A continent is sundered....

The Kingpriest's arrogance brings the wrath of the gods upon Krynn. The result is the Cataclysm - chaos and anarchy, despair and villainy...and inspiring heroism.

Mark Anthony, Nancy Varian Berberick, Todd Fahnestock, Richard A. Knaak, Roger E. Moore, Douglas Niles, Nick O'Donohoe, Dan Parkinson, Paul B. Thompson, and Tony R. Carter, and Michael and Teri Williams contribute untold stories to this indespensable collection. Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman enhance this lineup with an original novella and verse dedicated to the accursed Lord Soth.

“The Word and the Silence” by Michael Williams

A deeply poetic opening that follows a solitary chronicler who attempts to capture the moment of divine wrath not through politics or prophecy—but through silence. As the mountain falls and cities burn, the narrator reflects on the spiritual vacuum left behind. It’s less about the event, and more about the soul of Krynn after its gods vanish.

“Mark of the Flame, Mark of the Word” by Michael and Teri Williams

In a small village on the fringes of the Empire, two siblings—one a warrior marked by fire, the other a mute touched by prophecy—struggle to survive the chaos after the fiery mountain devastates the land. Their fates, intertwined with a forgotten artifact and a ruined temple, reveal how the Cataclysm empowered the weak and silenced the powerful. A beautifully intimate tale of survival and sibling love amid ruin.

“The Bargain Driver” by Roger E. Moore

A wry and funny tale of a hapless cart driver who becomes an unwitting hero. After the Cataclysm upends trade routes and social order, a simple man with a stubborn ox-cart finds himself ferrying refugees, fugitives, and relics across the broken landscape. Along the way, he navigates ambushes, bureaucrats, and fate itself—with nothing but a sarcastic wit and a lot of luck.

“Seekers” by Kirk Siegel

Set in the religious chaos that follows the gods’ silence, this story explores the rise of the Seeker faith—a pseudo-religion that fills the void left by the true gods. A skeptical young cleric and his bitter mentor clash over belief, survival, and the manipulation of the faithful in a world desperate for order. A sharp political commentary wrapped in robes and ritual.

“No Gods, No Heroes” by Nick O’Donohoe

As the gods fall silent, a disillusioned soldier wanders the wreckage of a once-mighty nation. With no war left to fight and no gods left to please, he must decide whether to protect the weak—or abandon the code that once defined him. Bleak, thoughtful, and ultimately redemptive, it’s a meditation on meaning in a godless world.

“Into Shadow, Into Light” by Linda P. Baker

A noblewoman and her household retreat to a remote castle after the Cataclysm. As starvation, madness, and despair take hold, the line between light and shadow blurs. One by one, the inhabitants succumb to fear or reveal hidden strength. A gothic tale of isolation, madness, and the thin thread of hope that remains when the world ends.

“The Exile” by Paul B. Thompson and Tonya C. Cook

A once-powerful Istarian judge, cast out into the broken world, must now live among those he once condemned. As he searches for food and forgiveness, he discovers how his rulings destroyed lives—and now, karma has turned him into the judged. A hard but human story about justice, redemption, and humility.

“Defined by Darkness” by Richard A. Knaak

In the sunless ruins of a fallen city, a blind sorcerer and his apprentice search for a magical relic rumored to have survived the Cataclysm. As undead stir and old wards fail, the sorcerer must face not only the dark—both literal and figurative—but his own hidden guilt. A chilling story that blends arcane horror with deep emotional resonance.

“The Faithful Mentor” by Harold Bakst

An aging priest clings to his faith despite the gods’ silence, guiding a band of refugees through wastelands and danger. But the more he preaches, the more he doubts. His struggle—between hope and despair, leadership and loneliness—is the beating heart of the tale. The ending is bittersweet: not a miracle, but the choice to believe anyway.

“Colors of Belief” by Stephen D. Sullivan

In a shattered temple divided by race and ideology, surviving clerics of rival factions must unite or perish. As famine and infighting threaten to destroy what’s left, a young acolyte attempts to forge a new path: not by forgetting the past, but by painting a new vision of unity—one stroke at a time. A touching tale of artistry, faith, and fragile rebirth.