THE FOURTH AGE, also known as the Age of the Confederacy.  Heroes and adventurers abounded and kingdoms rose and fell constantly.  Monsters ranged and prospered in even greater numbers.  The Orcs were a constant source of worry.  A new race of creatures had sprung up, called the Buzzardoes.  These half man, half vultures are believed to have originated in the Labs of Abroch.  The first major war was the War between Men and Giants.  The kingdom of Howed barely survived a war with the Cult of Jergal Zadh.  In Undwherr, plagues nearly destroyed the country, plagues sent by a demon named Pazuzu for a wrong done to him.  In other countries, demon worship was at an all time high.  Also, the Archdevils had a good-sized following.  But not all was evil or bad.  On the contrary, much was good.  Schools and academies of magic were common place and the wisdom of the gods was being spread by a multitude of priests.  Civilization was at an all time high.  For the most part, peace was reigning over most of the continent.

            But, due to the large number of magic-users, demons and devils were also plentiful on Inzeladun.  An entire order of Paladinhood was established to hunt down and destroy these creatures.  This was the order of T'Wallish.

            Nearly all mages (the Stygians and barbarian mages were exceptions) of this era belonged to the Three Orders of magic and magic-use was available to any of the masses with the financial means to fund their education in the "Tower Method".  The only specialization left was Illusions.  Wizards were called magic-users and specialists were called Illusionists.  Illusionists were considered to be a slightly inferior "sub-class" of magic-user.

            The culture of Inzeladun was very open to magic-use.  Nearly every small village had its local magic-user.  Metropolitan areas nearly had a mage for every thousand citizens.

            Sha'a the Arch-Mage abdicated his position in the Tower to wander around Inzeladun destroying demons, devils, and their followers and priests.  An Arch-Mage named Taonmalphorait took over the position of Master of the Tower.  Another wizard, named Samoug found a rare copy of the Nan Curunir.  With it, he became known as Samoug the Wise.  He set up a school for wealthy children in Utholla, teaching them philosophy and literature.

            The War between Men and Giants lasted six months.  The Hill Giants invaded the country of Utholla.  The Men of Utholla defeated the Giants and drove them back into the hills of Westland.

            A month later, the Cult of Jergal Zadh, a demonic god of fire, attempted to take over Howed.  A paladin of the T'Wallish order led the people of Howed into battle with the cultists and, after 7 months of campaigning, utterly exterminated the demon-worshipers.

            A Wizard, Abroch the Inventor, built his Laboratories, an underground complex of labs and chambers, where he conducted experiments on animals and on people.  He is believed to be the originator of the Buzzardoes and the Owl-Bears, as well as for other unnatural creatures.  His experiments went on from the second year of this age unhampered until the tenth year.

            A veteran of the War between Men and Giants, Trumbalt Leofwine came from a very old, wealthy family, but, due to unfortunate circumstances, had fallen into disgrace and into poverty.  Trumbalt took employment as a teacher of arms in the nearby castle.  He was called to serve his king in the War against the Giants.  Trumbalt came home to his wife from the War and they bore a son, Ulfric Leofwine.  Young Ulfric was remarkable for his quick intelligence.  Even at a very young age, it was determined that he was already had powerful wild psionic talent.  At the age of six, young Ulfric got lost in the vast forests around his home.  He, using his famed intellect, rescued a baby wolf from a bear and set it free.  As he wandered around trying to find his home, he fell into a pit.  In this pit was a poisonous viper.  Just before the snake struck, a huge wolf jumped into the pit and killed the serpent.  The wolf was the mother of the cub he had saved.  The wolf escorted the boy home.

            A year later, Trumbalt Leofwine found a cache of jewels.  The Leofwine family was rich again.  They decided that young Ulfric should have an education befitting his proper social class.  So, at the age of 8, Ulfric was sent to Samoug the Wise for an education.  This was the tenth year of the Age.

