Special Feature: Thyatian Timeline

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Timeline of Thyatian History

by James Ruhland and Giulio Caroletti

[Editor's Note: The authors compiled extensive refrences for this work. We regret that, due to space and format constraints, we were not able to retain these impressively thorough notes. Apologies to the authors and our readers; any annotation oversights are solely our own. -JG]

Special thanks to Geoff Gander for help with the Davanian Era portion of this history.

Pre-Imperial History

Davanian Era

BC 1000: Nithians, made curious about the southern continent due to the Traldar flight in that direction, transport many Antalian slaves to Harbortown and thence to Davania, to colonize there. This is the southern limit of Nithian expansion, and isn't very successful. The Antalian tribes soon rebel and slay their Nithian overlords. These tribes then carve out their own territory in Davania, and are the forefathers of the Thyatian, Kerendan, and Hattian tribes. These tribes are really named after three Thyatian heroes - the men (and, in the case of Thyatis, a woman) who led the Thyatians in their uprising against the Nithians. This becomes the basis for the later legend of the three Kings who led the settlement in Brun, as the oral histories became confused.
BC 820: First Milenian scouts enter what is now the Hinterlands; contact is established between the three tribes and the Milenians.
BC 800: A series of invasions begins - Milenians annex all the lands east of what will be the River Torion (which runs through Raven Scarp), while established Milenian forces to the west of the Three Tribes press eastwards as well - creating a pincer-like attack. The Tribes hold off very well initially (since they know the land better), but the Milenians soon resort to burning outlying forests and starving outlying clans into submission.
BC 760: The first invasions end; the Tribes' territory has been reduced to a coastal strip of jungle runnning from what is now Raven Scarp in the east (which is at this time a formidable coastal settlement - surrounded by palisades, pits filled spikes, and other defensive works) to the northernmost cape in the northwest, to an inland distance ranging from 40 - 60 miles. Those tribesmen living in the conquered territories or areas nearest the Milenian frontier (consisting primarily of Thyatians and Kerendans) slowly adopt many Milenian ways and are gradually assimilated into their culture. Many of the tough tribal warriors are recruited into the Milenian army. Others in the conquered areas are enslaved outright. The Hattian tribesmen are the most distant from the Milenians and thus are less easily influenced by their civilization.
BC 720: A second series of assaults is mounted against the Tribes, with the intention of securing the entire coastline. Several Milenian phalanxes plunge deep into Hattian territory, burning and plundering as they go (as well as taking many prisoners), but are repulsed with the assistance of free Thyatians and Kerendans.
BC 700: The "Second War of Enlightenment" conducted by the Milenians ends. Only a few scattered pockets along the coast remain outside of the empire's influence, but even these have largely been reduced to a client-state relationship with the Milenians. Many Hattians have by now abandoned their homes, fleeing into the more sparsely-populated regions of the jungles to harass occupying Milenian forces.
BC 699: The Milenian Emperor announces that the Northern Borderlands have been pacified. The territory is declared open for settlement.
BC 690: By this time the Thyatian and Kerendan tribes have adopted many Milenian practices, due to continued occupation, intermarriage, and imperial policies of cultural assimilation. Although some have been won over by the cultural and technological achievements of their overlords, many resent being dominated by a distant imperial power that has little, if no, regard for their well-being or their interests.
BC 680: The Milenian city of Melarios is founded on Thyatian territory, to be the province's capital city - thousands of tribesmen are displaced in the acquisition. Those that protest the appropriation of their lands are enslaved, or executed; the Milenian Emperor tells them "you have forgotten how to be free."
