Alphatian History
by John CalvinI decided to try and piece together a comprehensive history for the kingdoms of the Alphatian Empire, based initially on the expansions given to us by Bruce Heard through his online blog. I'm going to try and do this in a couple of passes:
1) Go through all of the articles for a single Alphatian Kingdom and compile as many historical excerpts as I can. Some of these will have explicit dates, while others (most it seems) will not.
2) Where appropriate use other fan based material to bolster the initial kingdom's timeline. This may help in resolving some of the unknown dates.
3) Combine the timelines from each Kingdom into a single comprehensive history. Again this may help to resolve many of the unknown dates (or at least to get us some reasonable estimates).
For now, where you see dates listed they are explicit within the article. If the date is accompanied by a "?" that date is an estimation on my part. Unknown dates are listed as "???", but in general I will try to list events in chronological order.
I will update the initial post as this thread grows, and try to maintain a master post for each of the individual kingdoms (which I will link to here). Any help is welcomed and appreciated.
Ambur
References:
(A1 = https://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2013/04/Ambur01.html)
(O1 = http://pandius.com/korzafth.html)
(A2 = https://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2013/04/Ambur02_27.html)
(A3 = https://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2013/05/Ambur06.html)
[I will label each of the events below with one of these references, so that we can keep track from where the information is coming from. My own comments will be placed in square brackets "[...]"]
Pre BC 1000: Ancient and primitive tribes of eastern Neathar folk, known as the Yan, occupy and control much of mainland Alphatia. (A1_1)
BC 1000: Alphatian Landfall. The Yan are driven north, where they consolidate their power and grow in strength.. (A1_2)
BC 1000 - BC 700?: Increasing incursions from Air Wizards in the south force the Yani tribes to cohabit with the Fey, mystical forestfolk who claimed vast boreal woodlands. (A1_3)
BC 600?: Yan and Fey stock begin to mix, creating a new race of people known as the Yanifey, who eventually supplant the old Yan folk. (A1_4)
???: Pureblood Fey feel increasingly challenged and seek greater magic to keep the Alphatians at bay. They contact the Ogam, a swarthy people hailing from unknown shores, who respond to their call. For a time the combined might of the Fey and Ogam stalemate the Alphatian onslaught. (A1_5)
???: Fighting continues and the dark magic of the Ogam unleashes a mysterious calamity. The northern woods are withered and the surrounding region becomes desolate. They Fey vanish overnight, and the Ogam retreat into the northern Kerothar Mountains, leaving the Yanifey to hold the plains against the Alphatians on their own. (A1_6)
???: The visionary wizard Jarastharram, gathers a force of loyal Alphatians and decimates the Yanifey. Some escape to the so-called Yannivey Chain while others submit to their conquerors and join the Alphatians. Jarastharram founds the Kingdom of Argonath in defiance of Sundsvall. It stretches from modern day Frisland to Ambur. (A1_7)
AC ??? - AC 405: Argonath begins to fracture, succumbing to local wars, internal strife, and sea raids from Qeodhar. (A1_8)
AC 405: Orzafeth is established in what is now central-eastern Frisland after the fall of Argonath in AC 405 (AY 1405). (O1_1)
AC 405? - AC ???: Imperial forces strike down the remnants of Argonath, splitting its territory into several realms. These are little more than royal domains surrounded by city states, military outposts, and petty agrarian oligarchies centered around Alphatian families—or Houses. After much infighting these domains eventually coalesce into the modern states of Frisland, Ar, and Ambur) (A1_9)
[Originally Bruce’s article says Argonath splits into 3 realms (Frisland, Ar, and Ambur), however he also mentions several smaller domains (which get “gobbled” up by larger ones). Geoff’s article also mentions Orzafeth. My interpretation is that there are several splinter realms during this era. They will eventually become Frisland, Ar, and Ambur.]
