--- #### **The Primordial Age (Pre-Dalereckoning)** - **Before -35,000 DR: Formation of the Far Realm** - The Far Realm exists outside the structure of the multiverse, likely predating its creation. - It is theorized to have been formed from the raw chaos and madness that the gods and primordials sought to seal away. - **The Dawn War:** - During the war between gods and primordials, incursions from the Far Realm disrupt the balance of power. - Aboleths, beholders, and other aberrations emerge during this time, sowing chaos across the planes. - The gods work to seal the Far Realm behind dimensional barriers, limiting its influence on the multiverse. --- #### **The Age of Aberrations (-30,000 DR to -10,000 DR)** - **-30,000 DR: Rise of the Aboleths** - The **aboleths**, ancient psionic beings tied to the Far Realm, emerge as the first known aberrations. - They enslave primitive mortals on the Material Plane, building vast underwater empires. - **-25,000 DR: Beholders Appear** - The first **beholders**, terrifying aberrations of singular eyes and floating bodies, are created or drawn from the Far Realm. - They establish themselves as tyrants and power-seekers across the multiverse. - **-20,000 DR: Illithid Incursion** - Mind flayers (**illithids**), psionic aberrations capable of enslaving entire civilizations, begin spreading from the Far Realm. - They construct **Elder Brains**, collective psionic intelligences that guide their hive-like societies. --- #### **The Age of Mortal Awareness (-10,000 DR to -1,000 DR)** - **-10,000 DR: Discovery by Mortal Scholars** - Mortal spellcasters discover evidence of the Far Realm through forbidden rituals and psionic experimentation. - These experiments often lead to madness, corruption, and the creation of small Far Realm breaches. - **-7,000 DR: Rise of Aberration Cults** - Cults devoted to Far Realm entities emerge on Toril, worshiping beings like **Tharizdun**, **Ghaunadaur**, and other Elder Evils. - These cults seek to create rifts between the multiverse and the Far Realm, unleashing aberrations and chaos. - **-5,000 DR: The Spellwars of Madness** - Conflicts between mortal mages experimenting with Far Realm magic escalate, resulting in wild magic zones and localized planar distortions. - Aberrations invade these areas, further destabilizing the Material Plane. --- #### **The Age of Mortal Empires (-1,000 DR to 1358 DR)** - **-1,000 DR: The Fall of the Illithid Empire** - The mind flayers’ Material Plane empire collapses due to slave revolts and the rise of gith civilizations. - The **Githyanki** and **Githzerai** form, both factions harboring deep hatred for aberrations and the Far Realm. - **500 DR: Creation of the Elder Orbs** - Beholders create **Elder Orbs**, powerful magical devices tied to the Far Realm. - These orbs amplify the influence of the Far Realm, causing corruption and planar breaches. - **714 DR: Influence in Myth Drannor** - Elven arcanists accidentally summon aberrations during magical experiments, creating rifts to the Far Realm. - These breaches allow Far Realm entities to corrupt the city’s magical infrastructure. --- #### **The Time of Troubles and Far Realm Chaos (1358 DR)** - **1358 DR: The Time of Troubles** - As gods walk the Material Plane, barriers between the Far Realm and the multiverse weaken. - Aberration activity surges, with cults and rifts appearing in major cities. - Adventurers confront Far Realm horrors, sealing breaches and destroying corrupted artifacts. --- #### **The Spellplague and Far Realm Intrusion (1385 DR to 1487 DR)** - **1385 DR: The Spellplague** - The collapse of the Weave disrupts planar boundaries, causing rifts to the Far Realm to appear spontaneously. - Entire regions, such as portions of the **Underdark**, are overrun by aberrations. - Some mortals gain warped powers by absorbing Far Realm energy, becoming monstrous hybrids. - **1395 DR: The Rise of Aberrant Empires** - Aboleths and illithids expand their influence, exploiting the chaos of the Spellplague to establish new strongholds. - Far Realm cults flourish, spreading madness and corruption across the Material Plane. --- #### **The Second Sundering and Modern Era (1484 DR to Present)** - **1484–1487 DR: The Second Sundering** - The restoration of the **Tablets of Fate** stabilizes planar boundaries, reducing the number of Far Realm rifts. - Despite this, lingering breaches and corrupted regions remain, serving as conduits for aberrations and cult activity. - **1492 DR: Baldur’s Gate 3 and Far Realm Influence** - Artifacts and entities tied to the Far Realm resurface near Baldur’s Gate, sparking cult activity and planar incursions. - Adventurers encounter **Elder Brains**, **Star Spawn**, and other Far Realm horrors as they confront the growing influence of aberrant forces. - **Present Day:** - The Far Realm remains a constant, lurking threat to the multiverse, with its influence seen in aberrations, corrupted magic, and cults. - Adventurers frequently seal rifts, combat aberration hordes, and recover lost artifacts to protect the multiverse from Far Realm incursions. --- ### **Themes of The Far Realm’s Timeline** 1. **Alien Horror:** - The Far Realm embodies incomprehensible chaos and terror, distorting the laws of reality and sanity. 2. **Aberrations and Corruption:** - The plane is the source of aberrations, whose influence threatens the balance of the multiverse. 3. **Forbidden Knowledge:** - The Far Realm tempts mortals with power, often at the cost of sanity, morality, and reality itself. 4. **Adventuring Opportunities:** - The Far Realm offers challenges such as battling Elder Evils, sealing planar rifts, and recovering artifacts imbued with alien energy. ---