BC 675: By this time many region of the Northern Borderlands are in revolt. The incident at Melarios has repeated itself numerous times, with countless Tribal villages, towns, and sacred sites being destroyed or taken over by Milenian colonists. Realising that it is only a matter of time before they are completely absorbed, many of the Tribespeople revolt against Milenian rule. The Hattians, who had been carrying out their campaign all this time, are only too happy to aid their brethren. Although the rot that will ultimately destroy the Milenian Empire has not yet destroyed its vitality, certain elements of it have already set in. The Northern Borderlands, largely considered the least-desirable territory (due to the fact that it is so close to the sea, still considered dangerous by the Milenians, given how much effort was expended in taking it), have become the dumping ground for the least competent officers and governors. Under such lax conditions, many Milenian settlements in the region have declined, becoming little more than petty dens of crime and decadence. Due to these circumstances, the Tribes attain many decisive victories.
BC 667: The Battle of Melarios. The combined might of the Tribes is set against the Melarian Civil Guard, who, as the lawmen of the regional capital, act as the main embodiment of Milenian power in the region. After a week-long siege, the defenders are overwhelmed by the Tribes, who then sack and burn Melarios.
BC 665: The Milenians initiate a 10-year period of brutal reprisals - hundreds of settlements are razed, and thousands of colonists displace the indigenous inhabitants, driving the Tribespeople northwards - towards the coast. In response, the Tribal armies raid nearby Milenian settlements.
BC 650: The conflict escalates as the Empire sends thousands of soldiers northwards, hoping to quell the revolts once and for all. The Tribes send their raiders deeper into Milenian territory, looting towns as far as the northern Meghala Kimata Plains. Widespread panic leads to rioting in nearby cities, as residents' concern over the apparent inability of the Milenians to push back the raiders increases.
BC 630: The tide turns in the Milenians' favour through sheer force of numbers. Although the Tribes know their region well, they are largely unable to stand toe-to-toe with disciplined Milenian phalanxes from the heartland. Knowing the danger they face, the Tribes pull back, leaving looted towns in their wake. The Milenians pursue eagerly, thinking that, finally, they will crush their opponents for good.
BC 614: The Tribes agree that the situation is growing dire. Although the Thyatians and Kerendans, through their longer time spent under Milenian rule, have learned much from their opponents (including engineering, sophisticated tactics, and magic), they know that the Empire possesses far more resources. It is only a matter of time before surrender becomes the only option. Knowing that this would entail slavery at best, the tribal leaders agree that they cannot remain in their homeland. Each of the tribes' lore contains old legends of having lived on a northern continent long ago. They decide, using their acquired knowledge of Milenian navigational and shipbuilding techniques, to send scouts northwards - across the Sea of Dread - to seek a new home for themselves. Several dozen such ships set sail over the next few years, with those remaining behind trying as best as they can to delay the inevitable.
BC 608: After years of anguish and fear, the best news possible comes to the Tribes - they have located the northern lands, across the sea. The area is sparsely populated by farmers, hunters, and gatherers. This land would one day be known as southern Hattias. By unanimous agreement, the tribal leaders decide to migrate en masse, leaving in several waves.
BC 603: By this time the majority of the tribespeople have left Davania. Although many survive the epic journey to southern Brun, thousands are claimed by the Sea of Dread's many perils, and thousands more are separated from their companions during the journey. Some are marooned on various islands in the Thanegioth Archipelago, and others find themselves on the various isolated islets and other lands that dot the sea itself.
BC 596: The remaining outpost of the Tribes on Davania, Kamades (located where the town of Cittanova stands today), is overrun by Milenian forces. Those who were not slaughtered in the siege and subsequent orgy of looting are enslaved by their captors, and scattered throughout the Empire, their spirit broken. All this time, the Milenians had no idea the mass exodus of the Tribes had taken place; thus, they believe the Thyatians, Kerendans, and Hattians have been eradicated entirely. The commander of this outpost, the warrior-princess Vanya, is captured by the Milenians.

