Great Cataclysm of the Second Civilization

The event called the Great Cataclysm of the Second Civilization by scholars occurred, as its name implies, at the end of the Second Civilization, and the Third Civilization began sometime afterwards. It had a profound effect on many parts of Ardrana, destroying most of the world's features and reshaping its face for all time.

The details of the Great Cataclysm are mostly lost. It is not even known whether it was a natural phenomenon, some magical disaster, or something entirely outside the current understanding of Ardic scholars. However, there are obvious visible effects that remain to this day. Most strikingly, large portions of what is now Rannas i'Drasoin went through an apparent upheaval, with large portions of the eastern side of the continent sunk beneath the Golden Ocean, while the southern portion was cleaved in two by the Wall of Night.

What little is known about what was lost is mostly through legends. A few writings about the ancient Elven city of Pretic survived, although much of that was lost in the destruction of the Purple Castle centuries later. Also, pieces of records have been recovered from the ruins off the coast, but such work has been slow due to the lack of usable harbors outside Vonthiel. Discoveries are still being made today which, scholars hope, will lead to a better understanding of the cause of this horrifying event.