The Time of Troubles

Lore & Background

The crisis ignited when Bane, Mask, and Myrkul stole the Tablets of Fate, seeking to usurp Ao's authority. In retribution, the Overgod cast the gods down to Toril, decreeing they remain as mortals until the tablets were returned. Stripped of their full power, deities could no longer intervene directly without risking total destruction. They were forced into a desperate race across Faerûn, dependent on mortal champions to act as their hands and eyes. The most notorious clashes saw Bane fall to Torm at Shadowdale and Mystra slain by Cyric and Kelemvor, shattering the Weave and leaving magic wild for years.

In Their Own Story

The sky above Shadowdale burned with a sickly violet hue as the air crackled with unstable arcane energy. A hooded figure stood before the crumbling ruins of the temple, watching as two massive forms clashed in the distance—one a towering warrior in golden armor, the other a dark tyrant clad in black steel whose presence seemed to drink the light. Mortals cowered in the shadows, unable to cast spells without fear of their own magic turning against them. The ground trembled not from an earthquake, but from the footsteps of gods who had become flesh and blood, bleeding just like the men they once ruled.

Reader's Guide

The Time of Troubles remains one of the most defining eras in Forgotten Realms history, marking a transition from distant, abstract deities to tangible, fallible entities. Before this event, gods rarely interacted directly with mortals, preferring to work through avatars or clerics from afar. The forced descent changed everything, as divine beings became vulnerable to physical harm and death. This vulnerability led to the rise of new powers, such as Cyric, who assumed the portfolio of Mystra after her death, and Kelemvor, who eventually took over the duties of the dead. The disruption of the Weave left the world vulnerable to wild magic for years, while the gods' mortality proved that even divinity could end in blood. When the Tablets were finally returned, the surviving deities ascended back to the heavens, but they never again looked down on Toril from such a distance—a permanent scar upon the history of Faerûn.

Did You Know?

• The goddess Mystra was killed during this time, leading to a long period of magical instability known as the Weave's disruption.
• Bane, one of the most powerful evil deities, was slain by the mortal hero Torm in a duel that ended both their lives.
• Cyric, originally a mortal follower of Bane, ascended to godhood during this era, eventually becoming the God of Lies and Madness.
• The event forced gods to rely on mortal champions to fight their battles, as they could not directly use their full divine power without risking destruction.