            Samoug was so impressed by young Ulfric's intelligence that he took the young boy as an apprentice.  Ulfric took up magical studies as though he had been born to do it.  One night, after his seventeenth birthday, Ulfric stole into Samoug's study and found the Nan Curunir.  Every night thereafter, Ulfric secretly went and read from the ancient tome.  This ancient Narbonean text gave him clues on how to become the greatest wizard to ever exist.  Guided by the tome, he took a new name and set out to look for the foretold group of adventurers.  The name he took was "Grindill".  He needed to find a paladin, a cleric of Lightning, a half-elf, and another mage.  Grindill took leave of Samoug the Wise when his education was complete (Year 20 of the Age).  Grindill was a full-fledged White Robe Mage.  Grindill sought first for the foretold Paladin.

            Han Dirgon, a descendent of Sirrus the Great, was raised by a weaponsmith.  Always a boy of great moral fiber and great strength, Han's father, Handras Dirgon, knew that he would accomplish great things.   Handras taught his son what he knew of swordplay and taught him the art of forging the sword.  When Han was 13 years old, he began to have odd, recurring dreams.  The dreams led him to leave home and travel north.  Guided by the dreams, which he believed came from Tyr, Han discovered a large castle.  He entered into the castle and began his training as a Paladin of Tyr.  The Paladins and Monks knew that he was special.  It was more than his almost unbelievable strength, he had a sense of pure goodness about him, an almost palpable power, and a quality of wisdom that went far beyond anyone else his age, a wisdom greater than that of most elders.  The Monks and Paladins trained him intensively, making him one of the most efficient warriors ever known.  At the age of 18, Han Dirgon left his teachers to battle evil wherever he could find it.  On his way to his initial destination, Han met a young man in white, obviously a mage by his demeanor.  Immediately, Grindill the White and Han Dirgon became friends, each recognizing a kindred soul in the other.  Together, Grindill and Han Dirgon headed west, seeking the foretold Priest.

            Amwhalm Tertictandon, a merchant of ivory, lived in a city protected by Zeus, god of the sky and of the lightning.  While bargaining with an Orc, the Orc got angry and attacked Amwhalm.  Suddenly, lightning struck the Orc dead.  Falling to his knees, Amwhalm dedicated his next son to Zeus.  Soon after, his wife gave birth to a son.  They named him Andar.  Andar was taken to the Temple of Zeus and dedicated to the god.  He lived with the priests of Zeus from there on.  He was raised to be a cleric to Zeus' pantheon, in particular to Zeus and to Athena.  He was raised to be a priest warrior, trained in the art of using the War Hammer and the Mace.  He was also trained in the philosophies and his wisdom and inner strength grew even as his physical strength and endurance grew.  When Andar Tertictandon turned 20 years of age, the Temple priests sent him out into the world to achieve his destiny.  Not a half-hour away, he encountered Grindill the White and Han Dirgon the Paladin.   Instantly, Grindill knew this was the priest the Nan Curunir mentioned so heavily.  Grindill and Han compelled the priest to travel with them.  Now, Grindill was looking for the other mage.

            Tandar was peasant child, and his parents were farmers.  While most of his day was spent helping on the farm, any time he had off was spent in the company of Gnomish neighbor.  The Gnome taught the young boy small illusions and minor legerdemains.  Finally, interest in the magical arts overcame his familial loyalties, and Tandar gave up helping on the farm to fully devote himself to his illusionary studies.  Years later, after learning what he could, he returned to his home for the first time since he had left.  It was a joyous reunion.  Until the next evening.  A band of bandits attacked the house.  Tandar tried to fend off the bandits, as did the members of his family.  As his father died on the sword of an evil man, Tandar was struck by a mace.  Fallen, he glanced upward, right into the face of a killer.  One of the bandits was about to decapitate the fledgling prestidigitator when the bandit's sword hand flew off of his arm.  The disarmed bandit turned to face this new foe.  It was Han Dirgon the Paladin.  After the battle, Tandar swore to follow his saviors.  Andar couldn't save Tandar's father, but was able to heal his other siblings as well as his mother.  The foursome headed off to find the Dungeons of Amandil.  Several disappearances had occurred there, according to local gossip.  Guessing that Evil was rearing its ugly head, Han directed the group toward the location of the Dungeons of Amandil.

            Years before Grindill's advent into this life as Ulfric Leofwine, a small child was born to a beautiful Elvish lady.  Its father, a Human of Viking descent, beamed with pleasure when his Elvish wife showed him his son.  The child was named Gandalf Grimbrand.  Gandalf grew up in finery and luxury.  He was trained in the arts of war, the arts of magic, and in the glories of the priesthood.  He became, as he grew older, a combination of a warrior, a mage, and a priest of Corellon Larethian.  Eventually, he got bored of his life and he left his home.

