Fourth Age Collapse

The Fourth Age Collapse, sometimes called the Fall of Anderia, was a catacalysmic series of events which resulted in the collapse and fracturing of the Anderian Empire, in addition to the waning of the Empires of Ibbathis and Aldera. The destruction of Anderia and its accompanying catastrophes made up the 353-year span of the Fourth Age, a time during which Adovias was warped by forces of the Nether and Daemonic energies, as well as incessant natural disasters and magical calamities. The fall of Anderia and its fracturing into successor states led to the rise of the Western Nations. The causes of the Collapse are a subject of dispute, but most scholars agree they were numerous, with theories ranging from technologically advanced weapons of war to magically-induced catastrophies, including the creation of the Strait of Anderia. While scholarly consensus concludes that the Collapse originated in Anderia - possibly from the use of a weapon intended to bring about victory in the War of Holy Succession - the catastrophe ranged far beyond the former borders of the Western Empire. Nations as distant as the Quai Empire and the Elven Centharii Dominions were stricken by the effects of the Collapse as well, to the point that the Centharii were radicalized against humankind's free practice of magic and began the Centhariite Wars in response. Following the collapse, numerous successor states arose in the former holdings of the Three Great Empires. Notably, the holy state of Leogoth, which would later become part of Iadria, made great efforts to preserve Anderian culture, religion, and values. Many nations throughout Adovias and Sethuria placed legal restrictions on the use of magic following the Collapse, wishing to prevent further catastrophes of a similar nature.