Great Erosion: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 14:42, 6 October 2026

The Great Erosion (c. 63,000–55,000 BME) was the period in which water, air, and fire entered Dalel, the realm of earth, and broke it into separate landmasses. It followed the Era of Isolation and was followed by the Age of Ascendance. It was a conflict between the Primordial Spirits and their armies, and ended with the defeat of Yairan, the Primordial Spirit of Earth, who lost almost all of his realm. Time came into existence near its end.

Background

Before the Great Erosion, Dalel was an unbroken and unbounded expanse of stone and the only tangible realm. Yairan was its only inhabitant.

Course

Intrusion of Aahi

Aahi, the Primordial Spirit of Water, had no realm of its own. It forced its way into Dalel and began to wear away the stone. During the Great Erosion Aahi formed Aasila, the realm of water, around what remained of Dalel.

Air and fire

Yavi, the Primordial Spirit of Air, and Metihi, the Primordial Spirit of Fire, followed Aahi into Dalel. Yavi's winds wore down the surface. Metihi's fire broke through from below.

Wardens

Each of the four spirits created a race to fight for it. The warriors of these races are known as Wardens.

Spirit	Race
Yairan	Namuril
Aahi	Bensahai
Yavi	Shosior
Metihi	Oxeyihlu

The Namuril defended Dalel and built refuges and passages beneath its surface. Those beneath Khamria and Orinilure later became the Deep Roads.

Emergence of time

Konmai, the Primordial Spirit of time, emerged near the end of the Great Erosion. The cause is uncertain. It is most often attributed to the consciousness of Umalyu. Before Konmai, events in Dalel had no sequence or duration. After Konmai, the elements acted on one another in order, and the changes they made became permanent.

End of the conflict

Umalyu created the Enarei, beings of greater power than the Wardens, who stopped the fighting. The Enarei have not been seen since. The four spirits then agreed that each element would keep its own nature while continuing to act on the others.

Yairan had lost almost all of Dalel. He withdrew with the Namuril to the Domain of Yairan and raised the Așdilu Mountains around it.

Consequences

Dalel was reduced from an unbounded realm to separate landmasses surrounded by the sea of Aasila.
Rivers, lakes, weather, and volcanic activity came into existence in Dalel.
Time began, and the history of Dalel is dated from this period.
The collapse of the boundaries between the realms also began the Dawn Wars, a conflict between Tñarilu and Náiluv, the spirits of light and darkness, which has not ended.
The conditions created by the Great Erosion allowed the Ascendant Spirits to arise in the Age of Ascendance.

Landforms

Several features of Méniail are attributed to the Great Erosion.

The Așdilu Mountains were raised by Yairan to enclose the Domain of Yairan.
The valley of Aráinia is said in Barugoar tradition to have formed where Yairan's tears fell.
The swamps of Balúrail formed where Yairan hardened the earth against Aahi and the water could not drain.
Arezilur was carved by wind from land that had been joined to Khamria.

Continuing erosion

The conflict ended, but the elements continue to act on Dalel. Water, wind, and fire still wear down and reshape the land, at a pace governed by time.

