The Reconstruction Archive, 534 Sela
Magister Tyrus, Archivist
For those who find themselves researching the ancient documents of our history, the various titles of the Great Ages become familiar friends (and perhaps frustrations). The three Great Ages of Circadian History–Ul, Lyr, and Sela–mark the wide categories of time spent between Mortals and Gods. While Mortal and Deific history surely existed prior to these Ages, we have no tangible knowledge of it.
The three Great Ages are written in Old Circadian, called “Horizon’s Voice” by Devout linguists, which suggests their relevance to the ancient language of the early Gods. Importantly, the names of the Great Ages are given to the ages by Deities not Mortals. Mortals have given their own names to the various eras within Circadian history, such as The Era of Steel and Silver which indicates the first century of T’Rer’s Reign as King of the Gods.
Ul lasted for roughly 2000-3000 years and was divided into three Lesser Ages. 0 Ul, approximately 3000 years ago, marks when Zyr‘Zane and T’Myrim alighted. Since the Common Tongue we all still speak today developed during this period, it is often called the Age of Language. The Age of Worship followed, and religion as we now know it centralized around worship of a handful of major Deities. Ul ended with the Age of Creation during which multiple Gods came into terrestrial being.
Lyr started somewhere within The Age of Creation, generally estimated anywhere from 500-800 years ago. Called The Dynastic Age, Lyr marks the reign of the First Pantheon. While comparatively brief when considering Ul, Lyr nevertheless was one of the most tumultuous and significant periods of Circadian history.
Our current Great Age, Sela, began a little over 500 years ago. 0 Sela started with the Reign of T’Rer and the Second Pantheon. It continues through Beodhen’s Reign.
The math, or course, can be a bit odd: there is significant controversy among scholars as to how long a given Age lasted, and all but a few of the dates are heavily contested. But such is the joy of history.
And for a final word on the Great Ages: as any historian knows, ancient history is notoriously difficult to track down, and the average Circadian knows little more than the most basic of our ancient histories: the Old Gods, the Blood War, and the best known mythologies of our various Deities. Our ancient history, including aspects that might otherwise seem easily remembered, are all but lost to the most dedicated of scholars. In particular, details on T’Rer’s reign are scant, and even long-serving Magisters of the Cloisters admit their ignorance on the particulars of the majority of Sela. Scholars of the God of Truth’s Reign generally believe a cataclysm occurred during that period and resulted in the loss of substantial knowledge.
Of course, this trend has reversed during Beodhen’s Reign. Since the end of the Blood War, Mortals have found themselves chancing upon ancient histories never before known. Even skeptical archivists concede that information is simply appearing in tomes previously thought well-scoured and meticulously indexed. It is largely believed that this is due to T’Zyri’s own Divine influence as a Goddess of not just Secrecy and Knowledge, but Memory.
Zealot Larp 