by Gerrin

76 AD

The Sundar plotted to flee the Nordar because they had become frustrated with the piracy and corrupted nature of the government. Tib Battleheart led the Sundar as they secretly fled from the isles to the mainland. Upon arriving on the mainland they began to construct Sundarton on the cliffs for protection against a possible Nordar attack.

76-80AD – The War of the Reefs

The Sundar and the Nordar began to raid each other’s settlements because they believed that each other was at fault for the split. The Nordar also believed that because of the Sundar’s departure they lost the war against the Sea Elves and the Sundar believe that they were entitled to the resources of the Nordar.

The war was primarily raids on each others colonies along the Shattered Sea and the mainland coast. The Nordar in 78 AD landed an army near Sundarton and attempted to destroy the Sundar capital city. The Sundar met the Nordar in the Valley of the Eagle and fought one of the largest battles in the war. The Sundar leader Tib Battleheart was killed as was the Nordar General Yilan Copperforge. The Sundar routed the Nordar forces and burned their ships on the beach with a daring raid led by Tib’s son Uloc Battleheart.

In 80 AD the Sundar commenced the last major battle in the War of the Reefs as they conducted a raid on Mt. Anneghis. This attack eliminated any chance of the two clans reuniting and forced the Nordar to sign a peace treaty and recognized that the Sundar were a free an independent nation.

81-131 AD – Growth of a Nation

The Sundar continued to grow under the leadership of Uloc Battleheart. Colonies quickly grew from small villages into large towns and the Sundar Nation expanded its borders as new colonies were built. The navy of the Sundar was its pride and joy as it held back Nordar pirates and protected merchant ships in the voyages to the Midlands. This was a time of prosperity and relative peace for the Sundar.

132-135 AD – Plague of the Black

A mysterious plague struck the Sundar dwarves all around the coastline of their empire. Victims of the plague developed a black rash on their body that caused oozing and bleeding. The victims tended to die within four days of showing first symptoms. All known remedies failed and the Sundar began to seek the cause of the plague.

The Sundar believe that the plague was a punishment from the dragon turtle that gave them the courage to take to the seas. A group of dwarven adventurers traveled out into the sea searching the dragon to speak to it to see if it would remove the curse. They locate the dragon and learn from it that the cause of the plague was not her. She tells them of her enemy a black dragon named Telniva who has sent the plague to punish her. The dragon turtle promised the Sundar that if they can kill the black dragon she will no longer attack their ships.

The dwarves search out the black dragon Telniva and located it in the caves of the White Mountain. There they discovered the cause of the illness, a black soot that the dragon produced that drifted into their cities. The dwarves attacked the dragon and managed to kill it but the losses were grievous as the Sundar lose nearly their entire Crimson Guard and leader Uloc Battleheart. Uloc’s son Pick Battleheart succeeded his father as Chief General of the Sundar.

136-210 AD – Golden Age of the Sunday

The Sundar nation grows and begins to create new trade routes throughout the western side of Adlatum. This was a time of relative peace and prosperity for the citizens of Sundar. Contact with the Hartdar dwarves was made and they refused the Hartdar request of joining into a new Hammervald Empire.

211-253 AD – The Wyvern War

The Sundar dwarves were attacked by goblin clans of the Wyvern. These clans were famed for their mounts that they rode into battle. The majority of the war was a standstill as neither side could as the dwarves developed ballista that could accurately shoot targets in the air. The dwarves were unable to attack goblin strongholds in the mountains because the terrain was to steep to haul ballista and goblins were unable to raid dwarven settlements for the fear of the ballista.

The Hartdar dwarves and the Sundar dwarves sign a mutual defense alliance and trading rights pact in 236 AD. The Sundar would grant the Hartdar mining rights in the mountains near their cities in exchange for the opportunity to sell their goods in the Hartdar markets. Also they signed a mutual defense agreement agreeing to be wary of the minotaur and Nordar.

The Sundar would call upon the Hartdar, during the Wyvern War, when the goblins in 247 AD pushed close to the mines of Tolon, a Sundarian city and threateedn to isolate the city from the rest of the nation. The Hartdar arrived and use their famed Ice Legion to turn the tide. The combined forces force the goblins to flee deep into the mountains and the Wyvern War ends with a Sundar victory.

253-349 AD – Rebuilding and Growth of a Nation

The Sundar would spend many years following the Wyvern War reconstructing their cities. They would reconstruct the defenses of several of their cities with the idea of a possible goblin attack. The Sundar would try to negotiate a trade agreement with Brigg Giantbattler in the hope of creating a new market for their goods. The talks ended badly when the Sundar ambassador, Tol Steelforge was found dead in his quarters and the Sundar suspected the Nordar.

The Sundar nation also grew during this time, moving into the areas around the former goblin fortresses. The dwarves would reconstruct several of these fortresses and used them for mining outposts. The Hartdar and Sundar would live in these former fortresses and work the mines together.

350-383 AD – The Return of the Gods

The true gods returned and true clerics returned to the Sundar. It was during this time that the Sundar learned of the Dragon Overlords from their clerics. A young copper dragon disguises himself as a cleric of Reorx and alerted them to the nature of the Overlords and the threat they pose.

The Sundar keep the knowledge of the Overlords a secret as they tried to convince the other nations of the true gods. Sundar clerics traveled throughout Aldatum spreading the word of the return of the gods. Most nations ignored their messages and warnings of a terrible danger ahead.

383-384 AD – Days of Darkness

The Sundar received a terrible message from their Hartdar allies of a war growing in the midlands against a foe that sent horrible creatures against the people. The Hartdar tell the Sundar of one man who was standing up to the forces of Chaos and they were joining him and asked for them to come to help save the lands from the danger. Helm Battleheart, Pick’s grandson, agreed to travel with his Crimson Guard and two full legions to battle the danger. He left his son Belaek in charge of the remaining forces of Sundar and traveled to the Midlands to stand side by side with the Hartdar. Helm was slain in the battle fighting against fire dragons and of the 10000 dwarves of the legion only 1000 of them returned home following the Days of Darkness. Survivors claim tales of empty armor and life draining creatures, several dwarves also suffer memory problems as they were unable to remember mothers or fathers, wives and husbands.

The realm of Sundar wasn’t safe during the Days of Darkness as it was attacked by giant crabmen. Belaek Battleheart led the defense of the coastline and evacuated many of the dwarves into the ancient goblin strongholds. The dwarves defeated the crabmen but the cost was high also as many of their port towns and cities were badly damaged or destroyed.

385 AD – The Sending

The Sundar sent a legion of dwarves to assist Montegron in his protection of the Midlands. Also during this time the Nordar sensed that the Sundar were weak, attempted to renew raiding along the coast but were turned back by the small Sundar navy.

386-427 AD – Current Affairs

For many years the Sundar worked with the Midland nations but began to realize that Montegron was an evil man. The dwarves have withdrawn out of the Midlands but continue to trade with them. The Hartdar dwarves would send much help to the Sundar and help rebuild many of the cities and mines that were damaged during the Chaos War.

With the return of the gods, the clerics have reappeared again in the Sundar nation as the gods were welcomed back with open arms. The times were prosperous for the Sundar as the majority of their ports have been rebuilt and their navy was built up protecting their shores.

The current leader of the Sundar is Belaek Battleheart, a courageous dwarf fighter who has stood up to the demands of Montegron. The Sundar still work with the Hartdar and their pact still stands. Most of the Sundar have returned to the coasts but a minority of the dwarves has remained in the ancient goblin fortresses preparing them to be used again in the defense of the country.

by Gerrin

4 PD

The Hartdar dwarves removed much of the military forces from the Hammervald Empire to use against the minotaurs during the Canon War. They believed that one last battle would break the Minotaur Empire and exhausted their resources. The Hartdar High Warden Tildon Copperforge left Hollowvasser to lead the troops on the front line and instructs his son Ren Copperforge to travel with the Ice Legion.

This act left no ruling force in the city but Tildon decided to create the position of Lord Protector to rule in his stead until he could return. He chose General Alon Fateender to become the Lord Protector and left him one legion to command. Fateender ruled from the Warden’s Palace with the authority of the High Warden and waited for his leader to return.

4-1 PD – The Waiting

The dwarves waited for news of a final victory but what they learned was that both sides were still preparing for the coming battle. Times were good for the dwarves living the Hammervald Empire as production demands were high. Lord Protector Fateender has an easy time ruling the empire as many dwarves were happy with his relaxed laws.

1-9 AD – The Drowning and Aftermath

The dwarves of Hollowvasser barely survive the drowning and were shocked to see the destruction caused to their network system linking other cities to the capital. The Lord Protector sent out search parties to learn what happened and to make contact with the rest of the empire. When they returned they brought grim news of the entire Hammervald Empire being destroyed and all that was left was the island they lived on.

Fateender told the dwarves that there were still Hartdar dwarves alive in the world and that they would be seeking them shortly. After the initial shock of the drowning wore off, hope begins as many dwarves heed Fateender’s words and believed that they would be rescued. The months turn into years as no help came from the outside and hope turned to anger.

The dwarves of Hollowvasser began to call themselves Nordar to represent their current status. They forsook their citizenship status as Hartdar dwarves and began to demand that Fateender do something to end their suffering. A struggle for power broke out and Fateender was killed when the Warden’s Palace burned to the ground.

9-39 AD – The Struggle for Survival

The dwarves began to struggle too survive living in there underground city. Many dwarves perished during this time since there was no Lord Protector to ration out the supplies. Factions developed in the clans and began to act in their own interests to ensure their survival.

In 27 AD Tib Battleheart organized the various leaders of the city into a council to vote on issues. Many of the dwarves heed his call and order resumed in the city. Most dwarves know that a way off the island will be needed to ensure the Nordar’s survival.

39-76 AD – Gift of a Goddess

A Dragon turtle offers the Nordar Council a chance to escape the island. The turtle will remove the fear of the sea if the dwarves will begin to worship the dragon’s mistress, Zebiom. The dwarves agreed and began to build ships to travel to the mainland parts of Adlatum.

They found the continent much changed and that many of the human nations of the Midlands refused to trade with them based on credit. The dwarves turned to piracy to find things that they needed. The Nordar Council agreed with the idea and issued a proclamation promoting the idea of taking what they need to ensure survival.

In 56 AD the dwarves began to travel the various islands around them looking for other survivors or possible areas to settle. They located several survivors and relocated them into Hollowvasser. The Nordar also located another city of Ironvasser surviving on a nearby island. This island had a small population and welcomed the arrival of the Nordar.

Also in 56 AD the dwarves made contact with the human nation of Teusten. The two nations went to war and the dwarves were forced to give up many of their islands due to the fact that they do not have an army or navy large enough to secure them. The Nordar carried a grudge from the war and vowed vengeance someday against the Teusten.

In the late 60’s many dwarves begin to feel that piracy was wrong and began to voice their complaints against the practice. Among these dwarves was Tib Battleheart who took the issue to the council where it was debated. The Council then voted on the issue and the final vote outlawed piracy. The Nordar dwarves ignored the final vote calling those who voted for it soft and forgetful of the old ways; among those who were the chief supporter of piracy was Yilan Copperforge, a distant relative to the former Tildon Copperforge High Warden.

In 75-76 AD, Battleheart secretly shipped dwarves out of Hollowvasser and had them settle on the mainland coast. He was betrayed by a young ship captain hoping to win the support of Copperforge. Battleheart and the remainder of his supporters fled to the mainland coast and began to construct the city of Sundarin in the cliffs for protection.

76-80 AD – The War of the Reefs

The Sundar and the Nordar began to raid each other’s settlements because they believed that each other was at fault for the split. The Nordar also believed that because of the Sundar’s departure they lost the war against the Sea Elves and the Sundar believed that they were entitled to the resources of the Nordar.

The war was primarily raids on each others colonies along the Shattered Sea and the mainland coast. The Nordar in 78 AD landed an army near Sundarton and attempted to destroy the Sundar capital city. The Sundar met the Nordar in the Valley of the Eagle and fought one of the largest battles in the war. The Sundar leader Tib Battleheart was killed as was the Nordar General Yilan Copperforge. The Sundar routed the Nordar forces and burned their ships on the beach with a daring raid led by Tib’s son Uloc Battleheart.

In 80 AD the Sundar commenced the last major battle in the War of the Reefs as they conducted a raid on Mt. Anneghis. This attack eliminated any chance of the two clans reuniting and forced the Nordar to sign a peace treaty and recognized that the Sundar were a free an independent nation.

80-277 AD – Age of Warlords

With the death of many of the major leaders of the Nordar during the War of the Reefs, many minor nobles began to fight for the title of Lord Protector. These dwarves were unable to ever hold the title for long and dividde the city of Hollowvasser into many territories.

The council of Nordar continued to meet attempting to stop the war but to no avail. The warlords continued to fight and destroyed large portions of the city. Even when a Hartdar delegation arrived in 146 AD the dwarves took little notice to their cousins. They believed that the Hartdar had come back to claim dominance over them and the council ordered the Hartdar to leave claiming that Hollowvasser was an independent nation on the Iron Islands.

277-385 AD – Creation of the Ironvald Empire

A small element of Hartdar dwarves began to speak of the riches of Hollowvasser and its sister cities. The cause slowly gained support over the years as the Hartdar mines began to decline and many dwarves were forced out of work because of a lack of materials. This caused many dwarves to believe that the riches and wealth of the former Hammervald Empire still lay in the city and that they were controlled by unworthy dwarves.

The dwarves formed a small army that convinced Sundar merchants of their crusade to reclaim past riches. As they waited to board ships many Sundar dwarves joined them to travel to Hollowvasser to reclaim the lost wealth. They journeyed to the former dwarven capital and prepared to take what they wanted. The crusaders were led by Brigg Giantbattler a cruel and jealous dwarf who desired a kingdom of his own.

As they arrived on the island that held the city, they were met by a force of Nordar dwarves and defeated them in battle. Once in the city they discovered the horrors of continual war had created on the Nordar. The city once the jewel of the Hammervald Empire had been for the most part laid to waste as various warlords tried to seize the title of Lord Protector.

