History & Timeline

The ages of Astrylis, from the first threads of creation to the arrival of the Azure Light

The history of Astrylis is fragmented — no single civilization remembers the full truth. What follows is the best reconstruction from ancient texts, Council records, and the whispered memories of the Ethereal Web itself.

Before recorded time

The Primordial Era

Before magic, before light and shadow, the Three Pillars — primordial forces — structured reality. The Weaver, The Abyss, and The Keeper shaped existence itself.

The Three Pillars emerge as primordial forces

The Weaver creates the Ethereal Web — the fabric of magic

The Keeper seals away forbidden knowledge

Vey'Khareth, the Fourth Pillar, is sealed for eternity

The First Age

The Age of Weaving

The Ethereal Web spreads across Astrylis, magic flows freely, and the first civilizations begin to form. The gods of the Mortal Pantheon emerge and shape mortal worship.

Magic flows freely through the Ethereal Web

First civilizations arise on the continents

Sol'Rathis, Nyxirath, and other deities gain force and followers

The Guardians of Old are created and many races blessed — the Guardians are created, at first believed to protect the balance

The Cataclysm

The Shattering

Caelnyxia is destroyed — the continent shatters into microplate fragments. Xan'Therra and many ancient empires are destroyed and eliminated. The Shadewalkers vanish. The Dark Web begins to spread corruption. The world is forever changed.

Caelnyxia shatters into microplate fragments

The Crater of Light appears — an arcane scar

Xan'Therra is destroyed — the Shadewalkers vanish, scattered or killed along with many proto races marked as unpure

Shadow magic becomes extremely rare and dangerous — its use is forbidden

The Sacred Flame Order declares all shadow practitioners enemies of the light

The Middle Ages

The Age of Kingdoms

New civilizations rise from the ashes of the Shattering. Elyndor becomes the elven capital, the dwarves forge Mer'Faldhur, the Sacred Flame Order rises in Solarae, and kingdoms spread across the continents.

Elyndor established as the elven capital

Mer'Faldhur Arcane Order founded by dwarven scholars

The Sacred Flame Order established in Solarae

Steamford's goblin technocracy emerges in Varnoth

Dhul'Azhar sealed as a forbidden zone in Varnoth

~1,200 years before the Arrival

The Last Darkness

Vaelorin Shadowrend, the Last Guardian of Old, loses control of his shadow powers. The Shadetall Glades become the Shadowfell Gloom. Gates of darkness open across Astrylis. A cataclysmic sacrifice seals the gates but devastates Central Varnoth — creating the rotten forests, dark swamps, haunted villages, and the dark dunes of Dhul'Azhar.

Vaelorin Shadowrend, a Bron'Darin from the Shadetall Glades, is chosen as a Guardian of Old

A Celestial Being mentors Vaelorin — he becomes a Shadebinder, wielding both shadow and celestial light

Vaelorin's powers spiral beyond control — the Shadetall Glades transform into the Shadowfell Gloom

Shadow gates open across Astrylis, unleashing the Last Darkness — his family, friends, and people are turned into shadow beasts or lost

Lyriana Starwhisper, an elven priestess of Nimh's lineage and Vaelorin's former lover, leads a band of heroes against the darkness

Lyriana reaches Vaelorin's heart with a medallion — reigniting his celestial light and purging the shadows

Vaelorin sacrifices himself in a cataclysmic explosion of light — sealing the gates and cleansing the corruption

Central Varnoth is devastated: rotten forests, dark swamps, destroyed cities, haunted villages, and the dark dunes of Dhul'Azhar — the lost Kingdom of the Bron'Darins

Vaelorin's legacy preserved in the Royal Guard Hall of Heroes — many believe Varnoth remains cursed with deep-rooted darkness

The Current Age

The Age of the Council

The Council of Elders is formed to maintain order across the continents. The Aïlender family bloodline heralds the Council. An uneasy peace holds, but corruption stirs beneath the surface.

The Council of Elders convenes in Elyndor

The Aïlender bloodline heralds the Council, especially after the last Guardian of Old the city had — the Lady of Dawn

More than 700 years later, Lady Elira becomes Leading Elder

Trade routes established between continents

CoralKeep, Otorongo Ixchel, Verdantia, and many other civilizations join the Council

Tensions rise between unallied factions, independent regions, and enemy lands — the ruling order becomes the Order of Sacred Light

Present Day — Tome I

The Arrival

Thomas Kessler, a 17-year-old from Earth, is transported to Astrylis through an azure shard. His arrival sets in motion events that will reshape the balance of the entire world.

Thomas Kessler arrives in Astrylis through an azure shard

Nimh'Riel Aïlender discovers Thomas in the wild

Thomas is brought before the Council of Elders

Ancient Guardian tattoos awaken on Thomas's skin

The quest to understand Thomas's connection to the Ethereal Web begins

This timeline will expand as more ages are revealed across the four tomes of The Ethereal Web saga. Many eras remain lost to time — or deliberately hidden by The Keeper.

Explore the forces that shaped these ages.