            While exploring the Dungeons of Amandil, Tandar the Illusionist found and read a cursed scroll.  Grindill, Han, and Andar watched in horror as Tandar was metamorphosed into a living liquid.  They watched helplessly as he drained away.  Saddened, they continued on.  They discovered the source of the disappearances and destroyed it.  As the nearby town celebrated, a young man approached Andar.  The man, a young mage as it turned out, knew of the location of a fabulous magical treasure.  Andar informed Grindill, who immediately allowed Killren (the young mage) to join the group and lead them to this great treasure.

            They discovered the treasure and defeated the evil guardian of the treasure, a mighty beholder.  The treasure was loads of coins, both silver and gold, and a magical sword, Palex Amir, the Holy Avenger.  Han Dirgon took the sword as his own.   Grindill found an ancient Staff of the Magi, and Andar found a golden hammer emblazoned with Zeus' lightning symbol, a Hammer of Thunderbolts.  Killren discovered a magical wand.

            The four men went around the continent, cleaning out dungeons and caves, removing the evil forces within them.  At one point, three years after their journeys began, Grindill became separated from Han Dirgon and the others as they searched for the mystical Horn of Change.  He came up from the underground dungeons of Arman Pertwie and met Gandalf Grimbrand.  Gandalf Grimbrand and Grindill went into the dungeons of Arman Pertwie in search of Han, Andar, and Killren.  They found Grindill's friends and, together, they cleared out the dungeon.  They found a lot of horns, but the infamous Horn of Change was not to be found.

            Gandalf Grimbrand and Grindill, recognizing the half-elf from the prophecy, struck up a very good friendship.  They adventured together often after this.

            Grindill, Han, Andar, and Killren, finding out about the lair of a pair of Red Dragons, set out underground once again.  They killed the dragons.  Andar found another golden Hammer of Thunderbolts, and Grindill found the Crown of Might.  Together, the group hunted and found for Grindill the Scepter and Orb of Might.  Grindill became the new Champion for Good.  Killren began to seek and find the Orbs of Dragonkind.  Gandalf Grimbrand discovered the Invulnerable Coat of Arnd.  They left the lair of the two mated dragons.  They did not discover the dragons' child, a very young red dragon named Kreon.

            An invasion force of Githyanki was halted by Han Dirgon, Grindill the Wizard, Killren the Wizard, Andar, and Gandalf Grimbrand.  Gandalf stole from them one of their Silver Swords.  Ever increasing bands of Githyanki attacked Inzeladun as they sought the stolen weapon.  Gandalf and his companions fought them off continually for a year.    Finally, an all-out war erupted between the extra-planar Githyanki and Humans.  Han Dirgon led the heroes to battle and drove off the evil humanoids, and they decided to leave Gandalf and his captured sword alone.

            Han Dirgon became very famous in Inzeladun, an absolute paragon of virtue and rightousness, a fearless warrior and a loyal friend.  Evil beings, once willing to challenge the Paladin, soon began to quake in fear at the rumor of his approach.  With the help of Grindill, Andar, and Killren, Han Dirgon hunted down vile liches in their ancient abodes, staked horrible vampires to their tombs, brought down dark, evil temples and their even darker priesthoods, stood as an insurmountable obstacle in the path of sinister Demons and ruthless Devils from the nether planes, and brought to lawful justice foul criminals of the worst sorts.  One of their most famous battles was against the dark lord of the Ninth Layer of Hell, Asmodius.  Asmodius had all but destroyed Andar, Killren, and their henchmen.  Finally, even Grindill fell before the power of this fiend from the Pit.  Alone against this evil stood Han Dirgon, the Paladin.  Unafraid, he attacked the Arch-Duke of Hell.  His Sphere of Power generated by Palex Amir, augmented by his own perfect goodness, protected him from the ruinous magic of the Baatezu King.  He slew the Prince of Icy Darkness with a single swing of the Holy Avenger.