Many of the dwarves grew angry when they learned that there was no fabulous riches in the city or in any of its mines and decided to create their own empire to make themselves rich. They enslaved many of the rival clans in the city and created a military government and declared Giantbattler as Lord Protector of the Nordar.

Giantbattler created many changes in the Ironvald capital, Hollowvasser. He first ended the continually fighting there and began to rebuild many parts of the city. The dwarves also began to delve an underwater route to Ironvasser.

Also the Nordar began to battle the sea elves for control of certain areas of the sea, the battles were light and there was never an actual war declare. The dwarves ended the attacks after they were driven back several times in 289 AD. They declare an uneasy truce and secretly vowed that the sea elves would pay for the acts of violence.

For the most of his reign Giantbattler sought to enlarge the empire but was unable to and defeated at every attempt to do so. He does manage to create several new mines and began to trade some with the Midland nations. Even so most dwarves living in Nordar survived on piracy and continued to harass merchant ships around Adlatum.

The forces of Chaos had some impact upon the dwarves living in the Ironvald Empire. The crabmen that would harass the Sundar also attacked the Nordar but not in as great of numbers. The Nordar managed to kill them without suffering many casualties.

In 385 AD, the Nordar learned of the destruction caused by the forces of Chaos in Sundar and planned to overrun their cousins in revenge for the War of the Reefs. A large force sailed from Hollowvasser and met a much smaller Sundarin navy. The Nordar made a temporary alliance with Teusten in the hope that the two nations would destroy and sack the Sundar cities.

The Sundarin navy met the combined forces of the Teusten and the Nordar near the Sundar city of Portswind. The Sundar used fireships to turn back the Nordar and Teusten. Upon hearing the news of his navy’s defeat, Giantbattler suffers a stroke and died a few months later.

385-421 AD – Current Happenings

Brigg Giantbattler was succeeded as Lord Protecter by his son Argent Giantbattler. Argent slowly began to rebuild the Nordar forces and was currently seeking to expand his empire the northern islands by forcing the Teusten off of them. He has created the idea that the humans have invaded the ancestral lands of the dwarves and that they must be driven off.

by Gerrin

814 PD – The Cave in and Creation of the Neskudar

In 814 PD a tragic event occurred at the path as 500 members of the Earthslasher clan were digging into a new area of the path. Unknown to them they stumbled into a chamber of Chaos containing sleeping forms. Before they entered they summoned a Stonebellow prophet and group of 20 acolytes to document the event. The miners and the priests entered the mine and expected to find the secret of the Path.

After the miners and priests entered the cavern an earthquake struck and collapsed several miles of tunnels that reached the miners. Inside the miners and priests faced unspeakable horrors as the forces of Chaos awoke and battled the dwarves. Although the Chaos force was small they deal massive causalities.

Shadow wights of Chaos attacked the priests first and wiped their existence from people’s memory. The miners retreated into a small opening and attempted to hold off the Chaos force. After a month of fighting the last of the forces of Chaos were defeated but the cost was high to the dwarves. Nearly 400 members of the Earthslasher clan had disappeared from the touch of the wights. Only 34 miners were rescued even though they found the gear for hundreds more and mysterious prophet and acolytes robes.

The miners who were rescued had been physically changed by the ordeal. Their skin has gone pale and they were deathly afraid of going underground again. The miner’s leader Ton Blacklight met with the Adlar High Prophet Hind Stonebellow and told him what he knew of the creatures they face. Hind recorded the conversations but kept it a secret from the other prophets knowing that such stories were dangerous. He then decided that it would be best to eliminate the Earthslasher clan as many of them were displaying the effects of memory problems.

Ton Blacklight met with the Earthslasher’s patriarch and convinced him of the story and explained why so many of the dwarves living on the Earthslasher mesa were suffering memory problems. A young acolyte, Micah Stoneplow, arrived and explained what Hind had ordered to happen that night.

That night the entire Earthslasher clan traveled in secret off of their mesa leaving nearly all of their possessions behind. They were able to elude the Adlar warriors as they prepared to attack the mesa. When the Adlar reported to Hind of the Earthslasher’s disappearance he placed a bounty on every Earthslasher’s head to help keep the secret.

Hind ordered that the city be sealed and that no dwarf should ever enter it. He renamed the Earthslasher mesa to the City of the Unbelievers. He then ordered the Adlar military to pursue and kill the Neskuda.

813-796 PD War between Neskuda and Adlar

The Adlar chased the Neskuda all over southern Adlatum in hopes of catching them. They cornered them finally in 796 PD and the Battle of Still Waters occurred as these two forces finally met. The Neskuda managed to rout the Adlar forces and followed the retreating Adlar forces back to Azoine.

795 PD Raid on Azoine

The Neskuda raided Azoine to steal items that they believe would prevent the unleashing of the monsters they fought. The Adlar were caught completely offguard as the army had just returned from reporting that the Neskuda were routed and would not be a threat. The Neskuda stole many items including the journal of Adlar Stonebellow, the Crown of Ral, and the Axe of Barth.

795-778 PD – The Wandering

The Neskuda began to travel Adlatum in search of a place to settle. The miners that were originally affected by the cave-in were slowly unknowingly transforming their clan into what they had become. As they wandered the dwarves began to travel by night as a number of the members of the clan had become sensitive to sunlight.

778-732 PD – Enslavement

The Neskuda were captured during the day by a large force of minotaurs. They were then forced to work in the mines as slaves. After forty years they escaped and fled to the swamps of Sodbottom. After they entered the swamps the dwarves used their earth magic to enhance the swamp’s mist to provide protection from the sun.

732-483 PD – Growth of the Three Cities

The Neskudar founded three cities in the swamps and named them Sodbottom, Wa-nax, and Awarthah. This was a time of slow growth and the dwarves that lived there were unknown to outsiders.

483-482 PD – War with the goblins

Small tribes of goblins attempted to move into the swamp, but were surprised to find a clan of dwarves already living there. They then attempted to force the dwarves out of the swamp but were driven out themselves.

482 PD-311 AD – The Neskudar Nation

The Neskudar did not grow much for several centuries and were content with just living in the swamps. They did explore, a little, outside of the swamp and this led them to believe that all outsiders sought to kill them for being different.

311-342 AD – The War of the Pretender

The Neskudar discovered an ancient relic that had been lost during the Minotaur enslavement, the Crown of Ral. The crown was discovered by the Neskudar General, Ros Earthstriker, who believed this was the key to obtaining the throne of the Neskudar. The Neskudar chieftain Bridge Earthslasher began a bloody civil war to obtain the crown from the General.

The dwarves of the Neskudar split into two factions and develop into a warlike society. The two sides then fought a bitter civil war, in which ended in an uneasy truce. A compromise was worked out by the two leaders in which Bridge would remain the figurehead of the empire while Ros would control the army and laws.

342-383 AD – Rebuilding of the Neskudar

Following the civil war the Neskudar rebuilt their cities. The Neskudar underwent a period of healing as both sides put aside their anger and worked for the betterment of their clan. The most notable event during this time was the death of Bridge Earthslasher who died in his sleep and Ros appointed Bridge’s son Duncan as the new chieftain.

383 AD – The Dream

Reorx appeared to the Neskudar and asked them to stop the Adlar from opening the door. They listened to Reorx and agreed to try to stop the Adlar. The Neskuda then marched from their homeland to the Adlar city of Azoine and prepared to destroy the Adlar to prevent the door from opening. The Neskudar though arrived too late for the Adlar had already opened the door and were being attacked by the forces of Chaos. When the Neskudar neared the Path they also were attacked by the forces. They then retreated back to Sodbottom Swamp but were followed by the forces of Chaos.

383-408 AD – The Assault by Chaos

The Neskudar battled with the forces of Chaos in their swamps for several years following the opening of the Path. They managed to destroy the forces in 408 AD, but the cost was high as all but one of their cities was destroyed. Many of the Neskudar had reached the breaking point from the stress caused by continual war and plotted to take revenge on the Adlar for their meddling in the affairs of gods.

408-421 AD – Current Affairs

The Neskudar planned on sending their remaining forces to Azoine to destroy the Adlar dwarves. They have planned on rebuilding their lost cities and believe that all outsiders are the enemy.

by Gerrin

2903 PD – Great Rending

The 12 clans of the Tandar broke apart because many dwarves begin to follow the teachings of Adlar Stonebellow. Followers of him began to adopt the name Adlar dwarves to separate themselves from the Tandar clans. Six clans the Bladeender, Marblemolder, Earthslasher, Stonebellow, Firesmith, and Hilldigger followed the teachings of Adlar and began to put pressure on the unbeliever’s clans. The unbelieving clans doubted that Reorx would demand them to dig a hole in the ground and spoke out against the Path.

Jarib Bladeender came to power after his father, Ber Bladeender a priest of Adlar, abdicated the throne to pursue living at the Path. Jarib was a devoted follower of the religion and revived the harsh laws of Tarc Marblemolder which tried to force all Tandar to practice Adlarism. Dwarves from the clans of Fateender, Giantbattler, Ogrecutter, Battleheart, Redquarrier, and Copperforge spoke out against the laws of Jarib and demanded that the laws be renounced.

Jarib became heavily influenced by his childhood friend, Ror Stonebellow, a descendant of Adlar Stonebellow. He dreamed of a mighty empire of the Adlar instead of the fractured nation of the Tandar. Ror began to tell Jarib that he would make a better Warden and that Jarib would be happier living a simple life. Jarib abdicated the throne claiming that Ror Stonebellow had a vision for the people to follow and the influence to carry it out.

Ror Stonebellow announced that all clans must convert to Adlarism and all the temples of other gods in Tanderton would be closed. The six unbeliever clans again spoke out against this and Ror gave them ultimatum to convert or leave. These clans renounced the name of Tandar because they were disgusted with who also shared the name and decided to leave heading north. As they headed north they saw the Adlar dwarves burn Tandarton to the ground.

2903-2253 PD – The Migration

The six clans traveled together north into the Midlands. They survived by trading and developed shrewd trading practices because of their limited supplies. People from the Midlands started calling the unnamed dwarves the Coin Dwarves which means Hartdar in dwarven.

The Hartdar began to build a small settlement in the Pullonas Mountains in 2612. They named the settlement Kedaltol and designed it to be a fortress. They located several small mine sites near Kedaltol in which they were able to mine for metals and gems. The Hartdar were then able to build other small settlements in this area and had a brisk trade.

In 2253 the dwarves had grown too large for their small nation in the Pullonas Mountains. The dwarves sought permission from the nations of the Midland to seek better lands in the western part of Adlatum. Dwarven explorers found excellent mining areas and most of the Hartdar traveled into the Nalos Mountains, named after dwarven explorer Nalos Copperforge.

2253-2087 PD – The Building of Hollowvasser and the Creation of Hammervald Empire

The dwarves delved deep into Anneghis creating the city of Hollowvasser. Each of the clans created a clan area in Hollowvasser but the clans did not build separate cities. The city was built inside a large natural cavern that contained access to several mines. The dwarves began to spread out from Hollowvasser like a wheel.

Many of the outpost settlements built in the Pullonas Mountains were abandoned and by 2087 only three were still inhabited by dwarves who refused to move. The outposts that remained were Kedaltol, Ilberdin, and Red Home, they remained because of their locations near iron ore sources that many dwarves felt that the closing of these mines would be a great mistake. All other outposts were torn down as the Second Great Migration occurred as the Hartdar moved in droves to the Nolas Mountains. There they built many great cities and expanded the Hammervald empire rapidly.

2087 PD – Midland-Hartdar Trade Agreement

The dwarves of Hammervald signed an exclusive rights agreement with the humans of the Midland nations and became the sole outside source of metal for these nations. This was a time of dwarven nation prosperity and growth.

2087-1841 PD – Building of trading networks

The Hammervald began to trade with many of the nations of Adlatum. Their weapons and armor were of the finest quality and nations often competed in prices to arm their soldiers with them. During this time the Hammervald Empire grew continually as new mountain and plain cities spread out from Hollowvasser. Historians made reference that the city, during this time, became a hub of six major dwarven cities.

1841-1738 PD – 100 Years War

The Hartdar delved deeper into the mountains and encounter a tribe of goblins living underground. The goblins were supported by a small colony of ogres that viewed the dwarf’s intrusion as war. Word quickly spread throughout the mountains to other tribes of the threat the dwarves posed to the goblin’s society in the Nalos Mountains.

The goblin tribes conducted several raids and attacks on dwarven outposts over the next few decades. The war grew to a larger scale when the Hammervald Empire discovered a large goblin city, Ridge, underneath the dwarven city of Copperton. Both cities were destroyed as the goblins tunneled up into the Copperton. The goblins created many tunnels and one of the tunnels ran along a fault line that caused an earthquake collapsing Copperton on top of the goblin city.

The goblins were then driven far to the north in the later part of the war and were left alone because they were outside of the Hammervald Empire. The goblins secretly began to construct lairs and passed down the stories of the war to inspire revenge in later years.

1738-1433 PD – Hammervald Empire Grows

The Hammervald Empire grew to cover most of the mountains and plains in the western part of Adlatum. They also controlled many of the markets of foreign cities and many of these cities paid a large tariff to the dwarves for services. This was a period of relative peace for the dwarves with only an occasional flair up with goblin tribes to the north.

1432 PD – Ogres Discovered near Tintleton

Dwarven miners discovered a brute ogre colony near their mining outpost of Tintleton. The region where the ogres were living was a cold and brutal area of the mountains, but the ogres posed a threat to the mining operations in the area. Stone Copperforge ordered the creation of the Ice Legion, a cold weather legion trained to fight in the mountains. This legion would become the pride and joy of the Hartdar Empire as it would become the most elite unit of the empire. Copperforge placed Aenor Giantbattler as the first Marshal of Ice and presented him a footman’s pick that was said to be touched by the hands of Reorx. This pick would be named the Pick of Aenor in remembrance of this brave leader after he was slain by a cowardly ogre in 1398.