???: A small meteoroid crashes near the vicinity of what will one day be the town of Star Fall. [Is this an ancient or modern event?] (A2_1)
???: A mage by the name of Lady Alathazam becomes intrigued by some of the local glassmaking traditions. The skill dates back to the Yanifey, and allows the crafter to create near-perfect crystal objects—spheres, cubes, tear drops, prisms, disks, and occasionally skulls of various sorts. Lady Alathazam pioneers the new study of optics (the Ocularian Arts), where arcane effects are applied to these expertly crafted glasswork items. (A1_10)
???: Lady Alathazam opens several schools across the realm and begins teaching her new techniques to students. The savvy Amburian monarchy intervenes to regulate these learning centers and make sure their knowledge stays within the realm’s borders. (A1_11)
???: It turned out that fragments from the outer space bolide bore special properties that, when combined with the manufacture of optical lenses, lead to a new branch of stargazing technology. A local school was founded, accredited by the renowned Lady Alathazam, which promptly acquired the technique and offered it to its students. It became known as the School of Transposition. (A2_2)
???: Lady Alathazam passes on, and the schools she established become private competing institutions, each financially successful. (A1_12)
???: The monarchy imposes hefty taxes upon the schools and their students, sparking unrest among academic circles, known as the Ocularian Riots. It is quickly put down after the monarchy agrees to yearly research grants, scholarships, and royal support for the expansion of the school system within the realm. (A1_13)
???: The County of Stargaze in Ambur pressures the Amburian monarchy to issue the Starpoint Edict, which ends up provoking the Twin Peaks Campaign soon thereafter. (A3_1)
???: Diplomatic relationships with the Kingdom of Ar have remained reasonably good, except for the Twin Peaks Campaign largely seen among Amburians as the theft of a rightfully-claimed dominion by their western neighbor. As a result of this conflict, contacts between Ambur and Foresthome are polite but generally cool and reserved. (A1_14)
???: The County of Stargaze bares the largest share of the cost of the military campaign into what would later become Aran territory. (A3_2)
???: Ambur’s invasion fails, and soon after Ar establishes their hegemony over the eastern shores of Crystal Lake. The heirs to the County of Stargaze have since born grudges against both Foresthome and neighboring Ar, and vow never again to be caught at a disadvantage. (A3_3)
???: The Great Observatory is established in the County of Stargaze, initially as an experiment to combine all sciences derived from the teachings of Lady Alathazam. The result yields a fantastic tool for astronomy, but forces within the Amburian monarchy have manipulated its construction so that it might also act as a great weapon. (A3_4)
Arogansa
(Ag1 = https://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-alphatian-province-of-arogansa.html)
AC 600?: The Great Gouge is created when a celestial body falls from the skies. Flesh-craving horrors creep up from those dismal depths, and constantly clash with Alphatian forces. (Ag1_2)
[There are events in the Theranderol articles that expand upon these and may give hints to the timeline.]
AC 650?: Five military wards are established to guard the area around the Great Gouge and the pits. (Ag1_1)
AC 650? - AC 1000?: The region has been at peace for many generations, but wizards are slow to forget and wisely maintain a solid watch. (Ag1_3)
AC ???: The Sixth and Seventh (military) Wards are established on the western border of Arogansa. Ostensibly created to protect folk from the creatures of the wild, the wards serve another purpose, guarding the valuable magnetite and arcanium mines. (Ag1_4)
AC ???: Royal Charter obtained to set aside the forest as a place for wooddrakes to thrive. Closed to the public, it is called Woodrake Preserve and is sponsored by the Elven Palace and the Royal House of Arogansa. As part of the arrangement, the earlier High-Theurgy of Llyndemar obtained its elevation to a Vice-Thaumaturgy. (Ag1_5)
AC ???: The magic in the Blinkwoods, a popular establishment, goes wildly out of control. It becomes infested with strange beings, and the forest is magically mutated. (Ag1_6)
*************************
I feel like I've missed something here. I want to say I read something about a wizard signing his rights to an arcanium mine away in return for an elevated title, but going back to look for that I can't seem to find it at the moment.
Theranderol
(T1 = https://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2012/07/alphatian-province-of-theranderol.html)
(T2 = https://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2012/07/errolyn-city-of-courtly-love-and.html)
???: Heroes of old carve begin to carve an empire from dark and savage lands. (T2_2)
[These are enshrined by statues and effigies on buildings throughout Errolyn]
???: Errolyn, the beloved thespian notorious for his swashbuckling style and debonaire swagger is renowned throughout the land. It is after him that the capital of Theranderol is eventually named. (T2_1)
AC 600?: A celestial body crashes digging a 200 mile long gouge through the earth. Other fragments land nearby creating three enormous craters. (T1_1)
[This event says “Curiously, some centuries long past,” which I am going to take as meaning sometime within the last millennia. We could probably shift this event anywhere from AC 300 to AC 600, depending on how far back we think it should go. Bruce confirms in a comment (in one of the Arogansa articles) that the gouge and the pits are created by the same event.]
