Age of Attrition

After the Dawn War, the gods each favored their own races. Each sentient race looked to their patron to guide them, and they were all guided to war, believing they were the superior species.

Seeing the chaos this was causing, Bane created a dominating force of goblins and humans that terrorized the natural world. While the races were fighting, Bane was uniting all species into his ever growing army. They would conquer cities and force all able bodies into soldiers. They spread far and wide, conquering and integrating people of all races and cultures.

In a similar fashion, Vecna, a lich lord, conquered entire cities and converted the fallen into undead, amassing an army of horrors. Favored by Nerull, Vecna was given unimaginable power and a nearly unstoppable force. If not for a betrayal by one of his lieutenants, Vecna would have likely defeated Bane’s armies and conquered the world.

The shadowfell was also contested in this age. Nerull was using the ever-growing amount of dead to amass and army, and the Raven Queen fought and eventually defeated him, thereby taking the seat of the shadowfell. Nerull rose Vecna to demigod shortly before his own death.

Corellon, Melora, Sehanine and Lolth sought to protect their children and created the fey together. Corellon and Lolth were believed to be lovers, but Corellon became involved with Sehanine. Lolth vengefully turned the drow on their brethren, and attempted to take the fey for themselves. Melora was concerned with the destruction in the natural world and sent the elves to protect the forests, leaving the eladrin to fend off the drow alone. The drow were eventually driven from the fey and then forced into the underdark, where they and Lolth still reside. This caused Moradin to force the dwarves from the underdark, in fear they would be slaughtered.

After millennia of fighting, the natural world was almost completely void of life. The gods, realizing they interfered too much, made a pact to stay out of mortal affairs. Vecna has remained hidden from the other gods ever since, collecting secrets and biding his time. Bane was forced to agree to the pact the other gods made, knowing death or banishment were his only other options.