The Chaos War, also known as the Second Cataclysm, is a fiction

Fiction

Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...

al war in the Dragonlance

Dragonlance

Dragonlance is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of popular fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived Dragonlance while driving in their car on the way to TSR for a job application...

setting. The war was massive, drawing in nearly all the people of Ansalon

Ansalon

Ansalon is a continent on Krynn, the fictional world of the Dragonlance campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game....

, as well as the gods themselves. The war was so devastating to the world of Krynn

Krynn

Krynn is the fictional world of the Dragonlance novels, co-written by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis. It has also been used in many other books, set in the Dragonlance universe. It is also used as the main setting in the Dragonlance campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing...

 that it ended the current age, the Age of Despair, and began the Age of Mortals.

Publication history

The novel Dragons of Summer Flame

Dragons of Summer Flame

Dragons of Summer Flame is a NY Times Best Seller fantasy novel by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. The events of this novel follow the fictional Chaos War.-Publication history:...

, the fourth volume in the Dragonlance Chronicles, depicted the cataclysmic Chaos War, which altered Krynn irrevocably: "the land suffered mass devastation, many heroes died in battle, new monsters arrived to threaten the people, and the entire pantheon of gods withdrew to ensure the departure of Chaos. Worst of all, the magic of Krynn seemed to have fled with them."

The changes brought about by the Chaos War and the dawning of the Age of Mortals reflected on the Dragonlance game; with the release of the Dragonlance: Fifth Age boxed set, Dragonlance departed from AD&D to the new SAGA System

SAGA System

The SAGA System is a role-playing game system that uses "fate cards" to determine the effects of actions. The cards have numbers, suits, positive and negative states, and role-playing cues that guide the gamemaster in telling the story and administering the game...

.

Background

In the early days of the universe, the younger gods, children of Chaos, whom they refer to as the Father, decided to create the world and its inhabitants. Once this world of Krynn was formed, populated with the races of humans, elves, and ogres, Chaos saw it and vowed to destroy this so-called "plaything" of his children. Hiddukel, god of trickery, convinced Chislev, goddess of the woodlands, to ask Reorx, god of the forge and the maker of the world of Krynn to create a gem which would contain a small part of Chaos. He agreed but in doing so accidentally contains the entierety of Chaos inside. He puts the newly created Graygem in the moon of Lunitari, however the gnomes retrieve it and began the chase that would later lead to morphing of their species into dwarves and kender. Eventually, the Irda, true ogres and beautiful creatures, capture it. Usha Majere, a human who had come to stay with them, according to one account, after her parents had washed up on shore after a storm, was sent away just before the unwitting Irda cracked the Graygem open, releasing Chaos and wiping out their race to every last man, woman, and child.

The Knights of Takhisis

The Knights of Takhisis, led by Lord Ariakan, son of Dragon Highlord Ariakas, initiate the release of Chaos by visiting the Irda island and accidentally scaring the Irda into releasing Chaos. However, they have more important things to tend to, so they left. The Knights of Takhisis are a dark reflection of the Knights of Solamnia

Knights of Solamnia

In the fictional Dragonlance universe, the Solamnic Knights are a chivalric order, a "brotherhood forged when Krynn was young". The Solamnic Order is dedicated to the forces of light and live by a strict code of honor...

, having been modeled after them.

Knights of Solamnia

The Knights of Solamnia valiantly defended themselves and their people from the Knights of Takhisis. Paladine

Paladine

Paladine is a fictional major deity from the Dragonlance fantasy series of novels and role playing games, originally published by TSR, Inc. and later by Sovereign Press under the d20 Open Gaming License developed by Wizards of the Coast....

 however wills that they be defeated so that the Dark Knights can establish order over Ansalon, and the world will be better prepared to fight Chaos.

Chaos's Forces

Chaos roused a force consisting of several terrible creatures, among them shadow-wights, who could erase a person completely from the timeline, daemon warriors, nearly undefeatable soulless warriors, and chaos dragons, dragons made purely of flame who were mounted by daemon warriors. Chaos's forces can only be destroyed by a weapon that is blessed by the gods. This force's largest battle was in the final battle in the Abyss.

Northern Ansalon

Kalaman was the first city to fall to the Dark Knights in the war, no blood being shed, but surrendering after realizing they could not win. Afterward, their forces quickly spread across the north, arriving at the High Clerist's Tower for a climactic battle against the Knights of Solamnia. The Knights of Takhisis won, conquering the Tower, being the only invaders ever to do so while men of faith defended it. During the battle, Tanis Half-Elven was killed saving Steel's life. Afterward, they quickly took Palanthas and soon the rest of the north of Ansalon.