Nithian Era
BC 600: Under the pressure of Milenian expansion three related Davanian tribes migrate to Brun, in the region around present-day Thyatis, displacing the Toralai Neathar, subjects of the Nithians. By this time, the three tribes have adopted a language that we can call Protothyatian, a mix of Milenian and Antalian, and developed an alphabet roughly based on the Milenian one; with slight modifications, it will become the common alphabet used nowadays in the Old World. While the Kerendan and Thyatian tribes have adopted much of the Milenian culture, the Hattian tribe has remained more isolated, and thus their dialect and behavior bear a few more resemblances to the original Antalian ones, though they still speak recognizable Protothyatian. The date BC 600 is given as the time when the Thyatians settled in Brun, as it is the year Thyatis City was founded. This starts Thyatis' first calendar, which dates time from the founding of The City (AUC Calendar). Thyatis City is founded on the site of a former Nithian city, mostly destroyed and later abandoned during the civil disorders that began to wrack Nithia a century before (See HWR2: Kingdom of Nithia, p.2, for a description of these conflicts). The city is built in the middle of a wide channel separating the island that is being occupied by the Hattians from the mainland, alongside a river that makes the surrounding lands particularly productive. The city's first structures are built on one of the largest of these hills in what will become the Zendrolium region, up against a bay, and fortified against the Nithians and their subjects. Over time this bay will be gradually developed into the Great and Lesser Harbors as the city grows. At this time the Thyatians are ruled by a strong Rex (or King), and organized into warbands. Sharp battles are fought against the Nithians and their subjects as that Empire decays, with the Thyatians gradually expanding their colonization northwards and eastwards.
BC 597: The City of Hattias is founded as the meeting place for the Hattian tribe on the island of that name. The Hattians face relatively less opposition in colonizing the island, with fewer Nithians nearby to oppose them.
BC 596: The City of Kerendas is founded by the Kerendans. They come into contact with Neathar horsemen, subjects of the Nithians who ally with the Kerendans in revolt against the Nithians. Over time the Kerendans and these Neathar assimilate into one people, which adopt the Kerendan name, language, and most customs but become a nation of skilled horsemen. The Kerendans organize their nation on very militaristic lines as they fight against the Nithians and their proxies, as well as large numbers of monstrous hordes that periodically issue forth from the Traldar forests.
BC 584: Thyatians begin to plant settlements on the northern coast of the island of the Hattians, opposite their City. The Hattians take umbrage to this, and soon the Thyatian and Hattians are raiding each other off and on, in between fighting the crumbling Nithians Empire.
BC 566: Kerendans ally with Thyatians against the Nithians, a combined force defeats the army of the Nithian governor in the region, displacing their Toralai proxies (which are now transported to the Hollow World by the Immortals). Nithians begin a wholesale withdrawal northward, concentrating on the still-growing strife in the heart of their Empire.
BC 561: Nithian Pharaoh sends a fleet on a punitive expedition against the "southern barbarians" (the Thyatians, Kerendans, and Hattians) in vengeance over the defeat of his Governor, hoping to restore Nithian sovereignty over the area. The Hattians join the alliance with Kerendas & Thyatis. The Nithian fleet is destroyed off the coast of Hattias at the eastern entrance to Vanya's Girdle.
BC 560: Allied tribes raid Nithian colonies on nearby islands over the next several years, eventually forcing the Nithians to leave Thyatian waters.
BC 552: Disputes among the allied tribes over who gets control of which small island or who deserves specific amounts of booty results in the alliance dissolving. The tribes then feud among themselves over the next several years.
BC 549: Thyatians found a settlement near what would become Port Lucinius.
BC 543: Kerendans cross the pass at what will become Biazzan and raid Nithia briefly, but the Nithians are still strong in this area and the Kerendan raiding force is ultimately repulsed.
BC 539: Thyatian colonists found a town on the site that will one day become Retebius City.
BC 535: Nithians in the Tel Akbir region wage war against the Thyatian colonists at Kantrium, resulting in a new alliance against the Nithians.
BC 533: Thyatian, Kerendan, and Hattian ships sail against the Nithian's main city in the Tel Akbir region, and lay siege to it. The siege is long and hard fought, going on intermittently for a decade as Nithians receive magical support from their Entropic Clerics but the tribes stubbornly continue it, rotating new warriors in and out periodically.
BC 523: The tribes begin to despair of succeeding in the siege, but the Thyatians come up with an ingenious way of tricking the Nithians into opening the gates. The Nithian city finally falls, and is utterly destroyed and plundered. The ruins form a large mound or Tel, upon which the City of Tel Akbir will eventually be built. The Thyatians begin to honor the strategy of gaining victory through guile and subterfuge.
BC 522: Thyatians, Kerendans, and Hattians begin to spread out through the peninsula of Tel Akbir, displacing the Nithians of the region.
BC 520: The advance of the tribes grinds to a halt as they turn to fighting each other for control over the conquered territory. Thyatian and Hattian seafarers turn to raiding Nithia's coasts, and battling each other on the seas for the spoils.
BC 517: Kerendans push a weak Nithian garrison out of the pass of Biazzan and found a settlement there (mainly a camp for raiders, who are now able to enter the Nithian heartland with greater ease as Nithia continues to falter.) Most Nithian cities are by now depopulated and virtually destroyed due to the severity of their civil strife, but much booty and magic remains for the raiders to loot.
BC 506: Nithians defeat a large Kerendan raiding force using Entropic magics, putting an end to the most serious raids. Hattian pirate force destroyed off the shore of Nithia proper by similar magics.
BC 505: Nithian Pharaoh begins to gather the resources of Nithia for a strong counter-offensive against the tribes, planning to make widespread use of Entropic magics to subdue and enslave them. He plans to then use the conquered tribes (or undead created from those he slays) to re-assert complete control over Nithia.

