Ruins were cataclysmic events that occurred repeatedly in Eamon's early history in accordance with the Cycle of Ruin.
Following an ancient cosmic rhythm, the Great Old Ones who inhabited Eamon would experience long periods of torpor during which their influence over the world was diminished, but every twenty-three hundred years would awaken, rise, and survey their domains. The wakeful energy of the old gods would invigorate all the undead and evil creatures of Eamon who then raged across the surface of the world, shattering nations and decimating the population. When the gods returned to their slumber, the hordes would recede and the survivors of the Ruin would begin the slow process of rebuilding their broken societies.
The periodic devastation of the Ruins was responsible for stifling the advancement of civilization on Eamon for more than 12,000 years, and ended only when the Alaxaran pantheon killed or drove out the eldritch gods during the Great Battle of Darkness.
Occurrences
First Ruin, c. 18800 BA
The first recorded Ruin, though others likely preceded it. It resulted in the annihilation of the Tasavalta, the formation of the Gulf of Hedrin, and the driving of humanity from southern Addar.
Second Ruin, c. 16500 BA
The least known of the ancient cataclysms.
Third Ruin, c. 14200 BA
Historians rank the Third Ruin as the most destructive, with evidence suggesting that as much as three quarters of Addar's population (and much of the entire world's population) perishing in as little as a month.
Fourth Ruin, c. 11900 BA
Fifth Ruin, c. 9600 BA
Sixth Ruin, c. 7300 BA
Nations known to have arisen in the wake of the Sixth Ruin include Har'reg, the Kingdom of Rinillion, the Principality of Ashkeron, and the Craleus Dynasty.
Seventh Ruin, 5004 BA
Eighth Ruin, 2704 BA
This Ruin was interrupted by the Talus Assembly before reaching its peak.
Ninth Ruin, 1 BA
The only Ruin to occur off-cycle, the ninth and final occurrence was marked by the Great Battle of Darkness. The old gods were finally killed or driven out of Eamon by the Alaxaran pantheon and the Cycle of Ruin was broken forever.
