Timeline of Elanthian History

Timeline of Elanthian History is an Official GemStone IV Document, and it is protected from editing.

From the Modern World to the Ancient...

Drawn from the collected libraries of Illistim by Meachreasim Illistim, First Master of Lore Published: 9 Ivastaen of the year 5100 Modern Era

Recent

Year	Event
5103	Elven Nations: Faced with a stalemate, the Dark Alliance uses the very essence of its army in a mass sacrifice to create a nightmare -- a massive six-winged creature called the Miscere'Golab. With wings the size of mountains and its body able to block out the light of the sun, the beast provides an impossible challenge to any army. Fearing destruction, a group of adventurers lead by an eccentric Illistim scholar take flight upon a small airship and board the beast. They discover the key to the magical essence that binds the monstrosity together, and destroy it before it reaches the city. During the chaos, the third piece resurfaces, and is claimed again by the Dark Alliance. Elven Nations: The undead horde reaches Ta'Illistim. A huge assault is mounted upon the city, but save for a few incidents, the city walls are not breached and the gates hold. The outlying provinces, however, are soon infested with droves of undead and soldiers of the Dark Alliance. Rumors of the third portion of the Griffin Sword begin to surface across the lands. Elven Nations: The undead forces are bolstered immensely and push through the few remaining companies stationed there. The massive army begins to head toward Ta'Illistim. Defenses are prepared. Turamzzyrian Empire: A rogue Illistim mage's accident releases v'reen morphs into River's Rest. Controversy over the lethal shapeshifting monsters threatens to spark a war between the Empire and the Elven Nations until the Faendryl sorcerer Pheyrmerrin Azlantor banishes the v'reen from Elanith three months later.
5102	Elven Nations: The Vaalorian forces at ShadowGuard begin to push back the undead horde. Becoming confident in the dwindling ranks of the undead, they begin to withdraw a portion of their forces back to their homelands. Elven Nations: The Vaalorian army mobilizes its forces and holds off the main advance of the undead horde. Political clout serves as a stopgap for any of the other Houses offering aid. Elven Nations: The Dark Alliance appears in the eastern Elanith. An army of well-trained Illistim soldiers ride out to meet a particularly large horde of undead and are summarily slaughtered. The lands around ShadowGuard are soon infested with massive amounts of the undead. Turamzzyrian Empire: Solhaven is freed. Ulstram is found alive. During the struggle, the second piece of the Griffin Sword is discovered -- it is again handed to the Dark Alliance. Turamzzyrian Empire: Sheruvian forces lay siege to Solhaven. With Ulstram detained by a clever ruse from the Dark Alliance, the city falls and Sheruvian rule is enforced upon the resistant citizens. Teras Isle: The island is surrounded by a fleet of the Dark Alliance's ships in search of one of the Griffin Sword's shards. A heavy siege of V'tullian forces occur, but adventurers are aided by the prophet of Lorminstra, Ulstram, and cleverly destroy the fleet's flagship and glean vital information from it. The first piece of the Griffon Sword, however, is ultimately claimed by a Mularosian. Turamzzyrian Empire: The Griffin Sword is once again shattered by Morvule, a Luukosian High Priest. A renewed alliance of the four Dark Arkati - Luukos, Sheru, Mularos and V'tull rises from the shadow and the war