Expanding the Sasserine historical timeline
by David KeyserBuilding on the work of Christopher Davies and Eric Williamson I have created my own custom timeline for Sasserine. In doing so I also incorporated some of the Davania events chronicled in the Mystaran Almanacs. Any thoughts on improvements or things I may have overlooked?
This was created for my own personal campaign so I changed things to suit my players in some cases. In this version Sasserine is conquered for a much shorter time period than in the Greyhawk version and the original settlers were from the Isle of Dawn. My timeline also suits the time for when I wanted to launch the Savage Tide campaign (1021-1022 AC).
The Cerulean Guard in my timeline is James Ruhland's Crimson Guard from the Mystaran almanacs. With the Savage Tide having as a major antagonist the pirates known as the Crimson Fleet, I had to make a color change. Also, the leader of the Cerulean/Crimson Guard(Vivianna Romanones) has already colonized the Isle of Dread and defeated the evil there, so I will move the Cerulean Guard to a hidden base on another island on the archipelago. At the end of Savage Tide are some adventure ideas for an epic campaign, and one is to bring the focus back to the Isle of Dread, where the Cerulean/Crimson Guard could play a role.
Continuing to build on the remarkable synergy between the Davania events in the Mystara Almanacs and the Savage Tide campaign. I added the Ambrosius' exploration of the newly named Black River and discovering the ruin of an old city to the timeline.
In the third adventure the PCs are expected to engage in a short expedition into the Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan, another ruin which is easily set on the jungle coast of Davania also in Manacapuru tribal lands. The references to Ochalean ogre mages is to explain the ogre mage present in the original adventure.
In doing some research on Ochalea on Pandius, I found some further fan provided details on how Thyatis first colonized Ravenscarp.
These dates were also used by Agathokles for the Ochalea gazeteer, so I am modifying my timeline for those entries dealing with Ravenscarp below. I am also incorporating the town of Wumingdou into the timeline in preparation for a planned stop in that town as part of the Sea Wyvern's Wake adventure. In the Savage Tide campaign background, the PCs benefactor, Lavinia Vanderboren, as a teenager was sent away from Sasserine by her parents to study at an academy. For my campaign this academy resides in Wumingdou, giving her a reason to stop there.
With this modification to the timeline Sasserine becomes Thyatis' first foothold on Davania rather than Ravenscarp. Despite that, it still makes sense for Thyatis to use Wumingdou as a waystation and staging area for the planned colonization of the Hinterlands. Swampy terrain lies between Sasserine and the Hinterlands making it less than ideal for large troop movements, and Thyatis would need to worry about sabotage and espionage as Sasserine was newly conquered and would be considered far less secure than Wumingdou in Ochalea.
Wumingdou is in the southwestern Bohan province.
292 AC Sasserine Founded by Isle of Dawn colonists with some families from the Northern Reaches as well as a few small clans of gnomes.
656 AC Huleans launch first of many attacks, destroying Teraknian's Arch
719 AC Minrothad water elf ship wrecks near Sasserine
720-740 AC Minrothad opens up a trade route with Sasserine, Minroth immigrants begin to trickle in to the city
843 AC Last attack by Hulean forces repelled
850 AC Hule loses contact with Garganin
970 AC Emperor Thincol is crowned, Thyatis launches expeditions to explore southern continent of Davania
971 AC Thyatis first discovers the city of Sasserine
975 AC Thyatis invades Sasserine and conquers it
985 AC Emperor Thincol begins a major expansion of Wumingdou, transporting a significant population of workers, specialists and soldiers to begin a colonization campaign on Davania. A few skilled and enterprising citizens from Sasserine relocate to Wumingdou for the opportunities.
988 AC Thincol's campaign to conquer the Hinterlander tribes to the east of Sasserine begins with the establishment of the fortress Fire-Height. The city that grows from this initial base eventually acquires the name Ravenscarp.
1006-1010 AC Sasserine citizens begin rebelling more and more, leading to Thyatian curfews, crackdowns and oppression
1007 AC Ochalea and the Pearl Islands declare independence from Thyatis
1010 AC Heldannic Knights first discover Sasserine from one of their flying warships
1011 AC Four Heldannic flying warships provide support and assistance as Sasserine rebels against Thyatian occupying force, Thyatis troops expelled completely in a fortnight and Sasserine declares independence once again. Heldannic Knights establish an embassy within Sasserine.
