An Extended Blackmoor Timeline
by LoZompatoreSome time ago I tried to make a comprehensive timeline of Blackmoor and its surroundings. It follows the same approach as Andrew Theisen's excellent timeline but I tried to add as much info as possible including minor events depicted in the DA modules, the Dragonlord Trilogy and most of the events pertaining to Blackmoor described in the HW set and GAZ series.
I "almost" make the assumption 1) of Theisen's list: 4000 BC is the year of the kidnapping of king Uther and of the adventurers time travel via the Comeback Inn. I chose this interpretation because I like a direct correspondence between years 4000 BC and 1000 AC (when it is supposed that the adventurers from DA1 come from).
This article i very long. I tired to break it in paragraphs but I see that is quite dull anyway. Sorry about it.
BTW, I did not check the English, too; I hope I'll do it tomorrow. Please don't be upset if you find some pseudo-English here and there...
Notes:
1) Dates with an asterisk * are approximate. In my opinion the events related to these dates should happen around the year above or so.
2) Lines in italics are just my speculations. See if you like them or otherwise drop them at all.
3) I substituted any reference to humanoids with analogous references to beast men, following GAZ10 humanoids timeline. I think this is a mostly accepted practice among Mystara's fans.
4) Any reference to dwarves should be referred to the "ancient" dwarves, the original dwarven race that populated Mystara before the Immortal Kagyar changed the survivors of the Great Rain of Fire (HW, GAZ6).
5) Any reference to elves before 3500 BC should be referred to the "northern" breed of elves (the Genander clans as described in DA1) who live around Blackmoor and Thonia and possibly are not aware of their southern cousins.
6) Any reference to Thonia after the Great Rain of Fire should be related to New Thonia, a new nation founded by some Thonian survivors of the Cataclysm in a different place with respect of their fatherland.
The foundings:
5000 BC: Foundation of the First Republic of Thonia (DA1). From HW set we may infer that this is the first large human civilisation on Mystara. The Fey people live in the woods of the Thonian Republic and go along well with humans (PC1). In the following centuries the Republic will meet some crisis and decline, and it will be founded again two more times. After nearly a millennium the Third Republic of Thonia is more an empire-like nation, arbitrarily ruled by the Emperor of All (DA1). (in the following, the Third Republic of Thonia is called Thonian Empire).
4900 BC: Legendary birth date of the dwarven hero Urbestar Kazakhum (DA1).
4500 BC: Urbestar Kazakhum establish the Northern Delving mines, in the Crystal Peaks mountains, just north of the northern border of the Thonian Empire. It is said that these mines are the most prominent example of dwarvish architecture throughout Mystara (DA1).
4275 BC*: The Northlands are first settled by exiles and criminals from the Thonian Empire, who call themselves "The Unwanted". The first settlements are built far from the Empire's border, in a wild and off-centre region claimed by the far Duchy of the Peaks in what will become the Duchy of Ten. This region is found to be very fertile and undergoes a fast colonisation process. It is known that elves and halflings and the Egg of Coot already live in the area (DA1).
4250 BC*: Establishment of the settlement of Blackmoor, the first official settlement of the Thonian Empire in the Northlands (DA1). Among the founders is also the mortal form of the Immortal Khoronus (WotI). The settlement of Vestfold is founded soon after Blackmoor village. The whole area is annexed to the Thonian Empire and called "The Province of the North" (DA1). It is possible that the Feys' migration to the Northlands happened in this period. The Feys were disappointed by the increasingly authoritarian government of the Thonian Empire (PC1).
4200 BC*: A minor political turning in the Thonian Empire leads ten lesser noblemen families to emigrate in the Ten region. Upon their arrival they find an overpopulated area, so they are both obliged to establish new settlements in the nearby wilderness or to drop any hope to rule and to act as traders and merchants (DA1).
4190 BC*: Following the settlements of the exiled noblemen the Ten's economy becomes more and more prominent. Trade between settlements is increased and new arable lands are cut out from the wilderness and freed of monsters (DA1).