over the sundered sword begins anew. Wehnimer's Landing is razed by Luukosian forces, and only half of the town survives the destruction. The Dark Alliance is reborn. Turamzzyrian Empire: The body of the Wehnimer's Landing mayor was found face up in the bay in a murder most foul. A force of guards was hired by local leaders and officials to pursue the matter and when they finally discovered and raided what they believed to be the source of trouble, they only found an abandoned headquarters, and the headless body of the mayor. Elections were called and campaigning went on for some months climaxing in a debate between the parties when all were slain from the darkness. A new mayor was installed by a dubious source and much silver is as of yet unaccounted for.
5101	Burghal Gnomes: In one of the most impressive feats of engineering-not to mention an unprecedented case of cross-bloodline cooperation-gnomes of the Withycombe, Winedotter, and Nylem bloodlines join forces to build an airship, the Dhu Gillywack. Designed using elements from the airships of the elves and dwarves but with a distinctively gnomish twist, the Dhu Gillywack visited several cities in the Turamzzyrian Empire, Kharam Dzu, and Ta'Illistim for the purpose of selling uniquely gnomifactured goods.
5099	Elven Nations: Queen Cadhla Loenthra opens trade and travel between House Loenthra and western Elanith with the initial voyage of the Ilyan Cloud merchant ship to the Turamzzyran Empire. Elven Nations: King Mattheanth of Ardenai dies. Eamon of Ardenai succeeds his father, ascending the throne.
5098	Turamzzyrian Empire: Baron Malwind opens caravansary routes between Solhaven and Wehnimer's Landing. Turamzzyrian Empire: Elanith is threatened with total annihilation by the Vvrael. Lorminstra calls forward seven champions to spearhead the defense, one from each profession, and tells them they must first find the Stones of Power and then take these stones north into the wilderness. During three perilous days which witness earthquakes and a rain of blood, the brave champions and countless other dauntless souls manage to seal the widening rift in the fabric of the world, forever barring the Vvrael from entry.
5097	Turamzzyrian Empire: The Griffon Sword is recovered and made whole.
5096	Turamzzyrian Empire: Barony of of Jantalar establishes a blockade of the free port Solhaven, causing the Terasian ship Glaesen Star to reroute to Wehnimer's Landing.
5096	Turamzzyrian Empire: Baron Dunrith Malwind establishes the Order of the Silver Gryphon. Elven Nations: Patriarch Ylisse of House Nalfein dies under mysterious circumstances.
5095	Turamzzyrian Empire: The Reiver invades, bringing with him hordes of undead and killing thousands. Elven Nations: Princess Elsevel of Loenthra weds Prince Eamon of Ardenai.
5094	Turamzzyrian Empire: Estrion Il'Fanlas is killed near Wehnimer's Landing. Siarl Arinimus disappears. Turamzzyrian Empire: Estrion Il'Fanlas and Siarl Arinimus seize Darkstone Castle. Turamzzyrian Empire: Marliese kidnapped by Siarl Arinimus near Wehnimer's Landing.
5093	Turamzzyrian Empire: Marliese first appears in the guise of a golden puma. Turamzzyrian Empire: Earthquake rocks northwestern portions of the Elanith continent. Wehnimer's Landing takes heavy damage.
5051	Burghal Gnomes: The Withycombe (as the eldest of the bloodline is named) dies under mysterious circumstances, and an investigation uncovers a secret society of gnomish assassins. Its leader, Todor Neimhean, was immediately put to death, but his followers created a new bloodline in his name.