The Ogre colony was attacked and destroyed by the Ice Legion in the winter of 1432 PD. Other colonies of the ogres were searched for but none were located in the area and the dwarves believed that this colony was an independent colony and did not have ties to the ogres that fought with the goblins in the 100 Years War.

1432-1203 PD – Period of Peace and Prosperity

The Hartdar continued to expand their underground nation as new deposits of metals and gems were found throughout the Nolas Mountains. The dwarves delved deep underground and discovered an ancient abandoned city belonging to the ogres. This city was then converted into a dwarven stronghold, Noogreton.

1203 PD – Night of Dreams

Reorx realized that the Adlar dwarves were close to unlocking the secret that Chaos had left behind. They had begun to search for a tool that would allow them to break through the final barrier that holds back the wonders behind the door. The only weapon known to be strong enough to destroy the door was the Pick of Aenor. He sent the Hartdar dwarves dreams of impending doom if the Pick of Aenor should be found by the Adlar dwarves.

Bellow Copperforge ordered that the dwarves were to hide the legendary weapon for fear that what he dreamed about will come true. He ordered 50 dwarven warriors to secretly exit out of Hollowvasser and pick up a leather bag. Inside the leather bag will be either a fake pick or the real one. All dwarves were then ordered to never return home and never speak of what they were doing.

The dwarven soldier, Duncan Redquarrier, carried the real pick and journeyed to a place that his grandfather spoke about the Ruins of Tandarton. Duncan knew that the Adlar dwarves had sworn an oath that they would never return to the city under punishment of death and decided that this former city would be a place to hide it. Redquarrier hid the pick in the catacombs beneath the old Council Hall in the tomb of General Telindus.

Duncan then prepared a riddle to send back to the Hartdar in case they would ever need the pick. As he traveled to Kedaltol to send the riddle back to Bellow Copperforge he was ambushed by a group of human bandits. The bandits killed the dwarf and the riddle was thought to be lost.

1202-101 PD – The Golden Age of the Hartdar

The Hartdar Empire was at the height of its power and wealth. Fabulous and legendary wealth was said to be in the dwarven cities as the dwarves perfected their craft and built armor considered by many to be magical even though it contained no magic. Dragonmetal armor was secretly constructed and given to the soldiers of the Ice Legion, its process and mines were guarded in secrets and few outsiders knew of its existence.

The Empire expanded throughout the western side of Adlatum with a dozen cities and hundreds of mines. This was an age of prosperity that the dwarves believed would never end. Even when they heard news of a coming war in the east, most dwarves believed that the war will have little impact upon their empire.

101 PD – Human nations ask for dwarven help

The human nations in Adlatum turned to the Hartdar dwarves for help against the Minotaur forces. Many human representatives traveled to Hollowvasser and gave stirring speeches against the brutality of the minotaurs and the death and destruction they were causing. The dwarves were moved by the human speeches and agreed to help the humans in the war. They entered the war as protectors and to secure their trading empire.

101-83 PD – Early Canon War

Dwarves and humans fought as one force against the Minotaur nation. The war was brutal as the dwarves were forced to commit more troops and weapons then were originally planned for. Hollowvasser became a massive weapon factory as the dwarves struggled to create new weapons to equip new legions to battle against the minotaurs.

83-37 PD – Middle Cannon War

The dwarves were forced to take over leadership of the humans as the human population was being stretched by the never ending war. It was during this time that the dwarves learn of the secret in the volumes. They took the human’s and gnome’s volumes for safekeeping and secretly sent them to the fortress Kedaltol. Many humans and dwarves believed that the volumes were sent to the sacred dwarven city of Forge. The war took on a new meaning as goblin tribes in the north attacked the Hartdar which forced them to expend more forces to fight a new threat.

The war was going badly for the dwarves as they were stretched across the continent in various armies as they attempted to protect the human cities. Many humans viewed the dwarves as a threat not realizing that their grandfathers had asked for their assistance. The dwarves attempted to hold the minotaurs back, but lost a crucial battle on the Plains of Sarlonis. This battle forced the dwarves into a defensive position as they struggle to continue the war.

37-0 PD – Late Canon Wars

The Canon Wars ground into a stalemate late in the war as both sides had exhausted resources and troops. The dwarves began to recruit human mercenaries into their ranks as countless legions had been lost in the war. The Ice Legion was called out of Hollowvasser late in the war and traveled to Kedaltol where it protected the ancient dwarven fortress from continuous attacks from both minotaur and goblin forces.

4 PD – The dwarves at this time believed one all out fight could destroy the minotaur force and began to prepare for a coming battle. The dwarven High Warden Tildon Copperforge traveled to the front to fight the war and appointed his only son Ren Copperforge to oversee the Ice Legion. He left General Alon Fateender in charge of Hollowvasser and the empire until he could return. Fateender was given the title High Protector to give him authority over the dwarven people.

0 PD – A month before the Drowing, Tildon Copperforge ordered the Ice Legion and his son to stay out of the coming battle fearing that the battle may go badly and cost the Hartdar their only heir. Copperforge traveled with his forces to the battle site to plan the strategy that would win the war. That was the last information the dwarves received about their army as they were destroyed in the Drowning.

Ren Copperforge was heartbroken about the loss of the army and his father. He sent out messengers to report the news to Hollowvasser and to have the empire prepare for his return. Copperforge was shocked to learn from the messengers that the entire dwarven kingdom no longer existed. All that remained were the original fortresses; a month of mourning was called for by Copperforge in honor of all who were killed in the drowning.

1-146 AD – Dark Age of the Hartdar

With the majority of the Hartdar dwarves killed in the Canon War and the Drowning the remaining dwarves gathered in the cities of Kedaltol, Red Home, and Ilberdin. Kedaltol was slow to grow as many dwarves left disenchanted and moved to human cities in the Midlands. During this time many of the dwarven methods of producing fabulous and legendary weapons and armor were loss because of the destruction of their foundries in the Nolas Mountains. Losing many of the secrets the dwarves were set back centuries in their techniques as most of their master smiths were killed in the drowning.

The dwarves reopened many of the older mines in the Pullonas Mountains and established new mining outposts to find new sources of iron and other metals. The Hartdar, in an attempt to reestablish their trading dominance, created a trading festival in the spring called the Remembrance in which Hartdar dwarves traveled to Kedaltol to conduct clan business and sell their wares. The festival grew slowly at first but became one of the largest trading festivals in Adlatum as travelers from all over began to arrive to trade for dwarven wares.

146 AD – First Contact

The Hartdar dwarves met dwarves who claimed to be Sundar, in which was the historic first contact with survivors from Hollowvasser. The dwarves were startled to meet each other believing that there were no survivors other than themselves following the Drowning. The Sundar dwarves refused to become part of the Kedaltol nation claiming that they suffered on the rocks of Mount Anneghis for years waiting for rescue that never came.

Hartdar dwarves then traveled to Hollowvasser and were dismayed at the destruction of the city and constant warfare of the remaining residents. They attempted to seek peace and were told by the Nordar dwarves that they were considered to be dead and that the Hammervald Empire died the day the ocean swallowed them. The peace delegation returned back to Kedaltol with the grim news that the former dwarven capital was a shadow of its former greatness and was now ruled by warlike clans fighting for dominance.

147-236 AD – Rebuilding of the Trade Networks

The Hartdar dwarves worked hard and diligent to rebuild many of the trade highways of the past to help secure travel through western Adlatum. Even though the Hartdar nation was small they were slowly rebuilding their wealth and had rediscovered the way to produce high quality steel. The steel weapons and armor brought high prices in the market places and the dwarves felt a slight resurgence to the past greatness of the Hammervald Empire.

236 AD – Hartdar-Sundar Pact

The Hartdar dwarves and the Sundar dwarves signed a mutual defense alliance and trading rights pact. The Sundar would grant the Hartdar mining rights in the mountains near their cities in exchange for the opportunity to sell their goods in the Hartdar markets. Also they sign a mutual defense agreement agreeing to be wary of the Sakkaras and Nordar.

The Sundar would call upon the Hartdar, during the Wyvern War, when the goblins in 247 AD pushed close to the mines of Tolon, a Sundarian city and threatened to isolate the city from the rest of the nation. The Hartdar arrived and use their famed Ice Legion to turn the tide. The combined forces force the goblins to flee deep into the mountains and the Wyvern War ends with a Sundar victory.

237-277 AD – Crusade to Reclaim Hollowvasser

A small element of Hartdar dwarves began to speak of the riches of Hollowvasser and its sister cities. The cause slowly gained support over the years as the Hartdar mines began to decline and many dwarves were forced out of work because of a lack of materials. This caused many dwarves to believe that the riches and wealth of the former Hammervald Empire still lied in the city and that they were controlled by unworthy dwarves.

The dwarves formed a small army that convinced Sundar merchants of their crusade to reclaim past riches. As they waited to board ships many Sundar dwarves joined them to travel to Hollowvasser to reclaim the lost wealth. They journeyed to the former dwarven capital and prepared to take what they wanted. The crusaders were led by Brigg Giantbattler a cruel and jealous dwarf who desired a kingdom of his own.

As they arrived on the island that held the city, they were met by a force of Nordar dwarves and defeated them in battle. Once in the city they discovered the horrors of continual war had created on the Nordar. The city once the jewel of the Hammervald Empire had been for the most part laid to waste as various warlords tried to seize the title of Lord Protector.

Many of the dwarves grew angry when they learned that there was no fabulous riches in the city or in any of its mines and decided to create their own empire to make themselves rich. They enslaved many of the rival clans in the city and created a military government and declared Giantbattler as Lord Protector of the Nordar.

277-350 AD – New Mines, New Prosperity

With the departure of Giantbattler and his followers, the Hartdar dwarves were able to focus on finding new deposits of metals. They located these near the fortress of Red Home and they had the potential to be in inexhaustible source as miners were pleased by initial numbers. The Kedaltol dwarves traveled to Sundarin to begin constructing mines that would provide them with more resources that would allow them to become a more stable trading partner with the nations of the Midlands.

350-383 AD – Return of the Gods

The dwarves of Kedaltol were reluctant to welcome back the return of the gods as many of dwarves felt that the gods destroyed the Hammervald Empire and the greatness of the dwarves. Dwarven clerics made small gains in the short time the gods return to regain the faith of the dwarves.

383 AD – Days of Darkness

Reorx sent a message to the Kedaltol to prepare for a new enemy unlike any they had faced before. He instructed them to travel to the Midlands and fight with the humans against the new threat that the Adlar dwarves have released. The Ice Legion traveled to the midlands and joined the humans in their fight against the forces of Chaos. The Kedaltol dwarves suffer heavy losses at the claws of fire dragons but drive the forces of Chaos back.

Kedaltol survived the Days of Darkness with little destruction that affected much of the rest Adlatum. The Ice Legion returned home as heroes and the dwarves of Kedaltol began to offer assistance in the rebuilding the other nations around Adlatum. Dwarven engineers and architects became highly sought by these nations.

383-421 AD – Rebuilding of the World

The dwarves mourned the loss of Reorx who they recognized as the savior of their people. His messages had always been ones to try to keep the dwarves safe and prevent the evils of the world from destroying them. During this time Kedaltol gained much wealth as their skills were sought by nations all over Adlatum to prepare the damage of Chaos.

This period the dwarves of Kedaltol act out for the good of all the races in Adlatum. They perform many of their projects for little or no money and try to promote cooperation among the nations, their ideas were met with scorn and the dwarves withdraw back into the mountains of Pullonas.

421 AD – Current Affairs

The dwarves seem distant to many outsiders and are considered rude or impolite. In truth the dwarves are still smiting about the rejection of their ideas of cooperation among the races. They see that the world is changing again and not for the better. They are rearming themselves for a new world and fear that this war will cause more destruction to the fragile societies in Adlatum. Also unknown to most dwarves the dwarves volume has resided in Red Home since the drowning taken there by Ren Copperforge. The gnomes and humans volumes remained behind in Hollowvasser when the drowning occurred and their current whereabouts are unknown by the Hartdar dwarves of Kedaltol.

by Gerrin

3400 PD – The Creation of the Dwarves

3393-3312 PD – Creation of the Tandar

The 12 clans of dwarves travel into the southern area of Adlatum and build the city of Tandarton. They call their nation Heskeram and consider themselves the Tandar dwarves, which in dwarven means ‘first.’ The 12 clans decide that a Warden will rule over them and elect Ral Bladeender as the first Warden of the Tandar.

Under Ral’s reign the young nation grows and prospers. It creates new colonies all around the area of Tandarton, located in the Tandar Mountains. Shortly before his death Ral decreed that the clans will elect a new warden to prevent leaders abusing their power. In honor of his choice the clans chose Ral’s son, Corrod Bladeender, to rule following his father’s death in 3357 PD.

3312-3227 PD – Reign of Duncan Fateender

Following the death of Corrod Bladeender in 3312 PD the clans chose Duncan Fateender to become the new Warden of the Tandar. During Duncan’s reign the dwarven prophet Adlar Stonebellow receives a series of visions he believes are from Reorx. In truth, the visions were bestowed to him from the Graygem, and from these visions Adlar comes to believe that he must have the dwarves construct a deep hole. By constructing this hole, “The Path”, this would result in unleashing the knowledge of the Path.

Adlar pressures Duncan into allowing two of the twelve clans to travel to the place his visions showed him. Accompanying Adlar is his clan, the Stonebellow, and the Hilldigger clan. They travel to where Adlar claimed to have seen the beginnings of the Path.

In this place the dwarves build the city of Azoine to encircle the dig site. Adlar is given the power of chaos magic from the Graygem, and using the power Adlar raises seven great mesas for the clans foretold to come to him. He gives one mesa to the Hilldigger clan and keeps one for his own clan to construct individual communities. He raises one mesa directly to the east of the Path to become the city for the dead.

3227-3178 PD – Reigns of Kerto and Garik Fateender

Duncan Fateender dies in 3227 PD. The clans choose his son Kerto Fateender to succeed him, but the reign is brief. Under Kerto’s reign the Tandar expand new mines, but he ignores the growing influence of the Adlar dwarves. In 3219 PD the Firesmith clan seeks permission from the Adlar to build a community in Azoine. Adlar Stonebellow grants the clan permission, and Kerto allows them to move there unchallenged.

