(ii) The New Realm of Men

The War of Darkness left indelible changes on the kingdoms of Thaeìn also. The populations withdrew into their towns and cities, and men travelled less and less. The edges of their territories grew wild, and the creatures of darkness encroached on their lands. The trees and forests grew and expanded, and the dominion of men grew ever smaller, until there remained in each kingdom only one place worthy of being called a city. Many of the other towns were abandoned and left to ruin, or inhabited by such sparse populations that the town was barely kept alive.

Out of the gladness of their victory grew eventually a kind of grim resignation; little had changed since before the War, and much was worse than it had been. The kingdoms of Thaeìn grew apart, and then grew bitter. Sadness filled the hearts of men, and the ages of glory seemed lost forever.

The Fall of the Dragon Lords

In the North, the realm of the Dragon Lords found itself in ruins. They too felt the decline of Thaeìn, and the loss of their king and his Dragon was a blow from which they did not recover. […]

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The ending of the War of Darkness marked the ending of the Second Age of Erâth. The world was much weakened by the losses of war, but there was also gladness in the hearts of men, at least for a time, and the darkness of the Duithèn left their lands.

So began the Third Age of Erâth, at the end of which the events described in this book occur. The Third Age lasted for some three and a half thousand years, and saw the fall of all but a few kingdoms of men, and the origins of Changelessness, as brought about by the Sarâthen. Yet the powers of Darkness were not defeated entirely, and were able through the diminishing of the Illuèn to eventually regain their strength.

(i) The Fate of Darkness

The Undeath of Goroth

With the demise of Goroth, in whom the Duithèn had vested so much power, the race of Darkness was greatly weakened, and went into the West. Yet they were not destroyed, for it is not in the power of Men to kill those of the race of Darkness. Many other changes there were also, and while darkness did not leave the lands of men […]

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(v) The War of Darkness (Part 4)

The Breaking of the Bridge of Aélûr

When Goroth and his army had crossed the black river, Daevàr did not call upon his army to pursue them further; exhausted, weakened, and still in fear, they remained behind to recover, though they did not retreat further to the South. For a month, the army of Thaeìn rested, and recovered their strength. Daevàr knew Goroth would not be so easily defeated.

The Dragon Lords remained with Daevàr, and conferred much with him, and knew also that Goroth remained yet in Thaeìn, and would not leave their lands while strength remained in his army. The Duithèn had departed the South, and the oppression of darkness was beginning to lift from the kingdoms of Erârün and Kiriün. But both Daevàr and the Dragon Lords knew that at least one final battle would come before the War of Darkness would see an end. Their own forces were greatly reduced; of their army of ten thousand, little over four thousand remained between Daevàr’s army and the forces that had driven back the pirates and soldiers of Cathaï, now regrouped.

Before long, word reached Daevàr that Goroth was indeed regrouping his forces at the mouth of the […]

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