AC 601?: Shortly after the crash horrid creatures grow from the gouge’s scorched soil and begin raiding local villages. No one can explain their appearance. (T1_2)
AC 601? - AC 650?: The Alphatians build defenses and finally defeat the creatures. Rumors abound that the creatures have just retreated below ground to rebuild their forces, and the Alphatian defenses remain garrisoned to the present day. (T1_3)
Bettellyn
(B1 = https://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-alphatian-province-of-bettellyn.html)
(B2 = https://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2012/09/bettellyn-land-of-farmers-devouts-and.html)
(B3 = https://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2012/10/Bettellyn02.html)
(B4 = https://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2012/10/BettellynPt.III.html)
(B5 = https://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2012/10/Bettellyn04.html)
(B6 = https://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2012/10/Bettellyn05.html)
(B7 = https://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2012/11/Citadel.html)
[Ancient Era]
Pre BC 1000: The disappearance of six archons Ixion created more than two thousand years ago remains completely unexplained to this day. (B1_10) [The entry says that Ixion created the archons more than 2000 years ago.]
Pre BC 1000: Prior to the clash that led to the destruction of their former world, Scions of Llyn had begun following a new pantheon of immortals, known then as The Three: Eyoth, the leader and patroness of magic; Sabbaiah, embodying war; and Horana, death, honor, and ancestry. (B1_1)
BC 1000: Alphatian Landfall
BC ???: The indigenous population is swept aside or absorbed, as elsewhere on mainland Alphatia. (B1_3)
???: The Orb of Eternity is found by the Alphatian wizard Al-Zuhbaab. It is strong enough to grant a lore ability that can unveil legends about the Immortals themselves. (B6_1)
???: Al-Zuhbaab tries to use the Orb of Eternity and triggers one of its safeguards, causing other planar creatures to gate in and attack the wizard. Al-Zuhbaab is destroyed and the artifact is taken, but his apprentice survives to tell the tale. (B6_2)
???A: The House of Llyn, one of the most ancient Alphatian bloodlines, founds the nation of Bettellyn. [This is an extrapolation on my part, but reasonable based on the info about Llyn and the town of Dheys.] (B3_4)
???A: The village of Dheys is founded by House Llyn and remains their seat of power in the modern era. From its founding it grows to a town supporting nearly 7000 people year round. (B3_6)
???A - ???: For centuries during Bettellyn’s early growth, local powers allied against it and its strange cults. (B4_1)
BC ???: By the time the realm of Bettellyn was founded on Mystara, three more beings came forth—Astafiel, life and love; Ardoryl, light and lawful purity; and last, Elarion, huntsman and herald. (B1_2)
BC ???: The mystery of the greater archons’ existence drives their followers to a more profound insight, which leads to the unveiling of a seventh lord named Samarion, the pantheon’s true Hierarch. Thus is born the faith of The Seven. It was found that the previous six had gained their immortality under Samarion’s patronage. (B1_5)
BC ???: As doubt, suspicion, and bigotry mount, the self-proclaimed followers of immortal archons are shunned by all. (B1_4)
BC ???: Ixion discovers that Alphatians are building temples to archons (six of which bear the same names as archons of his that disappeared long ago) and investigates. He becomes suspicious when he fails to locate the beneficiaries of the Bettellyners’ faiths. (B1_11)
???: Local powers are absorbed by the expanding theocracy of Bettellyn. The fighting takes a toll, draining Bettellyn both economically and demographically. To stem the tide of battle, and secure its borders Bettellyn agrees to pay homage to the Imperial Throne. (B4_2)
???: As Bettellyn grows from its infancy, forest tribes (from Foresthome) raid southward. (B3_7)
???: The See of Uffariel is established to protect Bettellyn from its northern neighbors. Its sizable military force keeps the folk of Foresthome at bay. (B3_8)
???: House Feltellyn (and offshoot of House Llyn) falls out with the royal family and moves to Randel, starting a bitter rivalry that lasts through to the modern era. (B3_5)