Kerto Fateender dies from a mine-collapse during a visit. His death is mourned throughout the empire, and the clans chose his brother Garik Fateender to become the new Warden. Garik, a weak ruler, gives into the demands of the Stonebellow when they ask if the Earthslasher clan can move into Azoine.

The Earthslasher clan becomes the fourth clan to move into the city. An aging Adlar Stonebellow seeks to convert dwarves who have skills in creating tunnels. He also continues to receive visions, and his magical powers increase as the Path gets deeper. He teaches his skills to the other priests of the Path, and although other clans call these dwarves Adlar, he called them the Chosen.

3178-3124 PD – Reign of Ade Fateender

With the death of Garik Fateender in 3178 PD the clans chose Ade Fateender, Garik’s son, to lead them. Ade becomes a vocal opponent of the Adlar influence over the government as he views the Adlar responsible for his uncle’s death. Adlar Stonebellow argues with the ideas of Ade as Ade tries to establish trade with other nations. Ade believes the dwarves will grow stagnant if they did not involve themselves with the affairs of Adlatum.

In 3144 PD Adlar Stonebellow dies in a mysterious fire that the Adlar dwarves believe were caused by Ade Fateender. This causes a rift between the clans that nearly results in war until Biln Stonebellow declares Adlar’s death an accident. To show his support of the Warden, Biln invites Ade to Azoine for a formal visit in 3124 PD.

Ade Fateender approaches the city of Azoine with the idea of ending the digging for the Path. Unknown to Ade, Biln plans to kill Ade because he believes that Ade killed Adlar. Biln sends out riders to greet Ade but secretly orders them to slay him. As they near the Warden they attack his retinue and kill the Warden. With the death of Ade, his retinue flees back to Tandarton and spread the tale of the treachery of the Adlar. After Ade’s death a civil war occurs as the two factions, Adlar and Tandar, fight for control of Heskeram.

3124-3121 PD – Civil War

The Tandar and Adlar fight a war over the leadership of Heskeram. Several rival clans battle each other for dominance, and there are no clear victors to the fighting. Finally in 3121 PD the clans meet again and elect Tarc Marblemolder to lead them.

3121-3119 PD – Reign of Terror

Tarc Marblemolder rules with an iron fist as soon as he begins his reign. Under his reign Tarc tries to force all Tandar to follow the teaching of Adlar Stonebellow. The Marblemolder clan moves to Azoine to show their support of Tarc’s Laws. The Tandar refuse to follow the Laws of Tarc and threaten to resume fighting if the laws are not rescinded. Tarc refuses and orders all temples in the city of Tandarton closed.

The Tandar dwarves revolt under the leadership of Barth Bladeender. Tarc responds to the revolt by creating even more harsh laws, including the closing of all temples and banishing of all clerics. Barth attacks Tandarton and defeats Tarc’s small army. Tarc himself is slain by Barth on the steps of the Council Hall.

3119-3004 PD – Golden Age of the Tandar

Barth is elected Warden following the death of Tarc and allows the reopening of all temples in Tandarton. The Adlar dwarves living in Azoine hand over the prophet Biln Stonebellow to avoid the wrath of the Tandar. Biln is executed for treason against the Warden, and his body is buried in an unmarked grave.

The reign of Barth is a time of relative peace and prosperity for the dwarves. With the death of Tarc Marblemolder and Biln Stonebellow the to-be-named Adlar dwarves are in a period of reorganization as they search for a new High Prophet. The Tandar dwarves rule Heskeram unopposed and make great strides in securing the personal liberties of the dwarves.

Barth did have one major flaw. He was unable to see his son Ber Bladeender’s faults. Ber was infatuated with the religion of the Adlar and had converted many of the young dwarves of the Bladeender clan to his cause. Barth appoints his son to rule after his death, and the council approved it.

3004-2903 PD – The Great Rending

The 12 clans of the Tandar break apart as many dwarves come to follow the teachings of Adlar Stonebellow. In 2968 PD, followers adopt the name Adlar dwarves to separate themselves from the Tandar clans. Six clans, the Bladeender, Marblemolder, Earthslasher, Stonebellow, Firesmith and Hilldigger, follow the teachings of Adlar and begin to put pressure on the unbelieving clans. These other clans doubt Reorx would demand them to dig a hole in the ground and speak out openly against the Path.

Jarib Bladeender comes to power after his father, Ber Bladeender a priest of Adlar, abdicates the throne to pursue living at the Path. Jarib is a devote follower of the religion and revives the harsh laws of Tarc Marblemolder which tried to force all Tandar to practice Adlarism. Dwarves from the clans of Fateender, Giantbattler, Ogrecutter, Battleheart, Redquarrier and Copperforge speak out against the Laws of Jarib and demand that the laws be renounced.

Jarib becomes heavily influenced by the opinions of Ror Stonebellow, a childhood friend and descendant of Adlar Stonebellow. Jarib comes to dream of a might Adlar empire, as opposed to the fractured nation of the Tandar. Ror tells Jarib he would make a better Warden and Jarib would be happier living a simple life. Jarib abdicates the throne claiming that Ror Stonebellow had a vision for the people to follow and the influence to carry it out.

Ror Stonebellow announces that all clans must convert to Adlarism and all the temples of other gods in Tanderton be closed. The six unbeliever clans again speak out against this, and Ror gives them ultimatum to convert or leave. Being disgusted with those who also share the name, these clans renounce the name Tandar. They leave heading north, and as they depart they witness the Adlar dwarves burn Tandarton to the ground.

2903–1311 PD – The Building of the Path

The mesas outside of the path become small cities to house the six clans of the Adlar. This is a time of building and peace for the Adlar. They are forced to change much of the terrain as the magic of the Greygem grants the ability to wear out the land in turn for yielding incredible harvests. Slowly the land changes from a lush forest to a desert barely able to support life.

1311 PD – The Vision

The Greygem sends a vision to Adlar High Prophet Ro Stonebellow showing him an impassable door. Ro awakens from the vision and tells the Adlar that they will need to find something that could open the door. The Adlar know of no known weapon that would do what they need, so they begin to search throughout Adlatum for it.

1311-814 PD – Deepening of the Path

The Path continues to become deeper and the Adlar became isolated from outside affairs, concentrating solely on the Path. The deeper the hole, the more power is shared among the prophets. The prophets at this time expand the Heskeram Empire to the west to mine the mountains for materials.

814 PD – The Cave-in and Creation of the Neskudar

In 814 PD a tragic event occurs at the Path as 500 members of the Earthslasher clan dig into a new layer. Unknown to them they stumble into a chamber of Chaos containing sleeping forms. Before they enter they summon a Stonebellow prophet and group of 20 acolytes to document the event. The miners and the priests enter the mine and expected to find the secret of the Path.

After the miners and priests enter the cavern, an earthquake strikes and collapses several miles of tunnels. Inside the miners and priests face unspeakable horrors as the forces of Chaos wake and battle the dwarves. Although the forces are small they deal massive causalities.

Shadow wights of Chaos attack the priests first and wipe their existence from people’s memory. The miners retreat into a small opening and attempt to hold off the creatures. After a month of fighting the last of the forces of Chaos are defeated, but the cost is high to the dwarves. Nearly 400 members of the Earthslasher clan had disappeared from the touch of the wights. Only 34 miners are rescued, however they find the gear for hundreds more along with mysterious prophet and acolytes robes.

The miners who were rescued are physically changed by the ordeal. There skin had turned pale and they were now deathly afraid of going underground. The miner’s leader Ton Blacklight meets with the Adlar High Prophet Hind Stonebellow to tell him what he knew of the creatures they faced. Hind records the conversations but keeps them a secret from the other prophets, knowing that such stories were dangerous. He then decides it would be best to eliminate the Earthslasher clan, as many of them were displaying the effects of memory problems.

Ton Blacklight meets with the Earthslasher’s patriarch and convinces him of the story, explaining why so many of the dwarves living on the Earthslasher mesa are suffering memory problems. A young acolyte, Micah Stoneplow, arrives and warns them what Hind had ordered to happen that night.

Before morning the entire Earthslasher clan travels in secret off of their mesa leaving nearly all of their possessions behind. They are able to elude the Adlar warriors as they were busy preparing to attack the mesa. When the Adlar report to Hind of the Earthslasher’s disappearance he places a bounty on every Earthslasher’s head to help keep the secret.

Hind orders the city sealed and that no dwarf should ever enter it. He renames the Earthslasher mesa to the City of the Unbelievers. He then orders the Adlar military to pursue and kill those fleeing, the Neskuda.

813-796 PD – War between Neskuda and Adlar

The Adlar chase the Neskuda all over southern Adlatum in hopes of catching them. They are cornered in 796 PD, and the Battle of Still Waters is fought as these two forces finally met. The Neskuda manage to rout the Adlar troops, and they follow the retreating Adlar armies back to Azoine.

795 PD – The Raid on Azoine

The Neskuda raid Azoine to steal items that they believe will prevent the unleashing of the monsters they fought. The Adlar are caught completely off guard as the army had just returned and reported the Neskuda routed and not a threat. The Neskuda steal many items including the journal of Adlar Stonebellow, the Crown of Ral, and the Axe of Barth.

795-0 PD – The Path Continues On

Even as the world around them dies and turns to desert, the Adlar focus more and more on the Path. They are religiously consumed by it and completely forget about all other things. The dwarves dig through to the chamber that the Neskuda found and find a strange mark that guides them further along the Path.

1 AD – The Drowning

Little changes in the Adlar world as the drowning occurs. Only small cave-ins are recorded and within a few weeks life returns to the normal feverish pace. Although the other races have lost there clerical power, the Adlar continue to have the ability to cast it. As in the past the ability grows stronger the closer to the Path they are and the deeper the Path gets.

1-121 AD – The Door

Adlar dwarves continue to dig towards a destination unknown to them. They are guided by the strange marks leading downward, seemingly with no end. In 121 AD the dwarves uncover a strange door connected to a solid stone wall. The dwarves are unable to open the door no matter what they attempt.

122-146 AD – The Discovery

Human merchants travel to Azoine to trade “dwarven relics” to the Adlar dwarves. At first the dwarves are disinterested until a human merchant, Tom Uliman, presents a relic that he found in the mountains. The relic is an ancient iron box that’s small in size and locked. The Adlar High Prophet, Aoc Stonebellow is told about the ancient box and that Adlar Stonebellow had a vision that the contents of the box would provide the key to open the door.

Aoc Stonebellow orders the merchant and box brought to him so he could study it. The vision Adlar wrote down told of a fair skinned human bearing an ancient iron box no human could unlock. When Aoc sees the merchant and the box he believes this to be the fulfillment of the vision. Aoc uses his earth magic to open the box and is disappointed to find only a riddle inside.

He sends out a message to all dwarves that the dwarf who figures out the riddle will become the Lord of the Path and have the honor of unlocking the door. Dwarves begin to search out clues to the riddle as Aoc has it spread throughout the city of Azoine. An ancient scholar solves the riddle, figuring it was referring to the Pick of Aenor. The pick still remains hidden somewhere.

147 AD – The Night of the False Message

The Adlar dwarves in Azoine all share the same dream, a message that Reorx was not helping them and that he didn’t want them to unlock the door. Reorx attempts to break the hold of the Graygem over the dwarves, but fails to do so. The dwarves awaken and High Prophet Aoc Stonebellow decrees that the false Reorx has attempted to interfere with their dreams and that they would continue with the Path.

148-290 AD – The Search for the Pick and the Spreading of the Path

The Adlar continue to search for the pick but cannot locate it. The High Prophets expand the Path and begin to dig side tunnels into the Path, searching for other entrances that could lead around the door. All their efforts are done in vain as there is no other way found that would lead them to where the door went.

291 AD – Discovery of the Pick of Aenor

Dwarven scholars decipher the clues of the riddle and pinpoint the Pick of Aenor as being located in the ruins of Tandarton. It is located under the Council Hall and in the catacomb of the dwarven General Telindus. High Prophet Galot Stonebellow orders 100 dwarves under the leadership of General Turq Marblemolder to search the ruins and locate the pick. He also rescinds the former order from Adlar Stonebellow incuring death to any Adlar who enters the city.

Turq Marblemolder leads his troops into the city and finds few buildings that survived the fire. One of the buildings that survived perfectly intact was the old Council Hall. Traveling into the catacombs beneath the tomb, Marblemolder discovers a daemon that had escaped from the Path and had made the catacombs his lair. The daemon kills nearly the entire force that ventured into the catacombs but is slain by Marblemolder himself. The pick is discovered and returned to the Path.

292 AD – The Theft of the Pick

High Prophet Galot Stonebellow holds onto the pick for nearly a year before deciding that it was the real pick. He orders a celebration of 30 days before the open the door will be opened. This is a major celebration for the Adlar for all of their hard work throughout the centuries. On the eve of the ceremony Talin, a human rogue Reorx convinced to stop the opening of the door, steals the pick.

Talin travels with the pick across the sea to a distant island inhabited by strange creatures called kobolds. The kobolds agree to hide the pick underneath a large natural waterfall they worship as a god. Talin returns to the Midlands and lives out the rest of his life in hiding. The Adlar dwarves search for the pick but are unable to locate where it is.

293–373 AD – The Pursuit of the Pick

The Adlar attempt to discover the thief or pick’s whereabouts. They began to search throughout Adlatum in hope of discovering some clue. Much of the work at the Path is halted as dwarves are sent throughout the continent.

374-382 AD – The Discovery of the Thief

The Adlar dwarves learn about a human bard who told of a story about the theft of a pick that was the key to unlocking a door. They travel to the bard and tell him they need the pick to free enslaved dwarves that were kept by the minotaurs. The pick was the only thing that can guarantee their freedom as they were locked in the Dungeons of Nelos. The bard Telnor, a grandson of Talin, agree to accompany the dwarves on the adventure to retrieve the pick only if they allow him to travel to the island alone, in respect to his grandfather. A group of young friends wish to travel with Telnor because they don’t trust the dwarves and convince him to sail separately. The dwarves agree to the demand and hoped to outrace Telnor’s boat and retrieve the pick before his boat could arrive.