The War Progresses

Palin Majere, Tasslehoff Burrfoot, and Raistlin Majere

Raistlin Majere

Raistlin Majere is a fictional character from the Dragonlance series of books created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Raistlin played an extensive role in the two main series of books, particularly in Dragonlance: Legends in which he was both primary protagonist and antagonist...

 had witnessed a meeting of the gods in which it was deemed that the Dark Knights could win the war to have a united front against Chaos. Soon, they took Qualinesti and the nearby lands, however Thorbardin and Silvanesti eluded them. This was soon to be the least of their worries.

Earlier, Usha Majere had met with Reorx and he had told her to capture a drop of blood in the broken Graygem and seal it, which would force Chaos to leave Krynn least he be trapped in one form, which would be unbearable for Chaos. Palin and Raistlin had also gone away to make preparation for the battle.

Chaos Attacks

Chaos launched his attack with a wave of shadow-wights that wiped out a large contingent of Knights of Takhisis at the High Clerist's Tower. This prompts a meeting between Ariakan and Takhisis, his queen and grandmother, who blesses the Knights' weapons. This done, the Queen returns to the horrible battle raging in the Abyss between Chaos and the other gods. Steel Brightblade's force of Knights had been ordered below to be held in reserve, with the plan of returning after the battle to take over the broken world. Later, Trevalin, Steel's superior and commander, goes up to inspect the battlefield. He returns and keels over, dead. Steel goes up and inspects it along with his men, and he finds everyone, including his Lord Ariakan, dead. Steel, prompted by a vision of his father, Sturm Brightblade, decides to take up the dragonlances found in the lower chambers and ride to defeat Chaos. He finds, however, that his evil nature cannot be allowed to touch the dragonlances, however a group of Solamnic Knights who had been taken prisoner arrive and offer to take up the dragonlances, and Steel agrees.

The Abyss

The Solamnic Knights and the Dark Knights ride their dragons into the abyss. Palin Majere, who has the spell book and staff of the great wizard Magius, joins them. Palin manages a powerful spell that binds Chaos, in the form of a fire giant, resulting in Steel being able to wound it. He is unable to draw the blood needed and is killed by Chaos. Tasslehoff runs up to the god's foot and draws the required blood. Usha traps it in the Graygem, defeating Chaos. Unfortunately, Tasslehoff is stepped upon and killed before the God is neutralized.

Alternate Storyline

There also exists an alternate storyline, in which Tasslehoof uses a time-traveling device given to him by Par-Salian, leader of the White Robes, and travels forward in time. He arrives in the Last Heroes Tomb in Solace, and is found by a Knight of Solamnia, who doesn't believe his story of being the original Tasslehoof Burrfoot. Tasslehoof eventually finds out that the world has been thrown into an alternate timeline, in which magic has ceased to work, and only ancient magical devices still retain power. He travels with the Knight of Solamnia to find Palin Majere, who he believes can help him. Tasslehoof finds Palin in a terrible state of selfloathing, and obsession with finding magic artifacts and draining their powers for himself. But both Tas and Palin are unaware that Beryl, the Green Dragon Overlord of the land of Qualinesti, where Palin lives, is also searching for magic artifacts, and senses the presence of the time traveling device. She sets in motion events to capture Tas, Palin, and the device. When Tasslehoof tells Palin his story, Palin theorizes that the state of the world is Tas's fault, and decides that he has to go back in time to find out what went wrong. He travels back in time using Tas's time traveling device, and finds that there is no past. The past has ceased to exist before the point that Tas was supposed to be killed by Chaos. He returns to the present and tells Tas that he has to go back in time to die and change the future. Obviously, Tas doesn't want to die, and he uses the device to travel to Goldmoon, who he believes can keep him safe from Palin. Palin drains one of his last remaining artifacts and follows Tas across the world, finding him sheltered by Goldmoon. While the three of them are deciding what to do with Tas, Beryl launches an attack against Goldmoon's Temple of Light, attempting to capture Tas and Palin. They escape, but the device becomes broken in the process. They travel back to Palin's home, and along with Usha, Palin's wife, fix the device. Tas then plucks up the courage to go back in time to be killed by Chaos, and travels back, thus righting the timeline and changing the horrible future that he had caused.

The Aftermath

Chaos and his legions disappear. Only the bodies of the dead remain. They are placed in the Last Heroes Tomb in Solace, Knights of Solamnia lying side by side with Knights of Takhisis. Tanis Half-Elven is also buried on a special bier, as was Steel Brightblade. Tasslehoff Burrfoot's name was inscribed on his burial, a hoopak (the travelling stick of the Kender) placed beneath it.

The stars of the gods are replaced with new constellations, and the moons change into one single pale moon. It is revealed by Fizban, also known as Paladine, that the gods have left the world to force Chaos to withdraw. This ushers in the Age of Mortals, the last and longest age, as declared by Fizban. This last part has been retcon

Retcon

Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...

ned out in the War of Souls

War of Souls

The War of Souls is a fictional war set in the popular Dragonlance fictional universe. The series follows the heroes of The War of the Lance to fill in many details of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game storyline...

trilogy.