Epoch of City States: Heroic Age
BC 500: As the Pharaoh's army finally begins to march south, Nithia is destroyed by the Immortals in the course of less than a year, vanishing almost completely, as if it never existed. The Thyatians, Kerendans, and Hattians have conquered and absorbed the natives of the area which will one day become Thyatis. Thyatian tribes invent lore of great battles against a vague foe, their history becomes confused due to the Spell of Oblivion, resulting in a variety of discrepancies and inaccuracies. Seafaring Thyatians turn their attentions against the increasing presence of Alphatians in the region, while the Kerendans and Alaysians raid each other back and forth across the Altan Tepes. Concurrently, Alphatia enters its first decline. Seafaring Thyatians encounter the Alphatians as they expand into the vacuum left by the vanished Nithians. Thyatians begin raids against Alphatians, who do not reach Brun.
BC 498: Tarlin Rex, the King of Thyatis, is overthrown after almost a decade of brutal and corrupt rule. A group of prominent men (warband leaders and wealthy Thyatians) form a Council to govern the tribe. They call themselves Archons and their government is known as the Archonium. During the period of uncertainty caused by these upheavals the Hattians conquer the Thyatian settlements on the northern coast of their island. This begins the First Thassalanian War between the Hattians and Thyatians, as both fight first over control of these northern settlements, then over control of the islands off Hattias' eastern coast.
BC 494: City founded by Thyatian colonists on the site that will one day become Kantridae as part of the war against Hattias.
BC 490: Kerendan raiding outpost in the pass grows into the frontier town of Biazzan (called Bassianos at this time). Control over it passes back and forth between the Kerendans and the Alaysians (now inhabiting former Nithia) over the centuries.
BC 489: First Thassalanian War ends. Hattias keeps control over all of their island, but most of the eastern islands are settled by Thyatis. Archons praised for managing the war wisely and successfully.
BC 480: Town of Machetos founded by Kerendan colonists.
BC 475: Archonium sends settlers to colonize Actius and Carytion in order to increase Thyatian control over those islands. Hattians object.
BC 468: Hattians create a settlement on Borydos for the purpose of raiding Alphatian shipping in the Sea of Dread and to re-assert their claim to some of these islands. Archonate of Thyatis threatens war.
BC 467: Thyatian envoys sent to Hattias to demand the Hattians abandon their settlement on Borydos. Hattians refuse. Thyatis declares war. Second Thassalanian War begins, fought almost entirely at sea.
BC 462: Second Thassalanian War ends, Hattians gain control over Borydos and Mositius. This setback causes dissention to rise in Thyatis City against the Council of Archons, which is thought to have mismanaged the war.
BC 460: Popular unrest against the Archons results in a brutal clamp-down. The Archonium is overthrown in an uprising. Thyatis is governed by "the whole body of the nation, assembled." Leaders are chosen by lot or by popular election. Demagogues quickly rise to the fore.
BC 458: A horde of gnolls and other monsters swarm out of the forests of Traldar and lay siege to Machetos. Kerendan forces, primarily cavalry, ride to Machetos' relief. Monster horde is crushed; the fleeing survivors are cut down and slaughtered. "Kerendan Days of the Hoof" celebration evolves out of a holiday created to commemorate this victory, which took place in Klarmont.
BC 457: Kerendans, emboldened by their victory over the humanoids and by Thyatis' slide into anarchy, raid Thyatian settlements. Thyatian Assembly mobilizes the nation and declares war on the Kerendans. Kerendan-Thyatian War begins. Thyatis has initial success against the scattered bands of Kerendan raiders.
BC 456: Kerendas dispatches their army against Thyatis. Elected Thyatian generals squabble over strategy and tactics. Kerendas defeats them decisively. Kerendans plunder Thyatis up to the banks of the Mesonian River. Thyatian mob has defeated generals executed.
BC 455: Thyatian Assembly sends calls for help to their colonies. A few troops trickle in, but the response is disappointing.
BC 454: Thyatian mob turns against current demagogues and replaces them with firebrands. Previous demagogues are executed publicly.
BC 453: Thyatian army again defeated by Kerendas. Kerendans lay siege to Thyatis City. City brings in supplies from sea, as Kerendas does not have a large navy at this time.
BC 452: As what is predicted to be a particularly harsh winter sets in, the Kerendans break their siege of Thyatis City, planning to return in spring. Kerendans begin building a fleet in the winter and encourage the Hattians to join them. Thyatian warriors depose the generals the Assembly elected and select their own leader. Polytius Nobilissimus Trenzantenbium becomes their General. He drills them throughout the winter and early spring of BC 451, forging them into a disciplined army, dividing them into disparate units (maniples) instead of large Phalanxes. He restores order to the fleet, and sends out a persuasive call for support from Thyatis' colonies, resulting in stronger support and reinforcement.
