The Great Collapse
The Great Collapse was the global crisis that followed The Incident in northern Luxterra. It began in 670 LC, when the opening of Melodias's Divine Well destroyed Petramonis and shattered the old geopolitical order.
The End of the Great Northern War¶
As the Great Northern War neared its end, a Zanic victory over the Northern Empire seemed inevitable. Two northern capitals had already fallen, and Zani armies surrounded Petramonis, the final capital.
The last remaining archmage of the Northern Empire, Theolosius the Mad, retreated to secret chambers beneath the castle with his attendants and subordinates. There he presented a desperate solution. In ancient tomes dating back before the Age of Wonder, he had found references to the Four Great Gods and the Divine Wells that sealed three of them away.
Influenced by Melodias's whispers, Theolosius and his attendants sacrificed themselves to open the Well beneath the capital. The release of Melodias destroyed the Northern Island and vaporized living things on the nearby Southern Island.
Physical Effects¶
The explosion split Greater Luxterra into Morrigon and Luxterra. The continents continued moving slowly until roughly 698 LC, when the effects of the Incident began to lessen.
The climate changed sharply for years afterward. Harvests failed, temperatures fell, and plant growth was disrupted across the world. The Yaga Trees of the Eldritch Forests were especially affected. Their mana weakened, making the forests less hostile to non-Elves and allowing widespread raids into the World's Lungs, Western World's Lungs, and Southern World's Lungs forests.
The blast also sent tsunamis, hurricanes, typhoons, and other storms across the coasts of Luxterra and Eptelon. The Ular-Pria of Austropetolia and the Sea Elves of the Central Omniluxian Isles were almost completely destroyed.
Magical and Religious Effects¶
Melodias's release allowed her to influence Omniluxia far more directly. The Timeline connects the Incident to the Great Goblin Awakening, renewed Drow power, and the creation of Yedidyhan, the First Vampire.
The catastrophe also strengthened apocalyptic religion. Helluvianism gained prestige because many believed the end of days had arrived, and the death of Helluvius at Ddu-Nuinop became fused with the timing of the disaster. The High Elven Civil War effectively halted as both sides turned toward survival and recovery.
Political Aftermath¶
The Great Collapse destroyed the Northern Empire and triggered the Crisis of the 7th Century. Emperor Zzunnon and his appointed heir died in the explosion, leaving the Zani Empire without stable succession. O-Dzunn of the Razani branch was declared emperor in Durobaeste, while later events produced the Razani-Nazani split.
The collapse also opened space for revolts, invasions, and new states. Goblin hordes surged across Luxterra and Morrigon, Illorian and Baetepian regions rebelled, and distant provinces slipped from imperial control. In this sense the Great Collapse was not one disaster but the beginning of a new world.
See also: Theolosius, Melodias, Divine Wells, Northern Empire, Razani Empire, and Nazani Empire.