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What happened to Athas?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
irongolem
Jan 23, 2005 9:14:06 Hey folks,

I would like to see which source material speaks about what happened to Athas.

I can't seem to find any material that tells about the "cataclysm" LOL!

Any of you know where this information might be located?

IronGolem
#2
zombiegleemax
Jan 23, 2005 9:32:10 What "cataclysm"?

Do you mean the end of the Blue Age or the end of the Green Age?

That information can be found in the Wanderer's Journal from the revised box set.

R-
#3
dawnstealer
Jan 23, 2005 11:22:32 Kind of depends what you mean. If you mean: "How did Athas become a desert?" that's at the crux of the game. Not sure if you're a player or a GM, so I won't give away too much in this description (although you could certainly find anything by just searching these boards or going to Athas.org or Grummore's Silt Skimmer links page.

Here's the short of it:

Athas used to be a thriving planet somewhere along the lines of the Forgotten Realms, but maybe a bit more isolated (travel to other planes was either exceptionally difficult or flat-out impossible). Magic was unheard of and whole societies were based on psionics. Then a brilliant, but twisted mind came along and created magic on a planet where it was never meant to be. Instead of drawing power from the Astral or the Ethereal Plane or some other place, magic on Athas drew from living things - plants at lower levels, people for the much more powerful ones.

Two schools of thought grew out of this: preserving and defiling. Preservers, as their name suggests, pulled only the energy they needed and did so slowly - plants did not turn to ash when they cast their spell. Defilers cared nothing for the nature around them and rings of ash would be all that were left of the plant and small animal life around them.

A great war was fought and the defilers won it, turning the world to desert and the sea to silt.
#4
zombiegleemax
Jan 23, 2005 15:27:33 If your looking for that single 'turning point' in history for what made Athas the nearly barren wasteland that it is today, your not going to find one. There were singular events to be sure, but Athas' de-evolution was a more something that occured over the course of a few thousand years; not like Dragonlance whose world was shattered overnight by a mountain of fire raining down from the sky. The depraved Sorceror-Kings and ancient armies of defilers, along with the terrible scourge of the Dragon are what are resposible for Athas' downward spiral.

If your looking for more in depth history of Athas, you can pick up the old 2E boxed sets from SVGames or RPGNow for about 5 bucks each (the original is entirely bereft of history though, whereas the 'revised' boxed set includes much on the history of Athas). You can also, though it would certainly take quite a bit of patience, pour through the numerous threads here on the boards.
#5
eric_anondson
Jan 23, 2005 17:55:35
I would like to see which source material speaks about what happened to Athas.

I can't seem to find any material that tells about the "cataclysm" LOL!

Any of you know where this information might be located?

Which cataclysm are you talking about? The word "cataclysm" implies, to me, an event. There are only really two events that, IMO, qualify as cataclysms in Athasian history.

The brown tide during the Blue Age, and the appearance of the cerulean storm.

The change of Athas' climate, temperature, and environment were slow motion extended periods. Again, IMO, not really qualifying as a cataclysm. Although it might be reasonable to consider that the instantaneous alterations of the sun, from blue to yellow, then yellow to crimson, were cataclysmic. Hard to say exactly what happened to Athas from the events the moment it happened and what happend over the period afterward from other things...

Regards,
Eric Anondson

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 irongolem Jan 23, 2005 9:14:06	Hey folks, I would like to see which source material speaks about what happened to Athas. I can't seem to find any material that tells about the "cataclysm" LOL! Any of you know where this information might be located? IronGolem
#2 zombiegleemax Jan 23, 2005 9:32:10	What "cataclysm"? Do you mean the end of the Blue Age or the end of the Green Age? That information can be found in the Wanderer's Journal from the revised box set. R-
#3 dawnstealer Jan 23, 2005 11:22:32	Kind of depends what you mean. If you mean: "How did Athas become a desert?" that's at the crux of the game. Not sure if you're a player or a GM, so I won't give away too much in this description (although you could certainly find anything by just searching these boards or going to Athas.org or Grummore's Silt Skimmer links page. Here's the short of it: Athas used to be a thriving planet somewhere along the lines of the Forgotten Realms, but maybe a bit more isolated (travel to other planes was either exceptionally difficult or flat-out impossible). Magic was unheard of and whole societies were based on psionics. Then a brilliant, but twisted mind came along and created magic on a planet where it was never meant to be. Instead of drawing power from the Astral or the Ethereal Plane or some other place, magic on Athas drew from living things - plants at lower levels, people for the much more powerful ones. Two schools of thought grew out of this: preserving and defiling. Preservers, as their name suggests, pulled only the energy they needed and did so slowly - plants did not turn to ash when they cast their spell. Defilers cared nothing for the nature around them and rings of ash would be all that were left of the plant and small animal life around them. A great war was fought and the defilers won it, turning the world to desert and the sea to silt.
#4 zombiegleemax Jan 23, 2005 15:27:33	If your looking for that single 'turning point' in history for what made Athas the nearly barren wasteland that it is today, your not going to find one. There were singular events to be sure, but Athas' de-evolution was a more something that occured over the course of a few thousand years; not like Dragonlance whose world was shattered overnight by a mountain of fire raining down from the sky. The depraved Sorceror-Kings and ancient armies of defilers, along with the terrible scourge of the Dragon are what are resposible for Athas' downward spiral. If your looking for more in depth history of Athas, you can pick up the old 2E boxed sets from SVGames or RPGNow for about 5 bucks each (the original is entirely bereft of history though, whereas the 'revised' boxed set includes much on the history of Athas). You can also, though it would certainly take quite a bit of patience, pour through the numerous threads here on the boards.
#5 eric_anondson Jan 23, 2005 17:55:35	I would like to see which source material speaks about what happened to Athas. I can't seem to find any material that tells about the "cataclysm" LOL! Any of you know where this information might be located? Which cataclysm are you talking about? The word "cataclysm" implies, to me, an event. There are only really two events that, IMO, qualify as cataclysms in Athasian history. The brown tide during the Blue Age, and the appearance of the cerulean storm. The change of Athas' climate, temperature, and environment were slow motion extended periods. Again, IMO, not really qualifying as a cataclysm. Although it might be reasonable to consider that the instantaneous alterations of the sun, from blue to yellow, then yellow to crimson, were cataclysmic. Hard to say exactly what happened to Athas from the events the moment it happened and what happend over the period afterward from other things... Regards, Eric Anondson