Bibliography

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Hatnote|Part of the [[History of Orethil]]}}
+{{Hatnote|Part of the [[History of Dalel]]}}
+[[File:Great Erosion.jpg|thumb|Painting of the Great Erosion.]]
+The '''Great Erosion''' (c. 63,000–55,000 BME) was the period in which water, air, and fire entered [[Dalel]], the realm of earth, and broke it into separate landmasses. It followed the [[Era of Isolation]] and was followed by the [[Age of Ascendance]]. It was a conflict between the Primordial Spirits and their armies, and ended with the defeat of [[Yairan]], the [[Primordial Spirit]] of Earth, who lost almost all of his realm. Time came into existence near its end.
-'''The Great Erosion''' was one of the most transformative events in the history of [[Adaris]], marking the moment when the primordial realm of Orethil—the realm of the [[Oras|Primordial Spirit of Earth]]—was first breached by external elemental forces. Before this event, [[Orethil]] existed as an infinite and unchanging realm of pure earth and stone, untouched by the influence of other elements. It was the first and most enduring realm, formed from the chaotic energies of [[Astram]] within the [[Primordial Void]].
+== Background ==
+Before the Great Erosion, Dalel was an unbroken and unbounded expanse of stone and the only tangible realm. [[Yairan]] was its only inhabitant.
-The Great Erosion was not merely a geological event but a metaphysical upheaval that forever altered the balance of the elements in Adaris, reshaping its landscapes, its spirits, and its societies.
+== Course ==
+=== Intrusion of Aahi ===
+[[Aahi]], the Primordial Spirit of Water, had no realm of its own. It forced its way into Dalel and began to wear away the stone. During the Great Erosion Aahi formed [[Aasila]], the realm of water, around what remained of Dalel.
-== Origins of the Great Erosion ==
+=== Air and fire ===
+[[Yavi]], the Primordial Spirit of Air, and [[Metihi]], the Primordial Spirit of Fire, followed Aahi into Dalel. Yavi's winds wore down the surface. Metihi's fire broke through from below.
-The catalyst for the Great Erosion was the intrusion of [[Jala]], the [[Primordial Spirit]] of Water. Unlike the other elements, which developed their own domains, Jala lacked a dedicated realm. In seeking space to exist, Jala forced itself into Orethil—shattering the elemental boundaries and piercing the stillness of earth with fluid force.
+=== Wardens ===
+Each of the four spirits created a race to fight for it. The warriors of these races are known as [[Warden|Wardens]].
+{| class="wikitable"
+|-
+! Spirit !! Race
+|-
+| [[Yairan]] || [[Namuril]]
+|-
+| [[Aahi]] || [[Bensaha|Bensahai]]
+|-
+| [[Yavi]] || [[Shosior]]
+|-
+| [[Metihi]] || [[Oxeyihlu]]
+|}
+The Namuril defended Dalel and built refuges and passages beneath its surface. Those beneath [[Khamria]] and [[Orinilure]] later became the [[Deep Roads]].
-This intrusion destabilized the elemental order and initiated the erosion of Orethil's eternal form. In response, the realms of [[Shasae]] (air) and [[Tejas]] (fire) followed, each pressing into the domain of earth. Their combined presence sparked an era of catastrophic transformation.
+=== Emergence of time ===
+[[Konmai]], the Primordial Spirit of time, emerged near the end of the Great Erosion. The cause is uncertain. It is most often attributed to the consciousness of [[Umalyu]]. Before Konmai, events in Dalel had no sequence or duration. After Konmai, the elements acted on one another in order, and the changes they made became permanent.
-It was during this period that the [[Ascendant Spirit]] [[Kairos]], embodiment of time, came into being. The convergence of opposing forces threatened to collapse the realm into chaos. Kairos emerged to stabilize this unfolding transformation—ensuring that the elements interacted in cycles rather than in uncontrolled destruction.
+=== End of the conflict ===
+Umalyu created the [[Enarei]], beings of greater power than the Wardens, who stopped the fighting. The Enarei have not been seen since. The four spirits then agreed that each element would keep its own nature while continuing to act on the others.
-== The Erosive Forces ==
+Yairan had lost almost all of Dalel. He withdrew with the Namuril to the [[Domain of Yairan]] and raised the [[Așdilu Mountains]] around it.
-The invading elemental forces reshaped Orethil in profound ways:
+== Consequences ==
+* Dalel was reduced from an unbounded realm to separate landmasses surrounded by the sea of Aasila.
+* Rivers, lakes, weather, and volcanic activity came into existence in Dalel.
