Cosmic Ages - A small and very brief summary of the Ages of the Unfolding Dream.

The Universe of the Unfolding Dream has traversed three major Ages, and is currently traversing a fourth one. These ages are significant because many things changed on a cosmic scale between each of these ages, so they are markers of major changes, or rather the timespans between those major changes.

• Age of Silence: This "Cosmic Age" precedes everything and is the equivalent to the number 0. Little is actually known of this age, except the alleged existence of the two proto-beings Akaon and Nyris. The Age of Silence begun somewhere in the infinite depth of the past with Akaon eternally sat in silent contemplation, while Nyris was merged to the nothingness that surrounded Akaon. It ended when Akaon and Nyris touched each other, and Akaon was consequently lost in a burst of Light and Flame.
• Age of Dreams: The first Cosmic Age begun at the Dawn of Time when the beings known as the Ancients (the Ashar and the Vaenu) were born. It ended with the end of the War of Light and Shadow. During the Age of Dreams the Unfolding Dream begun to expand, and following the birth of the Ancients, other beings were born to the Dream, or were created within it, including the Celestials, the Fey and some other Outsiders. 
• Age of Twilight: The second Cosmic Age begins after the end of the War of Light and Shadow. It ends with the War of the Dark Crystal. The Age of Twilight marks the formation of the first Prime Worlds, during an age when the Unfolding Dream and the Cosmos were one and the same. During this time, a powerful magician who became known as Elicas the Insane, while researching the means that the Cosmos was created in order to find a cure for the corruption of the Shadow, he came in touch with another "parallel" universe that caused him to lose all sanity. Elicas created a huge structure from a mysterious material based on an artifact he had devised which was known as the Tolcatha. Using the Tolcatha, Elicas attempted to take control of the entire universe by trying to contain the pillar of eternity within a gigantic structure of dark crystal. Caldonnas shattered the Dark Crystal using the Sevenfold Blade, but the Sevenfold Blade was also shattered in the process. This created a colossal rift between the Cosmos of the Prime Worlds, hereafter mentioned as the Prime Cosmos and the Unfolding Dream, separating them and making it impossible for denizens of the Dream to acquire material substance in the Prime Cosmos. This also caused the collapse of many magical races and beings, and the ebb of magic to diminish in the Prime Cosmos. For his intervention during the War of the Dark Crystal Caldonnas was imprisoned at the Anvil of Shattered Dreams.
• Age of Darkness: The third Cosmic Age begins after the end of the War of the Dark Crystal. It ends with the Titan War. During the Age of Darkness the Shadow became very powerful and ultimately found the means to seep into the Prime Cosmos. From within his prison Ulhaeron could influence all beings. The influence of the Celestials, on the other hand, had begun to diminish, and for them it was not only impossible to influence the Prime Cosmos, but also it was forbidden by the new ruling Aldoren. With time and through various machinations, Ulhaeron managed to free himself from his prison. At the same time, Caldonnas was unchained. Ulhaeron traveled fast into the world of Akuinor where faithful acolytes had prepared a suitable body for his return into the Prime Cosmos and the final dominion of the Shadow. Caldonnas followed swiftly but his way was blocked by the Aldoren who commanded he not interfere. Caldonnas fought the Aldoren and slew them all. He then vanished into stardust as he crossed the lethal rift that separated the Dream and the Prime World of Akuinor. But heroes guided by a providence of unknown sources had prepared another Titan body for the champion of Dreams. And so, Caldonnas and Ulhaeron finally met in Akuinor and fought each other one last time. With grave effort, Caldonnas rose victorious, and threw the carcass of the fallen Shadow Titan upon the ground. Then he sent a salute towards the skies before vanishing forever.
• Age of Rebirth: The fourth Cosmic Age begins after the end of the Titan War. With the defeat of the Shadow God, the Shadow lost its power and stopped being a balancing cosmic force. Close to the beginning of the Age, the Archon - a powerful godlike being of mysterious origins - ascended to the heavens from the world of Akuinor. By doing so, he traversed the rift between the Prime Cosmos and the Unfolding Dream, creating a powerful cosmic bridge. Following him were millions of immortal souls that followed the bridge into Yrion. In the Unfolding Dream this marked the birth of the Aethons. As soon as the fiery Aethons were born, the Archon was nowhere to be seen. The youngest celestials met with the older celestial races and became the new cosmic champions. Their aspiration was to liberate the rest of the Cosmos and assist its ascendance unto the Empyrean. Sadly, another force begun to amass power almost at the same time, and ultimately the Tyrant-God Akronas also ascended into the heavens, seizing a portion of Yrion and shaping his own tyrannous realm and creating his own tyrannical enforcers. Now a new war broke out in the Unfolding Dream and the Prime Worlds alike. Because the Aethons found out they could choose to incarnate inside mortal bodies, and bring the war of heaven into the Prime Worlds, if needed. This new cosmic struggle is expected to further define the new Age.