4150 BC: Some scholars and wise men establish the Cult of the Frog in the Province of North (DA2).
4100 BC: The cultists of the Frog order settle in the Dismal Swamps, fleeing from Blackmoorish pogroms due to Froggies human sacrifices. The cultists establish the Temple of the Frog in the middle of the swamps (DA2).
4090 BC*: Menander Ithamis becomes the clan leader of the Elves of the Red Woods (DA1).
4075 BC*:The borders of the Province of the North reaches the Misuaga River. On the other side of the river are the lands of the Unwanted and of the exiled Thonian nobles. The Thonian Emperor, acting against the advice of his Blackmoor's nobles, creates a "casus belli" against the Ten, at the same time blocking any military intervention from the Duchy of the Peaks in support of the Ten. The noblemen of Ten agree to build a defensive army and manage to trap the Thonian expeditionary army at Brushy Fen. The Thonian army is decimated and the Emperor is forced to give up any hope to conquer the Ten region (DA1).
4074 BC*: The noblemen of Ten, now admired by the Unwanted thanks to their victory at Brushy Fen, declare the independence from the Duchy of the Peaks. The region is officially called Duchy of Ten. The new Duchy is governed in rotation by one of the ten noblemen family for a 4 year mandate. The city of Satrmorgan is established as the new Duchy's capital city (DA1).
4050 BC*: The Egg of Coot magically rises a large peninsula for itself along the northern coast of the Black Sea. In the new land the Egg establish some cities and fortresses built with the help of slaves and conscripts form the nearby lands. The same geological upheaval that rises the Coot's Peninsula causes a massive land sinking in the Shallows area, connecting the Black Sea with the North Sea and joining the raiding capabilities of the Western and Eastern Skandaharians. Skandaharians raids become much more dangerous than before (DA1).
The young years of Uther:
4031-4027 BC*: Uther Andahar, the young son of the Baron of Blackmoor attends the University of Mohacs, in the capital of the Thonian Empire. Uther will find his studies very disappointing, because he realises that the teachings of the Empire are degenerated into an arid scholasticism and that life in the Empire's capital is irreparably corrupt (DA1).
4027 BC: Iyx become the new Thonian Emperor under the name Iyx I (DA1).
4026 BC: Toska Rusa, the Afridhi's high priestess, receives from her Immortal Zugzul a grand vision of conquest through the continent to the coast of Thonia. Zugzul promises her a great empire for her people; she accepts his guidance and promises him a temple entirely made of gold after the empire is established. The Afridhis start their campaign by invading the nearby lands of the Valemen (DA1).
Young Uther starts discussing with his father about the introduction of new ideas and techniques in the everyday life of the Blackmoor Barony. Both of them would like to create a new University in Blackmoor town (DA1).
4025 BC*: The Baron of Blackmoor is killed during a Skandaharian raid. Uther becomes the new Baron and he starts to implements his progressive ideas in the land, even if the University is not yet established (DA1).
4024 BC*: Battle of Berne between the Barony of Blackmoor and the Duchy of Ten. The Barony of Blackmoor forces route the Ten army. Baron Uther Andahar distinguishes himself in the battle (DA1).
4023 BC: The Afridhis invade the plains of Hak, inhabited by the Peshwah nomad people (DA1).
4022 BC: Thonian Emperor Iyx hears for the first time about the Afridhis and their movements in the plains of Hak. Careless about these savages and their actions, Iyx just send to them some diplomats, who are sacrificed to Zugzul (DA1).
4021 BC: The plains of Hak are under Afridhi's control. Their army attacks the Duchy of Ten (DA1).
4018 BC*: Blackmoor Baron Uther Andahar valiantly fights in the military campaign between the Province of the North and the Egg of Coot. The other nobles of the Province starts thinking about Uther as the greatest leader of the North (DA1).
4017 BC: The Barons of the Province of the North realise that the Duchy of Ten will soon fall to the invading Afridhis. They send a petition to Emperor Iyx asking for a permit to send an army in relief of their former enemies in Ten. They also ask for reinforcements from the rest of the Empire. Their petition is scorned by the Emperor.
