The Known World of Dracopolis: Recent History
by Lance DuncanSo before doing any further domain level descriptions, I need to describe some events in recent history. I'm still working on finishing my version of the timeline, but what's most important is events within the last 100 years or so, as they will be mentioned in the domain descriptions. I'm not doing a blog post for this because this is still a preliminary timeline of events, until I get it all sorted out.
AC 970-980: The Imperial Wars
Almost immediately after Corwyn Hoff was crowned Holy Emperor he abandoned the diplomatic policies of his predecessors and called for a Great Crusade against the Empire of Thyatis, initiating the 10 year period known as the Imperial Wars. Over the next several years a series of proxy wars took place in the lands of the Traladari, the Ierendi Isles, and Minrothad Isles.
In the lands of the Traladari Duke Stefan III sided with the Holy Empire against the Empire of Thyatis and was key to victory. It was during the war and its aftermath that the duke and Specularum rose to a position of prominence over the Traladari people, most of which sided with the empire of Thyatis, and were subsequently ‘converted’ or slaughtered. Before the war the citadel of Krakatos was the predominant power among the Karameikan people, but that city along with the noble Marilenev family sided with Thyatis while the other noble Karameikan families sided with the Duke. Krakatos and its Sanctuary dedicated to Petra were razed to the ground leaving only hulking ruins and lady Magda Marilenev was left a widow and the sole survivor of her family. Other notable victories included the defeat of King Gygar of the Kingdom of Halag by the Gothic Mercenary Ludwig von Hendriks, the siege of the city of Lavv and the destruction of the Sanctuary dedicated to Halav by Desmond Kelven, and the razing of the town of Lugsid and its Sanctuary dedicated to Zirchev by Sherlane Halaran.
In the Ierendi Isles the pirate kingdoms switched loyalty many times, but eventually all swore fealty to the Holy Emperor and were crucial in defeating the Thyatian navy.
In Minrothad the Guild sided with Thyatis; at the end of the war there was a great lycanthrope scare among the isles and the guilds withdrew from the war and ceased all interaction with the outside world. The withdrawal of Minrothad’s fleet caused Thyatis to suffer a great loss in a battle at sea.
Ultimately Thyatis lost the war; the overseas colonies had revolted and declared independence from the empire or been overrun by the natives, so that in the end Thyatis only controlled its continental territories and a few minor islands. Emperor Thincol swore an oath of subservience to the Holy Emperor; the alliance was assured by the marriage of the daughter of the Emperor of Thyatis to the son of the Holy Emperor, and it was agreed that rights of the Empire of Thyatis would fall to the daughter and any subsequent descendants would hold dual rights to the crowns of both empires. The city of Thyatis has struggled to rebuild after the devastation of the long wars and is only a shadow of its former self.
AC 1000: NIght's Dark Terror
The Lost Valley is discovered, along with routes through the mountains. The Traldar are reconciled with the Hutaakans, In the course of the adventure, The Dragon Council visits these adventurers and tasks them with building a dragon city. Green Ale(goblin blood) is discovered, trade agreements are made with the goblin/hobgoblin tribe of the mountains north of the lost valley and with the Hutaakan/Traldar in the Lost Valley. The Foamfire Gnolls are driven out of the Foamfire Valley. The elfs of Alfheim are encountered and a trade deal is also brokered with them. The first Green Ale Tavern is opened on the edge of the Canolbarth Forest along the caravan route north of the Lost Valley.
AC 1005: The Dragon City(Dracopolis) is founded, with the acquisition of several white dragon hatchlings
AC 1006: The Guild of Adventurers is founded in the Dragon City
AC 1006: The Northern War
With the Aid of the Adventurers Guild and an alliance with the King of Ghyr Emir Sturling invades the Jarldoms of Vestland. This causes the Northern Jarls to form the Nordhartar Defense League which establishes peace with the Emir.
AC 1011: The Black Eagle Baron is overthrown by the Adventurers Guild, and a young black dragon is rescued from his dungeons. Fort Doom is abandoned.
AC 1031: The philosopher Xeanha begins spreading his message about living by "The Way of the Guild" in Alphatia
AC 1034: Citizens of Alphatia revolt and put The Guild in power
AC 1034: Hobgoblins of Denagoth united by a duo from the Adventurers Guild(Ryan the Hermit and Johnny Strongman)
AC 1035: Hobgoblins of Denagoth make alliance with Orcs and Gothic people of the mountains
AC 1035: The Master invades The Holy Empire with his desert nomads. The Adventurers Guild sends an expedition to the west which defeats the master
AC 1036: Federation of Denagoth formed. The Guild spread to Norwold; Denagoth defeats the Guild in Norwold and reinstates the monarchy. Denagoth signs treaty with Kingdom of Norwold. The Holy Empire goes to war with Denagoth; agents of Denagoth kidnap the Emperor, forcing a ceasefire
AC 1037: Denagoth defeats Thyatic legions; the Empire surrenders and the Emperor is forced to abdicate. Empire is reorganized, with the Adventurer's Guild acting as mediator.
AC 1038: expedition sent west by the Adventurers Guild dissapears in a dust storm on their return journey in the great waste
AC 1040: The Imprisoned Emperor escapes a Denagothian prison and is killed by a beholder
AC 1041: The Truadon tribes join the Federation of Denagoth
AC 1063: Construction of The Mountain is completed in Denagoth
Present Day: my notes say 1065, but my current game has taken place in 1034. So this advanced timeline is from some notes I took awhile ago before I did the extended interviews with my father, and I think I misjudged the time between the start of the lost valley adventures and the invasion of the Master. I know my relative notes for the Denagoth campaign are accurate, but the starting date for denagoth is relative to the dates for the old adventuring guild. Basically the early adventures my dad ran for us should be compressed. This is why my current campaign is in the 1030s and not the 1060s. I just need to listen carefully to our interviews and revise the timeline.
Next up is The Grand Duchy of Karameikos and its various domains