            Han Dirgon waged multiple battles against the likes of Demigorgan and Orcus, Princes of the Abyss.  Tyr, Han's patron diety, granted him the ability to throw his Holy Avenger with deadly accuracy up to a mile.  Not that the great Paladin used that skill much.  He preferred melee, one on one (or one against many - he enjoyed battle).  Han did not take prisoners, he did not bargain with anything evil.  If it was evil it either changed its ways or was justly dealt with and punished.  The goodness the Paladin brought to Inzeladun spilled from him like waves of purity.  Orders of paladins sprung up across the lands.  Purity and goodness were not considered weak or feminine.  True heroes, emulating their role model, strode bravely against the dark forces of evil.  Elves, gnomes, dwarves, and humans lived together in relative harmony.  Han's association with Gandalf Grimbrand gave Half-Elves legitimacy, as well as a place in society.

            Groll, son of Choll (born in the 12th year of the Age) left the home of his father to study religion at a nearby monastary, where he learned to read and write in the Inzeladunian language.  This was the 25th year of the Age.  Two years later a travelling priest introduced the young cleric to the lost cult of Catemar, the god of magic.  Groll left the monastary to study this new method.

            Grindill built a triangular fortress and began to rule a small parcel of land he called Indor.  Han Dirgon became the rightful ruler of Ahmn after destroying the cult of Jergal Zadh (and dispatching the demon prince's physical presence on Inzeladun.  Andar Tertictandon also built a small castle (complete with temple to Zeus) and ruled a small island he called Andarland.  Grindill spent many years locked away in his fortress creating magical items and writing books on magical theory.  His most famous treatises of this time were Grindill's Tome of Fires and Acids, Mystic Arts of Location and Detection, The Conjuring of Obstacles, to Hinder, Block, or Defend, Illusions and Phantasms Encyclopedia, The Conjuring and Summoning of Creatures From Other Planes, and the terrible Apocryphal History of The Tower.

            After more than a decade of adventuring, Grindill took and passed the test to become an Arch Mage.  This was the thirtieth year of the Age.  Grindill received from Samoug the Wise a copy of the Nan Curunir as a gift.  Less than a year later, Killren also became an Arch Mage.  Gandalf Grimbrand also built a citadel and became the ruler of his own land.  Grindill built a new castle in the heart of the Osgeld Mountains of Indor.  Grindill also aquired his henchmen:  the mage called Groll, son of Choll, a dwarf called Soljenor, a ranger known as Lord Savaj, a Half-Ogre named Lord Trumulf the Terrible, a warrior named Lord Gorack, an assassin called Dagor Khan, a druid called Anduin, a cleric whose name is lost to history, and Marlorn the Illusionist.  Marlorn was actually a sentient, living Illusion created by Grindill.  Grindill created Marlorn with magic he stole from the Narboneans.

            Three other hearty adventurers known to Grindill also were active during this time.  Alisander, a human high priest turned archmage, became the king of his own land (Alisanderland).  Eric Stormshield, a warrior of Viking descent, also became the ruler of his own land.  Andor, another warrior, became the king of Maghadashkarr.  Gandalf Grimbrand organized and brought together Grindill, Eric, Alisander, and Andor into the Confederation.  Each of their individual countries became essentially one nation and they began to conquer the world.  Gandalf named himself the Emperor of Inzeladun and had the full support of the Confederation.  Han Dirgon, perhaps wiser than the others, refused to join the Confederation.  Neither did Andar Tertictandon or Killren the Arch Mage.

            Grindill had spent much of his time studying the Tower of Magic.  After writing The Apocryphal History of the Tower, Grindill became very adamant about insuring that magic-users were not interested in investigating alternative means of casting spells.  He became very ruthless in hunting down witches and rogue magic-users.  With Han Dirgon leading the war, the witch covens of Inzeladun did not stand a chance.  The evil demon empowered witches and warlocks either abandoned their practices or were slain by the Paladin.  Han Dirgon's activity inspired others to follow his lead (as Grindill knew they would) and would instigate their own witch-hunting campaigns

            The country of Orkaladh, always a center of Orcish activity, was conquered by Killren the Arch Mage in the 31st year.  Orkaladh is also where the Tower is located.  During the War of the Free-Folk and the Orcs, the Inzeladunian Armies wiped out the Orcs in Orkaladh.