Telnor is the first one to reach the island when the dwarves in the other boat mistake another island as the one Telnor described. As he makes his way to the kobold camp, he receives a vision from Reorx telling him the truth about the dwarves. Telnor retrieves the pick and flees from the island, only to be spotted by the dwarves who pursue him.

Telnor manages to elude the dwarves for many years traveling throughout Adlatum. They finally catch up to Telnor in the Midlands. He had hidden in the city of Iqurliny, in the nation of Isryan, for nearly three years before he was found murdered by the dwarves on the roof to his home.

383 AD – The Return of the Pick

The Pick of Aenor is returned to the Adlar dwarves in early winter. The High Prophet Wolon Stonebellow decides there will be no ceremony and that the pick is to be used in secret at night. Stonebellow travels the path and swings the pick to crack the door, splitting it in two. As the door falls away, the army of Chaos is unleashed.

The Adlar by the door are slain and the High Prophet barely escapes with his life. He travels back to his mesa and raises the alarm. The army of Chaos quickly causes much damage, leaving alive only the dwarves that hid. Stonebellow survives and tries to rally his people to reenter the Path. The grieving families not only is he ignored his words, he is also murdered by several who fling him into the Path.

384-427 AD – The Time of Anger

The Adlar prophets lose much of their power following the unlocking of the door and struggle to maintain control over the clans. They try to convince them that Reorx had sent them a test to see if they are worthy enough to hold onto his secret. Most clans vote to leave Azoine and travel back to the ruins of Tandarton to rebuild the fabled city. Only the clans of Marblemolder and Stonebellow remained behind to continue work on the Path.

• The Foundation
• The Time of Light
• The Time of Valor
• The Time of the Minotaur
• The Time of Dark Tidings
• The Time of the Prophet

The History of Adlatum

“You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts; therefore, those who talk constantly will never be lulled into a false sense of security.” – Talker Gnome Adage

The History of Adlatum is compiled from a number of different sources. Many of the cultures that could provide written works prior to the Drowning relied largely on the Volume of the Prophet to keep a detailed history of their race. Yet among the human Midland nations various records have been kept and before the Drowning bits of elven historic texts have been recovered that tell of a time before the rise of the “civilized” human.

Talker gnomes have the most complete history of Adlatum as they keep meticulous records on each and every ruler served, their decisions, their laws and the ramification of such orders. One advantage of Talker gnome history is that they have established themselves as advisors in the court of every “civilized” culture of Adlatum. So they have records from humans, dwarves, ogres and even the minotaurs. These records however are often filled with many pages of speculation, political intrigue, court gossip, and complex guesswork on alternate scenarios trying to determine what would have happened if rulings had been played out differently.

For convenience the timeline has been divided into the six eras each of which not always having clearly defined edges. The Foundation describes the time in which Adlatum is initially settled by the newborn races of Krynn. The Time of Light tells of the expansion of the elves and the arrival of the Graygem. The Time of Valor described the advance of civilization into the wilds of Adlatum. The Time of the Minotaur describes the expansion of the Minotaur Empire and the terrible events leading up the Drowning. The Time of Dark Tidings relays the dark events that transpired following the Drowning and finally the Time of the Prophet tells of the events leading up to the current day when a modern day prophet has been taken as an icon for a great war. The years are divided into PD (Pre-Drowning) and AD (Alt-Drowning).

The Foundation

c. 9000-8500 PD—People Choose Homes: Ogres settle the mountains of northern Adlatum, and the vast tracts of forest are settled by Valenesti elves. All other regions are home to humans.

c. 8500 PD—Birth of Civilization: Ogres start enslaving human barbarians to build mighty nations. The elves begin an era of enlightenment and a xenophobic lifestyle.

c. 8200 PD—Favored of Reorx: Reorx sees the enslavement and xenophobic actions of the races of Adlatum and gathers humans that he feels can fix the flaws of the other races. He gifts them with a glib tongue and quick wits in hopes of making them the builders of nations. Known as the Favored of Reorx, they begin to find places within the courts and kingdoms of many nations of Adlatum.

c. 6000-5000 PD—Decline of Ogres: Ogres descend into cruelty and depravity. Ogre children begin to be born with deformities as their internal malice begins to show. The ogres enact severe guidelines on having children. Any deformed children are left to die on the plains south of the great ogre nation.

c. 5500-4500 PD—Ogre Expansion: A strong ogre tyrant rallies the ogre nations and leads them in a crusade to the south to expand their holdings. The Ogre Empire covers more than half of the continent after the War of a Thousand Years.

Time of Light

c. 5000 PD—Birth of Gnomes: Disappointed with the failure of his chosen, the rise of the cruel ogre nations, and the actions of many of his followers which had taken pride in their own work and openly displayed their power, Reorx curses his chosen. They become known as Talker Gnomes, short folk who long to do nothing else other than tinker with politics and social engineering.

c. 4500 PD—Arrival of the Irda: Shape-shifting ogres from across the sea arrive in Adlatum; their presence signals the beginning of the end of ogre domination and causes more internal strife. Some ogres move to the north and others remain behind in the south. The mixing of Adlati ogre and irda slows and in some cases somewhat reverses or adjusts the deformities seen. It does not completely stop it however, and the strict requirements for allowing children to remain in their society continue.

c. 4350 PD—Graygem Released: A gnome of a distant land is tricked into stealing the Graygem from Giauzar (Lunitari). The gem escapes releasing wild magic into the world.

c. 4200 PD—Creation of the Volumes: An eccentric human priest transcribes a magical tome, writings that could allow a person to travel the river of time and view events along the shores of the river. The human is only referred to as The Prophet. Upon the priest’s death, an organization known as the Brotherhood of the Prophet claims the tome and splits it into separate volumes. Four of the Volumes are each delivered to the respective leaders of the Ogres, Elves, Humans, and Gnomes. The Volumes appear to have the ability to display the history and divine the future of each respective race.

c. 4100 PD—Hunt for Graygem Begins: Melik Suud (Reorx) gathers together the gnomes of a distant land and instructs them to find and retrieve the Graygem.

c. 3900-3700 PD—Rise of the Nations of Light: The elves, driven by an alliance with humans, begin to push back the borders of the Ogre Empire. The elven and human realms begin to rival that of the ogres. The Midlands are established as the first true human civilization.

c. 3500 PD—Ogres Use Volume: Ogre magi discover a way to use their Volume to gain an edge against the Nations of Light and hold their ground against them. Within a few short years, the Ogre Empire’s victory seems assured.

c. 3475-3470 PD—Mix-Blood Services: The Valenesti forces allow for the conscription of half-elves, however they were little better than slave soldiers and often called Daub’dae’larden (Arrow Catchers). A half-elf named Gildanau distantly related to the Speaker of the Trees leads a mutiny and is arrested. After escaping, human and half-elven warriors flee to the far eastern mountains and begin breaking other slaves soldiers free.

c. 3450 PD—Exodus of Elven Aristocracy: Elven nobles and wizards flee after using their Volume to divine the future of their race. Ripping their capital city of Avanost from the ground, most of the elven nobles flee in the flying city and disappear far above Adlatum, taking their Volume with them. The Nations of Light lose much of their territory except where the followers of Gildanau amassed in large numbers.

c. 3425 PD—The City of God: After receiving a vision, Gildanau has a new city built for the refugees. It is named Elinost, the City of God, in honor of the divine.

c. 3410 PD—Ogre Realms Fight Back: Ogres step up attacks on elves. The elven warriors and workers make preparations to leave Adlatum.

c. 3400 PD—Arrival of the Graygem: The Graygem arrives followed by a ship full of devout tinker gnomes. The tinker gnomes are transformed into kunda, talker gnomes into dwarves, noble elves on Avanost into winged elves, southern ogres into minotaurs and the fleeing elven soldiers escaping on ships into sea elves. The dragons of Adlatum are infused with Chaos Magic from the Graygem. The lands surrounding their lairs are suffused with unnaturally high levels of primal ambient magic. Sorcery is soon discovered.

c. 3390 PD—Seclusion of the Ogre Race: Minotaurs destroy the remainder of elven civilization and claim the lands for themselves. The Ogre Empire is unable to handle the strain of losing thousands of ogres to the transformation of the Graygem and retreat completely back into their northern territories. They gather their slaves to begin work on the Endless Reach, a great wall that will stretch hundreds of miles and divide their mountainous home from the rest of Adlatum. Deformed ogre children are left just outside the Endless Reach to die, but human plainsmen begin saving the doomed children. Closed off from the rest of Adlatum, much of the coming history of the Ogre Empire is lost to outside civilizations.

c. 3300 PD—Last Volumes Delivered: The Brotherhood of the Prophet distributes three Volumes of the Prophet, one each to the Kunda, Minotaurs and Dwarves. They claim these are the Last Volumes of the Prophet.

Time of Valor

c. 3300-2300 PD—Human Expansion: The Midlands slowly expand over the next thousand years due to human and dwarven influence in the west and minotaur development to the east.

c. 3275 PD—Charant Aros founded: The first Ci’tec orchestrates peace between the warring human tribes in the Arosan region near the western fringes of the Midlands.

c. 3250-3200 PD—Creation of the Adlar Clan: A dwarven prophet, Adlar Stonebellow, proclaims he has a vision from Reorx and that he has been instructed to create a path to the center of the world. The dwarves split into factions and the Adlar dwarves settle in lands east of the dwarven capital, depleting the land and turning it into a desert wasteland. They use their earth magic to raise seven huge plateaus and begin a hole to the middle of Krynn.

c. 3200-2900 PD—Trejor and Drejor Founded: The Roanj Tribe becomes dominant over the various warlord led tribes of the grasslands of the northwestern Midlands. The nation of Trejor is founded, but it cannot hold together. In time it fractures in two: Trejor and Drejor.

c. 2900 PD—The Great Rending: The dwarven capital falls more and more under the province of the religious Adlar. Those dwarves that are “non-believers” in the path strike out to the north. The Hartdar clan settles a new city on the mountains just north of the Midlands and takes the dwarven Volume of the Prophet with them.

c. 2850 PD—A Half-Blood’s Legacy: Gildanau dies after setting up the government of his new nation. The human and half-elven people name themselves Gildanesti to honor him. The Gildanesti nation keep relatively closed borders with its hostile neighbors.

c. 2800 PD—Saviors of the Reach Vanish: The human settlers near the Endless Reach who had saved the discarded Igurna children are no longer seen. It is believed they had either died out or had completely merged into the growing half-ogre, Oguna, population.

c. 2700 PD—Gods of Magic Introduce High Sorcery to Shyrsa: Three noble houses of the budding magocracy of the Midlands named Shyrsa are visited by the gods of magic and instructed in the ways of High Sorcery. All nobility begins choosing one of the Gods of Magic to serve.

c. 2650 PD—Ogun’s Tentative Founding: The Oguna population spreads out over a healthy block of land in the north. They take over ruins of a long lost civilization. Although many believe these to be ruins of the Ogre Empire, the architecture appears inconsistent with ogre styles. As new towns are built while others form nomadic bands, the Oguna separate into numerous tribes and clans who argue and battle. Those who settle too close to the human Midlands are fended off.

c. 2610 PD—Kedaltol Founded: The dwarven nation of Kedaltol is founded in the Pullonas Mountains as a safe haven for dwarves. This becomes the home nation of the Hartdar (a.k.a. coin dwarves).

c. 2600 PD—Kingdom of Etlarn Established: Etlarn is established by several noble mage families from the Midlands who grow disillusioned with the magocracy, preferring to pursue their own paths. Setting out on a trek far to the east, they eventually establish new homes in a series of idyllic mountain vales that are rich in arcane energy. Etlarn the Ancient is named their first monarchy, and the newly founded nation is named for him.

c. 2550 PD—The Dragon War: Chaos-touched dragons discover they are becoming bound to their territories and in a frightened effort to escape their prisons they attack humanity. Etlarn makes an alliance with the minotaurs and they work together to battle the dragons. Once defeated, the dragons go into hiding deep within their territories surrounding themselves with Dragonkin. In the following thousands of years “true dragons” are forgotten by all but the Avanesti elves. Dragonkin are what most people think of when a “dragon” is brought to mind.

The End of the Magocracy: Shyrsa finds itself also under attack from the dragons during the war. Many of the magocracy’s infrastructures fracture as regions are divided by lost territory. By the end of the war, many separated regions have no desire to reconnect to other territories they have had no contact with for years or decades. Many smaller nations form (including Solishairon and Isryan), while in other places organized government falls apart completely. The nation of Solishairon is one of the larger nations to come about. Franko Joaneir, a general who led armies against a powerful red dragon, founds Solishairon.

c. 2300-2200 PD—Dwarven Expansion: The Hartdar dwarves flourish and they spread into the mountainous lands of the northeast. They raise a great empire in the east and control trade on the eastern half of the continent and the majority of the Midlands.

c. 1900 PD—Midlands and Minotaurs Expand Peacefully: Human nations flourish and develop quickly as the Midlands expand to the east and north and discover lost secrets and ancient ruins of the ogres and elves. Borderlines are defined and debated with the honorable minotaur empire. The long held alliance with Etlarn helps to smooth over many disputes and the old elven realms become a mixture of human and minotaur territories.

c. 1500 PD—Birth of a Divine Bureaucracy: A new theocracy arises in the Midlands and quickly takes control of many smaller regions, creating the largest power in the Midlands. The power becomes known as both the “Divine Bureaucracy” and the “Tao-Shin Theocracy.” Isryan shows its support for the Tao-Shin by attacking Solishairon, claiming them to be godless and deserving of excommunication. Both Isryan and Solishairon are taken into the larger nation.

c. 1300 PD—The Impassable Door: The Graygem sends a vision to the Adlar High Prophet Ro Stonebellow showing him an impassable door and hints had how to open it.

