Margaret Weis - Dragons of Vanished Moon

The origin of the War of Souls traces its origins to a time just after the creation of the gods by the High God, before the world was completed and the Order of Creation and the Destiny of Souls fully established.

There is, forever has been, and forever will be the High God, who chose to bring forth spirits out of love so that they might share in the glory, joy, and love He possessed. To this purpose, he conceived the Order of Creation and the Progression of Souls.

As a vital part of this plan, souls are born into the mortal world. From whence these souls come and what their condition was before their birth is not given to mortals to know. Nor is it given to us to know to where these souls eventually depart and to what state they may exist in the life beyond mortality. The progression of souls stretches into eternity—of which mortality is but a single moment. Nevertheless, that part of the progression of souls we designate as mortality consists of souls brought into the world to live, to learn faith in the gods and in each other. Thus mortals learn to love the purposes of the High God, to draw closer to him as they follow the ways of goodness and virtue, and to share in his glory and reflect it in their behavior. Yet some come to reject the goodness of the High God, even stand against him.

The High God conceived the Order of Creation and outlined his plan for the world’s development in the Tobril. He created the gods, powerful beings who would help carry out the plan of Creation and shepherd mortals in their evolution. Greatest among the gods was Ionthas, chief among the shapers of the material world, who possessed more might than any of his brethren. Gilean, Keeper of the Book, held the Tobril and guided Ionthas in the forging of the world, while Reorx, Sirrion, and other gods aided the many tasks. Paladine and Takhisis arose to counsel the mortals who were born to this world during the first ages. Majere served as advisor to Paladine and Takhisis, and lesser gods helped with the spiritual guidance.

After speaking the world into existence, the High God commanded Ionthas and the other gods to shape it, bringing it to fullness. As the gods molded the world in conformity with the Plan, Ionthas grew proud and haughty. Deviating from the Tobril, he declared himself the true deity and supplanter of the High God. Paladine, Gilean, and most of the other gods challenged him in this, although some remained silent. Ionthas sent his might forth across Krynn, undoing the work of the other gods and doing his best to remake the world in his own image. As he fought against the High God and the others, however, Ionthas found that his attempt to dominate Krynn did little more than drain him, and that while he could damage and distort what had been, he could not truly make anything new.

Ionthas’s anger at his impotence, his failure to create a world in his own image, coupled with his overweening pride, caused him to turn against the High God, his fellow gods, and everything that was not himself. Ionthas even repudiated his old name and identity, from that moment on known to all as Chaos. Many of the other gods, led by Paladine, took up the struggle against their renegade brother. Though Chaos might have stood against them all, even in his now-weakened state, the High God granted Paladine, whose love for and obedience to the High God was second to none, the power necessary to vanquish and chain Chaos. Defeated by the Platinum Dragon, Chaos was cast beyond creation, to drift there, alone, his pride shattered. Thereafter, Chaos descended into an abyss of twisted thought, rather than face reason. He convinced himself that he was the creator of All and of Nothing, that the other gods were his children, that he was simply letting them play in his world. He denied the very existence of the High God, although deep within himself he dreaded and hated the High God and all that had sprung from his brow—everything, including to some degree, Chaos himself. Though he was gone from the universe, Chaos’s wrath had undone much. Had they united their natural gifts, perhaps the gods could have healed this marring of Krynn, but such goodwill was not to be. For Chaos had not only harmed Krynn, his malice and rebellion had spread adversely among the gods themselves.

The High God had appointed as co-regent of the young world Takhisis, who was expected to rule jointly with Paladine. However, Chaos’ evil had influenced Takhisis, for she was closely associated with Ionthas and admired his many skills. Like Chaos, she began to desire sole dominion of Krynn. Where Chaos had lusted after the physical universe, Takhisis was more concerned with the spiritual. She wished to be worshiped by the other gods, and she sought to possess the very souls of the mortals who came to inhabit Krynn. Subtly, she began to steer others among the gods to her side; the names of these apostates were Morgion, Sargonnas, Chemosh, Hiddukel, Zeboim, and Nuitari. These renegade gods began to draw their strength and might not from the High God and the unfolding of His will, but like vampires from negative energies, drawing power from decay and wickedness and mastering those elements of creation that sold themselves to the darkness. This rising of the dark came to fruition as the creation of Krynn drew to an end and the next phase of the Celestial Plan began.

The first creatures to populate Krynn were the dragons, who were tightly bound to Paladine and Takhisis, as well as to Krynn. Paladine and Takhisis, assisted by Reorx and Mishakal, crafted the Five Dragons, and the High God provided their souls. Seeing these creatures of might, the first free-willed beings to inhabit Krynn, Takhisis and Morgion seduced them to follow her dictates. In this alliance, Takhisis and the gods who stood with her declared themselves dedicated to usurping mastery of Krynn and thwarting the execution of the plan. They opposed the Order of Creation and the progression of souls.

Takhisis and her cohorts thus became the gods of Evil, falling from their lofty state into the Abyss, consumed by their own envy and malice. Their rebellion convinced several gods that the further development of Krynn would lead only to decay and disorder. These gods nurtured specific aspects of the Creation, while acting neither to thwart the will of the High God nor serve him as they were intended. Even Gilean took this point of view. These became known as the gods of Neutrality, because they saw themselves as aloof from the struggle between Good and Evil.

This struggle reached a frenzy with the birth of mortals. Takhisis, Sargonnas, and the other gods of Evil declared their intention to enslave the mortals, for, as Takhisis said, “We forged this world. Why should we now surrender it to lesser beings?”

The gods of Good stood against the evil ones, faithful to the High God. Paladine declared,

“These coming mortals are children of the High God, just as we are. This world was made for them, as much as for us, and in the end, the mortals shall be greater and brighter than any of us.” The gods of Good pledged to guide the mortals, to protect them from the Evil ones and the remnants of Chaos. They would not betray the High God.

Thus began the All-Saints War, as Good strove against Evil. The gods of Neutrality originally intended to ignore the conflict, tending to their own gardens. In the end, Paladine and Majere persuaded Gilean and the other Neutrals to side with the gods of Good, for Takhisis sought dominion over the entire world, which would leave those elements cherished by the Neutral gods enslaved to her ends or destroyed.

The alliance of Good and Neutrality pushed the forces of Evil back, but without a decisive resolution. The High God was obliged to intervene directly.