            The Confederation slowly began to conquer the world.  It attacked the homelands of the Giants,  it nearly destroyed all of the dragons,  Orcs were almost totally annihilated.  The race of Buzzardoes were also similarly endangered.  The Confederation war machine began its rumbles early in the 32nd year.  Grindill, busy enforcing conformity amongst mages, partook very little in these Confederate conquests, leaving the war efforts to Andor, Eric Stormshield,  and Gandalf Grimbrand.

            Han Dirgon, Paladin of Tyr, ruled Ahmn, the Land of Sirrus the Great, and he founded the Merchant Fleet of Ahmn to combat piracy.  Han Dirgon made a legend of himself because of his great acts of courage and goodness.  He was known as, and will always be known as, the Greatest of the Paladins.

            Andarland, ruled by Andar Tertictandon became renowned as a place of healing.  Zeus himself, it is said, walked upon this island nation to see its wonders of healing. 

            Lord Nadam III arose again from the grave and began again to rule several small villages.  He did everything he could to escape the notice of the Confederation.  He paid his taxes to Gandalf Grimbrand and was left alone.

            The capital of Inzeladun was built in the crater of a dormant volcano.  Andor put his capital in Maghadashkarr, which he inherited from his father.  Grindill placed his capital in the middle of the Grimbern river and called the city Laticpac.

            Grindill the Arch Mage, overcoming to greed for power, abandoned the Good artifacts of might and became one of the Black Robes to gain some spells from a Black Robed Arch Mage known as Osric Cuthwald.  Osric (once known as Humus) was the greatest of the evil mages. Han Dirgon went to Grindill and talked to his old friend.  When Han left, Grindill had abandoned his Black Robes, but the evil in him had tainted Grindill, and he would never again be able to wear the White Robes.  Grindill was able to don the Gray Robes.  Although he no longer wore the White robes, Grindill was still considered by many to be a force for Good (probably an erroneous consideration in hindsight - Historian).  Grindill continued his hunt for non-conforming mages, travelling to Stygia in the winter of the 33rd year to combat the mage-priests of that dark land.  Han Dirgon helped him topple some of the most powerful cults of evil that brooded therein.

            Grindill constructed a new castle in the Grimbern mountains.  He moved most of his libraries to this new scenic location.

            Gandalf Grimbrand built the largest fleet ever assembled on the oceans and his flagship was a warship that was a mile in length.  Later, Grindill and Lord Eric Stormshield built a warship that was to be a foot longer than Gandalf's flag ship.

            Lord Eric Stormshield and his companion Jess Deepwood created the largest airforce to defend his country.  The force consisted of 6195 giant falcons and was led by a female giant falcon named Quickfast and a male giant falcon called Greatwing (Lord Stormshield's and Jess' mounts respectively).  Lord Eric Stormshield, a Norseman by birth, led this falcon fleet into many successful battles.  He and his riders became famous world-wide.

            Grindill, always making new magic and magical items, created four crystal-clear glass swords of great power in the 34th year.  These fully vorpal weapons were gifted to Lord Stormshield, Gandalf Grimbrand, Lord Trumulf the Terrible, and Andor the King of Madagaskar.  Lord Stormshield's weapon was shaped in the manner of a longsword, Emperor Grimbrand's sword was shaped as an Elvish warblade, Lord Trumulf's was a two-handed sword, and Andor's was formed as a Piercer Blade.

            Grindill's henchmen, Groll, Saren, and Marlorn, all became arch-mages in the autumn of the 34th year.  These wizards continued Grindill's campaigns as he delved again into study.  Grindill travelled to the Tower and gained admittance.  He studied in the Tower for nearly a year, learning the secret arts of Chronomancy.

            During this age the Knights surfaced.  Prior to this, no true orders of knighthood existed.  Over the past 34 years, warriors began to become more and more esteemed (largely due to the heroic status of Han Dirgon).  Up until this point, the best armor devised was still platemail, created in the latter half of the Third Age.  However, now full plate armor was available. Seven kings of Inzeladun (lead by King Dirgon of Ahmn) devised a code of honor and ethics for their powerful warriors.  Seven Orders of Knighthood sprang up.  The Knights of the Crown was Indor's Order; the Cavaliers of Ahmn was another, as were the Paladins of Tyr, the Aphrikan Knighthood, Athena's Cavaliers, Knights of the Falcon, and the Knights of Inzeladun.

