The names "elves" and "humans" have been translated. Zeru'mich is assumed to be Silvanesti, and Dezrumar the land that would become Istar. The Chal'Chorist mountains are the Khalkhists. The other lands mentioned have mostly been lost in the cataclysm, although traces of the Hurzammar valley remain in Khur, and ruins thought to be from Khorzammar remain on the islands of Mithas and Kothas.

Eventually the ogre empire decayed, both due to external pressures (mainly the elves under Silvanos) and internal dissent (the legend of the "Heresy of Igraine" may be based upon this time). It is believed that the minotaur race already existed as a sub-race of ogres, used by the ogres as soldiers and servitors. It is also believed that a revolt by the minotaurs may have helped destroy the ogre empire.

In any case, according to the Idrannaith (Book of Partings):

During this time, there was a great journey by many of the ogres westwards across the Khalkhists, led by one Ixoran (who may have been exiled). Many ogres went with him. Some settled on the way, but Ixoran and his loyal followers journeyed on until they came to the area where the young human tribes that would eventually form Ergoth lived.

The Rise of the Elves

The Time of Light is dated as between 4000PC and 2030PC, beginning with the rise of Silvanos and the First Dragonwar, and ending with the formation of Qualinesti and the death of Kith-Kanan. It is dominated by elven history. Quevalin Soth, an elven chronicler who lived around the end of this time, compiled most of the legends and tales of elven history into a cohesive whole - the Lifesong Scroll. Unlike the Irdannaith, there are independent sources that verify many of the events detailed in the lifesong scroll, although Soth had to work from many contradictory sources and it is likely that a few compromises were made in places. The dating is more certain than the Foundation Time too, since several world-wide events (two Dragonwars, the Greystone event and the birth of the moons) occurred which can act as anchor points in a timeline.

The elves arrived on the continent of Ansalon sometime concomitant with the rise of the emergence of the ogres. The details have long been lost to time, but the elves refer to their ancient homeland as "Colinesti", also the collective name for all the elven races (meaning "land/people of the morning"). This may refer to Taladas, but there is no conclusive evidence either way.

The first elven settlers landed on an island off the south-east of the Ansalonian landmass. The island they called Durithanesti after the navigator who found it, and the colony Elinost (Blessed Home). From here, ships sailed out and planted colonies along the southern coast of Ansalon, concentrating on the rivers and bays. Thon-Thalas, Thon-Setharon, Thon-Kariolis, Thon-Thessil, Thon-Sorpon and Thon-Lessaminil were the names of the river valleys that the elves chose to settle in. Conflict arose initially in Thon-Lessaminil area (Galas-Quen) as this was also being settled by the ogres, who called the river Drazammar. The conflict spread westwards into the Serasthonorinesti area (Thon-Thalas and Thon-Thessil valleys) where the ogres conquered and enslaved the elves.

The First Dragon War.

The elven revolt caused great damage to the ogre empire, already weakened by internal dissension and other border disputes. Following its collapse, dragons made their first appearance on the face of Krynn. Some sources say that when the ogre exiles crossed the Khalkist Mountains (known to the elves as the Eithel Zivylinos) they awoke the dragons and sent them after the elves as retribution. Quivalen Soth writes that the elves fought the dragons for control of the woodlands that would become Silvanesti.

In either event, Silvanos fought to maintain his new alliance in the face of a new and terrible enemy. The war was won due to mastery of the new power of magic. Quivalen Soth wrote that Astarin sent his daughter and two sons down to the Middle World to teach the elves the art of Sorcery. This jibes with the story told by the Orders of High Sorcery that has the three gods of magic teaching the people of Krynn the Arts. The essences of the dragons were captured in five magical gems and cast into a dark pit in the Eithel Zivylinos (that was believed to lead to the Lower World). Because of their interference in mortal affairs the gods of magic were refused entry back into the heavens and were forced to walk the land as mortals.

Quevalin Soth then describes the formation of Silvanost and the nation of Silvanesti, where Silvanos calls together the first Sinthal-Elish on the hill of Sol Fallen, and lays down the rules of the caste system. The narrative then jumps to the appearance of the Greystone of Gargath.

The Greystone of Gargath.

The "Greystone Event" was a turbulent period of magical chaos, possibly caused by the presence of the gods of magic on the face of Krynn. Quevalin Soth blames the events on an item known as the Greystone of Gargath, although the story of its formation by Hiddukel, Chislev and Reorx is a later Istarin addition. What we do know is that there was a wave of mutations that spread from east to west across the face of Ansalon. In its wake, new races were formed from the old. At the same time, a race new to Ansalon appeared out of the eastern seas, apparently following the "Greystone" - the gnomes. Some authorities believe that the Greystone was an accidental by-product of a gnomish invention, and the gnomes were eager to get it back. Quevalin Soth gives us a list of the races and their origins and this is the commonly accepted version of things, but it may not be entirely correct.

• Minotaurs came from ogres. This is probably essentially correct, but recent evidence suggests that the minotaurs were a sub-race of ogre prior to the mutations. What seems likely is the ancient minotaurs were made more bestial and closer to the modern minotaurs.

• Sea elves came from elves, in particular the population of Elinost.

• Kender came from gnomes. This may be elven snobbery on the part of Quevalin Soth, since the kender have more in common with elves than gnomes. Add to this the observation that Silvanos' friend and general Balif is sometimes referred to as a kender, and sometimes as an elf and you have compelling evidence for an elven origin to the kender race.