4015 BC: The Duchy of the Peaks allies with the Afridhis, who are completing their conquest of the Duchy of Ten. The Duchy of Ten falls within the year (DA1).
4014 BC: The Duchy of Ten is stricken by a plague that kills many. The Afridhis establish a tyrannical government on the Duchy of Ten, killing many authorities and forbidding the High Church of Thonia. The Afridhis also attack the Barony of the Lakes, to test the defences of the Province of the North. Some Barons of the Province send reinforcements to the attacked Barony without waiting for the Imperial permit. They manage to repulse the Afridhis but they are accused by Emperor Iyx of having compromised a possible truce with them. The Emperor orders to the Province Governor to arrest Baron Uther+ - leader of the reinforcement task force - and Han Aleford, the Baron of the Lakes. The Governor's army is stopped at Booh without bloodshed by a coalition of halflings and allied Barons led by Uther (DA1).
4013 BC: Emperor Iyx orders again to arrest Baron Uther and the Baron of the Lakes. Uther, backed by his allied Barons, asks for a trial among equals, as it is a prerogative of his rank. The Emperor sends another army to catch the rebel Barons. Uther hides for many months amidst the dwarves of Urbestar Kazakhum and starts to secretly build an army of loyal followers (DA1).
4012 BC: Uther shows up again with his supporters and confronts the Thonian army sent to capture him. The dwarves of Northern Delving send along with Uther a strong armed force led by a disguised Uberstar Kazakhum. The Thonians are beaten in the battle of the Root River (DA1).
The Afridhis force the Peshwah to leave their summer pastures in the High Hak. The nomads mass-migrate in the smaller Eastern Hak, even if the land is not enough to sustain such a population. The Peshwah are obliged to bargain with the Empire of Thonia. The Empire secures the borders along Eastern Hak by sending food supplies to the nomads. The Peshwah start raiding their former lands in the High Hak against the Afridhis (DA3).
4011 BC: Battle of the Neck: Uther and the allied Barons defeat the Afridhis, who retreat west of the Misuaga River and stop their raiding in the east for some years. The allied Barons try to negotiate an agreement with Emperor Iyx, but his demands are unreasonable. The people of the Duchy of Ten, boosted by the Afridhi's defeat, start to organise themselves for an open rebellion in the future. The Afridhis build a series of fortifications in the most turbulent areas of the conquered Duchy, connected by a network of roads built by Tenian slaves (DA1).
The Great Rebellion and its aftermaths:
4010 BC: The Great Rebellion of Uther. The Baron raise the Blackmoor banner (a black eagle in a grey background) and he is crowned first King f Blackmoor by the bishop of the High Church of Thonia Garamond Bolitho. Many Barons, most of the demi human settlements and other important figures of the North ally with Uther and declare themselves independent from the Empire of Thonia (DA1).
The Skandaharians, after the series of successful raids of the last years, establish the barbarian city of Bartertown in order to trade slaves and raided goods with the more advanced societies of the south (DA1).
4009 BC: Battle of Blackmoor: the Thonian army sent to crush the Great Rebellion is severely beaten by the army of the new Kingdom of Blackmoor and its allies. The invading army retreats in the southern part of the Province of the North. During this battle the halfling Timothy Curlytop, the Major of the halfling town of Booh, distinguishes himself (DA1).
4009-4005 BC: This is the time of the Five Victories of Blackmoor: Uther's army is divided in five smaller units, each of them is lead by a Fellow of the King. Each unit confronts an enemy army (Thonians, Afridhis, Skandaharians and two armies of the Egg of Coot), and wins the battle (DA1). The events are detailed in the following entries.
4009 BC: Menander Ithamis is elected Lord of the Elves of the North. First raid of an Egg of Coot army, repelled by a Blackmoorish unit (DA1).
4008 BC: Battle of Glendower: a second army from the Egg of Coot territories is defeated by a Blackmoorish unit. In this battle Brother Richard distinguishes himself earning the nickname "the Flying Monk" (DA1).
Thonian noble Taha Markovic, the Duke of Borno, leads a successful military campaign against the Skandaharians led by Thorsen One Thumb. The raiders are defeated in the battle of Borksholm (DA1).
