Dungeons and Dragons Lore : The Dawn War

[@mateobarrett6829]

Such great stuff! I did have a question for for anyone who might know... At what point during this time did Dendar swallow the Sun? And I've read that Ubtao, the Deciever was the Primordial who switched sides to the Divines, shifting the balance in favor of the gods. Is this incorrect?

[@AJPickett]

That event marked the end of the Blue Age and the start of the Shadow Epoch on Toril after the sun was devoured by Dendar the Night Serpent. During this phase of the war, Ouroboros the World Serpent was the major force leading the armies of the gods. Many more battles took place during this epoch until finally, the primordial Ubtao turned against his kin and aided the gods in imprisoning many of his former allies. In the aftermath, the sun was recreated and the oceans thawed. The battle of Kord and the death of Sehil was the last of many battles (at one point Kord also fought Moradin and Gruumsh), it was a chaotic time, but the Deception of Ubtao was pivotal to the events that ended the Dawn War and began the Days of Thunder.

[@mateobarrett6829]

AJ Pickett That puts things into perspective! The Dawn War spanned for eons, including the Shadow Epoch! Thanks!

[@jamestitus472]

@@AJPickett Is there, like, a book on this stuff? The history? I'm trying to create the metaphysics / cosmology of my own world and having a bit of trouble.

[@heathgustavo4498]

i know it's kinda off topic but does anyone know of a good website to watch new series online?

[@skeletor4062]

@@AJPickett Wasn't Ouroboros the World Serpent made up of Asmodeus and Jazirian?

[@mrl9418]

It's great that Juiblex is a hermit philosopher that ponders his own reason to be.

[@brosephnoonan223]

I goo, therefore I am.

[@draxthemsklonst]

Tharizdun's booger.

[@Chris-gg4ru]

“WHAT THE FUCK AM I!”

[@almitrahopkins1873]

It explains why such a potentially more powerful god isn’t as powerful as others. Juiblex has one of the largest population base as worshippers, but isn’t as powerful as gods with much smaller numbers of worshippers. It makes you wonder if oozes, slimes, jellies and puddings have consciousness as well.

[@FathersUnited-fu]

​@almitrahopkins1873 that would be a crazy campaign. The main BBEG is Juiblex/stopping him being unleashed. The secondary BBEG is a Warlock of Juiblex who's goal is to gather necessary stuff & perform a ritual to give all slime/ooze etc consciousness & purpose of unleashing their God. The party would start of thinking dudes an idiot/loser for focusing on slimes etc but as the story progresses realize this is some insane stuff. They think "cool, that assoles dead. We're good." Then learn of his true plans success & have to try to stop one of the most powerful Demon Lords.

[@joshuazane3210]

This is by *leagues* the best explanation of the Dawn War I've ever encountered. It really helped expand my admittedly murky understanding of these events. Thank you for putting this together.

[@drakeford3238]

Love me some Dawn War lore. Great work my guy. I'm currently working on a full campaign outline that some of this might actually come in handy for. *Sparknotes for the interested:* Zehir never quite gave up on swiping Asgorath's seat and portfolio. Rather, he merely set it asside while new preparations were set in place. Eons later, Zehir has quietly begun to move, and the world is at risk of seeing the King of Terror rise once more. With the once unassailable Asgorath still weakened by the concessions of power and domain made in the creation of his children gods, and with Bahamut and Tiamat too busy quarreling to truly see the impending threat, it falls to a small band of mortals to uncover the Serpent God's plans and foil them once more.

[@ColeHolio2294]

Fascinating stuff. Love the explanation of why genies are often found in bottles and lamps, ,etc.

[@DungeonDad]

Super informative. I'm so glad I now have a place to send anyone who asks me "what was the Dawn War?"

[@elricengquist9989]

This would make great background info, and scenery for a campaign in which a group of players are tasked with guarding a scholar/mage that is traveling the lands, and planes to shed light on the truth of creation thru research ages so far back they are myth an legend. At first the players might only battle the monsters that had made their lair in the areas some of the lore is located in, than maybe having to go into the libraries of the orders of some of the gods an even primordials, yet later on out of fear an dread that if the scholar finds what he seeks or is fallowed the gods begin to send their own fallowers to stop them. I mean a mortal finding the actual truth of the war, may actually find a source of power, or items that the forces that had warred with the gods could use to restart the dawn war, or even just unmake things.

[@RockyRodent333]

Wow AJ, this is some deep, deep lore my friend. While I can't roll much of this into my current campaign (except perhaps the weapons of mass destruction discarded to carceri), every other sentence seemed to provide motivation for entire campaigns, or at least short branches of larger arcs. I can't thank you enough. This could be used for years of content, or at the very least, some deep cut in game explatives from the particularly devout.

