Great Catastrophe

Around 5000 years ago, the evil human druid Kaladar (who dies during the catastrophe but is raised to godhood by The Taker and The Shade) cast an incredibly powerful earthquake spell on the continent of Dertropal. A rift is opened in the continent, almost splitting it in two. This rending, combined with the shear power of the spell, sends tsunamis and shockwaves throughout the world, drowning or killing many of the creatures that inhabited Sitiath. The land of Wystral is sunk altogether, and it is only through the intervention of The Whirlpool that the people of Wystral are saved and become the Aquan. Many species of plant and animal do not survive the ensuing chaos, and it is only after the intervention of most of the greater gods that the chaos ends and order is re-established. Most of the greater gods spend great quantities of energy preserving what life they can, but none do more than the Nature Couplet, who are tireless in restoring the natural world to its previous glory.

The Great Catastrophe is followed by the Dark Millenium.