Detailed Timeline of the Age of Kings

“	After the end of the Age of Days, the Sons of Men begin a new calendar, dating everything from Year One of the King's Age (1KY, or One King's Year), which is the same as the 4310th year of the Age of Days. The Elves, however, keep counting from the previous age, retaining their own dating system, the Elvish Reckoning (ER). To find the ER equivalent for any KY date, simply add 4309 to the King's Year.	”
	- Detailed Timeline of the Age of Kings

Year 1

After declaring the Sons of Men the rightful heirs to His power and dominion, the All-Father departs from the World, taking with Him four Titans who have tired of the strife and horrors they have witnessed.

Some of the Titans refuse to leave, and remain in the World, though they no longer dwell openly among Men.

The lords of men, Centaurs, Elves, and Giants reaffirm the friendship born of the Grand Alliance, and place a perpetual watch upon the Chaos Gate.

After fixing the borders of their realms in a great treaty, the various peoples withdraw to their homelands to rebuild.

The Ethyri, decimated by the War of the Scourge, band together and re-establish the Kingdom of Ethyria, crowning Ivard Kandorian as King Ivard I.

The other tribes of Men leave Ethyria, roaming far away to found new lands.

The Centaurs return to the Vast Plains, while the Elves retreat to the vast forests in the heartlands of the Deathless Empire and build the Hidden Court, where they brood and mourn over all they have lost.

Year 1 - Year 799: The Times of Peace

The members of the Grand Alliance enjoy a long period of peace and stability, if not friendship. Trade springs up between the Ten Kingdoms and the Hidden Court of the Elves, and the Human and Elvish Churches of the All-Father begin to slowly merge themselves into one body. The Humans and Centaurs still enjoy good relations, while the Giants refuse any trade or contact with their former allies.

Year 6

Phaedra, daughter to a mighty Human Lord, denounces the Kingdom of Ethyria, the rule of Kings, and the worship of the All-Father. Claiming to be guided by visions sent from Saedron, she agitates for the downfall of Ethyria and the Holy Church, blaming the All-Father for all the grieves of the past age.

King Ivard attempts to arrest Phaedra, but the First Huntress escapes, and her gospel attracts many followers, who become the first Amazons.

Phaedra leads her sisters out of Ethyria and into the steaming jungles of the South. As they search for a new home of their own, countless disenchanted Elf and Aelfborn women join Phaedra, and are welcomed.

Year 50

Their numbers thinned by endless skirmishes with the Lizard men of the marshlands, the Amazons finally come to the Valley of Delagana.

There they find the ancient Furies, a cult of weather witches who have been awaiting their arrival.

The three races of Amazons establish a new empire, living in harmony under the Amazon Queen. Males are used as slave labor.

Year 86

As the Elvish and Human branches of the Holy Church grow closer, the rampant corruption of the Elvish Church becomes more and more evident.

An aged Human Prelate named Elliander agitates for sweeping reform, but is accused of heresy and is forced to endure physical "tests of faith." Miraculously, Elliander endures the tortures of his accusers unharmed, and his plight changes many minds and attitudes in both the Human and Elvish churches.

Patriarch Landovar exonerates Elliander, and the pious Prelate dies of old age shortly thereafter. Elliander is quickly canonized, becoming the first Human to be recognized as a Saint by an Elvish Patriarch.

Year 129

The Ethyrian hero Vander leads a legion of followers north to the edge of the Northern Wastes, and fights a brutal war of conquest against the Northmen.

By the time Vander dies, his forces have carved out the new province of Vanderlund.

Year 150

Kellast, a Aelfborn Prelate, takes up Elliander's crusade for Church reform, and after a rousing speech to the High College of Cardinals, the Church convenes the Council of Wanford, where a new High Canon is formulated and written.

Year 161

Teams of Prelates and Scribes finish the definitive edition of the Book of Staves, and the work of the Council of Wanford is finally finished.

The Holy Church is essentially reborn, with the Elvish and Human churches united as one organization. Dozens of corrupt, inefficient Bishops and Cardinals, most of them Elves, leave the clergy. They are quickly replaced by pious Humans.

Year 164

A beautiful woman, her name since lost to history, appears in the kingdom of Ethyria, and quickly becomes the talk of the realm. No man can resist her beauty, and King Konwyn the Third quickly takes her as his bride.

Intrigue spreads throughout the court as Konwyn's lords and champions vie for the queen's favor, and many carry on illicit affairs with her.

Year 172

The Kingdom of Ethyria is split apart by a bitter civil war. Warlord battles Warlord, and each Lordling is quick to carve out a "Kingdom" of his own.

The Beautiful Queen, who many blame for the discord, vanishes in the wars, and is presumed dead. Her fate remains unknown.

