Realm of Othrong: Timeline
by John CalvinFirst, the timeline (the lines in blue were added by me, the others are pulled from Gaz source material):
BC 1300: (Approximate date) "The Early Days." The coming of halflings to Faerdinel and the building of Faerdinel Keep. Hin contact the Gentle Folk (failing elven race).
BC 1290: The outer-world Shadow Elf city of Aengmor is "destroyed" during a volcanic eruption. This is part of Atzanteotl’s grand scheme to populate the city with his humanoid followers.
BC 1190: Descendants of the Great Horde resurface in the Broken Lands and discover the city of Oenkmar (formerly Aengmor) and a Blue Knife which they believe is one of their legendary artifacts.
BC 1050: Great wizards of the Nithians, inspired by the Immortal Pflarr's servant-race (the Hutaaka), create the gnoll race by magically blending trolls and gnomes.
BC 1018: Othrong and his followers attempt to steal the Blue Knife, but are thwarted. Barely escaping with their lives, they are forever exiled from Oenkmar.
BC 1016: A dark tablet found in Malpheggi leads Othrong and his closest allies to form the Cult of Dark Fire. Information gleaned from the tablet directs them to Faerdinel, where they create a stronghold in the southern Cruth Mountains.
BC 1013: All of the hin from Shadowgate vanish, abducted by Othrong and sacrificed in dark rituals to his new otherworldly patron.
BC 1012: Faerdinel heroes track down Othrong and his dark cult in the heart of the Cruth Mountains. They shatter his fortress and scatter his followers, but Othrong manages to flee with his life.
BC 1010: While wandering dark caves, Othrong stumbles upon a city of the deep glaurant. They welcome him and teach him many of their secrets.
BC 1007: Othrong returns to his shattered fortress and begins to rebuild. He gathers supporters from dark corners across the region, including the deep glaurant, the Malpheggi swamp, and humanoid tribes displaced by Oenkmar.
BC 1001: For the past several years Othrong has steadily built up a coalition of monstrous and humanoid followers, all bound together with the resurgence of his Cult of Dark Fire. Many press for him to attack Faerdinel immediately, but Othron keeps them in check, waiting for a sign from his mysterious patrons.
BC 1000: This is a time of great humanoid invasions; gnolls cross southern Darokin and invade Karameikos, humanoids from the broken lands attack Rockhome but are repulsed by Blystar III, and Faerdinel is destroyed and replaced by the Realm of Othrong. The Gentle Folk are wiped out.
BC 995: Othrong’s forces have consolidated their hold on what was formerly Faerdinel. Hin resistance is broken and the land is firmly in the grasp of the orcs.
BC 965-964: The Rising. Halflings overthrow orc-king Raurgh at the battles of Hinskulls (965), Orcfall (965), and in the Spring Slaughter (964). Rule of the Elders established (964); kingdom of Hindon founded.
BC 795: Atruaghin recalls the memory of that great plateau and raises a new plateau to shelter the Children of Atraughin from future invasions.
BC 746: Hin discover Blackflame deep under the mountains; Orcstrife continues.
One interesting thing in there is that during The Rising (BC 965) the hin overthrow King Raurgh. So some things must happen from the founding of the Realm of Othrong (by Othrong) in BC 1000 to BC 965. At some point Raurgh must take over, but there might be other "kings" in between. The way I'm envisioning it is that Raurgh is pretty new to the throne when The Rising happens (which might have contributed to him being overthrown).