Krynn
Encyclopedia
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 game
. Within the fictional universe, Krynn is divided into five main continent
s: Ansalon
, The Dragon Isles, Ithin'carthia, Taladas
, and Adlatum, as well as the subterranean continent of Chorane.
, the head god of evil, duped her brothers into condoning the creation of the World of Krynn, which was forged by Reorx. Once the world was created, Chaos, father of the Gods, spread his influence amongst them and caused the gods to go to war. Paladine created the elves, Takhisis created the Ogres, and Gilean created the humans. Paladine
, the head god of good, gave the souls physical bodies. Gilean, head god of neutrality, gave them free will, while Takhisis cursed the races with mortality. Reorx shared his knowledge of metal forging with some humans; however they did not honour him for sharing their new skill. Reorx cursed these humans by making them as short as him, and stripped them of their forging skill but leaving their desire to invent, which created Gnomes. The Graygem, which contained Chaos himself, fell to Krynn due to the gnomes meddling. A wizard named Gargath found the Graygem and took it to his castle. The gnomes followed him there and went to war for the gem. During the battle the wild magic of Chaos warped the Gnomes into the other races of Krynn. That is how the Kender, Dwarves, Minotaurs, etc. came to be.
. It is also divided into five Ages, the Age of Starbirth, the Age of Dreams, the Age of Might, the Age of Despair, and the Age of Mortals. The Age of Starbirth saw the creation of the world and the formation of the first races.
The Age of Dreams contains the First Dragon War, fought by the elves under Silvanos Goldeneye against the evil dragons. The elves prevailed against the evil dragons using magical stones that were lost after the war. Kender
, minotaurs, and dwarves begin to settle, however the dwarves disturb the magical stones and unleash the evil dragons again. This begins the Second Dragon War, which is ended by the great power of several mages, however this power scars the land of Ansalon. These mages learn the law of magic and form the Wizards of High Sorcery
and the Towers of High Sorcery
. After this war, the Kinslayer War is fought, and Qualinesti is founded. Later, the Rose Rebellion is led against the Empire of Ergoth and Solamnia is founded by Vinas Solamnus. In addition, Istar is founded in this Age. The Third Dragon War erupts, leading to the great sacrifice by Huma Dragonbane to keep Takhisis away from the world.
The Age of Might sees the rise of Istar. Paladine holds great stock in the relatively new nation. Istar grows and begins trading, growing stronger and stronger until it is a major world power. Istar fights with several nations in protest to their growing power. The Kingpriest begins rulership of Istar and declares itself the moral center of the world. Istar begins to lose sight of the balance between good and evil and tries to eradicate evil in the world. Mages are persecuted by the Kingpriest, and they are forced to retreat to the Tower of Wayreth. Soon, the Kingpriest demands from the gods the power they gave to Huma Dragonbane in hopes of destroying all evil. The gods grow angry and they hurl a fiery mountain at Ansalon, an event known as the Cataclysm.
The Age of Despair is a time of famine and of evil. Nations descend into squalor, and the Knights of Solamnia become a dishonored group. Takhisis readies herself to launch the War of the Lance upon Ansalon. When the War of the Lance erupts, the Heroes of the Lance fight back against Takhisis, leading to the defeat of her armies at several fronts and her total defeat at Neraka when Berem, the Everman and the secret to either Takhisis's final defeat or success, is allowed to die. After the War, Raistlin Majere
begins his plans to ascend to godhood and this culminates in the destruction of Palanthas. Also, the Knights of Takhisis
are formed by Ariakan. The Chaos War
erupts and in its terrible wake the Age of Mortals begins.
The Age of Mortals sees the appearance of the Dragon Overlords, a group of incredibly large and powerful dragons who take control of the lands of Ansalon. With the loss of traditional arcane and clerical magic, Palin Majere establishes sorcery and Goldmoon
establishes Mysticism. Years later, the War of Souls
comes to Ansalon where it is discovered that Takhisis stole the world from the other gods in order to become the sole god. Several Overlords die during this time, including Malys the Red, the greatest of the Overlords, and Beryl the Green, the ruler of Qualinesti and the areas around it, and Khellendros the Blue, ruler of the lands around Solamnia. Takhisis herself is killed because she has been stripped of her immortality, and Paladine also descends into mortality. At the current time setting of the novels, the world of Krynn is still reeling from the War of Souls.
The other gods are represented in the sky by constellations. When the gods walk on Krynn their constellations disappear from the sky.
During the three decades between the Second Cataclysm
and the War of Souls
, the sky was different and there was also only one moon and no godly constellations, because Takhisis stole the world from the other gods and took it to a different part of the universe.