By the time the smoke clears, Ethyria is no more and the Ten Kingdoms have been born. Ruled by the Ethyri, the Ten Kingdoms are named Alvaetia, Brethild, Carloon, Caledorn, Escalandor, Ghand, Lambourne, Melvaunt, Sorwenfells, and Vanderlund.

Year 178

Almeus the Old, thought by many to be the mightiest Wizard among the Sons of Men, seizes the throne of Brethild from that land's first king, Paolus the First. Later, Almeus takes on a strange pupil named Zeristan.

Year 194

The Sages of the Irydnu arrive in a balmy tropical land, and establish a Magocracy there.

Year 237

The Northmen come sweeping down into the Ten Kingdoms, sending hordes of raiders and Berserkers. Vander's great grandson Theoderic leads the defense, and finally drives them back.

After this year, the Berserker taint spreads to other kingdoms of Men, though it remains exceedingly rare.

Year 250

The Free Cities of Tariponto. Reach the peak of their power. Merchants carry wares from Karraton, Harrando, and Rovayle throughout the known world.

Year 304

Landovar, venerable Elvish Patriarch of the Holy Church of the All-Father, dies of extreme old age.

The College of Cardinals convenes to elect a successor, and a Human, Cassidon of Carlind, is chosen. From this point onward, the Holy Church is primarily a Human institution. Although many Elves still piously serve, their influence within the Church declines steadily.

Year 349

Grallokur the Devourer enters the forests of the Hidden Court, and the Elves rouse themselves to drive the monster away.

The beast slays the Elfqueen Mirallinae in single combat before finally being driven away.

Valdimathor, the dead queen's oldest son, becomes the new king of the Elvish Hosts.

Year 399

Almeus the Old vanishes while on an expedition to study the ancient Runegates.

The nobility of Brethild vie for control of the kingdom, and are finally subjugated under the sway of House Daenyr, shrewdest and most ruthless of the Brethildi aristocracy.

Year 410

Magi working in the Free Cities of Tariponto and the Dominions of Irydni develop the new magical science of Alchemy.

Year 508

Formosus the Pious is elected Patriarch of the Holy Church. Under his leadership the Church becomes increasingly conservative and reactionary.

The roles and importance of the Titans are minimized in the liturgy, and the roles of other Gods (most notably Saedron and Braialla) is completely eclipsed by the All-Father Himself. The "Old Faiths" wane throughout the lands of Men.

Finally, the Church begins active persecution of the Druids for venerating the Beast Lords, and many Druids are driven into hiding.

The Elves and Centaurs, concerned by these developments, have less and less to do with the Sons of Men.

Year 799

Somehow (accounts differ) an insane Wizard (whose identity is hotly disputed) learns that Malog is still alive, trapped beyond the Void in Chaos. The Wizard journeys to the Chaos Gate, slays the guards, and opens the way for the Traitor God's return.

Malog, now transformed into Morloch the Dark Lord, storms through from the Pit of Chaos. At the Dark God's heels come the twisted hosts of Grobalds, Orcs, Ogres, and Trolls, the transformed remnants of his former soldiers.

Years 799 - 804: The War of Ashes

The Twisted Breeds make war on all the peoples of the World, with Morloch the Dark Lord directing their armies. Though relations between its members have grown strained, the Grand Alliance endures, and goes to war again.

Year 801

The Battle of the Whispering Dale: the Human and Elvish Armies drive the Orcish host out of the Elvish Forests once and for all.

Year 803

Morloch leads a host of Orcs deep underground, hoping to wrest Shadowbane from the custody of the Dwarves at Haganduur. Thurin intervenes, and blocks his brother God's ambitions.

Year 804

Torvald the Titan and Kenaryn the Hunter defeat Morloch in combat, hurling him into the heart of a fiery volcano.

The chaos-born retreat into the wilderness, where they become a thorn in the side of all civilized peoples.

Year 901

Frykka, the Mother of Winter, escapes from her frozen prison in the uttermost North and unleashes a terrible wave of cold that culminates in a year-long winter that rages as far south as the Fens of Viriang.

Torvald the Titan rouses himself for war, and leaves the Northmen to battle the Ice Witch for the second time. The winter finally ends, but Torvald does not return.

Year 902

Driven south out of the Mountains by Frykka's resurgence, hordes of Minotaurs raid the lands of the Hidden Court. The Elves revive the ancient spells that gave them total dominion over the beast men, and the Minotaurs are again enslaved.

Year 913

The lords of Elves, Men, Giants, and Centaurs hold a great festival to celebrate the thousandth anniversary of the creation of the Grand Alliance. Held in Alvaetia, strongest of the 10 Kingdoms, the celebrations last an entire week.