[@gambent6853]

The Dawn War is such an awesome piece of lore, and you did it the justice it deserves. Well done AJ!

[@AJPickett]

Thanks Gambent :)

[@hawkeyepearce1066]

Absolutely fantastic research! A follower of the Chained God is to be featured in the first adventure of a campaign I'm running, which involves renewed hostilities between the Gods and Primordials. Your synopsis has given me a huge amount of material to work with. Eternal thanks!

[@chaddixon9764]

You know a primordial was a bad ass when the solution was literally to drop heaven on it.

[@thedarkmaster4747]

prryhic victory. "It couldn't stand under the weight of the heavens." XD

[@paulcoy9060]

This is one of those videos that I have to watch multiple times to wrap my head around all the dense backstory.

[@collinkeith7917]

I’m considering becoming a patron just to understand how the hell you know and say this stuff. Like this video was something else

[@purplehaze2358]

I used to debate myself on which video of yours I like the best. Then I was reminded of this one when it showed up in my recommended.

[@tatsusama3192]

Love lore dumps. Bless you, Mr. Pickett, haha. - gets some tea -

[@AJPickett]

Thanks, I think I will get some sleep :)

[@davidhernando353]

I love D & D4 lore, mostly my favorite of all D&D. Dawn War is one of my favorite parts, apparently they are two sides, but in reality there are so many sub-factions and betrayals that it is almost Game of Thrones but with gods and primordials. In addition, Dawn War gives an explanation of why the universe is the way it is instead of just being that way. Which is an excellent detail. An excellent compilation.

[@jeffreylucier5266]

Im really happy for your success! Good luck in your future endeavors!

[@rickeymariu1]

"Before me all things were none, save for things eternal and eternal I endure." Asnodeus

[@AJPickett]

Oooo, good quote!

[@Anterran99]

Did anyone else want a visual timeline and character list for this too or am I the only one?

[@Stuugie.]

I think it'd be cool, but due to time travel, the universal timeline is probably different from the timelines from the gods and primordials.

[@johntheherbalistg8756]

A visual timeline would need to be 3D, and probably look like a plate of spaghetti

[@CPK-iz5dd]

In the long run the time line doesn't matter. Because the Dawn War was fought in the past, future, and present. It can be anything the DM wants to be.

[@georgemercer402]

Come to think of it, I might be making a sort of "Round 2" with my "apocalyptic prevention" campaign since the good gods of pretty much all pantheons will need to combine forces in order to stop the "no choice fusion" I'm trying to make with Tharizdur and Vecna at the forefront; there's also some Cthulu Mythos involved in said fusion.

[@someguy4405]

Bahamut: *Leaps from Ao’s corpse.* Bahamut: *Looks at Ao’s corpse.* Bahamut: ”How did *that* happen?”

[@ImperialCoffee769]

Ao is the overgod, Io(Asgorath) is the one you are mentioning,

[@lorekeeper685]

@@ImperialCoffee769 Asgorath is also a overgod

[@ImperialCoffee769]

@@lorekeeper685 really? I probably start going into dnd lore again

[@blueldrrich84]

@@ImperialCoffee769 ay-oh! i-oh! WOLOLO!!!! 🤣🧙‍♂️ JK, but yes, you are correct sir. :)

[@lorekeeper685]

@@حَسن-م3ه9ظ that's weird.

[@sirsir9665]

This is the craziest story I've heard. The Gods and Eldridge Horrors, primormals all fighting and moving through space and time and dimensions and destroying entire worlds at a time in the conflict

[@maguszeal5818]

Imagine a campain set in this.

[@NightWatchersPet]

"...it is gonna be some pretty nerdy stuff." Sir, I specifically come to you for nerdy! *Pulls out popcorn, drink and notebook* Bring it on!

[@AJPickett]

*puts on a wool sweater and horn-rim glasses, cracks knuckles and adjust pocket protector* lets do this.

[@InternetSupervillain]

I will stay awhile and listen! Diablo 1 town music playing in my head while I hear this.

[@SlothinAintEasy]

I think I'll rewatch this when I am more knowledgeable about d&d.

[@TH3S3V3R]

Wawowewa! That's a lotta lore! Great job AJ!

[@Taylor1989s]

Sir as always another epicly informative entertaining video keep up the good work!👍

[@theatreofcontroversy]

only at 0:36 and already reached a simmilar level of happiness as when my first child was born.... note "almost".... but still .... dude.... it's close

[@muninrob]

"from the dawn of time we come, walking down through the centuries"

[@joelaurora16]

an epic story told in an epic fashion thx

[@DavidBrown-fx7li]

great story. also shows a number of gods may have might without active worship.

[@davidmeloche3563]

Known as the God, Bane. "Ahh, you think darkness is your Ally.."