5049-5000

Year	Event
4997	Dwarven Settlement: A balloon carrying dwarves on an exploration trip crash lands on Teras Isle. The dwarves form the settlement known as Kharam Dzu.
4992	Forest Gnomes: A compound of Wendwillow gnomes camping on an island at the confluence of three rivers in the lake country northwest of Ta'Nalfein is lost to a rushing deluge. The few survivors who make their way back upriver vow never to place themselves at the mercy of more powerful forces again. They name the island (and, later, their bloodline) Angstholm, fortify it with a wondrous array of traps and other mechanisms of defense, and disappear from history. It is rumored that Angstholm gnomes have built fortress compounds on other similarly located islands.
4953	Turamzzyrian Empire: The Horned Cabal appears in the Southron Wastes.
4941	Half-Krolvin: More adventurous half-krolvin, ranging further and further a field, discover the raids the Krolvin of Glaeveln have staged on the Empire and the existence of the few half-krolvin from that encounter. The half-krolvin scouts retreat and advise their fellows not to venture out of the mountains because those with krolvin blood are greeted with violence.
4926	Turamzzyrian Empire: The Krolvin first attack the Human Empire. The brunt of the attack is borne at Wehnimer's Landing.
4892	Turamzzyrian Empire: Kezmon Isle is lost.
4873	Turamzzyrian Empire: The outpost of Wehnimer's Landing is established by Rone Wehnimer
4841	Turamzzyrian Empire: Third Elven War between the Turamzzyrian Empire and the Faendryl nation.
4771	Turamzzyrian Empire: Second Elven War between the Turamzzyrian Empire and the Nalfein nation.
4709	Erithian Empire: Temple of Wisdom in Eloth-Ra completed and dedicated in a millennial celebration of the arrival of the Erithi race on Elanthia. [Year 1000 Erithian]
4694	Turamzzyrian Empire: Completion of the Rysus Codex, heralding the beginning of the Turamzzyrian Empire's transformation into a feudalistic society.
4634	Burghal Gnomes: A secret cult of Eorgina arises within the Nylem, their worship of the dark queen at odds with the neutral trickster-ism of the bloodline. A brief but bloody struggle for power ends with the Eorgina faction separating from the rest. They adopt the mocking nickname bestowed by their cousins-Vylem-as sign of the purity of their devotion.
4605-4610	Turamzzyrian Empire: First Elven War between the Turamzzyrian Empire and the Nalfein nation.
4565	Turamzzyrian Empire: Toullaire is destroyed in a great catastrophe, creating the Wizardwaste.
4467	Forest Gnomes: A group of Wendwillows living in the forests outside of Ta'Vaalor, admiring the warrior tradition of the elves and resentful of their own weakness, turns to the worship of V'Tull. Under these twin influences they develop the first (and only) warrior tradition among the gnomes, often engaging in gladiatorial combat with fearsome beasts of the forest. This group rejects their origins in the "spineless" Wendwillow line to form Bloodline Felcour.
4408	Half-Krolvin: The beginning of the half-krolvin population has outgrown the space available on Krint. They sail from the island and establish an outpost in the glacial mountains north of Icemule Trace.
4278	Turamzzyrian Empire: Coronation of Selantha Anodheles as the first Empress of the Turamzzyrian Empire.
4209	Erithian Empire: System of matriarchal town government standardized and officially established in Erithian lands.
4120	Burghal Gnomes: Danail Nylem is exiled from the Withycombe for violating -- and mocking -- the now centuries-old period of official mourning for the collapse of the Kannalan Empire. More than a quarter of the bloodline admires Nylem's transgressive humor, and they accompany his departure to form a new bloodline.
4081	Half-Krolvin: Krintaur's half-krolvin breeding program is discovered and he and his household are forced to flee the Isle of Glaeveln. They escape by water and establish a new home to the southeast on a small island they called Krint.
4045	Human Settlement: Founding of Voln’s first monastery by Manor Lord Fasthr K’Tafali near Kedshold, a surviving city of the former Kannalan Empire.

3999-3000

Year	Event
3,961	Human Settlement: Collapse of the Kannalan Empire
3,945	Giantkin-Dwarven War: For reasons unknown, the giantkin and dwarves go to war for several months. Eventually a truce is called, and peace is restored.
3800	Erithian Empire: Library of Eloth-Ra established. Studies of explorers' accounts of the mountain dwarves and giantman tribal lands, and of the nature of magic on Elanthia, are among the first preserved in the Library.
3786	Erithian Empire: Erithian Mentalists document the skills and the magic of Mentalism and establish Elanthia's first systems of training in their arts.
3709	Erithian Empire: Central settlement of Eloth-Ra dedicated officially as the capital city of the Erithi race, on the centennial of their settlement. [Year 100 Erithian]
3609	Erithian Empire: Erithian Calendar established. Some years after their original arrival, the Erithi deem their residence on Elanthia a permanent situation, and begin to create lasting settlements. [Year 0 Erithian]
3600	Erithian Empire: Year of arrival - A population of somewhere around 100-200 Erithians arrive and settle in the high DragonSpine, through some unknown magic or divine action.
3545	Forest Gnomes: A group of Basingstoke rangers decides that too much effort is put into hunting. They develop a variety of poisons, originally used on arrow tips, but soon enough for darker purposes. Bloodline Rosengift splinters off for its own protection after a young gnome accidentally uses the wrong compound when hunting, leading to the death of five families who shared the tainted venison.