4007 BC: Battle of the Downs: the survivors of the Skandaharian raiding forces of Thorsen One Thumb are defeated by a Blackmoorish unit. Thorsen swears to avenge his companions and retreats to raise a new generation of raiders. His plot is to attack and scourge the northern coast of the Kingdom of Blackmoor as soon as possible (DA1).
4006 BC: The Thonian army occupying the lower Province of the North is defeated once and for all in the Battle of the Crystal Peaks and flees south across the Thonian border. During the battle the Baron of the Lake Han Alefor - a Fellow of King Uther and the commander of the Blackmoorish unit - is killed. He was the first to embrace the Great Rebellion after King Uther. His daughter Rissa Aleford becomes the new Baroness of the Lakes (DA1). In the same battle, on the opposite side, the Thonian Duke Taha Markovic manages to effectively protect the fleeing rearguard of the army and gets the nickname of "Iron Duke" (DA1).
The alien spaceship Beagle crash-lands on Mystara, in the Valley of the Ancients, a desert lowland south of the Blackmoor Kingdom. The barbarian tribes inhabiting the desert plains meet at Axmouth and state that the spaceship does not represent a threat. They start raiding and looting the landing site (DA3).
4005 BC: The last of the Five Victories of Blackmoor: an army of the newly founded Kingdom defeats a strong Afridhis' expeditionary force after a harsh military campaign. The Afridhis manage to almost reach Blackmoor City, but in the end they are pushed back to the Misuaga River. Toska Rusa decides to suspend any military operations against Blackmoor and to move around it from the south. An Afridhi army is sent to conquer the Dragon Hills (DA1).
The Iron Duke is appointed as the new Governor of the North Western Province (DA1).
On the Beagle spaceship the Security Chief Stephen Rocklin rebels against the captain Bork Riesling and escapes in the wilderness. Its escape pod is shot down by the spaceship weapons and crash-lands in the Dismal Swamps, not far from the Temple of the Frog. Here Stephen and his four mutinous comrades are revered as gods. The aliens start reinforcing the Cult of the Frog with their high tech equipment and knowledge (DA2-DA3).
4004 BC: The kingdom of Blackmoor builds up its administration. The capital is Blackmoor City, but many administrative offices are set in the city of Vestfold. The Blackmoorians start settling the southern regions of their kingdom, conquered to the Thonians after the Battle of the Crystal Peaks. The barony of Dragonia is founded in this new region. Trade increases again the whole territory. Uther realises his old dream and builds the University of Blackmoor in Blackmoor City. The new University staff include dwarves, elves, halflings and many scholars sent by the bishop of Blackmoor Garamond Bolitho (DA1).
4004 BC*: Eager to avenge his defeat by the Blackmoorians, the Immortal Zugzul orders to stop the conquest of the Dragon Hills and reveals in a dream to Toska Rusa how to build the Well of the Souls, a powerful artefact able to create an alternate timeline where Blackmoor was conquered by the Afridhis. Toska Rusa sends Tenian slaves and Afridhi soldiers in the Barrens of Karsh, where Zugzul told to build the Well. The area is renamed Tor Kurram by Zugzul; the Immortal prophecies that only not yet born people may destroy the artefact. It is possible that the building of the Well of the Souls causes a series of perturbations in the continuum that will open a time breach. The perturbations will enable the Comeback Inn to connect the Blackmoor era with the 1000 AC, allowing a group of people of both ages related with the fate of Blackmoor to travel in time.. Toska Rusa's Tenian scribe who wrote down the priestess dream manages to let out the info about the Well just before being sacrificed to Zugzul (DA4).
4003 BC: The Iron Duke learns about the Comeback Inn thanks to the info given by an old mage who contributed to its creation (the mage is soon killed) (DA1). The Blackmoorians learn about the crash landing of the Beagle and send a first scout mission, with the hope of getting aids or allies against Thonia. The scouts reach the spaceship, but they are repelled by its high-tech defences (DA3).