1011 AC The Barony of Fiorenza is established by Baron Justinian Silvestro of Thyatis, approximately 120 miles west along the coastline to Ravenscarp(closer to Sasserine).
1012 AC First celebration of Independence Day (what will be the holiday celebrated in the second Savage Tide adventure)
1015 AC Thyatian representatives approach the Dawn Council seeking a trade alliance/agreement. Sasserine spies learn the Thyatian empire is at war with some sort of naval power, and the Crimson Fleet is taking advantage and pirating the trade routes between Davania and Brun. The Dawn Council rebuffs Thyatis, preferring exclusive trading with Minrothad and the Heldannic Knights, as well as the city states to the west.
1015-1016 AC Lavinia Vanderboren arrives in the town of Wumingdou as a young teenager to study at a prestigious academy there for the next five years
1016 AC The city-state of Kastelios establishes a trade treaty with Thyatis and begins opening its trade routes with Thyatis.
1017 AC Thyatian Hinterlands are politically re-organized. Cittanova, further west of Fiorenza and at the cape marking the northern tip of Davania, is also acknowledged as a barony. Ravenscarp is the capital of a Thyatian exarchate equal to the large dominions in their homeland, while the colonial regions outside the exarchate(called Davania Superior) are broken into several territories, including Thratia(the south region) and Torionensis(the northwest region closest to Sasserine).
1017 AC The Hinterlander tribes not subjugated by Thyatis in Thratia begin a powerful offensive to threaten Davania Superior. Sasserine and Emerond are approached by the tribes for an alliance, but are turned down. A few mercenary companies from Sasserine are hired out however to fight the Thyatians.
1017 AC Colonists from the city of Kastelios found a colony on the western most island of the Thanegioth Archipelago, Mykonos.
1018 AC The Thyatian expedition led by Julius Ambrosius discovers the ruins of an ancient city as they sail up the Black River, but are driven off by Manacapuru tribesmen.
1018 AC Seeing the wealth Kastelios is making, Sasserine opens a limited trade agreement with Thyatis.
1018 AC The Vanderborens depart Sasserine on two ships to found a colony on the Isle of Dread.
1019 AC The Thratians, led by an elite adventuring company called the Nightstalkers, score some significant victories. A non-standard Thyatian force, not associated with Thyatian's military legions or navy, called the Cerulean Guard is summoned to Davania to counter the Nightstalkers. The momentum shifts several times as the Cerulean Guard uses even more potent magic than the Nightstalkers, although the Nightstalkers counter once again through feints, traps, ambushes and teleportation. The final battle sees the Nightstalkers captured when two dragons and anti-teleportation magic are used. The Thratians retreat from Davania Superior.
1019 AC Kastelios sends representatives to all city-states and powers in the region, warning of a new threat to the west where lizard man tribes have been uniting and expanding. Thyatis offers to join any mutual defense alliance but both Sasserine and Emerond opt for a wait and see position. Once again some mercenary companies from Sasserine depart for where coin can be earned, this time to the west.
1019 AC The Vanderborens conclude peaceful negotiations with the natives living on the peninsula and islands on the southeast corner of the Isle of Dread, and found the colony of Farshore on the small unoccupied island of Temute. They leave the colony to return to Sasserine to resupply, but lose one of their ships on the return journey. Further misfortunes increase the delay of their return.
1020 AC Rumors begin spreading of ancient ruins and hidden treasures in Ravenscarp and Sasserine. Several adventuring and mercenary companies launch expeditions to explore and loot whatever can be found close to the coastline in Manacapuru tribal lands, many do not return. Some Ochalean ogre mages make the trip and begin infiltrating Manacapuru society to make their looting ancient lore easier.
1020-1021 AC Lavinia Vanderboren returns to Sasserine
1021-1022 AC Beginning of the Savage Tide campaign...Vanderborens are murdered and their daughter Lavinia discovers the hidden colony and makes plans to return to reinforce the colony.
1022 AC A small earthquake allows access to the Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan, the PCs arrive not too long after with a map pointing them to this specific shrine.