2999-2000

Year	Event
2492	Forest Gnomes: Unwilling to condemn the Greengair for their choice of a settled lifestyle, yet not entirely willing to abandon centuries of mobility, another group breaks off from Basingstoke to adopt a semi-nomadic lifestyle. Periodically moving along the banks of rivers or the shoreline of lakes and the sea, the gnomes of Bloodline Wendwillow are the most aquatic Forest Gnomes.
2389	Forest Gnomes: Believing that Imaera calls them to develop a more sustainable, symbiotic relationship with the forest, a large number of gnomes leave the wandering Basingstokes to establish their own bloodline, Greengair, who live in fixed compounds surrounded by thick briars.

1999-1000

999-0

Year	Event
1134	Burghal Gnomes: A group of Winedotters living near Ta'Vaalor decides to go in search of the dwarves, whose skill in metallurgy and forging is so admired by the elves. Their delight in dwarven brews leads their cousins to name this group Bloodline Aledotter.
725	Burghal Gnomes: A group of Withycombes attaches themselves to some elven traders and makes their way to Ta'Nalfein, where they develop a fondness for-and expertise in the production of-wine. Soon, Bloodline Winedotter spreads through the Elven Nations.
157	The Elven Nations: The Faendryl declare war on House Ashrim over Chesylcha's death, utterly destroying the city of Ta'Ashrim and obliterating the Ashrim line.
157	The Elven Nations: The Faendryl Princess Chesylcha disappears and is presumed dead, while traveling to her bridegroom, a prince of House Ashrim.
0	Modern Era: Begins

-1 to -4999

Year	Event
Circa -125	Gnomekind: Pestilence forces the civilized gnomes from their caves. Decades of rancorous debate over the future of the race leads to The Great Schism. Sandor Withycombe brings one group into the cities and towns of the Kannalan Empire, and Doneagil Basingstoke leads the remainder back into the forest. Thus are established the primary bloodlines of Burghal and forest gnomes.
Circa -3000	Human Settlement: The humans, left to their own devices after the protection of the elves is withdrawn, begin to form small organized settlements on the western side of the DragonSpine, building fortresses to protect themselves.
Circa -4500	Gnomekind: Elven rangers report contact with civilizing gnomes. Changes in physical characteristics as well as the development of rudimentary elements of language and culture suggest an evolutionary spike has occurred during the dark years.
Circa -9800	Elven Nations: After a protracted thousand year war with the kiramon, a group of Illistim scholars devises a spell which creates a magical portal to an uninhabited world. The kiramon are tricked into going through the portal, after which the portal is closed behind them. Save for a few very small hives, the kiramon are largely eradicated from Elanith.

