This alternate timeline was presented in the short story There Is Another Shore, You Know, Upon the Other Side by Roger E. Moore in the third dragons anthology, Dragons of Chaos. It was originally released by Wizards of the Coast on January 1, 1997. You can buy a copy here:
https://amzn.to/3WV3ero
https://youtu.be/GrC53cbKunU
Transcript
Cold Open
What if the Kingpriest of Istar had never fallen? What if the gods had never turned away from Krynn? And what if the fiery mountain never came—and the Empire of Istar stood unbroken?
Intro
Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today I am going to talk about the alternate timeline Istar Triumphant. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members and Patreon patrons, and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron by following the links in the description below. You can even pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate links. I am referencing Roger E. Moore’s short story There Is Another Shore, You Know, Upon the Other Side from the third Dragons anthology, Dragons of Chaos for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below!
Discussion
In this alternate timeline… the Kingpriest succeeded. He conquered not only the world… but the gods themselves.
This timeline begins when the Graygem of Gargath fell into the Kingpriest’s hands, everything changed. He no longer sought to cleanse evil—he sought to own the light. The gem, having trapped Chaos itself, gave him the power to command divinity. He bound the True Gods in mortal form, stripped them of their thrones, and declared himself the Godking of Krynn.
Under his rule, Istar became the center of all creation… and all who lived upon Krynn bowed to him. The world that followed was not destroyed by fire—it was consumed by order. From the shores of Ergoth to the deserts of Khur, every kingdom became a Dominion of Istar. The banners of the blue eye and golden sun fluttered above every city. Laws of purity replaced laws of freedom.
The Knights of Solamnia rebelled, but were driven down and broken by the magic of the Godking’s priests. They served as paladins of the Godking’s peace—hunting wizards, heretics, and any who defied Istar’s perfection. Everywhere, the Eye gazed down—the symbol of the Godking’s sight and judgment. It was stamped into coins, carved above doorways, branded into slaves. Even the heavens bore his mark.
Where once three moons governed the flow of magic, now there was only one: a massive, blue-tinted orb that filled the night sky. At its center glowed a dark pupil—the living eye of the Godking himself. To the faithful, this world seemed pure and bright. But beneath its light, there was no compassion—only fear.
The Years of Hunting began with the proclamation that the impure must be erased. Kender were the first to fall—called “the children of chaos.” Goblins, ogres, minotaurs, and gnomes followed. Each race was hunted to extinction in the name of divine order. The elves fared only slightly better. Deemed “close to perfection,” they were allowed to live—but only as favored servants of Istar’s priests, their ancient pride chained to the service of tyranny.
Magic itself was broken. When the moons merged, the Orders of High Sorcery lost their gods and their power. The towers were seized, their knowledge burned. The Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthas was reclaimed—its blackened stones restored to white marble, its Shoikan Grove made a garden of light.