, a continent far to the south and the main setting of the novels. The continent is surrounded by ocean on the north, east, and west sides, and on the south by the huge mass of Icereach, a frigid and mostly unexplored wasteland. Ansalon was once a single intact continent, but the Cataclysm
shattered the continent, sinking the northeastern section of it and sending many chunks of Ansalon scattering as islands, including the once great Empire of Ergoth, which was not only separated from the mainland, but split into two. North of Ansalon is the Dragon Isles, the home of the metallic dragons. Far to the east is the island Ithin'carthia, homeland of the blue-skinned "brutes", or Tarmaks first introduced in Dragons of Summer Flame. To the north and east of Ansalon is Taladas, once the home of the very evil nation of Aurim, the "Anti-Istar". The Cataclysm melted the land where Aurim was, leaving a giant lake of molten rock. Far to the north and west of Ansalon is the mysterious Adlatum. The subterranean continent of Chorane lies deep under the surface of Icereach, and little is known about this underground land.
There are also several "other" gods, worshipped by barbarian clans. They are usually one of the true gods being worshipped under a different identity. An example of this is in Khur where they worship the Condor Lord. The symbol of Sargonas is a condor and he is the god of vengeance. They do not realize they follow the same god as the minotaurs.
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...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
for the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. Within the fictional universe, Krynn is divided into five main continent
Continent
A continent is one of several very large landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, with seven regions commonly regarded as continents—they are : Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.Plate tectonics is...
s: Ansalon
Ansalon
Ansalon is a continent on Krynn, the fictional world of the Dragonlance campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game....
, The Dragon Isles, Ithin'carthia, Taladas
Taladas
Taladas is a continent in the northern hemisphere of Krynn, the fictional world for the Dragonlance setting of the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role playing game.-Introduction:...
, and Adlatum, as well as the subterranean continent of Chorane.
Creation
TakhisisTakhisis
Takhisis is a fictional character from the Dragonlance universe. She is the main goddess of evil and head of the Dark Pantheon.- Titles and forms :...
, the head god of evil, duped her brothers into condoning the creation of the World of Krynn, which was forged by Reorx. Once the world was created, Chaos, father of the Gods, spread his influence amongst them and caused the gods to go to war. Paladine created the elves, Takhisis created the Ogres, and Gilean created the humans. 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....
, the head god of good, gave the souls physical bodies. Gilean, head god of neutrality, gave them free will, while Takhisis cursed the races with mortality. Reorx shared his knowledge of metal forging with some humans; however they did not honour him for sharing their new skill. Reorx cursed these humans by making them as short as him, and stripped them of their forging skill but leaving their desire to invent, which created Gnomes. The Graygem, which contained Chaos himself, fell to Krynn due to the gnomes meddling. A wizard named Gargath found the Graygem and took it to his castle. The gnomes followed him there and went to war for the gem. During the battle the wild magic of Chaos warped the Gnomes into the other races of Krynn. That is how the Kender, Dwarves, Minotaurs, etc. came to be.
History
The majority of the history of Krynn is actually the history of Ansalon, as it is the most well-known continent. The history of Krynn is measured in the following time periods: PC, or Prae Cataclius, meaning before the Cataclysm, AC, or Alt Cataclius, meaning after the Cataclysm, and SC, or Secundus Cataclius, the time period after the Chaos WarChaos War
The Chaos War, also known as the Second Cataclysm, is a fictional war in the Dragonlance setting. The war was massive, drawing in nearly all the people of Ansalon, as well as the gods themselves...
. It is also divided into five Ages, the Age of Starbirth, the Age of Dreams, the Age of Might, the Age of Despair, and the Age of Mortals. The Age of Starbirth saw the creation of the world and the formation of the first races.
The Age of Dreams contains the First Dragon War, fought by the elves under Silvanos Goldeneye against the evil dragons. The elves prevailed against the evil dragons using magical stones that were lost after the war. Kender
Kender
Kender are a type of fantasy race first developed for the Dragonlance campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role playing game published by TSR Inc. in 1984. The first kender character was created by Harold Johnson as a playable character in a series of role-playing adventures...
, minotaurs, and dwarves begin to settle, however the dwarves disturb the magical stones and unleash the evil dragons again. This begins the Second Dragon War, which is ended by the great power of several mages, however this power scars the land of Ansalon. These mages learn the law of magic and form the Wizards of High Sorcery
Wizards of High Sorcery
The Wizards of High Sorcery are a fictional group of people in the Dragonlance universe.- Introduction :The Wizards are a powerful institution in Krynn. They were founded when the deities Solinari, Lunitari and Nuitari taught a certain group of people how to draw power from the moons and shape it...
and the Towers of High Sorcery
Towers of High Sorcery
The Towers of High Sorcery are famous buildings in the fictional Dragonlance universe.-Introduction:Wild magic, or elemental magic, has always existed on Krynn. The coming of the Grey Gem, however, loosed what could be considered "modern" sorcerous powers into the world. The Grey Gem came to Krynn...
. After this war, the Kinslayer War is fought, and Qualinesti is founded. Later, the Rose Rebellion is led against the Empire of Ergoth and Solamnia is founded by Vinas Solamnus. In addition, Istar is founded in this Age. The Third Dragon War erupts, leading to the great sacrifice by Huma Dragonbane to keep Takhisis away from the world.
