Timeline of the Old World

This timeline covers major events in the Old World's past, with more coming as the historical archives grow.

-977 
First settlement of Khaerum. Elves sent into exile after the war between elves and humans take up residence in the cold, dark region, but settlement isn't easy in the cold land.

~1000

The Great Sea starts to grow increasingly affected by magic. Ships using previously certain navigation methods to travel between continents start disappearing mysteriously.

1023

The last ship from the North lands on South soil. No more ships arrive, and sailors refuse to leave north. Soon, port authorities get involved as people from the North are stuck in their ports, and finally travelling between the continent becomes banned by law.

1102-1178

Chandeum claims its first territories, almost immediately being recognised as a threat to every other country in the region.  A 76 years long war begins, where Chandeum fights a war of attrition against several smaller nations. Chandeum is eventually victorious, crushing these nations under its sandal-clad feet.

1130-1967

Constant border squabbles, skirmishes and a few all-out wars are fought out in the plains between the Dimberg mountains and the Grey Marshes, today called the Adrilan basin. Minor countries rise up and fall, and survival of the fittest is the only rule.

1402

A ship arrives from the New World, landing on the White Coast. Its crew is treated with suspicion, but manage to found a town with significantly higher standards than what is common for the age. Their technology never becomes widespread, however.

1504-1558

From the southern, uninhabited regions of the Old World, a terrible cold spreads. Several smaller countries crumble under the ice and snow; bigger countries, as well as smaller nations in the north, survive. Chandeum survives the crisis by evacuating the southern regions. The Grey Marshes freeze over, for once providing its inhabitants with solid ground to walk on, but they too have to travel north to survive. The Dimberg barbarians invade Chandeum to escape the glaciers covering their mountains, and succeed in gaining a strong foothold in the eastern regions.  Even Elthern's citizens see snowfall, a very unusual event in its mediterranean climate.

1654-1697

Rule of Valdanus the Conqueror. The Dimberg barbarians are pushed out of Chandeum after 150 years of pillaging and marauding; Chandeum responds by not only conquering the Dimberg itself, but also pushing past it and claiming today's Fargate and Whitemeadow provinces. The White Coast is also conquered, and large portions of land south of Chandeum are made hospitable by raising more focus points there.

1674

The Charge. Combined Rhino Tribe and centaur forces decimate a Chandeum army approaching Rhino Rock. The Rhino Tribesmen's charge smashes into the Chandeum lines like unstoppable juggernauts, trampling and flinging soldiers every direction. The Chandeum army, despite its discipline, quickly loses morale against the nigh-invulnerable rhinos, and retreats back towards Elthern. The centaur harass the Chandii all along the way, engaging in hit-and-run tactics against weaker parts of the retreating forces, and only one fifth of the army returns to Elthern. Chandeum leaves Rhino Rock alone for the future. The Rhino Tribes collect up wargear from the fallen Chandeum soldiers and reforge it into armour for their rhinos.

1697

Chandeum's Council elects its first Empress; Neldinia of Elthern.  The Empress only reigns for six years before she is assassinated; this is generally considered the beginning of Chandeum's fall.

1703-1743

Chandeum weakens and tears itself apart from within. The northern regions gradually break free from Chandeum rule, and the south regions' focus points wither away. Those on the frontier are forced to retreat. The eastern regions come under heavy barbarian assault once again.

1712

Elthern declares itself independant of Chandeum rule. Despite Chandeum's state, the Emperor declares war on the city, ordering a large force north to besiege it. Elthern, however, endures the siege. By having slaves dig vast tunnel networks underneath the Chandeum camp, then collapsing them with magic, they devastate the Chandeum army and make it impossible for siege weaponry to get close enough to the city walls to damage anything within. Their own catapults and archers, however, inflict heavy damage on the Chandeum forces. After six months the Chandeum army retreats, not having killed a single Elthern soldier.

1719

The one and only documented mention of the Mendis Empire in the entirety of Kayrean history. It simply states that the due to the disturbance of a "dormant monstrosity", the Mendis Empire swiftly met its end with the wrath of this bloodlusting beast. Due to the lack of evidence towards the fact of any such Empire or beast even existing, it was dismissed as a lost folktale.

