Forgotten Realms is based, The Time of Troubles was precipitated by an attempt by two of the settings' deities, the gods Bane and Myrkul to steal the Tablets of Fate from the overgod Ao. The tablets were created by Ao and delineated the areas of responsibilities given to each deity: his or her "portfolio" over which each of the gods of the Forgotten Realms have domain. Angry with the gods for their habitual pursuit of power and negligence toward their mortal faithful, the theft of the Tablets resulted in Ao banishing all of the gods save Helm (selected to protect the gates to the heavens) to take on avatars and live as mortals on Toril. The novels covering this event and subsequent game products take place almost exclusively on the western continent of Faerûn.

The immediate effects of this banishment were threefold. First, divine magic (spells granted to clerics by their patron deities) ceased to function altogether[2] unless the cleric was within one mile of their deity's avatar. Second, arcane magic (a force channeled from The Weave by wizards and sorcerers) ceased to be regulated by its steward, Mystra, and became dangerously unpredictable.[2] Third, the characteristically immortal and aloof deities were now vulnerable (though devastatingly powerful) and dwelling among the civilizations of Faerûn.[2]

The Time of Troubles coincided with the release of the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons game, and events in the story reflected changes in the game rules.[3] For example, the demise of the assassin cults in Faerûn reflected the fact that the assassin player character class was discontinued in AD&D Second Edition. Similarly, in the comic-book series based on Forgotten Realms, a wizard notes that after the upheavals in magic caused by the Troubles, some of his spells had changed in power and effect; and indeed, the game rules for those same spells had been revised.

Deaths, ascensions, and resurrections

The Time of Troubles was a time of significant turnover among the gods of the Faerûnian Pantheon. Several deities were "destroyed" during this period. The following are deities who were killed or incapacitated during the Time of Troubles:

However, many of these deities have in some way circumvented their own destruction:

Furthermore, a selection of mortals were chosen by Lord Ao to ascend to the heavens to fill the void left by those deities who died:

Finally, Lord Ao lifted the barrier that prevented the Mulhorandi god-kings from reuniting with their divine selves on the Outer Planes. The physical incarnations of the Mulhorandi gods departed Faerun and left governance of the empire to mortal rulers under their guidance.[6]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (3rd edition), Ed Greenwood, Sean K Reynolds, Skip Williams, and Rob Heinsoo, Wizards of the Coast, 2001
  2. 1 2 3 Siege of Darkness, R.A. Salvatore, TSR, 1994
  3. Forgotten Realms: Realms Roundtable at Wizards of the Coast.
  4. 1 2 Shadowdale, Richard Awlinson, TSR, 1989
  5. 1 2 Tantras, Richard Awlinson, TSR, 1989
  6. 1 2 3 4 Powers & Pantheons, Eric L. Boyd, TSR, 1997
  7. 1 2 Faiths & Avatars, Julia Martin with Eric L. Boyd, TSR, 1996
  8. 1 2 3 4 Waterdeep, Richard Awlinson, TSR, 1989
  9. For Duty and Deity, Dale Donovan, TSR, 1998; available for free download at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads
  10. Volo's Guide To All Things Magical, Ed Greenwood with Eric L. Boyd, 1996; available for free download at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads
  11. Prince of Lies, James Lowder, TSR, 1993
  12. Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad, Troy Denning, TSR, 1998
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