Time of the Minotaur

c. 1250 PD—Breaking of the Pact: A border dispute between the nations of the Midlands and the minotaurs’ Chôt-tang Empire turns bloody. Etlarn lends aid to the Midland theocracy breaking a long held pact with minotaurs.

c. 1200-1000 PD—Collapse, Expansion, and Withdrawal: The once strong theocracy of the Midlands begins to fall apart from with. The Tao-Shin Theocracy breaks up into smaller nations. The countries of Isryan, Solishairon, and Pelcatis reform once again, and several war with each other. While the human nations of the Midlands squabble and fight with one another, the unified Chôt-tang Empire experiences a renaissance, expands in power, and dominates much of the territory of the Midlands. Without the unified alliance from the Midlands, Etlarn withdraws from the conflict and returns to a neutral state.

c. 1100-965 PD—Guiteger Founded: Gambriel Guiteg, a Tao-Shin cleric of the Path of Power, convinces five other warlords to bend knee to her. Guiteger is founded as a theocracy, reflecting many of the old tenants of the fallen Divine Bureaucracy. After a century of rule according to the Path of Power, Gambriel’s granddaughter Ines Johan converts to the Path of Light. In time all Paths are accepted in positions of power.

c. 1000 PD—Iveraque Founded: Noble humans weary of the battles in the north settle in the west to form the nation of Iveraque.

c. 900 PD—The Empire of Dhu: A collection of city-states along the southern border of Adlatum unify into a single power. Trade with the Corinesti bolsters their economy, and soon the nation expands inland.

c. 800 PD—Creation of the Neskudar: A dwarven clan in the Path discovers a terrible secret—the Chamber of Chaos. An earthquake traps members of the Earthslasher clan with the horrors of Chaos. Massive casualties are taken before a few escape. The High Prophet tries to bury their story in order to prevent panic and a work-stop on the Path. Before he can have the clan murdered, they escape. The dwarves take their findings and leave their homeland, dwelling in the eastern deep marches. They become the Neskudar, the mysterious Mist Dwarves. The Adlar declare them unbelievers and try to hunt them down. Combat occurs, and the Adlar are repelled.

c. 750 PD—Guiteger Becomes a Monarchy: The Archcouncil shows itself to be a bed of corruption. High Priest of Alnath, Rainer Nadlis, holds onto his personal faith in the Path of Power and in the Tao-Shin, but he resigns his post within the church, dividing the church from the state. Over the next eight months Guitger is turned into a monarchy with himself as king.

c. 700-500 PD—Iveraque Collapses: An era of avarice, domination, power, and glamour comes to an end as smaller territorial factions struggle against each other to try and gain ruler of the nation.

c. 600-500 PD—The Great Empire of Narstedh: The human nation of Narstedh economically and militarily prospers in central Adlatum. Some believe the empire was able to discover the secrets of the Human Volume and put it to proper use. Around 510 PD Narstedh enters into border disputes with the Empire of Dhu to the south. The territories in question side with Narstedh and after a seven-year conflict, the Empire of Narstedh has expanded its territories and surpassed the Dhuish Empire in strength and relevance.

c. 400-200 PD—Minotaurs Dominant: The skirmishes between the minotaurs and the Midlands increase. Minotaurs began using human slave labor and attack human towns along their borders. Several Oguna tribes are conscripted into service for the Chôt-tang Empire.

158 PD—Discovery of the Power of The Volumes: Minotaur sages learn that by combining the Volumes of the Prophet additional powers can be unleashed. They send a legion of minotaurs into the Valley of the Kunda along the border of Etlarn to retrieve the Kunda Volume. Only a handful of the legion returns bearing the Kunda Volume and tales of their narrow escape.

123-117 PD—Guiteg Civil War: Rebellions against Queen Chrystan begin when Karole Elverd is forced away from the queen’s daughter after making indecent advances. Elverd forms a band of those wanting to overthrow the “corrupt and murderous throne.” The war ends when Elverd beheads Chrystan himself. The princess escaped the city during the final siege, and Elverd forms his own dictatorship.

112-2 PD—The War of Houses Begins: King Rodeli of Drejo is assassinated. The bloodiest conflicts for the royal throne begin.

100-70 PD—The Canon War Begins: Unlocking the power of the combined Minotaur and Kunda Volumes, the minotaurs of the Chôt-tang Empire begin an all-out war against the Midlands to capture the Human Volume. The humans form an alliance with the dwarves of the west and they join in the fight. The Oguna initially side with the Minotaurs, but they switch sides when they realize they are being used solely for fodder. They spend the bulk of the war are a slave-race conquered by the Chôt-tang Empire. The war goes on for a century, with the minotaurs capturing the ogres’ Volume and the dwarves taking the Volumes of the humans and gnomes. Eventually all nations are caught up in the bloody war.

89-53 PD—The Militias War: The hostilities between the Families of Iveraque reach an all time high. The war ends when an explosion of unknown origin, presumed magical, destroys the Ravaldi Estates where six of the Family heads were meeting.

89 PD—The Battle of Roden: Mauritand’s Lord Emperor Ude leads a charge against the minotaur forces. During the battle, the Lore Emperor sacrifices his own life to save the life of a minotaur he had just taken prisoner. The Mauritand forces are cut off from the main battle lines as a result of treachery conducted by an agent of the Empire of Dhu. The minotaurs swarmed their enemy, and the battle lasted for two weeks with non-stop fighting. Ten of thousands of the Mauritand forces die. As the minotaur commander, Jorkef, was about to desecrate the Lord Emperor’s body, the young minotaur prisoner Kol stands against him. The act causes division in the minotaur ranks, and the battle continues for three more days, minotaur fighting minotaur. In the end, Commander Jorkef is forced to retire after losing an eye and leg.

69-29 PD—Kunda Valley Taken: The Chôt-tang Empire occupies the Kunda Valley, but eventually kunda warrior Zachar Tressife organizes multiple strategic attacks against the minotaurs, damaging their hold on the Valley. In three years the minotaurs are ejected from the city, and two years after that the kunda reclaim the entire valley.

7-4 PD—Iveraque Withdraws: The Families debate the need of sending their own children abroad to fend off an enemy that has yet to impede on Iveraque’s soil. Over the following years, surviving sons and daughters are brought home from the Canon War. This angers many nations in the Alliance. The Empire of Dhu even threatens Iveraque with military force, but nothing comes of it.

2 PD—The War of Houses Ends: The Drejori civil war ends when Lord Madred Heratecin and Lady Emecia Heymelion agree to marry their grandchildren together, thereby unifying the competing bloodlines. The nation enters a multi-year celebration signifying the end of the century old war.

0 AD—The Drowning: During summer, on the eve of the longest battle of the Canon War, the world comes crashing down around the armies with flooding and earthquakes, as the Drowning washes them all away forming a new and silent sea. A majority of the Midlands is submerged beneath the sea dividing it from Etlarn far to the east.

Hroce’s Cry: Six months before the Drowning, a young teenage Oguna named Hroce instigates massive slave riots in the minotaur occupied Ogun territories. Over the next six months, the Oguna are able to reclaim the eastern half of their former home, breaking off supply chains for the Chôt-tang Empire forces in the west.

Fallen Empires: One of the strongest empires of the Midlands, the Empire of Dhu, is directly hit with the full force of the Great Wave on its southern borders. Most of the nation is sunk beneath the waves as the Sargassi Sea forms. Other parts of the nation are lost and cut off from the rest of civilization. Only a tiny fraction of the Empire survives in the southeastern corner of the reduced Midlands. The greater power, the Empire of Narstedh, is completely sunk to the bottom of the Sargassi Sea with only many islands that were washed clean remaining. Surviving Narstedhi settle on Pelcatis’ new shoreline.

The Kundamarsh: The Valley of the Kunda becomes a marshland and the kunda are split into two tribes: the Voda who remain in the marsh and honor the dead, and the nomadic Hoda who become children of the elements and travel the lands. Both tribes erase the name of the god blamed for the devastation from their histories.

Damiyo’s End: The knightly forces of Mauritand are all destroyed in the wave, regardless of their location. Lord Emperor Urati comes to believe the Great Wave is a punishment from the gods because he failed to save his injured sister from a group of human mercenaries working for the minotaur army. Many of the remaining Damiyo honor their fallen Lord Emperor by standing guard over his body against the coming water.

Wedding Disaster: Officials from all over the Midlands and beyond who are able to take a respite from the Canon War meet in Drejor for the wedding of Roric Heymelion and Pharaceilia Heratecin. The celebration that marks a peaceful future, internally at least, for the nation after a century of war turns to tragedy as the Great Wave of the Drowning strikes before the end of the ceremonies.

Hammervald Smashed: The dwarven homeland of the west, the great Hammervald Empire, is submerged. Hundreds of thousands of dwarves drown beneath the water except for one mountain homeland that is stranded out at sea. The Shattered Sea is formed.

Galachot Founded: A legion of minotaurs is visited by a golden minotaur, who is truly a gold dragon in the service of the goddess Mah-jor (Majere). The golden minotaur persuades them to leave before it is too late. They listen and head to the east escaping the wrath of the gods and following the teachings of this new minotaur.

Gnomorrah Changed: A gnomish ship carried by the Great Wave is washed ashore in the northern Thunderhead Mountains. When gnomes return to the region they begin to learn aspects of steam power mechanics.

Artifacts Lost: The remaining Starmetal weapons of the Midland nations are swept away in the waters. All of the Volumes of the Prophet are likewise lost as well.

Time of Dark Tidings

1 AD—A Land Taken: The Teusten sailors take control of a small amount of mainland between Blight Bay and the recently enlarged Lake Borlesko. The land is so riddled with small lakes, rivers, and streams that all settlements have direct access to the ocean. The nation of Teusten is founded.

2 AD—A Land Broken: The minotaurs fighting in the westernmost front of the war find themselves cut off from any remnants of their destroyed society. Over the next forty years they are slowly forced out of the “Bad Lands”, which soon forms the nation of Bhadlum, and over the following decades take to warring the Oguna tribes to their east and the Midland nations to the south. In time their chain of command collapses, and they fall to a collection of warring tribes. Their barren territory becomes known as Sakkaras.

3 AD—FyxZharar Moves to the Mountains: Humans and other races move into the Thunderhead mountains hoping the high elevations will help if another Great Wave would ever come. The nation of FyzZharar moves westward on the map and encompasses most of the mountains in the region.

4 AD—Warring Over Mercy: The city of Avanost returns to Adlatum to survey the damage done by the recent catastrophic events. Horrified by the devastation, a large portion of city argues that aid must be given to the unfortunate lesser races. Others demand that the city continue apart for its own safety. Debate collapses and civil war erupts.

5 AD—Kingdom of the Corinesti: The sea elves discover the Silent Sea in the middle of Adlatum and settle there, creating an underwater kingdom in the lands they once inhabited. Seeing an opportunity, the elves avail themselves to human villages and towns along the coastlines becoming traders and moving goods from one port to another.

6-8 AD—Heaven at War: The magical warfare in Avanost forces the city to land in eastern Adlatum. Avanesti are slain over a wide range of area. Many Adlati believe the gods are at war and angels were being thrown from the sky. Morale of the people continues to fall. Eventually the war ends, and those supporting reconnecting ties with the land and sea-dwellers are cut of their wings and exiled. Avanost takes to the skies again but is now bound to remain over Adlatum. Only after the city was among the clouds did they discover that their Volume of the Prophet was missing.

10 AD—The Teusten Civil War: Havadman Markan of Trojssan dies without an heir. Two Regels battled for the leadership position, plunging Teusten into chaos. The fighting ends abruptly when one of the Regels dies in a dwarven raid near Faste Ckold. Aanon of Karssan becomes the new Havadman.

12 AD—Old Hatred Averted: The Gildanesti make treaties with the Corinesti, descendants of the Valenesti who enslaved them long ago, in order to have peaceful trade through the Sargassi Sea. Marriages between Corinesti and Gildanesti houses mingle the blood and strengthen the inter-cultural alliance.

15-23 AD – Mining Rights Wars: A series of battles breaks out between the Midland nations of Isryan and Solishairon. Ending with the defeat of Solishairon by Isryan at the Battle of Crotili. Two legions of Isryan defeated three from Solishairon. This allowed Isryan to have the premier mining rights on the edge of the Afanstein Mountains near the Kedaltol border.

20 AD—Corinesti Deal: Havadman Aanon of Teusten strikes a deal with the Corinesti elves saying that Teusten will not raid the Corinesti cities in exchange for unhindered access to the seas. Regardless of a number of loopholes, the Corinesti Trading Guild lets the agreement stand.

26 AD—Dhu Rebuilds: The pirate Gussun gathers a fleet of seven ships run by seven competitive sea captains. Under the direction of Gussun (“The Admiral”) sailors constructed many new towns on Dhu’s new shoreline. The town of Gussun’s Port becomes a base of operation for pirate attacks against those sailing in the southern Sargassi Sea and a major seafaring stop.

30 AD—Magocracy Warned: A silver wolf (a silver dragon in disguise) appears to the kingdom of Etlarn to warn them that they should avoid the evil practice of necromancy and other wicked magic, and follow the path of good. This will prepare them for their greatest trials far in the distant future.

36 AD—For Hire: A Gildanesti cleric of Rosmera (Shinare) founds a Mercenaries Guild. With the aid of the Lord Marshal of Gildanesti, they successfully acquire several long-term contracts with neighboring Etlarn and Onar.

39 AD—Creation of the Reef Dwarves: A messenger of Moli (Zeboim), a dragon turtle, appears to the stranded Nordar dwarves and offers them a way off their mountainous island home in exchange for their worship. The dying and starving dwarves agree. In turn, their fear of water is removed and they turn into the pirating “reef dwarves”. They name their growing nation the Ironvald Empire.

40 AD—Damiyo Law: The Damiyo of Mauritand are reformed after a fashion under Ashina Nugosh as his personal bodyguards, now called Damiyo Law.

51 AD—Trejor Breaks Further: Urzai Lanla, cousin of Bhadlum’s leader, seeks to gain the northernmost districts of Trejor and have them claim independence under his rule. Without enough security in the region, and believing that Bhadlum would come to the aid of the newly formed Vjenor’s claim of secession, Trejor grudgingly allows the lands to depart. Relations between Trejor and Vjenor will take centuries to heal.