[@joseescohotadohernando2335]

your videos are amazing!! This one though is the one that made me become patreon. keep up with this amazing content, you should be proud of this incredible channel!

[@00784865]

Lore about the Great Old Ones? :D

[@cameronmurrell-byrd7738]

I always love relistening to these videos, I learn something new every time!

[@felixrivera895]

I kove just listening to this from time to time to remind myself of the complexity of this

[@josephrizzo3738]

Imix was destroyed?? Well don't tell that to Vanifer

[@ddchill7763]

I was playing Diablo while listening to this so the intro was great

[@mbp1652]

This is a BIG subject! Thank you

[@DaisZX]

I can't keep up with this one. It feels like the end of a long series without a known starting point.

[@AJPickett]

There are some vids that need to be watched before diving into this one. Call it an advanced lecture on D&D lore.

[@blueldrrich84]

That was incredible. I cant believe you kept track of so many disparate, moving parts like that lol insanity! But thoroughly fun to watch and listen to. Well done, man. Well done 👏👏👏 Now, more lore videos! 🤘🥳🤘 woot woot!

[@AJPickett]

Thanks :)

[@notsocrates5979]

I have a suggestion for a video topic: positive and Negative energy planes, I find that the 5e DM guide, Monster Manual, and players handbook don’t explain it well enough for me to understand, I only understand you explode in positive energy plane and implode in the negative energy plane, but not what those planes ARE

[@gwyndolin1536]

If Middle Earths War of Wrath, and Diablo's Sin War weren't Epic enough for you, here is the Dawn War.

[@Scortch-lo3xy]

that was one hell of an epic video.................mind blown

[@eminentbishop1325]

Asmodeus is the foremost servant of he who was. Props to the deity/devil that has the longest portfolio in dnd lol my mans is literally everywhere

[@AJPickett]

There are multiple true origins of Asmodeus.

[@TT-pl5iw]

@@AJPickett Is there reason to think one is more "true" than the others? How many are there, anyway? All I know of are the Pact Primeval and Jazirian & Ahriman.

[@VengefulJarl]

Love your stuff. I'm curious, what are some of the sources you used? Stuff like he who was, the forgotten sanctuary and the super weapons that were locked away. I knew quite a bit of the stuff mentioned but there was alot that I had not encountered before and would love to read up on it. But super great video. And idea on the dawn cataclysm?

[@cachos-story-lab]

Oh man, am I happy to see this video. There is a fantastic but extremely dry document on Enworld covering the history of the Nentir Vale... And I have to read pages worth for at least two items per sentence. Im on page 30 (of 120+), and boy has it been,hard. And now after at least a month of going back and forth between sources and remembering a fraction each time I see this. I cant be happier! You rock man, and seriously this is such an amazing story its frankly worth sharing with non RPG enthusiasts. I'll be watching it repeatedly until I can get most of those names, races and events to instant recall.

[@Fibonochos]

A great one shot/campaign would to have another realm connect to the remains of the lattice

[@relic3660]

Full animation of lore would be amazing 👍 great job as always for the in depth info on d@d lore.

[@Deannatheos]

Excellent thank you this one was exceptionally good.

[@TraciPeteyforlife]

Tharizdun the greatest insane con since the start of time. Sounds like the Gods and Primoridals have been going at it for a long while. Sounds like everyone has beef for a lot of reasons. The Halflings creator god blew them off. Gods of all types having to get into the Dawn War and throw down.

[@davemarx7856]

From what I understand of how gods work... If the dwarves had done *even less* worshipping of Moradin, he'd have become aware of their plight much sooner?

[@robinsearles5771]

This is scholarship, a potent blend of Forgotten Realms history, lore, and mythology. Hesiod, Homer, Thucydides, Herodotus, Xenophon, Apollodorus, Ovid - AJ, in this presentation you approach their good eminence. No less than Calliope and Clio, daughters of Mnemosyne, sister muses of epic poetry and history, would champion such an edification, or offer its progenitor his due apotheosis. Expertly written and narrated, it subsumes its author's forebears - Greenwood, et al. - and, to humbly poach Dr. Johnson's apprehension of Paradise Lost, the work itself cannot be called the greatest recounting of the Draconic Pantheon, only because it is not the first. I for my part say it is a thing and many things - a hagiography and a poignant adoration, an explication of cerebral fiction and a divinely wrought mythos. And I say it is - like so much of what AJ gives his audience - a thing much closer to my heart than more common stock, which I find in old issues of Dragon Magazine, in Dungeons & Dragons sourcebooks, or deep within the marginalia and footnotes of the many fine and current Web resources. Thank you, AJ. We adore you for what you are - a scribe sublime.

