Elder Wars
The Elder Wars began shortly, in relative terms, after the Great Silence that followed the disappearance of Dynara and Magnora. Though it was sensed first by Dracnoris, a Primal God who was spared the indignity of becoming one of the Soulless, He opted to remain silent about the disturbances in the Void. He knew, better than the others, that the Heralds of Magnora could not be stopped no matter how prepared the Elder Gods wanted to believe They were.
A Disturbance in the Void
Xyl, a Thinker in the Fifth Circle was the first to bring together His siblings and colleagues to discuss the movement of the Soulless across the Void. Xyl brought the concerns of the FIfth Circle to a meeting of the Firsts and it was decided, though not without some controversy, that a majority of the First Circle would venture out into the Void to meet the Heralds in peace. In an attempt to learn more about the Heralds, the Firsts tasked Xyl, Tae, and Bollikin with finding Dracnoris and seeking His advice, as He had a close bond with one of the Soulless, Draxbaylock the Black.
Awakening the Dragon God took a great amount of time, patience, and effort, though. In the meantime, the Firsts sent out their diplomatic envoys. Back in the cave where Dracnoris slumbered, Tae and Bollikin passed the time by creating the rockeaters, which inadvertently became the very thing that would bring Dracnoris out of hibernation. As Xyl explained Their purpose for waking Him, Dracnoris suddenly took flight, furious that the Firsts were attempting to meet the Heralds in peace. He understood better than anyone that the nature of the Soulless was simple - to destroy and consume all that They encountered.
The Verses of Magnora
During the same time period in which Xyl and Tae attempted to awaken Dracnoris, another contingent of Elders were sent to consult with another Primal God, Keph of a Thousand Eyes. Shikari and Viravain, sibling-mates, volunteered to track Keph down and brought Mugowumpois and Tauro with Them. They traveled deep within the Undervault and found Keph in a meeting with the Fates, and She did not wish to be disturbed. Tauro stood His ground, though, which earned Him the favour of Keph and She decided to humour Him with what She knew of the Heralds. In addition to information about the Heralds, Keph relayed many predictions of the future to Mugowumpois, which She recorded in what would be known as the Verses of Magnora.
The Diplomatic Mission Begins
On the day of the diplomatic mission to the Void, approximately 365 members of the First Circle gathered and ventured out in a formation developed by the Second Circle, the Finger of Fate. It consisted of six rings of Elders, the outer ring containing 100 Gods, the next ring containing 75 Gods, and so on and so forth until Amberle floated alone. Because of Their bond, Meridian and Amberle could share with those left in Xyl's observatory a view of the proceedings in the Void.
The Heralds first seemed to view the Gods with curiosity, and then amusement. That quickly turned violent, though, and the Heralds struck out at the Finger of Fate in an attempt to attack Amberle. The formation held, protecting Amberle, but the Heralds' intent was clear to most: peace was not wanted. Members of the Second Circle pled with Amberle to consider the Daath sequence, also known as the Breaker of the Cosmos, but She wished to give peace one more try. At that very moment, Dracnoris arrived outside the observatory and with haste, shattered the walls so that He could speak directly to those gathered there. He commanded the Gods to abort the mission, revealing to Them that the Soulless only had one imperative: to destroy.
It was too late. The Soulless, having watched the Finger of Fate in action, now understood how to counter it. They viciously and mercilessly slaughtered Amberle and the rest of the Firsts protecting Her. A psychic backlash caused by the Soulless and the death of Amberle struck Meridian and incapacitated Him, and left the surviving Elders blind to the rest of the Soulless' devastating attack on the Firsts.