???: Lesser archons engage in a mighty battle with dragons over the region now known as the Burial Hallows. Several lesser archons are said to have fallen in this battle, causing the land itself to mourn them, which is why nothing ever grows there. Petrified skeletons lie across the eighty mile region, their resting places considered cursed and forbidden to all. It is believed that over the course of centuries more than a million graves have been dug here. (B3_2) [Based on Bruce’s comments, this must have taken place after Landfall]
???: The most affluent families of Bettellyn build great mausoleums in the Burial Hallows, believing that the souls of fallen archons will protect the remains of the faithful. (B3_3)
[Uncertain Events]
???: The Prelacies of Temporia and Celesta are founded by followers of Horana, building a culture that centers around a cult of ancestor spirits. (B3_1)
BC ???: Ostracism and persecutions turn grimmer and lead Bettellyn’s faithful to arm themselves and learn the arts of war to protect their beliefs. (B1_6)
BC ???: This enduring realm attracted the inquisitive minds of imperial questors seeking to pierce the secrets of Bettellyn’s faith: how archons earned immortality and why other immortals could not see them. (B1_7)
BC ???: In fact, these sharp, inquisitive minds came to believe that the only way to learn more involved attaining immortality and joining the pantheon. This resulted in an even more exalted and fanatical faith in Bettellyn, one profoundly Lawful yet warlike. (B1_8)
???: Brocto the Seared, a local tavern owner, earns his moniker by fighting off stray hellhounds, using the sign of his own tavern as a shield. The fight brings him a noble’s title along with notoriety. The tavern sign becomes the official arms of his house, and later on, those of the Holy See of Brocto. The tavern remains in business up to the modern era, a fancy stop for bourgeois clientele and visiting dignitaries. (B2_2)
???: The First Revelation, made by Elarion, is as follows: “A mighty chariot of the stars, in darkness forever hidden.” (B1_9)
???: The Grand Cathedral serves as the repository for the most holy Shroud of the Unborn. Murky legends have it that the Shroud was brought from a time that hasn’t yet come to pass. It is believed to have contained the remains of an avatar of Samarion. (B2_1)
???: The Brotherhood of the Flaming Heart become convinced that the Shroud of the Unborn did in fact sheath Samarion’s lifeless remains. They endeavour to uncover (and stop) the events that did (or will) lead to their Immortal patron’s untimely demise. They will do anything to prevent others from learning of this secret. (B4_5)
[Modern Era]
???: The cult of Elarion begins to infiltrate Foresthome, making excellent in slowly turning sylvan clans into potential allies of Bettellyn. Groups in the City of Greenwood bitterly oppose this dangerous influence, and try to intercept missionaries once they enter the borders of Foresthome. (B3_9)
???: Bettellyn remains a staunch supporter of the Imperial House and, to avoid jeopardizing this relationship, focused its efforts (in the form of missionary proselytizing) on Foresthome. Frictions between the two realms have been growing steadily ever since. (B4_3)
AC 400?: Centuries of building newer structures on top of older ones have given The Citadel its current mountain-like shape. Over time the deeper levels are abandoned (provided they don’t collapse) and are claimed by more unsavory aspects of the city’s citizens or be creatures from the Shadowdeep. (B7_2) [I’m taking this date from the MA 1018]
???: Bettellyn begins sending missionaries into Eadrin and Arogansa. Eadrin largely manages to avoid their influence, but the serfs in Arogansa have proven unusually partial to the appeal of The Seven. (B4_4)
???: A group known as The Golden Boys (and Girls) is formed, consisting of young and successful scions of noble families. In truth, its key members are polymorphed gold dragons, intent on infiltrating Bettellyn and rooting out that nation’s secrets. The dragons hope to end the deep seated bitterness between the prevailing theocracy and the nation of Randel. (B4_6)
???: Ixion is able to piece together the prophecies of The Seven and becomes increasingly alarmed. He is determined to oppose The Seven, concerned that they may be pawns of a conspiracy to destroy Alphatia. (B1_12) [This is obviously a reference to WotI. I’m inclined to place this event closer to the modern day on the assumption that Ixion hasn’t had enough time to deal with this new threat before WotI comes to a head.]