[@AJPickett]

*bows* Thank you

[@naughtseeingeye7767]

An interesting site in the astral plane is a location called The Living Sea. After having been infused with the mental energies of the astral plane have granted this ocean an alien intelligence

[@enciam3680]

All this fuss over a heavenly lettuce... Selune must really love BLTs.

[@michaelkelligan7931]

I'd prefer a "noon" war but i'm just lazy i guess! Good vid kiwi!

[@MoneySpain1188]

So dense in lore thank you so much!!

[@Danne1886]

Some of your best work to date AJ.

[@AJPickett]

Thanks Danny

[@angrygardengnome8383]

'The shard corrupted many beings' Starting with my mate Damo, all his teeth fell out and he tried to fight a cop :(

[@paul_chandler3082]

oh noooo

[@d20avatar]

Love these videos. It's hard to keep track of everything though. Any chance you could make a video specifically focusing on the primordials?

[@brosephnoonan223]

People like to shit on 4e but its additions to the general lore and cosmology were really neat. Yeah sure, its not specially FR and to some that might as well mean its trash fanfiction, but between the creatures and more and a few of the changes (namely making the Shadar-Kai former humans) were really cool. Making Monks a psionic class was a brilliant choice nobody appreciates, because im seemingly the only one who played 4e.

[@AJPickett]

I played every edition as they came out, and I didn't jump ship to Pathfinder (I might have if my group was interested, but, we were fine with 3.0, 3.5, 4 and now 5), the defined roles in the party (and the monsters) was fun and easy to work out, the simple rules for Minions were excellent and the fact you could organise your special actions using cards? Brilliant.

[@brosephnoonan223]

AJ Pickett So *THATS* how you became a brilliant D&D Encyclopedia Cosmica...

[@AJPickett]

Do this for four years, you will be just like me :)

[@gambent6853]

I personally love 4e, but I know we are a small group.

[@NessaEllenesse]

Disclaimer this is aimed at WoTC not 4E. WoTC did throw out the baby with the bath water when the wrote 4E. They completely rewrote the lore of every world, wiping out whole established campaign settings. Killing off a lot of deities. FR went through it's 4th meltdown in the books.(why does TSR/WoTC feel the need to burn the world down every time a new edition comes out? That is so annoying.) Lots of people and gods died when the spellplauge happened. Greyhawk and Dragonlance disappeared. Forgotten Realms wasn't just made the default campaign setting, but the only campaign setting. All existing lore and origin stories where completely rewritten. For example Lolth's betrayal of Corellon didn't happen in the dawn war, but after a personal squabble between him and grumsh. This is how Grumsh lost his eye. Mechanic wise 4E was a complete rewrite. WoTC one of their exes verbally trashing 3.5 at Gen Con as part of the 4E roll out, shutting down of all support of 3.5. Removing all their. 3.5 free maps and pdfs from their site. Sending an army of lawyers after every site that supported 3.5 and for a while the it was not possible to legally purchase 3.5 pdfs. (If my information source is accurate) WOTC basically shit on 3.5 and its players. Every convention I go to im the only one running a 3.5 game. I'm constantly getting asked why I haven't moved on to 4E.. Pathfinder 5E Pathfinder 2. Games are supposed to be fun. 3.5 is my fun. If 4E is your fun go for it. No one should play a game they dont enjoy just because every else is into it. I dont enjoy 5E or 4E.

[@dustinwheeler3833]

The primordial crushed under celestia, where did you find that info? Trying to find it myself

[@matthewbennett1972]

Can we get some stats and a picture of Miska the wolf spider

[@mrl9418]

So the Wolf-spider wasn't created by the queen of chaos, just corrupted. Which I guess boils down to the same thing for the obyrith. Nice that about the far realm making worship valuable to gods.

[@Peteman]

Will you be doing anything on the Elemental gods of Faerun or the Princes of Elemental Good?

[@levifowler7933]

My understanding was that the shadowfell didn't exist at this point? Am I wrong in that? If I am, how does this align chronologically with the creation of the shadowfell

[@kyleharrell4853]

The Shadowfel was created very recently in DND lore. I think it was in 4e with the Spellplague that the Negative Energy Plane collapsed and then reformed into the Shadowfel.

[@GarGhuul]

@@kyleharrell4853 I had heard much the same, something about Shar binding the Shadow plane with the Negative Energy Plane. it may be AJ mis-spoke, or with all the creation and destruction of alternate multiverses, not to mention apparently conflicts warping time itself… what’s an extra Shadowfell or two? At least it’s not a Shadowdark.

[@Izzo-io2ou]

I'd also like to se videos on the Great Artifacts. The Rod of Seven Parts, Orbs of Dragonkind, and so on. There where a bunch that I have no idea where they came from, or why they were created.