            The Knights of the Crown produced a young man who is later to become the bravest of all knights: Sir Adilbrand Noblesword.  Sir Adilbrand, though he fought for the forces of Good, was characterized for his black plate armor.  Sir Adilbrand was given a magical sword for his bravery, which he named Grimbrand, after Gandalf Grimbrand the Emperor of Inzeladun.  Soon Adilbrand became famous for his vorpal battleaxe which he wielded with much skill.  Often, when the Lords of the Confederation was too busy to attend to a matter, they sent Sir Adilbrand.

            Tensions existed in the Confederation between Lord Stormshield and Gandalf Grimbrand.  The Lord of the Falcons simply did not get along with many of the policies and attitudes of the King of Inzeladun.  Grindill, as usual supported both factions.  Andor of Madigaskar supported the Inzeladunian King, and Alisander simply had little idea of what was going on around him anyways. 

            Corruption began to spread amongst the members of the Confederation.  Andor and Gandalf became power-hungry and Grindill became magic hungry.

            Grindill and Sir Adilbrand often travelled the timestreams, learning magic of old, and new magic of the future.  Sometimes Grindill's old friends Han Dirgon the Paladin, Killren the Arch-Mage, and Andar the Priest joined him in his journeys.  Grindill grew more and more powerful.  His henchmen ruled Indor in his absences.  Grindill did authorize Groll to study chronomancy and a very small number of Groll's apprentices.   This was under Grindill's very strict supervision, however.   By the time Groll was 23, he was a full-fledged chronomancer, more powerful in the chronomantic arts than even Grindill.  Groll saw and warned Grindill of his assassination in the 80th year of this age (a fact Grindill put to good use, allowing him to survive the assassination).  Groll saw the Cataclysm and told Grindill, allowing Grindill to prepare for it.  During one of Groll's time-travelling excursions, he bought the secret of lichdom from a lich called Kronoth.

            Of the Confederation members, though most were married, only Eric Stormshield's marriage to Diana produced a line that lasted through the upcoming ages.  Also of note, Eric holds the honor of being the only non-corrupt member of the Confederation.  Gandalf Grimbrand's marriage produced a son, Gandalf Grimbrand II in the 35th year of the Age, but this line would end before the end of the Age.

Grindill spent the next 14 years engrossed in research and writing.  During this period, Grindill and Groll collaborated on The Book of Time, which described the knowledge, lore, and spells of chronomancy.  Groll wrote down historical records of the First, Second, and Third Ages.  Groll also authored three more tomes on time-travel: The Demiplane of Time, Theories on Temporal Vortexes and Other Hazards of Time Travel, and the Codex of Time.  Grindill and Marlorn co-authored a famous book on Illusions.  It was called The Paradoxes and Realities of Illusions and Phantasms.  Saren authored several books on her favorite forms of magic.   Enchantment, Charming, and Seduction was her most famous title.  Saren always held a secret resentment that Grindill would not allow her to specialize.

            During these 14 years, Han Dirgon settled down to rule his kingdom.  His knights went on most of his crusades against evil and dragons.  He was a most noble and revered king, a symbol of purity and honor in the quickly degenerating world of the Confederation.  He was fair, firm, and decisive.  He saw things in black and white.   Something was either right, or it was wrong.  His people learned that attitude themselves, holding themselves to higher standards than the rest of Inzeladun.  His armies were undefeated in battle and beyond reproach in peace.  As the petty nobles of the Confederation squabbled and fought for land and resources, Han Dirgon held himself resolute and above them.  He did not fight for what others held, but he defended all that he claimed with lawful ruthlessness and efficiency.  If he heard that a noble of the Confederation had succumbed to evil and mistreated the serfs, Han sent in his armies, destroyed the evil lords and replaced them with nobles he found to be true and good.  He never, ever claimed any of these lands as his own.  He was content with the lands he had, and for him to add to it would have been greedy in his mind.  If an evil arose within his lands or any land he heard of that was too great for his armies, he went himself with Palex Amir and slew the evils.  He dispatched three liches, twelve vampires, and three dragons during these years.  He often travelled with Killren the Archmage and Andar the priest of Zeus in these days if they weren't engaged in other endeavers.