AC 950: A royal decree is issued for the creation of a mechanical device that will help people travel up and down the levels of The Citadel. (B7_1)
AC 950 - AC 1000: The best engineers and workforce that Stoutfellow has to offer have been constantly digging tunnels, creating boarding stations and access stairwells through the notoriously hostile lower levels of The Citadel. The project seems to have no end in sight. Adventurers are often hired to provide support (either as guards or monster hunters). (B7_3)
AC 990 - AC 1000: In Citadel, relay houses buried along the tracks generate or support a telekinetic power grid. Over the past decades, revenue from the Ley Coaches network has helped finance the endeavor to maintain and expand the tracks. (B7_5)
AC ???: The first few clues about the Orb of Eternity, unearthed by mystics at the service of the Archbishop of Quanfax, seem to connect it with the Hebdomadea. The only way to permanently destroy the artifact is to bring it back to its maker. (B6_3)
AC ???: Corybemus, or Farraxillion-the-Gleaming (a polymorphed gold dragon and member of the Golden Boys) learns that the Archbishop of Quanfax is seeking to acquire a very dangerous artifact [the Orb of Eternity]. He sends a younger member of his group (a dragon taking on the human moniker of Merraban) to the Royal Palace at Citadel to investigate. Merraban is able to confirm that the artifact lay indeed in Queen Llynara’s possession, hidden somewhere beneath the Grand Reliquary. (B5_2)
AC ???: Corybemus focuses on concerns about the presence of [the Orb of Eternity] in Bettellyn and whether the Archbishop of Quanfax will obtain it. He plans on sending agents of his own to retrieve the artifact before the Archbishop learns its secrets. (B5_3)
AC 1000: Citadel’s transport network relies on a proprietary form of artificial ley lines that channel telekinetic forces through stone grooves carved in the tunnels’ floors. Vehicles travel on dwarven-forged steel tracks straddling these telekinetic grooves. (B7_4)
AC 1010: Her Royal Holiness, The Most Devout Queen Llynara loses her faith in the immortals (and akes on a Neutral alignment), concluding they instigated the catastrophe that lead to Alphatia’s destruction on the outer world. In AC1010, this detail escaped everyone’s observation, fortunately, or she would be forced to abdicate. (B5_1)
********************
There is a ton of information on this one, so I suspect we may see some revisions here. I feel pretty good, at least about the general ordering, of the Modern Era events. I'm a little less certain about the ordering of the Ancient Era events. Those in the middle (under the label Uncertain Events) I'm going to have to think about a bit more. I wanted to get stuff out in front of folks to see if anyone else has any opinions. We may be able to draw on some fan sources to help us nail down the exact dates (I did that for the Citadel event, pulling AC 400 from the 1018 MA).
Randel
(R1 = https://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2012/09/TheAlphatianProvinceofRandel.html)
(R2 = https://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2012/09/dominion-stats-randel_6469.html)
(R3 = https://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2012/09/rardish-iron-crown-of-alphatia.html)
Pre BC 1000: Large porous mesas dominate this arid land. Filled with caverns below and rocky spires above the terrain makes an ideal habitat for dragons of all kinds. The “roundels” or dragon crags, as they are known, existed in this state for eons before Alphatian Landfall. (R1_1)
???: A certain cast of wizards nurtures a tradition of protecting and bonding with dragons. Known as mage-knights, these wizards establish pacts with individual dragons which benefit both parties. (R1_2)
???: Mage-knights of Randel can draw upon the ferocity of dragons buried in the creatures’ racial memories and use that arcane force to blend warrior-like prowess with magical skill. (R1_3)
???: Three dragonic orders are formed in Randel, one Lawful, one Neutral, and one Chaotic. Though rivals, these orders remain loyal to Randel’s monarchy who rarely call upon more than one order to participate in a given battle, or to occupy a single garrison. (R1_4)