At the height of the festivities, Konrad, King of Alvaetia, inadvertently insults the Elvish guests while making a toast at a feast. Valdimanthor and his henchmen leave the celebration.

Tensions between the 10 Kingdoms and the Hidden Court spiral out of control.

Year 914

The Elves of the Hidden Court patrol the borders of their realm for the first time in centuries, driving out many bands of Men from Escalandor who had expanded into the Elvish forests.

In retaliation, a band of Human Warriors massacres an Elvish village.

Furious, Valdimanthor declares war on Humanity, and the War of Tears begins.

The King of Escalandor appeals to the other kingdoms for aid, but the Sons of Men are too divided to mount an organized response.

Years 914 - 1046: The Early War of Tears

The Elves periodically raise great armies to ravage the kingdoms of Men, while the Human Kings squabble amongst themselves, hoping to gain advantage from the troubles of their rivals. The Elvish invasions are intermittent (occurring yearly at the beginning of the conflict but dropping off to once or twice a decade by the end of this phase), but brutal. The Sons of men are unable to mount an effective defense against Valdimanthor's armies, and are squashed again each time they try to regroup.

Year 917

The border kingdoms of Escalandor and Ghand are razed by the Elves. Large portions of the two kingdoms are occupied by the Elves and fortified as staging points for invasions.

Year 1045

Cambruin is born, the son of a minor Duke in the Kingdom of Caledorn.

Year 1046

The armies of King Valdimanthor invade the 10 Kingdoms again, and fight their way into the heart of Alvaetia. King Meynard of Alvaetia falls in battle, as does Cambruin's older brother Cambord.

Konrad's insult finally avenged, the Elves withdraw from the lands of men, and the War of Tears subsides for many decades.

Year 1047

The two sons of Meynard both try to lay claim to the throne of Alvaetia. After months of arguing, the War of Brothers begins, and the greatest of the 10 Kingdoms falls into disarray.

Webs of alliance and intrigue spread from Alvaetia into the rest of the 10 Kingdoms, and soon all the heirs of lost Ethyria are embroiled in war.

Year 1061

The Kingdom of Caledorn is attacked and invaded by the neighboring realm of Brethild. After a ruinous defeat, a young Knight named Cambruin takes command of the remnants of Caledron's armies. The young warrior displays superhuman valor, skill, and strategic sense, and single-handedly turns the tide of the war.

King Essengal of Caledorn receives a vision from Archons revealing that Cambruin has been blessed by the All-Father himself, and is his chosen champion among Men.

Essengal steps down from his throne, anointing Cambruin the king of Caledorn. Cambruin pledges to marry Essengal's daughter Esenmay, but not until he has restored peace to the Ten Kingdoms.

1061 - 1064: The Rise of Cambruin

Cambruin preaches a new social order, a Code based upon five virtues, designed to ensure justice and well being for all Men. Knights and Champions from all over the 10 Kingdoms flock to his banner, and Cambruin adopts the Golden Lion, ancient emblem of Ethyria, as his standard. Cambruin declares that the realms of Men must be united once more, and commands the other nine kings to swear fealty to him. The remnants of Escalandor and Ghand pledge fealty to Cambruin, but the rest defy his will. The War of Seven Crowns begins.

Year 1064

While campaigning in the kingdom of Melvaunt, Cambruin winters at Brackenford Castle, where he falls in love with Bronwyn, daughter of Lord Edmar.

Cambruin marries Bronwyn in haste, much to the offense of the former royal line of Caledorn. Esenmay joins the Holy Sisterhood in grief, but Eric son of Essengal remains loyal to Cambruin, becoming one of his Champions.

Year 1065

A young warrior, Caeric Blackhammer, defeats fifty Knights in single combat while on a quest, hoping to prove himself worthy of serving Cambruin.

When Cambruin finally meets the smith's son, he promptly Knights him and names him one of the Champions.

Year 1066

Cambruin defeats the armies of the six "upstart kings" at the battle of St. Wend's Hill, eliminating the last opposition to his rule.

Legends of Cambruin's might and virtue spread all over the World, and he is crowned High King in the City of Mellissar.

Cambruin reunites the Ten Kingdoms, creating the High Kingdom.

1066 - 1076: The Golden Age of the High Kingdom

For one brief span of time, the lands of Men stand united, and at peace. Cambruin and his Champions seem invincible, fending off any invasion. Hostilities still smolder along the ancient Elvish border, and Cambruin chafes at the notion that some of the lands of the 10 Kingdoms are now claimed by Valdimanthor as a buffer between the Hidden Courts and the High Kingdom.

Year 1068

Fjolvar Fireaxe, a mighty Thane among the Northmen, leads a mighty host of Northmen south to attack the High Kingdom, believing that the War of Seven Crowns has left Cambruin's realm weakened and drained.