            Killren began to study theTower during these next fourteen years, for the Tower occupied a spot in the lands he ruled over as lord.  Killren published his own History of the Tower of Magic.  Killren disputed the common dogma that the Tower was the source of all magic in Inzeladun.  He wrote a treatise titled The Truth of the Tower of Magic, but Grindill either destroyed the scrolls or hid them.

            Lord Nadam I, the former Champion of Vale, arose from his tomb in the 49th year of the Age and terrorized the lands around his underground dungeons.  Han Dirgon the Paladin, Killren the Arch Mage, Andar Tertictandon, and Sir Adilbrand Noblesword eventually cleaned out these dungeons of Undead, but Lord Nadam had already fled.

            Gandalf Grimbrand was taken to serve Corellon Larethian directly in the 50th year of the Age and his son, Gandalf Grimbrand II took over as Emperor of Inzeladun.  He was made a member of the Confederation.

            The great Sword of Kas was found and given to Dagor Khan the Assassin in the 52nd year.  It is believed that the Hand of Vecna was found by the Evil Mage Osric Cuthwald, but this is unsubstantiated.  The Eye of Vecna was found by an evil Red Dragon named Kreon the Blind.  Kreon had lost both of his eyes in his youth to a brave adventurer.  Kreon placed the eye in his left socket and became Kreon the One-Eyed.  (Historian's Note: As detailed in the Second Age, no claim is made that these items ever belonged to any Lich called Vecna, nor to any fiendish lieutenant called Kas.  No proof exists that anyone called Vecna ruled any portion of Inzeladun for the centuries he is rumored to have reigned.  As stated before, these fiendish relics of a forgotten Lich have had the name of Vecna attached to it, probably due to tales brought back from planar travellers of the true Vecna that dwelt on a parallel plane.)

            A dwarven friend of Grindill's, named Thror the Dwarf, discovered the lost Axe of the Dwarvish Lords.  A Paladin Cavalier in the service of Han Dirgon began his crusade against evil in the 55th year.  His name was Bregudegn.  Bregudegn was brave and fearless, striving to live up to Han's ideals, becoming a hero in his own right.

            The Confederation continued its crusade to rule the world.  Civilization spread across the globe.  Cities sprang up everywhere.  Barbarism was becoming a thing of the past.

            Gandalf Grimbrand II married a half-elf lady in the 58th year and had a son which he named Gandalf Grimbrand III.  This is the last child produced in this line due to corruption.

            The pirates Dimwall and Dorolen began to raid the seas in the 60th year.  Dimwall was an ex-professional assassin.  Dorolen was a renegade Drow, kicked out of the underground homelands of the Drow for his attrocities.  Rumor says that Dorolen killed over three high priestesses and the Matriarch of the First House of the Drow.

            Many years went past and Gandalf Grimbrand II was taken much as his father was.  Gandalf Grimbrand III, a fighter/mage/priest (as was his father and his father before him), took the throne of Inzeladun in the 74th year.  Slowly the Confederation became more and more corrupt, more and more greedy.  Lord Eric Stormshield was the only one not affected by power, mostly due to his own goodness and because Gandalf III didn't allow Eric too much power.  Gandalf III tried to do the same to Grindill, but Grindill's power was more in magic, not money, lands, or armies.  Grindill was so powerful magically that no one was his equal.  Grindill was bringing unnatural terrors from the future that he called "Technology" into the world.  From the past he was raiding the magic of forbidden Angust, and, some sages say, from the Narboneans of pre-history themselves.  He found a magical creation that could control weather, tomes and books of lore best left unread.  His library grew in leaps and bounds.

            Of the countries in the Confederation, the country ruled by Gandalf Grimbrand III was the largest, and the country ruled by Grindill the Arch-Mage was the smallest (However, that country, called Indor, was also the most agriculterally prosperous.  No plagues hit Indor, there were no diseases or blights, and crops grew perfectly in perfect weather year round).  The Confederation was growing to a size much too large to control efficiently.  Lords like Nadam III went unchecked.  The beauracracy grew to an enormous creature. 

