The First Cataclysm

The Rise of the Archmages

During the early ages of Aethoria, mortals discovered the gift of magic that Mystara had imbued into the world. At first, they used it wisely—healing the sick, nurturing crops, and protecting their communities from harm. But as their understanding grew, so too did their ambition.

The most powerful among them formed great councils and academies, delving ever deeper into the arcane mysteries. They learned to tap into the raw cosmic energies that flowed through creation itself—powers that were never meant for mortal hands.

These archmages began to see themselves as equals to the divine. They spoke of ascending beyond mortality, of reshaping reality according to their will, of becoming gods themselves.

The Unraveling

As the mages pushed further into forbidden knowledge, the consequences became catastrophic. Reality itself began to fray at the edges. Rifts opened between dimensions, allowing chaos to seep into the mortal realm.

The natural laws that governed Aethoria started to break down. In some places, gravity reversed itself. In others, time flowed backwards or ceased entirely. The very fabric that held creation together threatened to tear apart.

Divine Intervention

Mystara, the goddess who had gifted magic to the world, watched in horror as her blessing was twisted into a weapon against creation itself. She could not act alone—the damage was too vast, the corruption too deep.

It was Umbrath, the god of shadows and secrets, who answered her call. Together, they devised a plan to save Aethoria from the mages' folly. Their union was unprecedented—the goddess of magic and the keeper of hidden knowledge working as one.

In a single, devastating moment, Mystara and Umbrath enacted their judgment. The accumulated magical knowledge of the ages was swept away. Spells that had taken centuries to develop were forgotten. The great academies fell silent, their libraries rendered meaningless. The archmages found themselves stripped of their power, reduced to the level of the simplest apprentice.

The Great Reset

The gods did not destroy magic—they reset it. The fundamental gift remained, but all understanding of how to wield it was erased from mortal memory. Grimoires became blank pages. Enchanted artifacts lost their power. The great works of arcane engineering crumbled to dust.

Mortals would have to rediscover magic from the beginning, learning its ways slowly and carefully. This time, Mystara ensured that certain knowledge would remain forever beyond mortal reach—the cosmic powers that had nearly destroyed the world were sealed away, accessible only to the divine.

The Aftermath

The First Cataclysm humbled the mortal races in ways they had never imagined. Civilizations that had relied on magic for everything—from agriculture to warfare—found themselves suddenly powerless. Many did not survive the transition.

Those who did learned to rebuild without their former power. They developed new skills, new technologies, and new ways of understanding the world. Slowly, over generations, magic began to return—but it was a gentler magic, earned through patience and wisdom rather than seized through ambition.

The scars of the Mage Wars remained visible across Aethoria—places where reality had been permanently damaged, regions where the old chaos still lingered. These served as warnings to future generations of what could happen when mortals reached too far.