4002 BC: The Iron Duke sends his agents in the future through the magical portal of the Comeback Inn (DA1).
The Blackmoorish noble Bascom Ungolian leads an expedition in the Egg of Coot lands in order to free her wife, kidnapped by the Egg's minions. The expedition is ambushed and Bascom disappears in the ensuing chaos (DA1). A group of Thonian mages, worried about the free circulation of knowledge encouraged by the Blackmoor University establish the Cabala of the Mages, a secret organisation. The Cabala sets up a rebellion in the town of Vestfold, with the intention of destroying the local University and discourage its rebuilding. The rebellion is suppressed and the survivors mages flee and hide; their leader, Tamis Azkanikin, ("The Green Mage"), hides in the ruins of the tower of Old North Watch, where he slowly recovers from his wounds (DA1).
The kidnapping of Uther and the time travelling PCs:
4001 BC: Uther is kidnapped by the agents of the Iron Duke. The rulership is entrusted to the Council of the Regents (DA1).
Uberstar Kazakhum naively falls into a trap while hunting beastmen, and he is brought captive in a beastmen fortress. The dwarves set up right away a military force to free him, but they are defeated and pushed back until the gates of Northern Delving, where they are sieged by the beastmen. This is the start of the Sixth War between dwarves and beastmen. Lortz Kazakhum, the son of Uberstar, becomes ad-interim Regent of the Mines. The siege forces him to interrupt any communications with Blackmoor and the humans (DA1).
4000 BC: A group of adventurers from AC 1000 reaches Blackmoor - mostly by accident - through the Comeback Inn, and manages to free king Uther. Once the king is free, the Blackmoorians send some agents in AC 1000 settling them in the cities of Corunglain and Glantri. The agents should act as adventurers' recruiters in case the Kingdom of Blackmoor should need them. (DA1)
The Afridhis extend their road network in the High Hak in order to connect the Duchy of Ten with their main bases in the plains (DA3).
3999 BC: Uther sends an expedition of adventurers to the Temple of the Frog in order to free an important noble that was kidnapped by the Froggies. During the attack, Sthepen Rocklin manages to escape and rebuilds the Order of the Frog. The Blackmoorians get some high tech devices from the battle site (DA2).
Some months later, Rikart Betz, a young alien space cadet unfairly charged by the Beagle captain Riesling escapes from the spaceship and crash-lands in Blackmoor territory, getting the attention of both King Uther and the Froggies. King Uther sends to the Beagle another scout mission, led by the Baron of Dragonia. The scouts reach the Beagle at the same time of a major attack on the spaceship defences led by Stephen Rocklin, who is resolved to replenish his supplies of weapons and equipment. The Blackmoorish scouts manage to free some captive Blackmoorians and to get many high-tech devices before leaving the site. Unluckily, the negotiations with the aliens for an alliance against Thonia are unsuccessful, but the stolen Beagle equipment begins to be studied by the scholars of the University of Blackmoor (DA3). Stephen Rocklin also manages to get some loot and escape to his base, where is able to equip a small army (Return to the City of the Gods adventure).
After this incursion the crew of the Beagle become more and more dissatisfied (WotI).
3998 BC: The Blackmoorians recruit a group of adventurers from AC 1000, in order to move around the Zugzul prophecy about the Well of the Souls. The group reaches Tor Kurram and destroys the Well of the Souls, thus ending the continuum perturbations and the alternate timeline (DA4). It is possible that after the destruction of the Well of the Souls the Comeback Inn time portal is not any more aligned with AC 1000.
Short term effects:
*** These events might happen between 1-10 years after the destruction of the Well of the Souls:
- Stephen Rocklin attacks again the Beagle with his high-tech army: this time he tries to conquer it and to exploit its resources in order to build a technological empire. At the same time, captain Riesling is searching for allies in the defence of the starship, and he may find some help from the Blackmoorians (Return to the City of the Gods adventure).
The WotI does not mention Stephen Rocklin nor Bork Riesling at the time of Ogdoban Treel and Rheddrian Benekander events. We might think that Rockin and Riesling killed each other during this final assault on the spaceship. Moreover, this last battle might greatly weaken the spaceship defences, thus enabling an easier access to Beagle's technology from the Mystarans and the treason of Ogdoban Treel described in WotI.