???: The shadow lords of Eadrin siege the ancestral kingdom of Rardish in Randel. This will cause lasting distrust between these two peoples, and insure that the Randelese monarchs keep a strong defensive force around their capital city. (R2_9)
???: Each of the draconic orders own a small domain within their general jurisdictions, however ownership is temporary. A rotation takes place every ten years following precise, predetermined routes. Dedicated chapels and knightly commanderies dotting the countryside remain in place. (R1_5)
???: Although powerful, Randel’s military force is fractious. Its many military orders, including the Draconic Orders, harbor numerous rivalries amongst each other. (R2_10)
???: Royal decree designates the hilly region northwest of Randel as neutral territory open to all three draconic orders. In practice it remains largely a lawless wilderness with the largest dragon population in the nation. It is from this region that most new mage-knights seek a draconic bond. (R1_6)
???: More dragons live in Randel than anywhere else in the empire, mostly thanks to the Draconic Orders. This causes many of their neighbors, especially the Shadow Lords of Eadrin, great discomfort. (R1_7)
???: Because of their large number of troops, imperial authorities begin using forces from both Randel and Bettellyn to bolster the imperial armies. This policy strengthens imperial forces and at the same time insures the two martial nations are never at full strength. (R2_11)
???: Increasing paranoia from the Shadow Lords of Eadrin begin to spend a considerable amount of effort and resources to dissuade the Randelese from continued incursions. (R2_1)
???: Forces from Randel (including the Draconic Orders) probe the borders of Eadrin with constant attacks. This practice continues to a certain degree up to modern days. (R2_2)
???: Visionary merchants and bankers found new towns at great cost in exchange for royal charters guaranteeing them autonomy from local feudal authorities. Randel royalty agrees to this in order to bolster their relatively low population density, and because they are promised that lands under their own control will never be granted such charters. (R2_3)
???: Grand Duke Vadim Dmilikov of Randel uses the merchant town charters to found three new towns, Telsadun, Scythe, and Morningstar. The population of the Grand Duchy of Dmilikovia begins to grow. (R2_4)
???: Sealidun establishes the free town of Awlsburg as a buffer against neighboring Dmilikovia. (R2_5)
???: The County of Dmiress follows suit by establishing the town of Blayde, opening trade upriver from the silted mouth of the Greenwind River and competing with Dmilikovia. (R2_6)
AC 990?: The Count of Pemskaya sponsors the free town of Earspoon to develop the county’s lawless hinterland. (R2_7) [This is listed as the “most recent” of such events, so I’m placing it within a timeframe that would be relevant to modern era adventurers. As such, Earspoon could be used as a boom town in Alphatia’s borderlands.]
AC 1000: Two Randle aristocrats, Lady Valoria of Ranseur and Lord Marnal of Hoddives both seek to create another merchant charter town in their territories, but disputes fueled by hot tempers have so far prevented any progress. (R2_8)
Eadrin
(E1 = https://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-alphatian-province-of-eadrin_8590.html)
(E2 = https://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2012/08/dominion-stats-eadrin.html)
(E3 = https://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2012/08/archport-city-of-eternal-twilight.html)
(DL = Dragonlord Trilogy)
(HWOW = Hollow World Outer World)
(GAZ3 = Gaz 3, Glantri)
BC 750?: The elves who would later become Eadrin’s dynasty travel to the region from Shiye-Lawr. Like their cousins in that nation they are fair-skinned and silver-haired. (E1_2) [Information from Shiye-Lawr may help establish these dates, unfortunately Bruce did not expand on the Shiye. We may have to rely on other fan sources. Based on Shiye migration to Alphatia in HW, this must come sometime after BC 800.]
