Red Hand

The Red Hand was a massive asteroid that struck the planet of Aelura 10,000 years before the Burning Age. Its coming was observed by the three most powerful civilizations at the time: the Three Empires of the Dragonborn, the Golden Empire of the Hirami Humans, and the Floating Decapolis of the High Elves. Each sought to turn the asteroid's course or destroy it with powerful magics, but the lack of coordination between the civilizations lead to the asteroid being charged with chaotic magic. When it slammed into the ocean, it not only produced an immediate cataclysm, but the spells that were embedded in its rocky surface caused the debris thrown up into the atmosphere of Aelura to linger far longer than they should have. This was the beginning of the Shadow Age.