[@AJPickett]

Done and Done :)

[@Unity_Space_Cyber]

Dawn war AKA ultimate shit hitting the fan and shit storm.

[@321ronman]

I really appreciate the detail you add to all your videos. I do have a question. Which would you say is the true origin of Asmodeus? A) The Twin Serpents B) The Pact Primeval C) He-Who-Was ; or do you believe it to be an amalgam of all 3?

[@AJPickett]

Unknown. He could be a primordial or Spell weaver for all we know.

[@Izzo-io2ou]

Clearly Tharzun wasn't mad before grabbing the Shard, but was he Evil, or did the Shard cause that change also? It's not clear to me if he was. And what was his Sphere of Influence before hand?

[@AJPickett]

Oh he was evil already for sure.

[@DyrgeAfterDark]

Thanks AJ i was going to sleep, better put the kettle on.

[@ghostcat1377]

Dying to know your source material. I'm crafting a campaign around the princes of elemental *good*, seeking to balance their brethren & restore neutrality by claiming (adventurer) champions. Want to stay as close to canon as I can.

[@JayLeePoe]

Excellent. Wouldn't it be wild if some future dystopia found all this lore as the most reasonable and appealing records of "ancient beliefs?" _this is just Western Hinduism, right?_

[@robinmcgee9277]

Thanks for the Io drop this actually helps with the Io lore me and my dm have been working on

[@EnvisionerWill]

Where did you find the book pictured at 23:11, @AJ Pickett? If I recall correctly, those seven arcane symbols are an exact match for the ones used in Diablo 2's Act 2 area, the Canyon of the Magi, to mark the six False Tombs of Tal Rasha as well as the True Tomb where Baal is imprisoned. Is this a D2 art asset I've never seen before, or just a coincidentally similar source?

[@AJPickett]

Sorry, this video was made years ago and I have no recollection of where I sourced the images at the time. I suggest doing a screenshot and then a google image search.

[@samsamsamsamsamanilla5281]

Wow, this is amazing! However, it is so convoluted and complicated do you have a timeline or references to help understand all this?

[@thrillhouse4151]

Hehehe the closed captions keep talking about lettuce. Lol the plane of McKennas. Ooh it said letters one time, it’s fun to watch it take a whack at some of these names.

[@bigmonkey1254]

You should see it trying to comprehend a Newfoundland accent. I can see the AI having a stroke.

[@flibbernodgets7018]

I like all the horodric art scattered in the video. Seems to fit for some reason

[@AJPickett]

I know right? Decard is my Spirit animal.

[@flibbernodgets7018]

have you heard the Deckard Cain rap? you might get a kick out of it if you haven't already kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXnJnnVqp5d5mdE

[@RedNZBlue]

I've got an idea for my next D&D campaign!

[@gatall91]

So many khornate daemons lol. Great video AJ

[@mrl9418]

Matthew Merrell This video offends Slaanesh!

[@thedarkmaster4747]

Mr L 👍

[@AJPickett]

Blood for the Blood God!

[@linguisticallyoversight8685]

The chained God did nothing wrong he was right in the long run and the over God can do nothing about it all hail the Elder Elemental eye

[@Good.shepherd420]

The mighty nein is going through sone theresdune stuff right now, i couldnt find anything on him until i found this video.

[@AJPickett]

Check some of my recent videos (Astral Dreadnought in particular) for more Tharizdun info.

[@Good.shepherd420]

@@AJPickett actually i found your therizdun and astral dreadnaught right after this...probably had to do with spelling!

[@cosmicparticles9658]

This video is great AJ, I study some lore too and found this story quite similar, you might find this interesting. TRANSLATION : D&D TO MESOPOTAMIAN Lattice of Heaven - Multicellular Cells Arathys - Queen of Orion Moradin - Anu? Corellin - Enlil? Obrynths - Phage Far Realm - Folded dimensions within atoms Lakal - Sophia Tharazdun - Enki The Abyss - Sophia's Disease Queen of Chaos - Phage Matriarch He Who Was - Marduk (imprisoned Tharazdun) Crystal Prison - Earth Godess's of the Quom - Namlu'u Rune of Stone Eternal into Spawning Stone - RNA to DNA Outsiders - Spirits stuck in 'between lives areas' Io - Engineer of Atoms (Owlzebra) Giants & Titans (Arathys) attack Dwarves (Moradin) Age of Strife - Time of conflict after infection leading to Dawn War (War in Heaven) ; approx 30m years Primordials - Common flora & fauna incarnations Archons - Created by Moradin to fight Arathys & Queen of Chaos Pantheon - DNA itteration of RNA multicellularity Carceri - Nibiru Athys - Tiamaat (old Earth) Aladrin - Old Empire / Deep State Lolth - Ishtar Azomdeus - Azazel Jinn - Cherubs The Seventy - Galactic Council of Worlds Portfolio of Gods - Soul (genome)

