The Fifth Age; commonly known as the "Golden Age," lasted 630 years and began with the birth of Ravinia Myrnäe, the prophesied leader of the West, and the rise and fall of the Ravinian Empire.
In the years 44/5, young Ravinia came of age and was given the Orenthir by the Council of Sorcerë. That same year, the Ravinian Empire was founded. For nearly the next 600 years, the empire was ruled by the "Immortal Empress," whose longevity was due to her possession of the Orenthir.
At the time of the founding of the Empire, Corwyn saw the first appearance of Alokkair’s apprentice, Sorimmar the Necromancer. Sorimmar was one of the legendary Saar, a member of the Council of Sorcerë, and an important adviser to the Empress. He eventually began to quarrel with the Saar council over their role in the affairs of men.
Sorimmar wanted to dominate rather than assist the West and as a result he was banished from the council to live in the East as an outcast. For the remainder of the age, Sorimmar, first secretly and later openly, used all his powers to weaken the Empire. Near the end of the age, the Empire began to decay through corruption and hostile invasions orchestrated by Sorimmar, who by then had the assistance of a high ranking imperial official named Malachar who also wanted the Empire to fall.
Finally, the War of the Cataclysm broke out. Sorimmar, Malachar, and their allies invaded the Empire. Malachar stole the Orenthir from Empress Ravinia and murdered her. Sorimmar then gained possession of the Orenthir and was nearly unstoppable.
The Council of Sorcerë came out of hiding and confronted him in the climactic battle of Harkalad. All of the council members were slain and Sorimmar was vanquished, and the Orenthir was thrown into the giant Falls of Herthmar to prevent anyone from wielding it again. The two villains were eventually defeated, but the Empire collapsed into a dark age.
This collapse came to be called the Cataclysm, and upon its conclusion, the Golden Age ended.
