Gnomish Timeline
by Fabrizio PaoliWhat follows is a timeline of gnomish migrations on Mystara. Unlike the elvish ones there're no many inconsistencies in TSR products about gnomes, probably because there're less products that speaks about them :) Anyway there's one problem: GAZ 7 states that Kobolds attacked and exterminated the Gnomes living in the Northern Reaches in 490 BC, while PWA2 (and probably PWA1 and 3 too) under the entry for Oostdok says that the Valoin Gnomes lived in the Northern Reaches until 490 AC when they were exterminated by a Kobold invasion, and this is not a typo (AC instead of BC) because a few lines before it says that they lived in the Northern Reaches until the beginning of the sixth century. In my timeline I assume that the GAZ 7 timeline is the correct one, but that's just my opinion.
In the following timeline I marked with a * the events that need further explanation.
2900 BC: The Immortal named Garal Glitterlode creates the gnomish race, planting colonies of them in the land that will later become Rockhome and the mountains of the northern continent. (PC2) Ice Gnomes appear in the southern continent (HW migration map). * I didn't find more info about this Ice Gnomes, so I would be glad if someone can help me here. In particular I remember someone (Cthul?) saying that they were probably linked to the gnomes in the Earthshaker module, but since I haven't got that module...*
2500 BC: Gnomes and dwarves enter the Northern Reaches region and settle in its hills and mountains as the continental ice sheets recede. (GAZ7)
1050 BC: Great wizards of the Nithians, inspired by the Immortal Pflarr's servant race (the Hutaaka), create the gnoll race by magically blending trolls and gnome. (GAZ 10)
492 BC: At the battle of Sardal Pass, they are routed, the orcs utterly massacred. Ubdala dies. Hordes routed south and west, crowding Cruth mountains and Altan Tepes. Gnomes kicked out. (GAZ 10) * Gnomes kicked from where? Probably from Rockhome, but why? Did they help the invading 'humanoids? *
490 BC: Kobold clans are driven into the uplands of the Northern Reaches from the west. They overrun and exterminate the gnomes, and occupy their subterranean kingdoms. (GAZ 7)
The Immortals transport the Valoin Gnomes on a Floating Continent in the HW. (PWA2)
* I talked about this at the beginning *
251 BC: A legendary gnome craftsman named Glimreen Gemeye discovers a jet engine artifact of the destroyed Blackmoor civilisation. (PC2)
150 BC approx.: Gnomes start building the flying city. Nagpa and Tabi soon joins the gnomes. (PC2)
91 BC: Sphinxes join the group working on the flying city. (PC2)
14 BC: The outer shell of Serraine is completed. (PC2)
0 AC: Highforge Gnomes settle in Traladara territories. (GAZ 1)
9 AC: Gnomes contact Faenare to join the group that is building Serraine. (PC2)
16 AC: Building of the Great Library of Serraine started. (PC2)
39 AC: On Ambyrmont 1st the Flying City of Serraine makes its maiden flight. (PC2)
91 AC: The Great Library is completed. (PC 2)
400 AC approx.: The amazing Gnomish city of Torkyn Fall is destroyed by Dragons. ("Dragonlord of Mystara")
* I've read only the 1st book of the trilogy, so I don't know if in the other two (that I'll read soon) there's more about Torkyn Fall, but I doubt it *
V cent. AC: On Serraine the whole Flamaeker clan is hurled into the Void by an experiment went awry. The immortals transport the clan on a Floating Continent in the HW (PWA2)
778 AC: The flying islands of Valoin and Flamaeker collide giving birth to the new flying continent of Oostdok. (PWA2)
978 AC: Heldannic Knights invade Oostdok. (PWA2)
1010 AC: With the help of Alphatia the Gnomes on Oostdok free themselves from the Heldannic Knights. (PWA2)
Known Gnomish settlements on and in Mystara today (1014 AC)
Stoutfellow, Alphatia, HW: 15000 gnomes
Hule, SC: (much) less than 50000 gnomes (BTW how do they get there?)
Highforge, Karameikos, KW: 5000 gnomes (6500 before WotI)
Alphatian Neatharum, Iciria, HW: 500 gnomes
Oostdok, HW: 20000 gnomes
Serraine, KW: about 2500 gnomes
Last note: to build the Aegos pit
Alphatia took 500 gnomes from Serraine (the ones that now are in
Alphatian Neatharum), but strangely the population of Serraine did
not decrease. Being the gnomes not that prolific, I wonder how they
replaced those 500. Maybe they took them from Highforge, whose
population decreased without any apparent reason :)