[@cosmicparticles9658]

@@حَسن-م3ه9ظ I had watched the work of Wes Penre, he no longer makes videos. I think they knew each day is an entire lifetime, but we go to sleep and visit other worlds, so we do not live one lifetime but many throughout our life

[@blaCCiez]

Again great video's! i'm working with lifetime friend on a book which started about 18 years ago.. tho due both of our vivid ''imagination'' dreams and / of past life events.. this book.. has yet to be completed. as almost each day more knowledge info and lore, to this origins is added.. ( we would be about 5 books worth..however. there is so much... that we have not yet found a stable support to solidify this story.. in which we both connect. now i was so glad that you shared the name of: *The living Gate* sadly i was unable to quite get it.. and so my search into this further led to mostly mispelled attemps.. to find this name again.. as to it's Creation.. could you if there is enough to find regarding this. regarding the living Gate and all that dwells within in more depth details.....? again wonderful video! entertaining and educational! Thank you again for each of your video's !!!

[@BrainsInBlackButter]

Wait...it all began with the plan to make the lettuce of heaven...uh, I'm confused...I'm sure the salad is heavenly but I'm more of a meat and potatoes man myself. :D

[@tonitapiopakkis9864]

Are those farrealm things the ones that change human right away to super mutant? Thank you fot answering💕

[@AJPickett]

Yep

[@adamholcomb200]

This video will be used for my Necromancer AL character as he discovers secrets of a Land of undead sealed away in Deaths Reach🤔☠️💯

[@AJPickett]

Woooo! Good luck.

[@thedarkmaster4747]

great vid. lost a comment, but the theme was basically two chinese kungfu masters fighting in a china shop... not so successful in doing much damage to each other, but the china shop... well, is a metaphore for reality. each piece is a law of physics, or a concept of thought, or your intire planet... and you can't put a hand on either of them to so much as slow them down... fun times XD but this makes me think of a bunch of freed genies going up against a god in a plot... not to kill them, just to bind them in a light house or something permanently. forcably granting boons to the crews of ships all "do want fries with that." untill they escape, thoroughly maddened by the indignity and so decided to start an appocalpyse. *pictures an efreet & a dao using their vast wealth to by a genie lamp & sadistly rubbing it through magic to activate it alone in a hall of mirrors* which hmm now that i think on it, it links back... these vids are great inspiration, as always.

[@danzka86]

Hej AJ. Where can i find the exact map of the wheel show at 08:33 ?

[@danzka86]

please someone :D . You are all liking and loving my question but nobody has an answer. I really want to print this out for my players and i would not mind dropping some patreon money to the creator either i just need to know where to get it!!! :)

[@nicholasschoonbeck6866]

@@danzka86 have you tried just googling for the image? I mean that's what the internet is for...

[@danzka86]

@@nicholasschoonbeck6866 Yes, I have... 4 months ago, when I asked the questions. And three months ago when I bumped it. I searched with the terms "D&D planes of existence" and similar. Searches that, back then, did not yield the image. Luckily, I also asked for the picture on several forums and quite a few people responded helpfully, instead of with a snarky comment. So i have long since gotten the image. And yes, I too am aware that the image is now available with the above search, but it wasn't when I asked my question, which is why I asked in the first place. Maybe, if you are not going to say anything helpfull or nice, just don't say anything. Or at least check the timestamps, you know, "cause that's what the internet is for"....

[@nicholasschoonbeck6866]

@@danzka86 I'm not being snarky. I literally googled the question, looked at images & there it was. I'm just confused when people ask questions & can't find something. The internet is not that complicated.

[@danzka86]

@@nicholasschoonbeck6866 The "I mean that's what the internet is for..." part of your reply was pretty much all snark. I mean, if you had simply asked whether I had already tried googling it for the image, that would have been a neutral reply, a genuine inquiry. And if you were actually trying to be helpful, and since you already had made the google search, you could even have chosen to provide a link to the picture, which you had just found and thought I was still looking for. But you did neither. You took time out of your day, to see if the image was available on google 3 months after I had last bumped it. And when it was, you falsely assumed that I had not searched for it myself. Then you, based on that false assumption, took time out of your day to come back and type a comment, that not only wasn't helpfull, but questioned my ability to use google, something a child can do as soon as it learns to write. All while you ignore the possibility of the 3 month time difference, since my last bump, being a factor regarding the availability of the image on google image search. It so easy being snarky on the internet. We all do it. But why on earth you would chose someones comment requesting help with an D&D related image to be your battlefield, when there are antivaxxers, fascists and other extremists out there that deserve your snark, is beyond me. Why do you take time out of your own day, to in no way help, and even slightly insult, someone requesting assistance regarding a hobby which you seem to share, since you are here? And why do you do so within a community which otherwise is regarded by it members as really helpful (and here I am talking about AJ's viewers, not youtube comments in general) I mean, what is the purpose of the second part of your first comment if not being snarky?