52 AD—North Watch Founded: King Urzai of Vjenor’s daughter, Romau, organizes the North Watch in secret. The force is designed to repel the minotaur threat in the north. Upon learning of the success, Urzai gives credit for the force to his son and heir Gaulav, against his wishes. Romau, insulted by her father’s actions, flees the state. Rumor claims she sailed westward beyond the far shores of Adlatum to a land accessible to only the Corinesti.

53 AD—Rebuilding Ties: The old alliance between Trejor and Drejor is rekindled when a blood tie between the lost house of Durde and the Trejoran royal family is found. Count Kalis Durde of Drejor changes his name to Kalis Durandae and becomes the new king of Trejor.

56 AD—Seafaring Conflict: The reef dwarves start exploring islands in the Shattered Sea for lost villages of their nation. This leads to fights between the Nordar dwarves and Teusten humans as one nation or the other claims land. The Nordar pull back, giving the Teusten more territory, however the dwarves are able to secure what islands they do have.

71 AD—Hoda in the West: One of the smaller Hoda tribes settles in Oguna, forever forsaking their old ways and the Kundamarsh. They start to adopt Oguna customs and become close allies to many of their half-ogre neighbors. They assist in the on going battles against the Sakkaran minotaurs to the west.

76-80 AD—The War of the Reefs: A clan of Nordar dwarves uncomfortable with the barbaric lifestyle of the Nordar split from them over philosophical differences. They rename themselves the Sundar and dwell in the cliffs along the Shattered Sea. They are later known as “cliff dwarves”. The Nordar attempt to reclaim the Sundar and the supplies they took with them. The Sundar fend off the Nordar attacks.

90 AD—Historical Correction: King Gaulav of Vjenor corrects his nations history by giving credit of the founding of the North Watch to his sister Romau.

108 AD—The Meditative Bulls: The former noble manor homes of the Chôt-tang Empire are converted into hilltop monasteries. The peaceful meditative minotaurs of Galachot become known as the Mahjorans.

121-146 AD—The Impassable Door Found: The Adlar diggers find the door foretold a thousand years ago. A riddle is discovered that leads them to discovering the key to the door is the hidden pick known as the Pick of Aenor.

130 AD—Rise of the Dragons: Rasala Hage (Takhisis) awakens the hibernating dragons, and a new generation of eggs begins to hatch. Each dragon is instructed by Rasala Hage to act in her stead until her return. The dragons discover that they have the ability to manipulate the ambient magic of their region and can supply magic to humans. The tainted magic slowly transforms the user into a dragon-like creature. They work in secret, granting spells to followers from their ambient magic. These followers secretly call themselves the Scalebound and often use illusions to mask their altered appearances. Five elder chromatic dragons take on the illusion of the gods of the Midlands, foregoing Rasala Hage completely. “Divine” (mystic) magic can only be performed within the “Holy Lands” (a.k.a. the magic-soaked territories of the Elder Dragons). The White Elder Dragon also learns of artifacts buried deep and hidden in the caves under FyxZharar, left over from a long forgotten civilization.

132 AD—Plague of the Black: A plague develops in Sundalin where victims develop a black rash and die in four days. It is discovered that the plague was being caused by a black soot produced by a group of draconic eagles called the Telniva. The Sundar slew the eagles, by the plague ends up taking the life of King Uloc.

133 AD—The Etlarnic Wars: A wave of dragonkin, believed to be true dragons by most mortals, attack Etlarn. The assault appears to originate from the southwest, but nothing confirms their creatures’ origin. The Etlarn Defenders, a legion of knightly spellcasters, is established to rally the people and stop the threat.

140 AD—Midlands Rebuilds: With the loss of the Gods, “clerics” with this new source of divine magic rebuild and rule the Midlands. A new Tashrama appears lead by these new clerics.

141-148 AD—Tashrama Expands: King Andras of Solishairon welcomes the Tashramadic church and becomes a middle ranking priest for the church. Relations turn sour when Andras’ decisions don’t always please the Tashramadic Council. Andras’ dies at sea in 148 AD. His son Petre takes steps to try to keep the Tashrama isolated to around Brimstone.

147 AD—A God’s Warning: Reorx sends a dream to all Adlar dwarves in Azoine telling them he does not want the door in the Path unlocked. The High Prophet Aoc Stonebellow decrees that a false Reorx has tried to interfere with the true Reorx’s wishes.

221-247 AD—Sundalin’s Goblin War: Goblin clans gathered under the banner of the Wyvern attack Sundalinian dwarves. With the eventual aid of the legendary Kedaltolian Ice Legion, the dwarves are able to drive the goblins to the north of their kingdom. Goblin forces are rebuilt for dwarven use.

233-249 AD—Iveraque Leadership: The Nilonè Family gains enough control over the lesser territories of Iveraque to eventually move into the royal palace. The head of the family, Michela Nilonè, declares herself queen.

238 AD—Pelcatis Renamed: The Tashrama consolidates Pelcatis’ power into a small board of religious spokesmen (possibly the Tashramadic Council). The nation is renamed Tashramada to honor the church.

271 AD—Nordar Expansion: The reef dwarves of the Ironvald Empire launch surprise attacks against various Teusten colonies. Havadman Radac orders all ships into the Shattered Sea to wage war.

275 AD—The Battle of the Red Coral: The Teustens are able to trick the Nordar into crashing half of their fleet into a hidden reef the dwarves did not know about. It did not sink most of the ships, but it left them stranded and prime for easy defeat. The Nordar surrender the island of Haskoddpad.

279 AD—Unique Alliances: The Teusten humans somehow are able to approach the Igurna of Terragrym and strike a very strict yet very advantageous trade agreement with them. Teusten ships are now allowed to dock on Terragrym’s southern shore so long as non-Teusten slaves are kept below deck and out of view. The Teusten are very tight-lipped about what they have learned and gained from the Igurna. No other nation learns that the trade agreement has even been made.

288-289 AD—Sea War: The Ironvald Empire battles the Corinesti in control over certain areas of the sea. Battles are light and no actual war is declared. The Corinesti drive the dwarves back, and the Nordar declare an uneasy truce while secretly vowing that the sea elves would pay for their acts of violence. Unknown to the Nordar, one of the battles results in the death of the Speaker of the Tides.

290 AD—Unwanted Leadership: The regulations on who can become Speaker of the Tides are so restricted that only one Corinesti, Lias “Wavestrider” Ambrodel, qualifies for the position. The Guild Council does not wish for him to take the position, but no other candidate is available. Tension between the merchant houses build.

291 AD—Disaster Delayed: Reorx convinces a human rogue named Talin to steal the Pick of Aenor after the Adlar discover the pick in the ruins of Tandarton. The human hides the pick on a distant island.

300 AD—Corinesti Trade Wars: The merchant houses of the Corinesti begin warring with one another. A trade embargo against Gildanesti is declared, ending good relations between the Corinesti and Gildanesti. Three Corinesti houses were based out of Isryan, and the much economic and physical destruction occurred in the capital and coastal cities. The Isryan Premier threatens to kick all Corinesti out of the nation. The sea elves take their conflict outside of Isryan’s borders. Many nations fall into an economic depression. The Black Branch of the Tashrama assists Trejor in trade, softening the blow.

302 AD—A New Speaker: After the end of the Corinesti Trade War, the Trade Guilds unify and reduce the power of the Speaker. The rules specifying who can be the Speaker of the Tides are relaxed a little, and Quvaresh Thylosathen takes the seat.

308 AD—Vjenor Struck: The Midland nation of Vjenor is attacked by a horde of Sakkaran tribes. The citizens of Vjenor were underestimated and fought back hard. The Sakkaran invasion paid with many lives for the small part of land it gained.

330 AD—The Great Invasion: After multiple harsh winters, the Sakkaran minotaurs gather themselves enough for a single massive push into Ogun, hoping to get to the Fertile Lands near Ogun’s eastern shores.

333-334 AD—The Hope of Helris: An Oguna battlemaster named Helris gathers many of the Oguna into the Army of the Unified-Blood, enabling him to slays three minotaur clan-leaders and break the back of the Great Invasion. Helris reclaims lands almoost up to the western shore of Glisemegh Lake. Helris refuses to let the alliance break apart and founds the capital city of Zorhasic. The capital’s authority was not completely recognized by all Oguna tribes, but it birthed the hope of a unified nation of Ogun.

340 AD—The Fall of Hope: Two independent Sakkaran armies simultaneously sack Zorhasic. Helris is slain and the city is torn down into ruins. The act puts the Oguna people in a rage. Maddened by the loss, they charge westward slaughtering any and all minotaurs they find. The minotaurs are again pushed back west, and the Oguna grieve.

350 AD—The True Gods Return: Proclamations of the return of the Gods are met with a lukewarm reception in Adlatum. In fact, the Elder Dragons that have long ruled in the Midlands do their best through the Scalebound to suppress the knowledge of the gods’ return. Many deem this “new faith” a form of heresy.

351 AD – Isryan Premier Assassinated: The Tao-Shin faith, a religion formerly popular during the time of the Midland’s Divine Bureaucracy, begins again. With Premier Eleah Dayne siding with the Tashrama, she is eventually assassinated. After her death, a new Premier was elected by the name of Yulii Nelens, who happened to be a new cleric of Erraii (Paladine) of the Tao-Shin faith. Isryan support for the Tashrama collapses.

353-359 AD – Oguna Presence: A group of Oguna who had fought the Sakkarans after the fall of Zorhasic reaches Vjenor. The nation allows them to build their own town near the northern border in exchange for helping defend the country against the minotaurs. The town is named Helris Heart, and in 359 AD they successfully repel a minotaur invasion.

368-374 AD – Gnomorran Civil War: Political and legal loopholes result in two separate government bodies being formed. Although the civil war between the governments is fought entirely on paper, thousands of gnomes die before the conflict is resolved.

368 AD – Memorance Searched: A group of adventurers vent into Memorance Lake in Dhu and find artifacts in the lost city of Voen. The lake draws many people who hunt for treasure lost in the Drowning.

374 AD—Pick Almost Found: The Adlar dwarves find a descendant of the thief who stole the Pick of Aenor. The man, a bard named Telnor, almost leads the dwarves to it until Reorx warns him off at the last moment. The bard takes the pick and hides in the Midlands.

382 AD—Days of Darkness: Just before the end of the year, the Adlar find Telnor and murder him. The pick is retrieved and is used to smash the Impassable Door and uncover a chamber deep within the Path. As the Adlar entered the chamber, eyes of fire open upon them and darkness rushes out of the Path into the world. Dragons of fire, black-skinned daemons, dark translucent spirits, and a host of other terrible creatures pour forth from the Path across Adlatum.

The End of Light: The Premier of Isryan, Yulii Nelens, resigns his post. As soon as he does, the horde of Chaos descends upon him. The Premier vanishes, and the rest of Isryan comes under direct assault.

A Possible Hope: Montegron, a powerful warrior in the Midlands stands up to the forces of Chaos and rallies the nations of the Midlands together to defeat the Darkness. Unknown to all, the man is also a devout follower of Rasala Hage.

Forgotten Reign: When an entire army is launched against the evil of Chaos in Drejor, all memory and record of a king who ruled the nation between 374 and 383 AD were wiped clean. Queen Lenyan, not remembering her own king and the father of her newborn daughter, descends into madness. She takes her own life three months later.

Damiyo Reborn: The Lord Emperor of Mauritand’s son Abuyk sees the Damiyo Law fighting the creatures with every ounce of being, for the purpose of defending his father and sisters. He dreams of returning Mauritand to its days of honor and nobility, and eventually re-establishing the Damiyo of old.

Gildanesti Command: Calhan Mar’troon, a nobleman in Gildanesti, defeats the corrupt Lord Marshal Cadminian Levardus in a duel. Calhan is poisoned in the fight but assists in leading the nation’s forces against the Disir summoned up by Chaos. When Elinost is freed and the Disir Queen is killed, Calhan collapses from the poison just outside of the Synod. A strange elf of unusual coloration touches Calhan Mar’troon soon after his collapse. Flames coat the fallen hero but do not burn him. Mar’troon is brought to full health and the elf vanishes in the form of a blue phoenix. Mar’troon is made Lord Marshal.

Elder Freedom: For a brief period of time the surge in ambient chaos magic “snaps together”, overlapping dragon territories. Several of the Elder Dragons discover they are able to leave their lairs. The White Elder Heriacious, who is not recognized by most as a dragon, assists in defending the world from the creatures of chaos. The Red Elder Traxus is tortured by Chaos directly and is almost killed. The Black Elder Xyvren has his Holy Land destroyed. The Blue Elder Almissaive is slain, and his consort Seresayon is bestowed with the Elder status. The forest of the Green Elder Glastious grows in size.

Time of the Prophet

383 AD—Starfall: Rasala Hage steals the world on New Year’s Day and is greatly weakened.

Elders Rebound: The dragon territories are returned to their previous size and dragons are forced back into their bounded lairs. Only the Black Elder Xyvren does not return, but he is bound in a different location, effectively moving the Holy Lands of the Black Branch. Once again the Scalebound preach the word of their respective gods calling the true gods charlatans and liars. The church of the Tao-Shin, without their own gods around, dissipates and vanishes again.

The Fall of Wings: Upon the moment of the Starfall, the winged elven city of Avanost falls from the heavens and crashes into the Dwarfsea. A silver dragon promises to guard the ruins of the lost shining city, and the surviving Avanesti reach the mainland. By the end of the year, they discover the ruins of what they believe to be the ancient elven city of Sirenethel. The ruins are torn down and construction on the city of Helionost begins.

Etlarn Struggles: With two-thirds of the Etlarn Defenders suddenly powerless, the Dragonkin Horde is able to break stalemate. The Horde begins to dominate a majority of the nation.

Gildanesti Reborn: Calhan Mar’troon slowly begins to rebuild the fractured alliance with the Corinesti.