- Dwarves swiftly introduces human technology in their society. This process was already ongoing when Uberstar Kazakhum was kidnapped in 4001 BC (from DA1), and it likely goes on again at the end of the Sixth War against the beastmen.
- The Blackmoorians start to imitate the style and the fashion of the AC 1000 adventurers dresses, because they think it is a more practical and "modern" way of dressing (from DA1).
- Ogdoban Treel kills the whole survivor crew members of the Beagle, including the ones that are in cryogenic stasis, so to have a free hand in selling as much Beagle's technology as possible to the Mystarans. Driven by his greed he sells a key element in the regulation of the energy fluxes of the power engine of the spaceship. The engine starts to accumulate too much energy and it risks to cause such a violent explosion that Mystara will be destroyed. Luckily the engineer Rheddrian Benekander survived the slaughtering of Ogdoban Treel thanks to his modified personal stasis chamber and awakes just in time to stop the explosion, turning it in an implosion that annihilates the Beagle without harming the rest of the planet. Rheddrian is stricken by a huge amount of energy and becomes an Immortal. (WotI)
The Blackmoor Empire:
- Thanks to Beagle's technology the Blackmoorians are able to build a technological society, which in a short time imposes itself on its neighbours (HW). Possibly in this period the Fey people leave the lands of Blackmoor seeking shelter in the woods of the Azcans and the Oltecs (PC1 and HW:SoA supplement)
3500 BC: The Empire of Thonia is conquered by the Kingdom of Blackmoor (HW and DA1). The Blackmoorians meet the elves of Evergrun, who swiftly embrace their technological society. Four elven clans of Evergrun (Celebryl, Porador, Felistyr, Gelbalf) settle in the lands of Blackmoor. The priests of Blackmoor begins a crusade against the beastmen, whose homelands are located in the Borean Valley (HW, GAZ10). Possibly the elves follows the Blackmoorians crusaders, thus explaining the elves of Wendar and other pre-cataclysmic elves in the continent of Brun.
3200 BC: Blackmoor crusaders push the beastmen near the old North Pole (HW, GAZ10). Dragons are alarmed by Blackmoor conquests and - mainly due to a series of misunderstandings - they start a war against the humans. The mages of Blackmoor develop a very powerful armour able to easily slay dragons. Its wearer starts a series of campaigns against dragons, killing most of them and proclaiming himself the Dragonlord. Facing the extinction of his race the mortal form of the Immortal Great One discovers the plots of the gemstone dragons that are behind the war between the dragons and the Blackmoorians. The Great One battles and defeats the Dragonlord and together manage to ban the gemstone dragons, exiling them in the Plane of Veydra. The dragons and the Blackmoorians sign a truce and the war ends (DT)
3100 BC: Start of the reign of the emperor of Blackmoor/Thonia Korin II (DA1)
3088 BC: Start of the reign of Nial II (DA1)
3080 BC: Start of the reign of Ruxpin I (DA1)
3077 BC: Start of the reign of Oser I (DA1)
3054 BC: Start of the reign of Bodmin I (DA1)
3040 BC: Start of the reign of Halkad IV (DA1)
3030 BC: Start of the reign of Ning I (DA1)
3014 BC: Start of the reign of Melnik III (DA1)
3005 BC: Start of the reign of Reger I (DA1)
3000 BC: The great Rain of Fire (HW; many GAZs). Metropolitan Blackmoor and most of its colonies are destroyed. A large Blackmoorish castle in the Endworld Line mountains survives the destruction and in the following centuries it becomes a temple of the Great One. Here the dragons guard the armour of the Dragonlord (DT)
After the Great Rain of Fire:
2800 BC: The Comeback Inn surfaces from the sea, but it is soon covered by a glacier (DA1)
2000 BC: The Comeback Inn is freed from the ice (DA1)
0 DI: A fire in the Temple of the Remembrances in New Thonia destroys most of the ancient Blackmoor/Thonian relics that survived the Great Rain of Fire. Among them there were the last ancient Thonian coins known to Mystarans (DA1).