[@docop8926]

3:28 this is the pic u flashed a few times (noticable to most) in the pale night video

[@jsizzlesaurusrex]

So the primordials are kinda like demons? Are they the Obyrith, or creations of the Obyrith? Just a little confused

[@AJPickett]

Primordials are almost unlimited, self generated beings who arose out of the elemental chaos, they created and destroyed whole worlds (like cosmic Minecraft) and then, in the dimension of dreams and beliefs, the gods arose, they were more interested in populating and adding complexity and order to the created worlds, and worked to stop the Primordials from griefing their builds (like, stay off our Minecraft server man!).

[@MrNetWraith]

Are you familiar with the Archomentals of Planescape? Primordials are Chaotic-aligned Archomentals with an added dose of "multiversial precursor", ala the Titans from Classical Mythology. That's the simplest meta-description I can think of.

[@robby2635]

How do you spell where all the weapons were stored? Carsreali? I have tried many variations of the spelling but I cannot find it

[@AJPickett]

Carceri

[@robby2635]

Thanks AJ! I love your videos btw. You have taught me so much lore over the last few months. I recently showed my wife your videos. She is not a fan of most ecology /lore videos due to their structure and encyclopedia stale style. I started playing your videos during a three hour drive and after her initial eye roll, she ended up hooked. It's your personal touches and the way you start off each video like a story and hook the viewer. Props

[@robby2635]

I am building my first homebrew world right now for my next campaign. Taking place 500 years after an alternate ending to the Dawn War. All of the gods will somehow of been tricked and locked into Carceri by one of the evil gods. I'm not sure which one yet. Any advice? This God overtime sheds my world of most magic. They become the one true God. Unknown to the people of the world or the players this God will sit as the king. The far reaches of the world will have elves, orcs, and gnomes, with minimal magic they pull from lesser deities hiding still in elemental planes. The general view of magic is that it is only something savages use, and is taboo. All class abilities will be seen as magic, like a fighters ability to strike multiple times in moments, to a sorcerers spells. In Carceri 30 or so of the gods use what little power they have to choose a champion. My players and NPCs. They have made a pact that one true champion will be selected and they will use all of their power to make this champion a God with the goal of challenging the one true God and freeing those imprisoned. Sorry tried to keep that light. My world anvil account is facing a lot of writers block as I try to figure out the core details

[@Argo.nautica]

This seems to blend a lot of lore from different settings (or maybe those settings blend them). Like FR lore has Shar and Sune doing a bunch, and of course Erathis isn't a deity there, and Asmodeus is different than mentioned here. The beginning Tharzidun/Obyriths/Demons remains the same, and a lot of names remain the same. Erathis and Asmodeus makes this seem 4e specific. This makes no mention of say Dendar, Miska, or the primordial Ubtao betraying them and helping the Gods to end the war. Which may be just FR specific.

[@AJPickett]

Correct! Dendar swallowing the sun of Toril is not, as far as I am aware, actually part of the Dawn War, as it happened during the Blue Age of Abeir-Toril. I do mention Miska the Wolf Spider, and yes, Untao was worth a mention, quite right.

[@Argo.nautica]

Yeah for FR the Blue Age and the Shadow Epoch are part of the Dawn War. Dendar swallows the sun (ending the Blue Age and starting the Shadow Epoch), and the *end* of the Dawn War is partially signaled by the recreation of the sun after the Gods win, beginning the Days of Thunder. EDIT: To be clear on why it's part of the Dawn War. Dendar, a primordial, swallows the sun as it a favored creation of the god Selune. And also because he's a dick.

[@AJPickett]

Personification of all dicks in the multiverse.

[@kpeckham1]

What the dickens is the Green Path? I know the River Styx and Oceanus and the Color Pools in the Astral, but my internet searching brought nothing.... a Tree on the Great Wheel? Or...?

[@AJPickett]

The elven fey path connection

[@kpeckham1]

@@AJPickett Ah thank you!

[@kpeckham1]

@@AJPickett I keep running into walls finding these Green Path Fey Connections. Where do they go and from? (I love your content, syk!)

[@docop8926]

Wait! So the Greek, Egyptian and Norse gods are in D&D? If so then how come no one makes a vid on any of them!

[@MythosTheSophist]

Because people more or less know about them. They are multi-spheric pantheons, meaning they are worshipped on multiple crystal spheres, but with differences here and there. In most places in Faerûn they are really not prevalent, so people just tend to ignore them.

