Summary Timeline for Littonia
Summary Timeline: (DMs only!)
BC 3200: The Valefolk settle in the western reaches of Thonia, away from other large population centres. They live off of the land and the sea.
BC 3000: The Great Rain of Fire. Blackmoor explodes, shifting Mystara on its axis. The region inhabited by the Valefolk becomes much colder; they migrate west over the sea of what will become Alphatia.
BC 2900: The Valefolk are driven from their new homes by the indigenous Yanifey, who are trying to adapt to their changed climate and do not wish to share their scarce resources with the newcomers. The Valefolk then migrate west again, this time to the Great Bay region in what will become Norwold.
BC 2500: By this time the Valefolk have expanded their settlements along the coasts, from the modern Heldannic Territories in the south to areas north of the Great Bay region. Higher population concentrations are found around what the northern Valefolk call the Gaudava River, which has rich soils and a milder climate than the surrounding region. This milder region is blessed with dense forests and ample water. All other areas are still too cool for intensive farming and settlement.
Also around this time the first Antalians come across the sea from Skothar, and settle in what will become the Northern Reaches, as well as further inland. They are more warlike than the Valefolk, and they easily displace those living near them in the south. By this time lack of communication among the various Valefolk settlements has produced many variations in dialect and culture. Those in the north begin to call themselves Litoniesu, while those in the south call themselves Lietuvas, though collectively they are referred to as the Littonians. The Lietuvas are driven further north by the Antalians.
BC 2400: No more Lietuvan settlements exist south of the Great Bay; they have been either destroyed, or conquered. Many fleeing Lietuvans settle north of the Litoniesu.
BC 1993: Frost Giants, led by Ulf One-Eye, storm out of the island of Frosthaven to the north and begin conquering the lands of the Litoniesu and Lietuvans. Within a few years they are all enslaved. Ulf founds the realm of Nordenheim. A reign of terror begins.
BC 1944: The great Frost Giant citadel of Høgborg is constructed by slave labour. Many slaves died horribly in the construction.
BC 1722: The Antalian civilisation is destroyed by the humanoid hordes of Loark, ravaging much of Norwold in the process. Some southern regions of Nordenheim are attacked as well. The giants allow the humanoids to brutalise the Litoniesu living in the area, and turn back only those humanoids who threaten their own assets and lives.
BC 1623: Namejs is born in the village of Valka.
BC 1601: Namejs is falsely accused of being a rebel by a countryman. As a punishment, Namejs is forced to watch the destruction of his home and family. In a rage, he kills the giant responsible for this act, and this act is witnessed by other Littonians. An uprising, led by Namejs, begins.
BC 1593: The Battle of Gaudavpils is fought, in which many Frost Giants are killed by Namejs' rebels. This is the culmination of years of raids and assassinations that have demoralised the giants of Nordenheim. Hearing news of this victory, slaves across the realm rise up in rebellion.
BC 1592: Namejs and his rebels storm the citadel of Høgborg, killing Ulf and many others. Hearing of the death of their leader, and of the widespread rebellions, the remaining giants grab what they can and retreat to Frosthaven. Høgborg is destroyed, and the Namejs proclaims the birth of the kingdom of Littonia.
BC 1559: Namejs dies. His eldest son, Guntis, becomes the second king of Littonia, but his ambitions do not extend to ruling the nation. He is more concerned about his own clan than the goings-on of the nation as a whole. Many of the local clan leaders no longer recognise the authority of the king. Littonia fragments into many smaller kingdoms. Namejs has in fact embarked upon a quest for Immortality on the Path of the Dynast. During his many adventures after becoming king, he received the patronage of Diulanna, who admired his bravery and desire to serve his people. She shows his a means to travel through time to aid his people, as prescribed by that Path.
BC 1500: This period marks the beginning of a series of wars between the petty kingdoms scattered across the north. No leader is strong enough to unify the various realms, though outside threats, such as the occasional Frost Giant or Antalian raid, allow the Littonians to unify briefly. Once any threat passes, coalitions fall apart, and wars begin once more.
BC 1362: The Realm of Lietuvos is formed by Lietuvan leaders who wish to rule their own nation. The Littonian ruling line is now too weak to do anything about it. Forty years of warfare between the Litoniesu and the Lietuvans begins.
BC 1322: After 40 years of war, Lietuvos collapses into anarchy. Large stretches of countryside have been emptied as people flee south and west to start new lives, or die at the hands of their neighbours. The Litoniesu kingdoms are also weakened by the wars, and many fall victim to sporadic humanoid raids from the southwest. This marks the beginning of a dark age for the Littonians, which lasts centuries.
BC 1200: A great force of Frost Giants attempts to invade once more, hoping to re-establish Nordenheim. They are repulsed, ironically at the ruins of Høgborg, but many towns and villages north of the Gaudava River are destroyed. The Lietuvan kingdoms suffer far more than those of the Litoniesu, since they are further north.
