The Fall of the Old Gods

Lore & Background

Within the First Law universe, magic is a tangible resource that is slowly dying out. The stories of the Old Gods are often used by religious orders to explain this decline, suggesting divine abandonment. However, Bayaz and the Magi suggest a more pragmatic truth: power was once easier to wield but came with catastrophic costs. The 'Fall' represents the transition from an age where sorcery shaped reality freely to one where it is bound by strict laws and consequences. The Logros—the twelve original apprentices of Bayaz—guard the few remaining records of this time, treating them as dangerous knowledge rather than holy scripture. They believe that humanity is not yet ready for the power that defined those ancient days. Consequently, much of what is known about this period is filtered through centuries of superstition, turning powerful mages into deities and their conflicts into divine wars.

In Their Own Story

The wind howled across the ruined plateau, carrying dust from stones older than memory. Bayaz stood alone before the shattered archway, his staff tapping rhythmically against the ground. He did not pray to any god; he knew they were either dead or never real. Instead, he listened to the silence between the cracks in the stone, feeling the faint echo of power that had once surged here. It was a ghost of an age when men did not need steel to break bones, only words. The Old Gods were gone, but their shadows remained in the cold earth.

Reader's Guide

In the First Law universe, history is often obscured by war and time. While common folk speak of gods who walked the earth, the Logros maintain different records. These ancient texts suggest that what people call 'gods' were actually powerful magicians or entities from a previous age when magic was abundant. The transition to the current era, where magic is rare and dangerous, is often attributed by historians to this shift. However, no concrete evidence of divine intervention remains. Bayaz himself hints at a time before the First Law was established, when power flowed freely without consequence. This period ended abruptly, leaving behind ruins and fragmented knowledge. Scholars debate whether these powers were destroyed or simply withdrew from mortal affairs. The Logros guard the remaining secrets, fearing that humanity is not ready for such strength again. Thus, the 'Fall' remains a subject of theological debate rather than historical fact. Most agree it marks the beginning of the current age of men and steel over sorcery. The distinction between myth and reality blurs in the deep past, but the result is undeniable: magic is fading, and the old ways are gone forever.

Did You Know?

• Bayaz was born after the fall of the Old Empire, and does not claim to remember the era before magic began to fade.
• The Order of Magi treats ancient magical artifacts as hazardous materials rather than holy relics.
• Many religions in the Known World worship gods that may never have actually existed.
• The First Law is 'It is forbidden to touch the Other Side from this side', established by Euz, not a rule forbidding magic to kill humans set by Juvens.