[@docop8926]

@@MythosTheSophist thanks for the reply!

[@blackgatefox501]

THANK YOU

[@arnoldcruise5688]

hey aj can you do primordial's

[@michaelscotts3949]

Wait, the over god fought a 1 on 1 fight and died? Also all the dragons joined the side of the primordial at first? No good/bad dragon differences? Finally what's with these super monsters imprisoned in Carceri? I've never seen super weapon monsters in any D&D books I encountered. I'd love to know what books any of this stuff is at to see info on all these Primordials and Gods. Also the first I've really heard jack on the planes of heaven let alone it being dropped on a primordial. I remember another story where Asmodeus was originally 1 of 2 who had a hand in creation of some sort fought and lost falling to the bottom of hell and it's original body feeding off the souls of non worshipers who arrive at the bottom or his haters who's souls have nowhere else to go. Need more info in what the Lattice was. Finally I recall reading somewhere that its believed some of the layers of the abyss are defeated realms by those alien beings that were dragged into and merged with the abyss so some of those unknown races from other worlds or what's become of them can be found in the abyss. While this says it's just layers somehow created by the shard burrowing?

[@thumbsup1214]

I think your confusing the over God "Ao" with the original dragon God "Io" who was defeated and split into bahamut and tiamat. I do agree that the story of asmodeus being one of the creator entities now living in bator does contradict alot of what is said here but dnd lore is retconned and changed all the time. So choose which ever you prefer. As for the abyss I dont see why both the version you spoke of and the version presented in the video cant coexist. It was started by the shard and the realms you speak of could've been added after its initial creation.

[@neiljones261]

@@thumbsup1214 asmodeus is actually a dragon who had no wings who lived before all was made along with another dragon who had wings thay both formed a circle by having the others tale in its mouth and when thay both pulled apart the winged dragon ahirmen flew up and lived in the heavens that where he stays and the other with no wings fell down all way to bottom of abyess right at bottom in what's known as the serpeants tail

[@sypandacat7236]

Would love to draw for d&d and write/make monsters with cool ecology's but idk how to reach an editor or any of that would be awesome tho any ideas AJ?

[@AJPickett]

Just keep creating stuff every day, get it out there, be consistent and if you are lucky, people will notice.

[@BusterXXXL]

I would really love to know, what source materials you used, as I am momentarily pondering writing down the history of AberToril as seen from the perspective of the Aboleth race, and I find it difficult to find enough detail about the whole creation of gods and devils affairs.

[@AJPickett]

All of the Manual of the Planes sourcebooks, Wikipedia pages, Dragon and Dungeon magazines, the fourth edition books on Planes above and Planes below, I have not managed to read all the novels where many of these events are mentioned, but there are reliable references to them. Forums on Enworld, 4chan, RPGnet, Facebook, etc. It was a process of finding and condensing the information down, taking notes on where to find things and then, yeah, throwing it all together in a video like this. Even so, the specific order of events is largely guesswork and there is no reliable timeline for the whole war, only a rough idea of key events that started or ended particular epochs.

[@BusterXXXL]

Wow, thxalot for the answer. Yeah, Faerun historical research is a puzzle hunt, thx for the clues. Oh, btw. do you know from the top of your head, when, for the first time, the existence of mortal life is mentioned? The most specific I found so far is : "While the deities battled, many intelligent beings arose on Toril. Modern scholars call the five greatest the creator races." I am trying to square that with the Aboleth memories: "Before the coming of the gods, aboleths lurked in primordial oceans and underground lakes. They reached out with their minds and seized control of the burgeoning life-forms of the mortal realm, making those creatures their slaves" Seems quite contradictory to the deistic timeline, where at least Ao, Shar, Selune and Chauntea should have existed before any form of life could exist on AbeirToril. Do you see any later possible point in time, that the aboleth might remember as "the coming of the gods", maybe some "first contact" event, or the first mentioning of a god creating a race?

[@AJPickett]

As you say, it is very hard to be more precise than the general eras, so, the Aboleth dominated the Blue age, where the world of Toril was basically covered in water. This means that mortal life could only exist after Dendar swallowed the sun and it was recreated, the time before that occurred, Toril was just a big snowball. So, the Age of Thunder does seem to be the best bet for the age of the creation of Mortals on Toril.. Remember, they did not have to Originate on Toril, many were probably created in other realms, and taken to Toril, just as many of the Gods were summoned to Toril to fight the Dawn War.

[@firetarrasque4667]

Though i'm extraordinarily late, I actually find it doubtful that the Obyrith are what they say they are. I suspect that they are just beings created by some kind of Water primordial. This would explain their Elemental nature, their hatred of the gods, and why they see themselves as the rightful rulers of everything.