A Legendary Friendship: Montegron saves the life of Jermon Cavlin. Cavlin pledges himself to assisting Montegron in protecting and rebuilding the Midlands. Cavlin begins to gather those he finds who are expert soldiers in their field and show a great loyalty to the Midlands. This group is what eventually forms into the Midland Guard.

384 AD—Offer Rejected: The Tashrama offers the great hero of the Days of Darkness, Lord Montegron, a chance to become leader of the entire Midlands. The position would be as a puppet to the Tashramadic Council. Montegron, a secret follower of Rasala Hage, rejects the offer. Montegron begins plans on a unified Midland Sovereignties without the Tashrama’s influence. Bhadlum’s High Sheriff Mendel Haeg backs the concept if other nations agree.

385 AD—Grip of the Tyrant: After defeating the Chaos creatures released by the dwarves, Montegron proves to be an influential leader and he casts an iron grip over the Midlands to protect them from outside threats. He discovers the nature of the Elder Dragons and their “divine” magic and uses this to his advantage to obtain more power and control of the Midland nations. Montegron becomes increasingly paranoid with the temporary loss of the fatigued Rasala Hage. He surrounds himself with human and dwarven warriors and gnomish advisors.

The Ironvald Siege: The Nordar learn of the destruction the Days of Darkness inflicted on the Sundarin navy. The Nordar make a temporary alliance with the Teusten in hope of destroying the Sundar cities. Many Teusten ships joined in hopes of getting into a good fight. The Sundar are able to turn back the ships at Portswind. The Nordar went home defeated. The Teusten returned home with tales of great battles.

387 AD—Wedding at Sea: Lord Marshal Calhan marries his daughter off to the Speaker of the Tides, Emeranta, in order to further reconcile relations between the Gildanesti and Corinesti.

388 AD—Iveraque and Mauritand Joins:
Iveraque’s Dark Secrets: Montegron learns that the many of the creatures summoned by Queen Ombrarra to fight the hordes of chaos during the Days of Darkness are the beasts roaming the darker places of her nation, or leftovers from Chaos itself. Montegron blackmails Ombrarra into joining the Sovereignties. Ombrarra summons a demon to kill the Sovereign Lord, but the plot backfires. The demon guises itself as a Mauritand lord and begins to court the queen. In time, the queen’s soul is extracted from her body while the flesh continues to live. At the end of the year, Ombrarra gives birth to her son Gianvuoto. Ombrarra’s brother Reniar is given the crown.

Mauritand’s Need: Montegron assists Mauritand in their conflict with the Sekhnesti on their border and convinces Lord Emperor Umaka to join the Sovereignties. Montegron also convinces him to change his title to Lord King, believing the title Lord Emperor was too glorified when compared to his own title. Prince Abuyk’s pride in Mauritand is diminished.

389 AD—Port Clearing: The High Sheriff of Bhadlum, Mendel Haeg, sends a small fleet of ships up the coastline of Lake Borlesko to destroy any boats the Sakkaran minotaurs might be using or building. After wipe out many fishing villages, they discover a port further north where the minotaurs were building warships based off of an old Chôt-tang vessel damaged during the Drowning. The Bhadlum fleet destroyed two ships and razed the village. One of the Bhadlum ships was lost, but the mission was shown successful.

390 AD—Two Sides Build Strength: Both the Tashrama and Montegron begin to accelerate their control over the Midlands.

Expansion of the Holy Lands: Priests of the Tashrama discover that they are able to cast spells outside of the Holy Lands. It is declared a miracle that magic is now available all over the continent of Adlatum. Worship in the “gods” reaches a new high.

Isryan Stabilized: Montegron alters the democratic process in Isryan to build a more stable government. Premiers now are automatically elected to lifetime positions instead of a ten-year term. Dulasa Avex, a former carpenter who had returned to her old life of rebuilding destroyed homes, is elected Premier.

391 AD—Nations Stabilized and Cleansed:
Guiteger Stabilized: Montegron stabilizes the nation of Guiteger after almost being hung and devoured by a violent populace. One of his followers, a half-dwarf named Auger “Sawblade” Ington, remains behind to firm up the region. Montegron offers Ington the crown of the nation. Ington declines and instead becomes an advisor to a new oligarchy.

Solishairon Cleansed: Lord Montegron finds King Fered of Solishairon to be incompetent. He successfully ousts the slothful king. The dukes of the nation try to put Montegron in the throne, but the Lord refuses. Eventually Montegron appoints Duke Stefan Hendurg as Archduke of Solishairon. The Archduke is said to rule Solishairon while their “king” fights to rebuild the entire Midlands.

392 AD—The Pinnacle City Expands: Lord Montegron chooses Karsuhon as his seat of power across the entire Midlands. FyxZharar officially joins the united sovereignties. Construction on Montegron’s palace begins immediately.

393 AD—Unstable Magic: Magic becomes more unreliable as lost souls trapped on Krynn by Rasala Hage start stealing magic from mystics and sorcerers, and buzz annoyingly around the dragon territories of the Elder Dragons, siphoning power.

394 AD—Dhu Joins the Sovereignties: Seresayon grows worried about the steady rise of Lord Montegron and sends representatives to the young King Luciten. In an effort to broker a peaceful relationship, the king is secretively informed of the Blue Elder Dragon’s existence. Unfortunately this frightens the king and harms negotiations. Montegron learns of the diamonds found in the Munest Mines of Dhu, and he forces King Luciten to join the unified sovereignties and slay the representatives of Heaventide. Followers of the Blue Branch are arrested for failure to pay taxes. Montegron then orders the construction of a naval port at Gussun’s Port, which is renamed Emperium Gate. Gussun’s descendent, Troverhon Keelright, is put in charge of the navy’s construction.

395 AD—Army of Darkness: The Voda begin to notice a buildup of souls and discover that the gate to the world beyond has been barred. One of them goes to notify the people of the Midlands and is brought into the employment of King Montegron to make contact with them. Montegron receives instruction from Rasala Hage that he is to build an army of undead to take down the Elder Dragons that have forsaken her. Montegron employs distant necromancers to start creating an army of spirits and undead.

396 AD—The Prophet: During this time a strange prophet comes to the Sovereign Lord Montegron with knowledge of an old legend concerning the Volumes and an army of the dead. She believes that the restless souls of late may have something to do with this. Montegron immediately takes in this prophet and is surprised to discover she is an elf, not a blue-skinned Corinesti but a light-skinned creature of exquisite beauty. She is a fallen elf of the Avanesti. The fallen prophet does not realize the true nature of the King and is only doing what she can to discover the whereabouts of the Volumes. She garners the interest of the king (in more way than one), and he assigns people to help her discover the Volumes that he plans to use for himself of course.

397 AD—Charant Aros Joins the Sovereignties: Ci’tec Orla Mievley agrees to bring Charant Aros into the Sovereignties in return for many concessions. Not all details are made public.

Change in Power: Lord King Umaka of Mauritand dies of a stroke. Abuyk succeeds his father and begins plans to replace a nation of businessmen with a nation of knightly men of valor. Abuyk also begins talks with the bakali of the Vacant Lands in order to settle their problems with the Sekhnesti.

398 AD—Mines Flooded: Seresayon tries to hurt the flow of diamonds being sent to Montegron from the Munest Mines and has millions of gallons of water flood into the tunnels. When sections of the mines are isolated and cut off from Dhu’s miners, she has her own people begin to mine the diamonds for their own needs.

402 AD—Drejor Gains a Queen: On Luminecei Keymelion’s nineteenth birthday, she is crowned queen of Drejor. Settlements outside of Glastious Forest are harassed. When Queen Luminecei sends him her second cousin, the former Regent Moresi, to negotiate with the forest cult, the lead negotiator returns with his fingers cut off and a message warning them not to cut the trees on the forest edge.

405 AD—Assassination Attempt: Gianvuoto is coroneted king of Iveraque, but the ceremony is interrupted when a mage attempts to incinerate the young man. A member of the Midland Guard, Qialna, impales the would-be assassin through the heart as he released a fiery spell. Both died. Qialna is revered as both a national hero and a hero to the Sovereignties.

406 AD—Brimstone’s Defeat: The red branch of the Tashrama trains and army made up of mercenaries, faithful, and battle-hungry Oguna from the north. Before the attack, Rasala Hage, who had sent an aspect to manipulate the tactics that the red branch would use and insure that the Elder Dragon Traxus was kept out of the conflict, warns Montegron of the coming battle. Montegron brings the armies of Solishairon, Isryan, and Guiteger together and utterly decimates the church’s army. The church denies any involvement in the event and successfully campaigns a fictitious rumor claiming the army was an invading force from Ogun that had penetrated to Solishairon’s southern border.

409 AD—Hudiechia and Tashramada Join: A small body of people from the wild lands of Hudiechia meet with a surprised Montegron. Hudiechia joins the Sovereignties in return for help in stabilizing their region. Dalys Thal becomes Montegron’s selection for position of Regent. Lord Montegron also sneaks a large contingent of mages and guardsmen into Tashramada. A noble named Rejada Harshall opens up his mansion to the Midland forces. According to the Sovereignties, the body operating in Harshall’s mansion is the true official government of Tashramada.

410 AD—Training in Shadows: The Midland Guard discovers that the horrors hiding in the wild lands of Hudiechia are as if “the Days of Darkness never ended.” Elite trainees are sent to Hudiechia to toughen them with harsher dangers.

415 AD—The Return of the Dark Queen: Rasala Hage appears to the aging Montegron and tells him that the time to act is drawing near. Once the Elder Dragons have been removed, there will be only one power in the Midlands and, from there, the rest of the continent. She intends to use the power of the Volumes and instructs the king to use the Prophet to his best advantage to find the Volumes. The king begins to tell his subjects that there will be an impending war divined by the Prophet, using that excuse to build up his own forces.

416 AD—Glastious Advances: The Glastious Forest begins to grow again. The Road Watch is formed in order to insure that the route between Sharathen and the east is kept clear.

417 AD—Quiet Replacement: Unknown to most, King Tojra Durandae of Trejor dies. Using dark magic, the Black Elder Dragon Xyvren finds a way to impersonate the king. Xyvren slowly begins moving the nation’s policies away from the good of the Midland Sovereignties.

419 AD—Shifting Alliances:
Firming Defenses: Not pleased with the escalation of events in the Midlands, Gildanesti begins trying to build stronger ties with Etlarn and Onar, hoping to protect the east if the west ever turned its attention their way.

Royal Treason: “King Tojra Durandae” of Trejor has begun publicly supporting the Black Branch of the Tashramadic church and speaking against Montegron’s hold across the Midlands. With most Trejorans loyal to their king first and foremost, Montegron may be on the verge of losing the nation.

420 AD—First Sparks: 
High Murder: High Sheriff Mendel Haeg of Bhadlum is murdered after a card game while disguised as a commoner. The drunken killer Philan Tel goes insane upon learning the true identity of his victim. At Tel’s execution two weeks later, he screams that the Gray God of the North demanded the royal blood of Bhadlum. Mendel Haeg is succeeded by his son Jessup Haeg.

Guiteger changes governments: Sick of the selfishness in the Guiteg government, Auger “Sawblade” Ington throws out the current government and replaces it with a democratically elected system (partially in spite of the former rulers). Montegron is initially furious of the change to mob rule, but over time he had decided to let Ington’s experiment play itself out.

Secrets Revealed: In order to undermine the Tashrama, Montegron sends proclamations out to every Midland nation revealing that the Elder Dragons are the true powers behind the church. Over the following months, after the announcements are read, segments of the church confirm the allegation. This results in the loss of many followers and priests, however the damage varies for each branch. The Red branch’s numbers are decimated, while the Blue branch’s numbers actually slightly climbed.

Guard in Transition: Jermon Cavlin, founder of the Midland Guard, dies. As the Guard mourns, Seresayon tries to have her arrested followers freed from Karsuhon’s dungeons. Jermon’s successor, Noragaen Veliya, discovers the attempt and sounds the alarm. Half of those attempting to escape were lost. The others are grateful to have their lives.

Secrets Revealed: In order to undermine the Tashrama, Montegron sends proclamations out to every Midland nation revealing that the Elder Dragons are the true powers behind the church. Over the following months, after the announcements are read, segments of the church confirm the allegation. This results in the loss of many followers and priests, however the damage varies for each branch.

421 AD—The Nexus of Events: 
Denying Involvement: Politicians and nobles of Etlarn accuse the Tashrama of being behind the Dragonkin Horde assaulting their nation. The church steadfastly denies involvement in the attacks on the foreign nation, claiming they do not have the ability to continue such a long-term war on the other side of Adlatum.

A Cursed Son: The 23 year old son of the Ci’tec of Charant Aros, Gornintom Mievley, falls gravely ill. Rumor runs rampant in the nation that his illness is a punishment for so many turning away from the “true gods” of Krynn, the Elder Dragons.

The Gods Return: The true gods of Krynn, the gods of the Tao-Shin, struggle to find loyal followers and new clergy in Adlatum, but their influence over events is currently far too small to stop the momentum that has been building for decades during their absence. Former Etlarnic ambassador, Deloun Var Silverwolf, becomes the head of the Path of Light and travels to the Midlands to bring the Tao-Shin to the Midlands.

Leaderless: The Dragonkin Horde launches a major siege against Etlarn’s capital hoping to bring the war finally to an end. The Etlarn King Andoja Uranjos vanishes along with his eldest daughter during the assault. The rest of the royal family has no knowledge as to what happened to their ruler and heir.

The War of the Prophet: Just when Montegron is prepared to take on the Elder Dragons, the lost souls disappear. He is cheerfully told by a Voda advisor that gates have been opened and the souls have been allowed to continue their journey. He is devastated and can feel that Rasala Hage is gone. The Prophet disappears, spirited away by the secret order of the Brotherhood of the Prophet. Old, scared and paranoid, Montegron re-evaluates his plans but determines that there is too much friction between the Sovereignties and the church to ease off now. Seeing the Tashrama in a weakened state after his reveal of the Elder Dragons, he instigates warfare against the White Branch of the Tashrama in FyxZharar while making additional preparations against the church’s other branches. Still this instigates civil war through the Midlands.

The War of the Prophet begins.