--- #### **The Dawn of Creation (Pre-Dalereckoning)** - **Before -35,000 DR: The Formation of the Planes** - During the creation of the multiverse, the Negative Energy Plane emerges as a counterpart to the **Positive Energy Plane**. - It is a raw, destructive force, embodying entropy, decay, and the absence of life. - **The Dawn War:** - In the cosmic war between the **primordials** and the gods, the Negative Energy Plane becomes a battleground. - Undead entities and negative energy-powered creatures serve the primordials, opposing divine champions. - The gods seal many of the Negative Energy Plane's greater entities, such as **nightwalkers**, to prevent them from overwhelming the multiverse. --- #### **The Rise of Necromancy (-30,000 DR to -10,000 DR)** - **The Creation of Undeath:** - Early necromancers and primal entities discover the Negative Energy Plane as a source of power, crafting the first undead creatures. - Liches, vampires, and other undead beings begin to exploit the plane’s energies to sustain their existence. - **Conflict with the Positive Energy Plane:** - Interplanar clashes erupt between forces aligned with the Positive and Negative Energy Planes. - Celestial beings seek to curtail the spread of negative energy and its effects on mortal realms. --- #### **The Netherese Experiments (-3,100 DR to -339 DR)** - **The Rise of Netheril (-3,100 DR):** - Netherese archmages experiment with the Negative Energy Plane, using its power to create undead servitors and devastating necromantic spells. - **Karsus**, an archwizard of Netheril, develops necromantic techniques that draw directly from the plane, furthering his magical arsenal. - **The Fall of Netheril (-339 DR):** - The collapse of Netheril scatters knowledge of necromancy tied to the Negative Energy Plane. - Liches and other undead who were dependent on the plane retreat to hidden sanctuaries. --- #### **The Rise of Undead Empires (1 DR to 1300 DR)** - **100 DR: Thay’s Early Necromancers** - Early Thayan necromancers draw upon the Negative Energy Plane to create undead armies. - This marks the foundation of necromantic traditions that would later define **Szass Tam**’s magocracy. - **714 DR: Fall of Myth Drannor** - The invasion of fiends and undead into Myth Drannor introduces negative energy anomalies that persist in its ruins. - These pockets of necrotic energy become portals to the Negative Energy Plane, allowing undead entities to cross into Faerûn. - **1200 DR: The Necropolis of T’lindhet** - The Negative Energy Plane empowers the rise of the necropolis of **T’lindhet**, an undead city ruled by a coalition of liches and wights. - The city becomes a staging ground for necromantic experiments and interplanar incursions. --- #### **The Time of Troubles and the Negative Energy Surge (1358 DR)** - **1358 DR: The Time of Troubles** - During the mortal descent of the gods, deities aligned with death and necromancy, such as **Myrkul** and **Bhaal**, temporarily lose control of their divine realms. - This destabilization causes a surge of negative energy, leading to the spontaneous creation of undead in various parts of Faerûn. - **Myrkul’s death** amplifies the power of necromantic magic until Kelemvor takes his place as the god of death. --- #### **The Spellplague and Necrotic Chaos (1385 DR to 1487 DR)** - **1385 DR: The Spellplague** - The collapse of the Weave creates wild magic zones infused with negative energy. - These zones act as temporary portals to the Negative Energy Plane, allowing powerful undead entities to enter the Material Plane. - Areas like **Thay** and **Chult** are particularly affected, as necromancers and undead creatures exploit the chaos. - **1395 DR: Szass Tam’s Thayan Ascendancy** - **Szass Tam**, the lich ruler of Thay, consolidates his power by channeling energy from the Negative Energy Plane. - His necromantic magocracy dominates the region, using undead armies sustained by the plane’s energy. --- #### **The Second Sundering and the Rebalancing (1484 DR to 1487 DR)** - **1484–1487 DR: The Second Sundering** - The re-creation of the **Tablets of Fate** restores balance to the multiverse, including stabilizing the connection between the Negative Energy Plane and other realms. - Many negative energy anomalies created during the Spellplague are sealed or diminished. - Undead empires reliant on these anomalies begin to weaken, though Thay remains a major necromantic power. --- #### **Modern Era (1490 DR to Present)** - **1492 DR: Baldur’s Gate 3 and Necrotic Intrigue** - The followers of **Myrkul** manipulate necrotic energy, exploiting the Negative Energy Plane to empower their undead creations and corrupt Baldur’s Gate. - **Elder Brains** and other entities experiment with necrotic energy to amplify their control over mortals. - **Present Day:** - The Negative Energy Plane remains a significant source of power for necromancers, liches, and undead factions. - Adventurers often venture into regions affected by negative energy anomalies to confront powerful undead, destroy necrotic artifacts, or seal planar rifts. --- ### **Themes of the Negative Energy Plane’s Timeline** 1. **Undeath and Corruption:** - The plane’s essence is synonymous with decay and death, fostering the rise of undead and necromantic magic across the multiverse. 2. **Interplanar Influence:** - While not a location mortals can easily survive, the Negative Energy Plane profoundly affects the Material Plane through its necrotic energy. 3. **Conflict with Positive Energy:** - The ongoing tension between the Positive and Negative Energy Planes reflects the larger cosmological balance between life and death. 4. **Adventuring Opportunities:** - Planar rifts, undead empires, and necrotic artifacts tied to the Negative Energy Plane provide endless challenges for adventurers. ---