+* Time began, and the history of Dalel is dated from this period.
+* The collapse of the boundaries between the realms also began the [[Dawn Wars]], a conflict between [[Tñarilu]] and [[Náiluv]], the spirits of light and darkness, which has not ended.
+* The conditions created by the Great Erosion allowed the [[Ascendant Spirit|Ascendant Spirits]] to arise in the Age of Ascendance.
-* '''Water''': [[Jala]] carved rivers, lakes, and oceans into the once-solid expanse of earth. Its constant movement eroded stone, hollowed caverns, and nurtured valleys—transforming permanence into impermanence.
+=== Landforms ===
-* '''Air''': The currents of [[Shasae]] swept through the fissures, carrying dust and breath across the broken land. Wind wore down cliffs, softened peaks, and introduced movement into a realm once defined by stillness.
+Several features of [[Méniail]] are attributed to the Great Erosion.
-* '''Fire''': [[Tejas]] erupted from beneath the earth, igniting fault lines and reshaping terrain through volcanic force. Lava flows remade the landscape, forging new minerals and consuming the old.
+* The [[Așdilu Mountains]] were raised by Yairan to enclose the Domain of Yairan.
+* The valley of [[Aráinia]] is said in [[Barugoar]] tradition to have formed where Yairan's tears fell.
+* The swamps of [[Balúrail]] formed where Yairan hardened the earth against Aahi and the water could not drain.
+* [[Arezilur]] was carved by wind from land that had been joined to [[Khamria]].
-== The Consequences of the Great Erosion ==
+== Continuing erosion ==
+The conflict ended, but the elements continue to act on Dalel. Water, wind, and fire still wear down and reshape the land, at a pace governed by time.
-[[File:Terasil - Great Erosion 01.jpg|thumb|Evidence of the Great Erosion is still seen all over Orethil.]]
+== Bibliography ==
+* {{BibliographyEntry|Category=history|Title=The Chronicles of Creation}}
+* {{BibliographyEntry|Category=history|Title=The Erosion of Eternity}}
+* {{BibliographyEntry|Category=history|Title=Balancing the Elements: The Role of Konmai}}
-The Great Erosion marked the transformation of Orethil from an infinite realm into the bounded continent of [[Elemara]]. The once-endless dominion of [[Oras]] contracted, its center solidifying around the [[Citadel Mountains]]—the last bastion of its primordial power.
+[[Category:History]]
+[[Category:Dalel]]
-The Orasians, ancient beings born of earth, were altered by the incursion. Once vast and immovable, many were reduced in scale and strength, their forms reshaped by air, fire, and water. As elemental forces mingled, new lifeforms, ecosystems, and societies arose—each bearing traces of the primordial spirits that now coexisted within the realm.
-== The Birth of Time ==
-The erosion of Orethil's eternal nature demanded order. Without a mechanism to govern transformation, the realm would have unraveled. From this necessity, [[Kairos]]—the spirit of time—emerged. Kairos established sequence, decay, renewal, and growth. Through Kairos, the changes wrought by the elements became bearable—gradual, knowable, and cyclical.
-Time introduced the rhythms of day and night, birth and death, memory and progression. It remains one of the most vital Ascendant Spirits in Adaris, not as a creator, but as a preserver of structure.
-== Ongoing Erosion ==
-Though the cataclysmic phase of the Great Erosion has ended, its influence endures. The elemental forces still shape [[Orethil]], now tempered by Kairos’s cycle. The mountains shift, rivers expand, winds carve, and fire smolders beneath—reminders that creation and destruction remain in constant motion.
-== Legacy ==
-The Great Erosion is remembered not only as a cataclysm, but as a genesis. It marks the beginning of interaction between elements, the emergence of time, and the transformation of a solitary realm into a shared world.
-The effects of the Great Erosion still define [[Elemara]]—in its jagged peaks, fertile lowlands, and dynamic weather patterns. Spiritually, it signifies the fragility of permanence and the power of elemental convergence. It is a foundational myth, a geological truth, and a living memory woven into the soul of Adaris.
-== References ==
-* ''"The Chronicles of Creation"'' – A collection of ancient Adarian texts detailing the universe's origin and the elemental forces.
-* ''"The Erosion of Eternity"'' – A study on the effects of the Great Erosion on Orethil and its people.
-* ''"Balancing the Elements: The Role of Kairos"'' – An exploration of the emergence of time and its impact on the balance of Adaris.