1720

The White Coast breaks away from Chandeum rule, its inhabitants continuing their habit of harassing Chandeum supply lines. Using the islands off the coast as hideouts, those opposing Chandeum successfully manage to cripple Chandeum ships and troops enough to make Chandeum retreat from the region. Meanwhile, riots and public outcry in Chandeum's center regions cause the Emperor to recall troops from outlying areas.

1743-1750

A particularly severe winter comes upon Chandeum once again, keeping the rivers and lakes in the southern regions frozen for eight years. The Dimberg peninsula becomes impossible to traverse as snow fills the mountain passes, and the Chandeum troops in today's Adrila are cut off from their allies. The barbarians, in response to their defeat to Valdanus, invades Chandeum once again, this time fighting an empire on the decline. Their attack shatters any remaining Chandeum foothold in the eastern region, and all villages and cities are forced to fend for themselves against the vengeful wildmen. The Emperor is killed by an assassin, furthering the chaos reigning in Chandeum.

1747

The hardest winter yet comes upon the Old World. The cold is harsh enough to send even the wild Bear Tribe packing north, abandoning the deep woods that have been their homes for centuries. Many people seek refuge in the Whispered Plains, the Federation and on the White Coast.

1750

Chandeum falls at last. Its citizens, starved and freezing in the winter cold, refuse to pay their taxes. Without the money needed to maintain the army, many, many soldiers desert before they can be given orders to crack down on the civilians.  As soldiers deserted and returned to their home villages, the need for food grew even more dire, and starvation and sickness spread throughout the land. With the Emperor's death from this same disease, Chandeum's last hope of staying united is gone.

1751-1761

Ivellea rises from Chandeum's ashes, as the terrible winter that plagued the lands for years ends. The aspiring nation quickly expands and asserts control over several of Chandeum's old territories, and establishing a safer and less ambitious rule.

1753

The snow and ice in the south Adrilan basin finally begins unthawing after the fell winter. The Grey Marshes, with most of the swamp life eradicated by the cold, becomes hospitable, and people escaping the once again clashing armies in the Adrilan basin take up a primitive life there.

1789

Fort Rockden is founded, creating an early power in south Adrila. They clash with the Bear Tribes, who once again have taken up residence in the south, but quickly establishes a firm border when bear cavalry completely thrashes their lines in the battle at Alton's Ledge. The Bear Tribes and the men of Fort Rockden form a mutual distrust.

1804-1806

The Whispered Plains, a lush paradise known for its beautiful natural landscape, starts to deteriorate and become barren for unknown reasons. After 2 years, a massive construct arose from the barren ground like an artificial plant germinating from its seed. Areas around the Whispered Plains were taken over by an unknown force that originates within the construct. Since the territories that were taken over were, for the most part, undisputed and neutral, the odd occurrence was overlooked by existing powers at the time. Rumors spread around of the newly birthed "Xillidi Empire".

1812

Elthern's slave trade, at its peak, suffers from an organised slave rebellion that causes chaos in the city. Ivellea catches the opportunity to attack the city-state, supplying the slaves with arms, and Elthern is almost conquered by Ivellea, only its inner ring holding against the two-fronted attack. The city's magistrate, however, manages to negotiate a deal with the Ivellean general, giving Elthern its freedom, paid with the slaves in the city. Ivellea's organised soldiers quickly overwhelm the slaves, and bring them to Ivellea.

1818

First attempted communication of the Xillidi Empress with Ivellean authorities. Lack of comprehension of the ancient language used by Xillidi caused all communication attempts to fail. The Empire became more reclused following this, though some debate that they took this time to acquaint themselves with the common traditions present in the Old World.

1830

Windbridge stands completed, after twenty years of hard toil by those residing near the river, guided by a master builder from Oldgate. The bridge becomes a large trade hub in the southern Adrilan basin, connecting to Highton, Fort Rockden and to the Ivellean city Calathern, and manages to maintain peaceful relations. The city is notably difficult to conquer, with the city itself being in the bridge's central pillar, and its stonework strong enough to withstand heavy siege.