BC 451: Kerendans and Hattians sail towards Thyatis City in late spring, the Kerendan army marches overland into Thyatis. Polytius sends the Thyatian fleet against them, ordering them to concentrate on the less experienced Kerendan squadrons. They are soon put to flight, disordering the Hattian flotilla. The Thyatian forces inflict heavy casualties on the enemy fleet. Polytius then leads his legion against the Kerendans. Their tactics break up the Kerendan cavalry formations with javelins, and shatter the Kerendan's supporting phalanx of footmen. The Kerendan army is routed and and almost destroyed. Kerendan-Thyatian war ends.
BC 450: Thyatian army under Polytius overthrows the Assembly. Firebrand Demagogues are exiled or executed. Polytius Nobilissimus Trenzantenbium declared Rex-Consul of Thyatis by military acclamation. The Assembly is dissolved, but Polytius organizes a Conclave of Elders to advise him. The approval of the Elders is required for the passing of all laws. Polytian Age begins: this is a period of artistic and intellectual brilliance in Thyatis City, extending over a generation. Thyatian shipbuilding reaches a peak of skill, with new Triremes, Quincquiremes, and sailing vessels. Thyatian ships are the best of the era. Thyatis City's population reaches 100,000. Polytius adopts the Immortal Tarastia as his patron, vowing to rule justly. Gold is found in the Altan Tepes mountains, and the town of Halathius is founded by Thyatian settlers to mine some of it, resulting in this period being known as the "Golden Age" of Thyatis.
BC 445: Polytius agrees to allow the creation of a new Popular Assembly, which will select some magistrates to sit in on the sessions of the Conclave of Elders and perform civic administrative functions. Spirited debates occur in the City Forum, but the excesses of the previous period are avoided. Polytius orders a new wall constructed around The City - this follows roughly the same line as the current city wall. Much of the area included is still fields and orchards, however. But Thyatis City is none the less the largest in the region.
BC 442: Polytius' wife Augusta dies giving birth to twins. The Civic Forum is renamed the Augustium in her honor, as she was much beloved and respected in Thyatis (having fought beside and advised her husband during the Kerendan-Thyatian War).
BC 440: Polytius sends envoys to Kerendas and Hattias, inviting them to send representatives to Thyatis City to discuss mutual relations. They agree, and as a result of the discussions a League is formed consisting of members of all three tribes, for the settlement of disputes and mutual assistance against the growing presence of the Alphatians in the Sea of Dawn area. Thyatians agree to share shipbuilding techniques with the Hattians and Kerendans, and to help the latter form a fleet. The League is headquartered in Thyatis City and becomes known as the Thyatian League as a result. Footman's Games initiated as a League-wide event.
BC 436: Kerendans colonize the island of Terentias.
BC 430 - 400: Thyatian League pirates plunder the fading Traldar settlements as that nation's dark age deepens. Raids are also directed eastward and northward, against the Alaysians and (especially) the Alphatian shipping in the Sea of Dawn. Several small Thyatian settlements (little more than bases for pirates and smugglers) are established on the western shores of the Isle of Dawn. The Alphatians destroy these when they are aware of them, but as they sink into decline they become less persistent in rooting these bases out.
BC 420: Polytius Nobilissimus Trenzentanbium dies. His twin sons both desire to become Rex Consul. The Conclave of Elders encourages them to compromise: they will rule jointly, with Thyatis having two Consuls. On alternating years one presides over the League of Thyatis while the other governs Thyatis itself, with them switching roles the following year. This works out well during their lifetimes.
BC 400: The sons of Polytius Nobilissimus Trenzentanbium both die in the same day. They had each made provisions for the other to assume sole rule upon their death, and neither had made preparations for the transfer of power to anyone else, not expecting that they would both die simultaneously. It is later discovered that they had been poisoned by an ambitious Elder. Disputes over who should govern Thyatis and how wrack the nation, resulting in a Conflict of Orders.
BC 380: Conflict of Orders comes to a close with the ascension of a King (Rex), Thenorian Bellantius, who is advised and supported by a group of Tribunal Legates. They restore order to Thyatis, stamping out the last of the strife. However, the prosperity of the Polytian (Golden) Age was lost during the intervening period of upheavals and civic discord. The Conclave of Elders continues to advise him, but is packed with the King's cronies. The Thyatian King initiates a new and greater wave of piracy against the Alphatians, who seem powerless to stop it, in the hopes of getting booty and riches to try and restore the lost glories of the Polytian Age. Kerendans and Vyalia Elves fight goblins and gnolls, clearing the Dymrak woods around Machetos of humanoids. At first the Kerendans and Vyallians were separately attempting the same task, but later began to coordinate their attacks. This marks the first episode of Vyallian and Thyatian cooperation in the region.

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