• Dwarves came from gnomes. This is almost certainly correct, given the physical similarity and both races' belief in Reorx the Founder.

• Hobgoblins came from ogres. There is also the possibility of some human ancestry in the hobgoblin race.

• Humans became giants and various other minor races like the shadowpeople, bird-people and centaurs. Whilst the giant mutation is probably true, the other races may have already been present on Ansalon and un-noticed by the elves, since they are all very localised.

Finally the mutations ended when the Greystone passed into the western sea. Some gnomes remained behind on the western shores of Ansalon, waiting for their fellows to return. The elves went among many of the new races and tried to teach them. The kender and dwarves were the most receptive to elven missionary work, absorbing some of their ideas but ultimately forming their own societies, much to elven frustration. Under the newly transformed Balif, the kender founded their land of Balifor. The dwarves began to delve their kingdom of Thoradin in the Khalkist Mountains.

The times were still uncertain and difficult, with new races carving out new homelands and identities. Magic was still wild and raw, and unpredictable happenings occured all the time. Eventually, dwarves excavating in the Khalkists uncovered the Dragon Stones and unwittingly released the dragons upon the world again.

The Second Dragon War

During their time in the gems, the dragons had absorbed the power of magic and were able to use it to great effect. Additionally, the five gem colours (ruby, sapphire, emerald, diamond and black opal) had split the primordial dragons into the five colours that are known today (red, blue, green, white and black). War erupted across the face of Ansalon once again, with elves joining forces with humans, kender and dwarves whilst ogres, hobgoblins and minotaurs fought alongside the dragons. The other races hid out of harms way. The elven alliance was only able to win when the exiled gods of magic again stepped in and tamed the wild magic. Without their magical power, the dragons fled back to where they came. For their interference in mortal affairs yet again, the gods of magic were banished from the Mortal Realm. Already cast out of the heavens, the gods took up position between heaven and earth and remained there as the moons. The "Citadel", a place where the three gods of magic gathered and taught their followers, vanished from the world.

Following the Second Dragon War, elves, dwarves, humans and kender were the dominant races on Ansalon. The dwarves, ashamed for having started the war, shut themselves away in their kingdom of Thorin. The kender took to wandering the land. Elves and humans undertook an uneasy truce and consolidated their lands. Humans in the west were squabbling barbarian tribes gradually heading towards civilisation. Humans in the east were divided into two cultures. One group, the Istarin, lived in warring city-states, the others, the Khurman, were nomadic horsemen. The first Tower of Sorcery was built, accepting candidates from all races with magical powers. The Orders were created to keep magic under control. This first tower is probably the one now known as "The Ruins" near Goodlund. At some point not long after its formation some of the local Balifor kender "borrow" a flying citadel and end up in Hylo.

The Kinslayer War.

Even elves do not live forever, and when Silvanos died, the Silvanesti lacked a strong leader. Meanwhile the humans of the west were increasing in strength under the legendary Ergothic kings, Ackal Ergot, Corij and Habbakuk, and Manthus. The nation of Ergoth was built, and a new Tower of High Sorcery was constructed in its capitol city Daltigoth. Elves under Silvanos' son Sithel contacted the Ergoth humans, but Sithel did not trust them. Human-elf relations grew strong despite the Elf King's personal feelings and continued with the exchange of ideas for two hundred years (Early Period Ergoth) until the accidental death of Sithel at human hands.

Of Sithel's twin sons, Sithas, slightly older, declared war on the humans. His brother Kith-Kanan had long been in command of Silvanesti's western frontier and was more favourably disposed to humans, leading him into conflict with his own kin. Dwarves were drawn into the war when Sithas promises them mining rights in the Kharolis mountains, a right disputed by Ergoth. Finally Kith-Kanan was able to negotiate a truce. He and other elven dissidents were given a forest west of Silvanesti, to become Qualinesti. It was to act as a buffer zone between Silvanesti and Ergoth, as well as an effective exile for Kith-Kanan. The dwarves were given rights to some of the Kharolis mountains, provided that they enter into exclusive trade deals with Ergoth and Qualinesti. The presence of the dwarves acted as a second buffer zone too.

After Swordsheath.

The Swordsheath scroll was signed by all parties, and as a gesture of goodwill the dwarves of the new kingdom of Thorbardin forge a copy of the Hammer of Reorx and present it to the Emperor of Ergoth. In the West, the Istarin city-states threw off the yolk of Minotaur oppression when the Empire of Mithandrus devolved into two warring kingdoms, and united under one government. Istar began trade with the other nations but remains a minor power for now.

Kith-Kanan and his followers then migrated to Qualinesti, forever turning their backs on their ancient homeland. Elves and dwarves worked together to build Pax Tharkas, a tower on the border of their kingdoms, as a symbol of peace. In those days, Pax Tharkas was not the great walled fortress it later became, and the mountain pass it stood upon was open to all. But the elven age was fading fast. After the Kinslayer War the Silvanesti avowed no further contact with other races and became insular and withdrawn. Pax Tharkas was barely completed when Kith-Kanan died mysteriously, some say slain by his own son. Qualinesti, too, withdrew from outside affairs for a time. With the dwarves of Thorin declining and the dwarves of Thorbardin busy delving their kingdom, the Empire of Ergoth had room to grow, and it enters the "Middle Period" under two hundred years of the Quevalin Dynasty.