The Age of Might sees the rise of Istar. Paladine holds great stock in the relatively new nation. Istar grows and begins trading, growing stronger and stronger until it is a major world power. Istar fights with several nations in protest to their growing power. The Kingpriest begins rulership of Istar and declares itself the moral center of the world. Istar begins to lose sight of the balance between good and evil and tries to eradicate evil in the world. Mages are persecuted by the Kingpriest, and they are forced to retreat to the Tower of Wayreth. Soon, the Kingpriest demands from the gods the power they gave to Huma Dragonbane in hopes of destroying all evil. The gods grow angry and they hurl a fiery mountain at Ansalon, an event known as the Cataclysm.
The Age of Despair is a time of famine and of evil. Nations descend into squalor, and the Knights of Solamnia become a dishonored group. Takhisis readies herself to launch the War of the Lance upon Ansalon. When the War of the Lance erupts, the Heroes of the Lance fight back against Takhisis, leading to the defeat of her armies at several fronts and her total defeat at Neraka when Berem, the Everman and the secret to either Takhisis's final defeat or success, is allowed to die. After the War, 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...
begins his plans to ascend to godhood and this culminates in the destruction of Palanthas. Also, the Knights of Takhisis
Knights of Neraka
In the Dragonlance campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Knights of Neraka is a lawful evil order founded by Lord Ariakan. They are also known as the Dark Knights and formerly as the Knights of Takhisis...
are formed by Ariakan. The Chaos War
Chaos War
The Chaos War, also known as the Second Cataclysm, is a fictional war in the Dragonlance setting. The war was massive, drawing in nearly all the people of Ansalon, as well as the gods themselves...
erupts and in its terrible wake the Age of Mortals begins.
The Age of Mortals sees the appearance of the Dragon Overlords, a group of incredibly large and powerful dragons who take control of the lands of Ansalon. With the loss of traditional arcane and clerical magic, Palin Majere establishes sorcery and Goldmoon
Goldmoon
Goldmoon is a fictional character from the Dragonlance fantasy series of novels and role playing games, originally published by TSR, Inc...
establishes Mysticism. Years later, 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...
comes to Ansalon where it is discovered that Takhisis stole the world from the other gods in order to become the sole god. Several Overlords die during this time, including Malys the Red, the greatest of the Overlords, and Beryl the Green, the ruler of Qualinesti and the areas around it, and Khellendros the Blue, ruler of the lands around Solamnia. Takhisis herself is killed because she has been stripped of her immortality, and Paladine also descends into mortality. At the current time setting of the novels, the world of Krynn is still reeling from the War of Souls.
Krynn's Sky
There are three moons on the planet of Krynn, and each is the face of one of the gods of magic. They chose not to put themselves in stars or planets, but to be as close to Krynn as possible so as to watch it. Wizards of High Sorcery draw power from these moons and their respective gods. The moons are the silver moon Solinari, representing the god of good magic, the red moon Lunitari, representing the goddess of neutral magic, and the black moon Nuitari, representing the god of evil magic. Nuitari as a moon is little known; it can only be seen by those who use it for their magic. Most people believe in only two moons, Solinari and Lunitari.The other gods are represented in the sky by constellations. When the gods walk on Krynn their constellations disappear from the sky.
During the three decades between the Second Cataclysm
Chaos War
The Chaos War, also known as the Second Cataclysm, is a fictional war in the Dragonlance setting. The war was massive, drawing in nearly all the people of Ansalon, as well as the gods themselves...
and 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...
, the sky was different and there was also only one moon and no godly constellations, because Takhisis stole the world from the other gods and took it to a different part of the universe.
Lands
The most well known land mass of Krynn is AnsalonAnsalon
Ansalon is a continent on Krynn, the fictional world of the Dragonlance campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game....
, a continent far to the south and the main setting of the novels. The continent is surrounded by ocean on the north, east, and west sides, and on the south by the huge mass of Icereach, a frigid and mostly unexplored wasteland. Ansalon was once a single intact continent, but the Cataclysm
Cataclysm (Dragonlance)
In the Dragonlance books, the Cataclysm was a catastrophic event that occurred when the Kingpriest of Istar demanded to be given godlike powers in order to eliminate evil from the world.-Background:...
shattered the continent, sinking the northeastern section of it and sending many chunks of Ansalon scattering as islands, including the once great Empire of Ergoth, which was not only separated from the mainland, but split into two. North of Ansalon is the Dragon Isles, the home of the metallic dragons. Far to the east is the island Ithin'carthia, homeland of the blue-skinned "brutes", or Tarmaks first introduced in Dragons of Summer Flame. To the north and east of Ansalon is Taladas, once the home of the very evil nation of Aurim, the "Anti-Istar". The Cataclysm melted the land where Aurim was, leaving a giant lake of molten rock. Far to the north and west of Ansalon is the mysterious Adlatum. The subterranean continent of Chorane lies deep under the surface of Icereach, and little is known about this underground land.
Religion in the world
There are seven gods and goddesses for each alignment of good, evil, and neutral, including the three gods of magic.There are also several "other" gods, worshipped by barbarian clans. They are usually one of the true gods being worshipped under a different identity. An example of this is in Khur where they worship the Condor Lord. The symbol of Sargonas is a condor and he is the god of vengeance. They do not realize they follow the same god as the minotaurs.