The Age of Monuments

From the Dawn of Time to the Present Day: The History of Norrath

It is said that outside of space and time an entity known only as the Nameless exists, and that this being created all that there is and was and will be. It is also written in ancient texts that from His mind sprang not only the universe and its countless suns and worlds, but also a myriad of sentient, powerful, yet finite creatures whom one such as a man, or elf, or dwarf, would call a god.

In aeons past came one of these gods upon the world Norrath. Veeshan,

Crystalline Dragon and ruler of the Plane of Sky, found this world pleasing and deposited her brood onto the frozen continent of Velious. With one swipe of her mighty claws, Veeshan opened several great wounds upon the surface of Norrath, staking her claim to this promising new world. Dragons then walked the land and flew the skies, powerful beings of great intellect, wisdom, and strength. Thus began the Age of Scale.

In time the other gods noticed Veeshan's work, and being often petty and jealous beings, they too came upon Norrath, intent upon leaving their mark. Brell Serilis was first, and from his

Plane of Underfoot, a dark realm of vast caves and endless tunnels, he quietly created a magical portal to a cavern deep in the belly of Norrath. Through this portal the Duke of Underfoot seeded the depths of Norrath with all manner of creatures. Brell then returned home, sealing his portal within a labyrinthine chamber of mystical Living Stone.

This book is titled "The Age of Monuments." it is a chronicle of history as told by the Sage of Ages.

Forward: This volume is a copy of one of our older tomes within our library. This was a chronicle of the several times the Sage of Ages spoke to us of his infinite knowledge. It is only now that we can understand what his visions can teach us. The Sage of Ages, or Sages as the case may be, has observed Norrath for time immemorial. This story is a glimpse into just one of the many viewpoints of unrecorded history.

The Ring of Scale has nestled deep within their kingdom lairs, ignoring the rest of the world during the Age of Monuments. They still agonized over losses within the Ring - not just on one occasion, but several more times as well. The rest of the world would continue to grow out of hand during their time of withdrawal.

The Elven-kind would build a great haven to house themselves within the shelter of the First Trees. Promoting art and harmony, the Elven-kind prospered beneath and atop the boughs of their solace. Calling their realm Takish'Hiz, they foresaw an eternity of harmony. Their lifespan was but a sliver compared to the Dragons, their dreams of eternal harmony were insignificant.

The Ogres would begin to build their empire as well. It was hard for the Dragons to understand the thoughts of these creatures, for they lived and died within a day. But yet, they still rose to power somehow, and built mighty citadels all over the world to mark their territory. The Dragons viewed these mayflies to be even more insignificant than their Elven neighbors.

And many more races would continue to sprout, blend, merge, and shed throughout the great gift of the Dragons. From the Kedge to the Dwarves, and the Halfling and Trolls, and the Dark Elves and the Gnomes, the races would mark the world to show they were there. And when these monuments of existence grew large enough, the Dragons feared they would find the Exiled Ones.

Convening the Ring into one, the Dragons chose to act outwardly upon the world once again. The lesser beings posed a great risk to the Ring, for if they came too close to the exiled Fire and Ice, the first law may be broken again. It had taken all the effort of the Ring to contain the damage done by the breaking of the first law. They would not do it again, therefore they made their presence known.