            Han Dirgon, now 75 years old, was still ruling Ahmn.  His goodness and purity kept him strong and healthy.  An aged man, he could still defeat eighteen year old evil brigands in swordplay.  Killren would later use magic to restore youth to the aging paladin when even Han's faith could not hold back the ravages of time.

            In the lands once known as Stygia, a black robed mage named Kronos grew to power.  He invaded Grindill's libraries and soon collected power that rivelled Grindill's.

            At the height of the Confederation's power, and their corruption, the Confederation was split by a large-scale civil war.  Andor, King of Maghadashkarr, broke from the Confederation and went to war with the rest of the elite group in the 77th year.  Armies mobilized.  Sir Adilbrand and Lord Gorack led Grindill's armies across Aphrika to Madigascar.  But King Andor's armies destroyed Grindill's armies in the Battles of Ivanneth.  Lord Gorack and Sir Adilbrand survived.

            Lord Trumulf's scouts had discovered King Andor's camp and Lord Gorack led his soldiers in.  But a guerrilla force ambushed the legion of soldiers.  Sir Adilbrand and the Knights of the Crown swept into the battlefield, but he was too late to save the army.  This was the Battle of the Plain, the First of the Battles of Ivanneth.

            After the Battle of the Plain,  Sir Adilbrand and the Knights of the Crown and Lord Gorack's remaining few men (including Lord Thror the Dwarf) defeated the majority of Andor's Ivanneth Army in the Battle of the Axes in the 78th year.  Grindill then sent a message to Sir Adilbrand to discontinue the Aphrikan campaign because all the signs and stars (and the Nan Curunir) predicted disaster.  But Sir Adilbrand, although intelligent and wise, was also a warrior and to him all was in order for a quick defeat of the Aphrikan Ivanneth Forces, so he ignored the order.  The next day, as the Army marched to Ivanneth, capital city of Aphrika, they were ambushed and destroyed, only 12 men escaping.

            In southern Aphrika, Lord Eric Stormshield and his army and falcons fought Andor for nearly a year, but failed at last.

            On the seas, Inzeladun's Navy, the largest in the world, sank Andor's fleet in a series of battles numbering over 600.

            Grindill, at the request of Gandalf Grimbrand III, using a power never unleashed before or since, utterly annihilated Maghadashkarr, turning it into a deadly wasteland.  The power was called by Grindill as the Deadly Mushroom Cloud Spell, a blast that shook the world.  Grindill then attacked the Tower of Magic and became its lord and master after he killed Taonmalphorait, the former Lord of Magic.  Grindill placed a simulacrum of himself in his old castle to prevent the incident Groll warned him about many years ago.

            An assassination attempt was made on Grindill's life early in the 80th year, but it failed and only the simulacrum of Grindill was killed.  Grindill, reading of the future in the Nan Curunir, dropped out of the war, as did Alisander the High Priest/ Archmage.  Killren the Arch-Mage put Alisander, Han Dirgon, Sir Adilbrand, Bregudegn, Dimwall and Dorolen, Lord Thror, and all the henchmen of the above into suspended animation after Andar Tertictandon predicted the gods' involvement in the war.  Andar was also put into suspended animation.  Groll escaped to the Outer Planes with Saren.

            The gods began their involvement in the War by pulling their clerics from the Earth.  The gods themselves began to fight.  Spells reversed themselves,  magic devices were drained of dweomer, spell books went up in flames or were teleported away without any apparent cause or destination, mountains sank and mountains rose, active and long-dead volcanoes erupted suddenly, seas appeared and seas disappeared, and the Orcs and Dragons returned, gold turned to lead or stone, magic went wild and continents collided.  This period is known as the Cataclysm.  The world had been destroyed.

History of Inzeladun | Third Age | Fifth Age | Main Menu

Trademarks and copyrights are cited on this page without permission. This usage is not meant in any way to challenge the rightful ownership of said trademarks/copyrights. AD&D is a trademark of TSR; reach TSR's parent company at Wizards of the Coast, Inc.©. All copyrights are acknowledged and remain the property of the owners. "Inzeladun", its history, and related characters © 1984, 2000 Vincent N. Darlage. All rights reserved by their respective owners. This page is for entertainment only.