Chaos War
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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. The war was so devastating to the world of Krynn that it ended the current age, the Age of Despair, and began the Age of Mortals.
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[edit] 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 ask him if he would create a gem that would contain a small part of Chaos. He agreed; however he accidentally contained the entire being of Chaos, sealing him inside. He put the newly created Graygem in the moon of Lunitari, however the gnomes retrieved 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, captured 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.
[edit] Forces of the War
[edit] The Knights of Takhisis
The Knights of Takhisis, led by Lord Ariakan, son of Dragon Highlord Ariakas, initiated the release of Chaos by visiting the Irda island and accidentally scaring the Irda into releasing Chaos. However, they had more important things to tend to, so they left. The Knights of Takhisis are a dark reflection of the Knights of Solamnia, having been modeled after them.
[edit] Knights of Solamnia
The Knights of Solamnia valiantly defended themselves and their people from the Knights of Takhisis, however they could not manage to defeat them and many were killed, with some prisoners.
[edit] 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 fire dragons, dragons made purely of flame who were mounted by daemon warriors. This forces largest battle was in the final battle in the Abyss.
[edit] The War
The War began not against Chaos, but against the Knights of Takhisis.
[edit] 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 ones ever to do so. 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.
[edit] The War Progresses
Palin Majere, Tasslehoff Burrfoot, and Raistlin Majere 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.
[edit] Chaos Attacks
Chaos launched his attack with a wave of shadow-wights that wiped out a large bunch of Knights of Takhisis at the High Clerist's Tower. This prompted a meeting between Ariakan and Takhisis, his queen and grandmother, who blessed the Knights weapons. This done, the Queen returned 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.
[edit] The Abyss
The Solamnic Knights mounted their silver dragons and the dark Knights their blues; they ride into battle together. They enter the great Rift that has opened in the ocean and enter into the Abyss. There, they encounter Palin Majere who had been entrusted the great Magius's spellbook, and, armed with it, he goes with them. Encountering Chaos, who took the shape of a fire-bearded giant, he summons his horrible legions, and the battle begins. While the Knights are battling, Palin casts the one spell he has from the book, combining it with the energies of the staff, resulting in what may have been the most powerful spell ever cast, so powerful not even Magius himself could cast it. This emits a great beam of light that blinds Chaos, allowing Steel to swoop in and stab Chaos, almost drawing the blood needed but his sword (the sword of his father) is stuck, not allowing the blood to drop. He returns and retrieves the sword, drawing the blood, but he and his dragon are knocked away by Chaos, landing on Palin and thereby ending the spell. The wounds that Steel and his dragon incur are fatal and Steel dies shortly after the conclusion of the battle. Tasslehoff (Tas) then runs under the foot of Chaos and stabs with his knife to drawing blood, which Usha captures within the Greygem. Tasslehoff, crushed by the weight of Chaos, died for this noble act.
[edit] The Aftermath
Chaos and his legions disappear. Only the bodies of the dead remain. Steel dies. The dead are placed in the Last Heroes Tomb in Solace, Knights of Solamnia lying side by side with Knights of Takhisis. Tanis Half-Elven was 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. It should be noted that this last part has been retconned out in the War of Souls trilogy.
