(ii) The Age of Light

The Age of Light – usually referred to as the true First Age – was the first, and perhaps, greatest triumph of Men in the history of Erâth. This bright period of prosperity saw immense advancements in the ability of Men to tame the environment, the expansion of Men into every corner of Erâth, and prolonged life far beyond that of Men before, or ever after. It was the first time that Men began to believe their place in the foundations of Erâth, as the seventh great power, alongside the Mirèn, Namirèn, Illuèn, Duithèn, Sarâthen and Portèn. This time in the history of Men was the brightest ever seen; it was also the briefest.

The First Age lasted a mere three hundred years; by comparison, it had taken Men nearly three thousand years to reach this point in their brief development, and nearly six thousand years have passed since. Men soon learned to use their advancements to stave off the inevitability of death, increasing lifespans rapidly to nearly two hundred years, excepting any unforeseen accidents. Even disease was nearly eradicated.

It was in this greed and desire to become the Eternal as Men thought they were fated […]

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The history of Erâth can be defined by the passing of Ages. The Ages are not determined by a fixed passage of time, but rather by the predominant changes (or lack thereof) during that period, and the subsequent demise and ruin of those changes. In principal, the majority of Ages have lasted for around 3,000 − 4,000 years, placing the age of Erâth itself at some 30,000 years old. It is possible Erâth was in existence long before this, but given the lack of knowledge passed from one Age to the next, it is unknown if anything existed on Erâth during this period.

The events described in these books take place at the end of the Third Major Age, and in fact describe the ending of that Age and the beginning of the Fourth, and final, Age of Erâth. Many of the myths that impact the lives of these characters have their origins in the history of the Second Age, and the legends of the First Age. I will attempt to recount the development, major events, and downfall, of these Ages.

(i) Before the First Age

There were, in fact, no less than three Ages predating the First Age, but are […]

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As noted in the Overview, Erâth is a flat world. The origins of this are a mystery; certainly this does not fit the laws of the Universe in which we live, but it is clear Erâth does not exist in quite the same lifespace. In finite terms, Erâth spans approximately 3,000 leagues in an East-West direction, and slightly more than 2,000 North-South. Most places in Erâth are of temperate climate, with cold winters and warm summers, rainfall and leaf-fall in Spring and Autumn.

Erâth’s surface is made of six major land masses, with one, large, interconnected sea separating them all. There is also one very small island in the northernmost part of Erâth, no more than 200 leagues East to West, unique in that it does not appear to have originated from any of the larger land masses.

These seven land masses form the seven regions of Erâth, and are Golgor, Naruun, Faerün, Cathaï, Thaeìn, Aélûr, and Oríthiae. The names of these lands are one of the few remnants of the Ancients; as long as there have been men in Erâth, so have the seven lands been named. However, they have not always been as they are

[…]

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