BC 740?: Exploring the region, the Eadrin elves discover a strange lake which they name The Well of Shadows, for dark beasts emerged from its depths during moonless nights. A cavernous realm of shadows exists beneath the lake, accessible through cracks in the surrounding hillsides. (E1_3)
BC 700? - BC 400?: The abyssal rocks (Night Stones) in Eadrin’s shadow realm are imbued with a mysterious type of new magic, which the inhabitants are eager to decipher. Over the next several centuries both humans and elves plumb the dark depths to discover these secrets, though few ever return. Those that do suffer from dementia and insanity. (E1_4)
BC 500?: A few elves return after probing the depths beneath The Well of Shadows. Their skins turn ashen and the moods gloomier and more ominous. These are the Elders of the early Eadriner dynasty, of which Queen Eadra XIII descends. (E1_5)
BC 450? Further expeditions into the realm beneath The Well of Shadows unearth ancient artifacts that reveal rudimentary secrets of Shadow Magic. From these artifacts it is pieced together that the shadowy realm is linked to the Vortex Dimension, a realm controlled by the Old Ones - entities mysterious even to the Immortals. (E1_6)
BC 400?: The most powerful aristocrats in Eadrin begin to study The Well of Shadows and its secrets, becoming students of the Twilight Arts. They are known as the Shadow Lords. (E1_7)
BC 390?: The Gray Circle forms, a cabal of Shadow Lords who have all ventured into the inky gloom beneath The Well of Shadows to awaken their talents. These wizards become the rulers of the Sees of Eadrin, and all take an oath to protect their knowledge and keep it from outsiders. (E1_8)
???: The Shadow Lords learn how to shape disembodied shadows (take mostly from the still living bodies of convicted criminals) into magical constructs. These magical creations are used to bolster Eadrin’s defenses and prove to be significant deterrents to invasion. (E2_1)
???: A vast chamber of nightstones, embedded in tall pillars and a high vault, is built in the inner sanctum of the royal palace of Eadrin. The top nine Shadow Lords of the Gray Circle confer here. When not in session, criminals from all around the realms are brought here to be stripped of their natural shadows, which are then trapped within the circle. (E3_6)
???: Military forays from Randel are smashed when they come into contact with the shadowy defenses of Eadrin, even when the odds are overwhelmingly in Randel’s favor. Few of the Randel warriors make it back to their homes alive, and those that do remain shaken by their experiences. (E1_9) [This lesson must be well learnt because in modern times Randel avoids outright open military conflict with Eadrin despite their differences. These kinds of attacks could continue up until AC 500 - see DL event.]
???: The twisted passages near The Well of Shadows become entrances to major mines where Night Stones are collected. Eadrin begins consuming the stones for magical research, construction, and architectural projects throughout the nation. (E1_10)
???: Criminals who have their shadows returned to them, and have the proper aptitude, often band together in fellowships dedicated to studying the magical arts of shadowcraft. Some become wizards, or ecclesiastics residing at the Hazemont Monastery. (E3_7)
AC 500: The city of Archport is attacked by gemstone dragons, who destroy the harbor and docking ships. (DL_1) [Zomp speculates that the dome of twilight could have been erected after this event as a way to protect the harbor and the city in general.]
AC 550?: So many Night Stones have been incorporated into Archport’s architecture that the city takes on the pallor of perpetual twilight throughout the entire day/night cycle. Visitors arriving by sea take to calling the bay “Darkwaters Deep” describing the lighting conditions as one nears the boundaries of the city. (E3_1)
AC 650?: Archport earns the title of a city that never sleeps. With its perpetual twilight the port is always open and businesses are always operating. Many of the locals have no concept of natural daylight and are always surprised when visitors bring the subject up. (E3_2) [This would mean at least 1 generation has lived with the twilight dome for their entire lives.]
AC 700?: The constant twilight of Archport begins to attract sun-shy creatures who flock to the city like moths to a lamp. (E3_3)
AC 859: Illegal nobles are expelled and the wizards crush a minor rebellion. (GAZ3 pg 5)
AC 860?: Among the sun-shy creatures who have flocked to Archport can be counted some denizens of faraway Boldavia. They have taken great precautions to conceal their Glantrian origins, and learned to mask their accented speech. (E3_4) [The assumption here is that the Boldavians are fleeing from Glantri’s purge of “illegal nobles” as specified in Gaz 3.]
AC ???: The Hazemont Monastery is established by wealthy patrons several miles north of Archport. Their charter seeks to study psychic damage caused by shadow-induced dreams, and relations between shadows and divine immortality. It also offers asylum to those who have lost their minds. (E3_5)
AC ???: A secret base is established by the Shadow Lords underneath Hazemont Monestary. There, in a specialized workshop, select Shadow Lords and Hazemont monks work on the means to cloak ships from sight while navigating in twilight conditions. The intention is to use shadow constructs to weave a cloak capable of hiding a ship, but so far the results have proven unstable. (E3_8)
AC 1000: The frightening visage, and powers, of Eadrin’s leaders intimidate both visitors and the nation’s own commoners themselves. This includes Queen Eadra XIII, dubbed the Queen of Dusk. (E1_1)