The Age of Chaos -5000 to -20,000

Year	Event
-5000 to -15,000	Greater Elanith: Anarchy reigns, as the elves are no longer performing the role of protector to the lesser races. Little is known of this dark period.
Circa -15,180	The Elven Empire: The Empire begins to crumble, each house withdrawing and managing their own affairs. The Elven Houses are no longer an organized community.
-15,184	The Dwarvenkind: Dwarves returning to Kalaza from the war bring with them the plague, which utterly devastates the city. Upon the death of the overking and his family, the gates to Kalaza are closed and forever hidden.
-15,185	The Elven Empire: The Elven armies, directed by the Faendryl, manage to slow and stop the progress of Despana's hordes. The Elven Empire: The Faendryl, promising to end the war with Despana and destroy her utterly, lead an offensive against the Keep at Maelshyve. Summoning a flight of lesser demons, they destroy Maelshyve and its inhabitants- both living and undead. The Elven Empire: Appalled at the conduct of the Faendryl at Maelshyve, the remaining six houses exile the Faendryl to the Rhoska-Tor, where Maelshyve once stood.
-15,186	The Elven Empire: Led by Dharthiir, the first of Despana's hordes of undead begin to attack the southernmost settled portions of the Elven Nations, hitting the houses of Vaalor and Nalfein hardest. The Elven Houses, caught by surprise and dissent among the ruling factions, offered little resistance. The Elven Empire: Despana's armies approach Ta'Vaalor. Ta'Vaalorian troops, led by Taki Rassien, make a stand at ShadowGuard and are utterly destroyed. The Elven Empire: The Elves, shocked into cooperation by the defeat at ShadowGuard, begin to form alliances not only among their own houses, but with the dwarves, giantkin, sylvans and halflings- even some humans.
-15,497	Despana's Reign: Dharthiir, Despana's chief minion, begins to recruit orcs, trolls and humans into his undead army.
-18,756	Despana's Reign: Despana completes construction on the Keep at Maelshyve, where she takes up residence and begins to plot.
-19,864	The Elven Empire: Rumors of Despana reach the ruling classes of the Elven Nations, but are dismissed as the storybook tales of children and the infirm.

The Second Age - The Elven Empire -20,001 to -50,000

Year	Event
-34,845	The Dwarvenkind: Khazi Khazar, the first dwarf charismatic enough to gather his kind, begins construction on the city of Kalaza deep within the bowels of the DragonSpine.
-36,567	The Sylvans: Upset with the state of elven politics, the Sylvans break from their elven brothers and migrate across the DragonSpine over the course of several hundred years, establishing the settlement of Yuriqen.
-45,293	Elven Nations: Tahlad leads a group of dissenters away from the burgeoning Elven Nations, to form a splinter group that will eventually be known as the Dhe'nar. This group settles in the southern part of Elanith, in the area known as Rhoska-tor.
-47,578	Elven Nations: Zishra Nalfein abandons Vaalor court life, his followers leaving with him. He soon establishes his house on the southeastern coastline, and elven politics quickly follow.
-47,689	Elven Nations: Sharyth Ardenai and his followers establish the city of Ta'Ardenai, deep within the Darkling Wood.
-48,117	Elven Nations: Bhoreas Ashrim establishes the city of Ta'Ashrim, located on an isle off the eastern seacoast.
-48,204	Elven Nations: Callisto Loenthra, a wealthy merchant, establishes the eastern seacoast capitol Ta'Loenthra. The city quickly becomes a magnet for artists, craftsmen, and those eager to live in a decadent, beautiful place.
-48,897	Elven Nations: Korthyr Faendryl and Aradhul Vaalor establish their respective houses, claiming tracts of land centrally located on the western plains.
-49,107	Elven Nations: Linsandrych Illistim establishes the first elven house, beginning construction of a library and keep in the western foothills of the DragonSpine. The Chronicle keepers move to his new library, known as Ta'Illistim.
-49,238	Elven Nations: Elven followers of the Arkati establish the Chronicles, the first written history of the growing empire.
-50,000	Elven Nations: The elves, growing under the tutelage of the Arkati, begin to claim large portions of the western continent for their own.

Ancient History - The Age of Darkness - -50,001 to -100,000

Year	Event
Circa -95,000	The Arkati: Eorgina begins to openly lead a faction of the Arkati towards a darker path, subverting the rule of Koar.
Circa -100,000	The Arkati: The Arkati, formerly the Drakes' servants, begin to heal the land, each taking up a race or cause to promote.

-100,001 to -115,000

Year	Event
Circa -105,000	Ur-Daemon War: The Ur-Daemon War lasted over 1,000 years. The Drakes' rule of Elanthia was shattered forever.

-130,000 to -115,001

Year	Event
Circa -130,000	The The Drakes: The Rule of Dragonkind.