A cataclysmic event, or series of such events, that brought about the end of the [[Golden Age]] of Equine civilization. In the most popular version of the story heard today, a horrid alien god in the form of a giant [[dragon]] appeared in [[Equestria]] and began to inflict unprecedented destruction. It was challenged by the bearers of the [[Elements of Harmony]] and possibly by one or more [[alicorn princess]]es, and was destroyed, although the Elements of Harmony were lost. Even the earliest accounts show signs of early embellishment, leaving modern scholars uncertain as to most details of the catastrophe and its immediate aftermath. It is fairly certain that this period was marked by a massive plague and various natural disasters, however.