The Sundering

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The Sundering is a term that can refer to a couple of different things, all connecting to the various storyline-moving metaplot-based Worldshaping Events(tm) that afflict the Forgotten Realms setting of Dungeons & Dragons.

The Tearfall

This event refers to the catastrophic meteor shower in the ancient days of the Forgotten Realms setting that wiped out the batrachi empire and caused the birth of dragons upon the Forgotten Realms. Initially, it was just called "The Tearfall", but in Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition, it was retconned that this was the "First Sundering", as the meteor shower and subsequent cataclysmic reshaping of the land were connected to the forces that literally split Abeir-Toril into the twin planets of Abeir and Toril.

The Creation of Evermeet

The event that was originally called "The First Sundering" until the 4e retcon, this Sundering refers to the cataclysm unleashed by the elves when they fucked the planet over in trying to pull a chunk of Arvandor into the Prime Material to create Evermeet.

The Second Sundering

The Second Sundering is the event that Realms fans are generally referring to when they use the term "The Sundering" at all, largely due to the fact that the tie-in novels were advertised as part of an overarching meta-series called "The Sundering". As an event, the Second Sundering refers to the Worldshaping Event specifically being used to undo the effects of the Spellplague in the late-4e novels and ultimately setting things up for 5th edition. Sort of.

Officially, the Second Sundering aimed to restore as much of the 3e-era Realms as possible, whilst still allowing the more popular post-Spellplague elements like the dragonborn nation of Tymanther and the genasi city-state of Akanûl to persist and making it clear that the events of 4e had occurred and were just yet another part of Toril's tumultuous past.

In practice, writers largely ignored everything that had happened in 4e and downplayed the 4e elements as much as possible, even when it came to things like Drizzt Do'Urden and his revived companions. Frankly, it just makes for a very confusing tangle unless you're a real expert of Realmslore and managed to keep track of the novels.

List of Changes

• Earthmotes largely vanished.
• The Spellplague and all its influences basically disappeared.
• Tymanther's borders shrunk as Unther returned and immediately went to war with the dragonborn, with the reincarnated Gilgeam determined to restore the pre-Spellplague borders.
• The Netherese were all banished back into the Shadowfell.
• With the Netherese gone, the Anauroch reverted back to a desert, wiping out the settlements that had arisen in the newly fertile land.
• Halruaa and Lantan, despite having been destroyed by the Spellplague were retconned into having instead being transported to Abeir, and returned intact.
• Evermeet and Maztica returned.
• Luiren was largely unflooded.
• The draining of the Sea of Fallen Stars was reversed.
• Underchasm sealed itself up.
• All the 3e gods returned.
• Even some gods killed off in 2e returned, most notably Bhaal.
• The gods became less directly interventionist in the world.
• The Companions of Drizzt were reincarnated.
• The Simbul and Elminster were restored to their prime as Chosen of Mystra.

Warhammer Fantasy

This refers to political and geological split between Malekith (and his supporters) and the rest of the high elves.

External Links

• https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Second_Sundering - A more in-depth historical breakdown of the Second Sundering.