Cambruin and his Champions are more than a match for the fury of the Northmen, and drive back the invasion at the Battle of Clement.

Sir Eric wins great fame at the Battle of Clement, slaying Fjolvar in single combat. Eric earns the epithet "Eric the Drake" for his prowess and ferocity.

Year 1076

At the urgings of his most trusted advisors, Cambruin treats with Valdimanthor, and tries to negotiate the return of the occupied portions of Escalndor and Ghand to Human control. Valdimanthor's response is insulting in the extreme.

Cambruin invades the former lands of Escalandor and Ghand to take back lands that are rightfully his.

Valdimanthor, who has been steadily mobilizing for the last two decades, unleashes an overwhelming onslaught of Elves and Minotaurs against their ancient enemies.

Years 1076 - 1099 The End of the War of Tears

The War of Tears resumes with a vengeance, and for the first time Cambruin is not invincible in battle. Defeat follows upon defeat, and all looks dark for the High Kingdom. However, Cambruin and Caeric Blackhammer eventually turn the tide, and the Humans achieve near total victory, destroying the Deathless Empire of the Elves. Anti-Elvish sentiment takes deep root among the men of the High Kingdom, and the seeds of future calamities are sown.

Year 1078

The Holy Church sides with Cambruin, and calls the Crusaders to the High King's aid.

The ancient Order of Rangers refuse to join the battle, and are universally persecuted in the High Kingdom. They flee to the marshes of the South.

Year 1081

As all hope of victory fades, Cambruin winters in Mellisar, where at the midwinter's feast he and his Champions see a vision of Shadowbane, the Sword of Destiny.

Caeric Blackhammer and eight other Knights embark upon the Quest for the Sword.

Year 1083

Caeric Blackhammer enters the lands of the Dead, and is blessed by one of the Archons, becoming the First Paladin.

Caeric finds Shadowbane, and defeats Ithriana the Lich Queen.

Cambruin launches a daring offensive against the Elves, but is defeated and quickly put to flight. Trapped at the city of Rennelind, Cambruin prepares to make his final stand, when Caeric returns and throws Shadowbane to the king in the thick of battle. Cambruin slays Valdimanthor, and the tide of the war turns forever.

Year 1084

Cambruin and his Champions retake all the lands of Ghand and Escalandor that had been lost in the first part of the War of Tears.

Cambruin launches an invasion of the Hidden Kingdom to destroy Elvish power once and for all. The Centaurs leave the Grand Alliance, distancing themselves from the conflict as much as possible.

Year 1085

The Church withdraws its support from Cambruin, for the Patriarch fears that the High King could eclipse him as the All-Father's representative on Aerynth.

One Crusader, a seasoned veteran named Malorn the Just, leaves the Holy Church's service and pledges his sword to Cambruin, becoming a Champion.

Year 1090

Cambruin takes and sacks the city of Forgalliost, the capital of the Hidden Kingdom. The great library of Aerynth is burned, and much ancient knowledge is lost.

Year 1091

The Knights of the Sash, a semi-religious faction of Knights who strive to follow Caeric the Paladin's example, now number several hundred, and many of Cambruin's more cynical Knights fear that Cambruin's religious devotion might deprive them of glory and plunder.

Cambruin grants the Knights of the Sash many favors, feeding the envy of more worldly Knights and Champions.

Year 1093

One of Cambruin's armies, led by Sir Malorn, conquers the ancient Elvish city of Cair Haldoran. Malorn discovers many ancient documents in the libraries of the ancient cathedral there.

Year 1094

Spurred on by gossip and rumors, Sir Gerriant the Old, first of the Champions, accuses Queen Bronwyn of having seduced Cambruin through the use of black magic, and declares her a traitor to the realm.

Strife rocks Cambruin's court, and Sir Mardiock finally stands as judge in the trial that follows. The Queen is finally declared innocent, and the entire incident is discovered to be the work of the Lady Essenmay, plotting in secret. Essenmay is executed for High Treason.

Sir Eric the Drake mourns the loss of his sister, and formally renounces his family line, claiming loyalty to Cambruin alone.

Year 1097

The Council of Furies goads the Amazons into leaving their hidden realm and invading the lands to the North. Prophecies warning of the end of the World worry the warrior women, who invade the High Kingdom and seize several large domains there.

Year 1099

Kierhaven, last stronghold of the Elves, falls after a long siege.

Caeric falls during the fighting, but whether to Elves or his fellow Knights remains unclear.

After the battle, Cambruin is betrayed by on of his own Champions, who stabs him in the back with Shadowbane. The High King is pinned to the World Tree by the great blade, and the tree turns to stone. In that moment, the tree turns to stone, the skies darken and the World splits into fragments.

The Turning begins, and the Age of Kings ends forever.

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