BC 1100: By this time the Littonians had expanded south to the Great Bay once more, as well as west to the Icereach Range. The resident Antalians are too disorganised to put up an effective resistance, and they had regressed into a dark age since the destruction of their culture at the hands of Loark's horde. These resettled regions are still thinly-populated, as the soils are generally too poor to support intensive farming, though the climate is much warmer since the Littonians first came to Brun. Despite these advances, the Littonians' hold is tenuous at best.
BC 1000: To the south, Nithians invade and conquer the Antalian communities. Many are enslaved and taken to Davania, where they will eventually become the Thyatian, Kerendan, Hattian, and Hinterlander tribes. Some Antalians manage to escape, and flee northwards. These movements displace the southern Littonians, who in turn return to their original lands further north.
BC 800: Those Antalians to the south who survived the Nithian onslaught slowly evolve into the modern Heldannic people. Littonian lands by this time are once again those lands north of the Great Bay and east of the Icereach Range.
BC 650: Several raids from the Heldannic peoples happen by this time, as they move northwards into modern Norwold.
BC 161: A boy named Karlis is born in the village of Nevmala, the first son of a local clan leader.
BC 142: Karlis becomes ruler of Nevmala.
BC 140: Karlis dreams about the Battle of Gaudavpils. After the battle ends, Namejs approaches him, and urges him to restore Littonia. Namejs is in fact using magical means to communicate with Karlis, who is in fact his descendant. Over the next several weeks, Namejs visits Karlis in dreams and instructs him in the arts of organised warfare.
BC 139: Having learned all he can, Karlis raises an army, and proceeds to bring the various Litoniesu and Lietuvan kingdoms back into the fold.
BC 137: The powerful Litoniesu kingdom of Livonja, centred on the coastal town of Gaudavpils, is conquered.
BC 128: The Battle of Siaiulai is fought. Karlis' armies win, and the most powerful Lietuvan kingdom is conquered. The remaining kingdoms, realising that they cannot stand up to the might of this new warlord, submit to his authority. Karlis is crowned king of Littonia within weeks, and he proclaims a new era for his nation. Gaudavpils is named the capital of Littonia.
BC 122: Karlis dies, but he had left behind him a strong succession. He is revered as Karlis the Unifier. By this time many villages and town come to see themselves as Littonian, rather than Litoniesu and Lietuvan. Uldis, the eldest son of Karlis, ascends to the throne.
BC 115: The Saamari people migrate east over the Icereach Range, displacing Littonian farmers living in the western borderlands of Littonia. Uldis hears of this, and raises an army to reclaim the western lands.
BC 110: The first of several battles is fought against the Saamari. Like the others to follow, it is inconclusive.
BC 105: Uldis dies in battle. Maris, his second son, assumes the throne. Seeing Frost Giants gathering to the north and Heldannic warriors to the south, he immediately makes overtures to the Saamari leader for peace. The Treaty of Valmiera is the result, in which both peoples renounce aggression against the other and Littonia abandons all claims to the western lands. Kaarjala, the nation of the Saamari, is formed as a result.
BC 103: Maris bolsters Littonia's defences along its northern and southern frontiers, in order to hold back the Frost Giants and the Heldanners.
BC 98: A large force of Frost Giants manages to break through Littonia's northern defences and cause a great deal of damage.
BC 12: The towns of Valmiera and Nevmala are destroyed in a raid by Frost Giants.
AC 0: Elsewhere, the first emperor of Thyatis is crowned.
AC 20: The towns of Valmiera and Nevmala are rebuilt.
AC 300: Contact is made with the halflings and elves who have settled to the south, in what is now Norwold. Peaceful relations ensue.
AC 630: The Vaarana arrive in Kaarjala from the west, telling tales of humanoid hordes.
AC 640: The Battle of White Bear River is fought. The humanoid hordes are turned back by a coalition of Littonians, Kaarjalans, Vaarana, halflings, and elves. Namejs is also present at the battle, having travelled there through magical means as part of his quest for Immortality.
AC 870: An attempted invasion by Frost Giants takes place - Siaiulai, Valka, Dundaga, and Silute are looted.
AC 985: The settlement of Alpha is founded by the Alphatians to the south. The Littonians make contact with the Alphatians, and sign treaties of friendship. Nothing else comes of this.
AC 992: Ericall is named king of Norwold.
AC 996: Uldis VI becomes king of Littonia.
AC 1000: The present day, most Gazetteers are also set in this era.
AC 1016: Having weathered the Wrath of the Immortals by staying out of the conflict entirely, Uldis VI considers joining the newly-established NACE in the hopes that it will bring his nation into the world.