1849-1869

Ivellean forces attempt to secure territory under control of the mysterious Xillidi Empire. What was to follow were countless battles on the borders of Ivellean and Xillidan controlled territories. The strange and overwhelming tactics of the Xillidi forces caused Ivellea to utilize defensive tactics. Result was a bloody stalemate between the two powers. This would come to be known as the 20 Year Impasse.

1864

White Coast raiders begin pillaging the entire northern coastline, becoming experts at besieging fortresses from the sea. Their more advanced weaponry grants them strong advantages against the more regularly armed and armoured soldiers who man the seaside fortresses, even giving them firepower capable of keeping airborne Xillid away from their ships. They remain a menace for the next centuries.

1869

The Xillidi Empress stepped down from control over the armies and went into hiding for unknown reasons. When control of the armies and empire was bestowed to the aristocracy, officials called for a ceasefire and eventual forfeit to the conflict. Both sides ended up with little gain from the 20 year stalemate, save the mutual respect for each other's fighting strength. The Xillidi Empire would then re-focus its efforts into opening up trade and political relations with other countries, as well as expanding their influence to unenlisted sub-races.

1899-1906

The Black Years. The darkest time to all humans in the Old World; most kingdoms were decimated, and the three that survived were Ivellea, thanks to its size and structure; Elthern, thanks to its ability to isolate itself; Fort Rockden, thanks to its southern position. A plague spread across the human lands, bringing disease and insanity with it. Those afflicted with it rapidly lost their health, until they were mere husks of their former selves. At this point, it would be possible to see all manner of disease-ridden parasites under the skin of the host. When the host had been drained empty, the parasites, in the forms of small insects and worms, would find new hosts. If an afflicted host was not put down before it came to that, it would spread rapidly, able to destroy villages in a matter of days and cities in only a month.

1902

The now famous Ameran of Elthern creates a poison capable of killing the parasites within a host without being fatal to the host. He begins a journey along with his assistant where he travels the entirety of the Old World. Both he and his assistant are afflicted several times, but his poison manages to prevent them from dying. After four years of travelling, he has managed to prevent the staggering amount of death that would have come without his discovery.

1906

Human societies begin to rebuild after the Black Years. Villages that fell to the plague are burnt to the ground, and cities begin the long and hard work of getting rid of their dead. It takes them several years to recover to a state even close to where it was before, and wars between minor countries begin long before rebuilding is done.

1912

Ameran of Elthern, as well as his assistant, dies after long periods of pain. Where the poison he created only was distributed in small doses to those he aided, they had to take far larger amounts to keep themselves alive, and it damaged their flesh. Nevertheless, Ameran's selfless dedication to his cause inspired many people to become physicians, and his name is held in high regard even today.

1930-1950

The people of the Adrilan basin grow numerous enough to properly populate the region again. Barbarians moving east from the Dimberg peninsula intermingle with those already living there, and the people west in the basin grow into a strong culture who value honor and freedom, but also loyalty and respect. Those in the eastern part of the basin continue their old ways of fighting amongst each other, but influence from the western regions spreads in time.

1957-1979

The blacksmith Arrendal Woodsworth incites a rebellion in the small kingdom Adrila, throwing down the greedy king and taking the crown himself. He then leads a great conquest of the entire Adrilan basin, conquering minor kingdoms one after another. He also leads his armies north along the Allin river, bolstering the defences of the coastal city Allinsmouth, and defeating a pirate band notorious for long harrying Adrilan wares sent by boat.

1974

A ship from the New World comes under attack from raiders from the White Coast. The ship's shape, however, manages to confuse the raiders, and they eventually retreat, not finding a way to get onto the large metal construction. It later anchors just off the White Coast, and the "floating fortress" gains a lot of attention across the Old World.

1975-Present day

Ships from the New World arrive occasionally, giving small views of the different culture to the citizens of the Old World. They gain much curiosity, but people are (rightfully) doubtful of the new technology employed by the New Worlders.

1977

Rebels assault Adrila Castle. Queen Milena falls; the rest of the royal family survives, and the rebels are denied supplies by the people of Adrila.

1987

Outbreak of the Ivellean Civil War. Damthern itself falls under siege by rebel forces, but holds firm, relieved by mounted reinforcements.