Timeline of the Rigante world

This page features a timeline of events taking place in the Rigante world, the setting of the Rigante series of novels (, , , ).
No official calendar or year numbers are mentioned in the series itself. The David Gemmell Wiki uses its own system of dating based on the year of the birth of Connavar, the main protagonist of the first two books. Dates are worked out based on the ages of characters and other indications of the passing of time found in the novels. Years before Connavar's birth are marked BBC (Before the Birth of Connavar), the year of his birth is 0 BC, and all subsequent years are marked ABC (After the Birth of Connavar).
== Timeline ==
Year 	Event(s) 	Source
c.400 BBC 	The city of Stone is founded on the site of a comet crash. 	, ch. 8
34 BBC 	Appius is born. 	, ch. 11
33 BBC 	Banouin is born. 	, ch. 4
Arbonacast is born. 	, ch. 6 	
27 BBC 	Garshon's right eye is burned out by a Doca lord, after the lord's wife accuses him of winking at her. 	, ch. 7
25 BBC 	Jasaray is born. 	, ch. 10
23 BBC 	Carac, future King of the Perdii, is born. 	, ch. 11
21 BBC 	Vorna is born. 	, ch. 5
21 BBC 	Garshon, leading a band of outlaws and mercenaries, raids Doca lands and captures the town of the lord who burned his eye, killing both him and his wife. Neighbouring lords form an alliance and drive him out. Garshon eventually settles in the then small port town of Goriasa, which develops into a thriving trade centre under his governance. 	, ch. 7
c.20 BBC 	The great hero Calavanus leads the Rigante against the Vars, killing their king in single combat. 	, ch. 4Connavar describes Calavanus as "a great hero in my grandfather's day".
18 BBC 	Varaconn, father of Connavar, is born. His birth geasa prophesises that he will die within a week after killing a raven. 	, ch. 1
12 BBC 	Varaconn's father dies of wounds sustained in a battle between Rigante and Pannones. 	, ch. 1
Fiallach is born. 	, ch. 12 	
11 BBC 	Varaconn's mother dies after a severe illness, leaving Varaconn in the care of an uncle. 	, ch. 1
c.8 BBC 	Valanus is born. 	, ch. 7Connavar guesses Valanus to be in his "middle twenties" when they first meet in Goriasa (17 ABC). Valanus' birth year is here estimated based on an age of 25 at that time.
7 BBC 	Eriatha is born. 	, ch. 3
3 BBC 	Parax begins to live among the Perdii. 	, ch. 9
c.2 BBC 	Battle between Rigante and Pannones. First Warrior Ruathain and his sword brother Varaconn both take part. 	, ch. 1
2 BBC 	Ruathain travels to the coast to sell cattle and returns with an iron sword blessed with four Druid spells. 	, ch. 1
2 BBC 	Casta is born. 	, ch. 4Casta is two years older than Connavar.
1 BBC 	The Year of the Crippling: two in three Rigante babes are born paralysed or stillborn. As per custom, they are left exposed to the elements to die during the night.In Three Streams, one such child, Riamfada, son of Gariapha the metalworker and his wife Wiocca, survives the night, and the village council agree to let him live. 	, ch. 4
1 BBC 	Banouin, a merchant from Stone, arrives in Rigante lands for the first time, staying for three months, selling cloth, spices, and salt, and buying hides and metal ornaments. 	, ch. 2
1 BBC 	Meria weds Varaconn, at the Feast of Beltine, after having turned down several prior suitors, including Ruathain. 	, ch. 1
1 BBC 	Ruathain's father dies. 	, ch. 2
1 BBC 	Govannan, son of Nanncumal, is born. 	, ch. 3Govannan is mentioned as being two years older than Braefar.
0 BC 	Banouin visits Rigante lands for a second time, and has a house built for him in Three Streams, where he begins to spend the entire winter and spring every year. 	, ch. 2
0 BC 	Varaconn breaks his geasa when his startled pony kicks a raven and kills it. Ruathain gifts him his enchanted iron sword. Varaconn asks Ruathain to marry and support the widowed Meria if he should die. 	, ch. 1
0 BC 	Five days later, Connavar, future High King of the Rigante, is born to Meria and Varaconn. He is given the soul-name Sword in the Storm, after Varaconn witnesses a bolt of lightning shatter his sword atop Caer Druagh. 	, ch. 1
0 BC 	The next day, an 8,000-strong army of Keltoi tribesmen marches against 12,000 Vars invaders. Ruathain and Varaconn are among the Northern Rigante contingent. The Keltoi win the battle, but Varaconn dies while fleeing. 	, ch. 2
0 BC 	Four months later, Ruathain weds Meria. 	, ch. 2
1 ABC 	Ruathain and Meria's first son, Braefar, is born. He is given the soul-name Wing over Water. 	, ch. 2
1 ABC 	Tae, daughter of the Long Laird, is born. 	, ch. 12
2 ABC 	Arian, daughter of Nanncumal, is born. 	, ch. 3
3 ABC 	Arakar, son of Carac, is born. 	, ch. 11
4 ABC 	First Civil War of the Stone empire. The scholar Jasaray is drafted into the Third Army of the Republic as quartermaster, eventually rising to the role of general, and leading the Republic to victory against the rebels. Three thousand rebel soldiers are crucified, and two of their leaders beheaded. Jasaray is hailed as a great war hero. Banouin also serves as a general in the war.There seems to be an inconsistency in the dating in the original novel here, since Banouin would already have left the army and begun his life as a merchant by this point.	, ch. 10
6 ABC 	Eriatha, aged 13, is disowned by her family and cast out of her tribe after an affair with her father's friend. She will later take to living as an earth maiden and eventually settle in Three Streams among the Northern Rigante. 	, ch. 3
6–10 ABC 	Borga the Baker and his wife Pelain, cousin of Meria, have four consecutive children, all of whom die within the first few days of birth. On one of the occasions, Pelain passes out during childbirth and is saved by Vorna taking control of her body through a Merging. 	, ch. 2, 5
7 ABC 	Bendegit Bran, Ruathain and Meria's second son, is born. 	, ch. 2
8 ABC 	The eight-year-old Connavar begins a long-lasting friendship with Banouin the Foreigner, after the latter catches him breaking into his warehouse as part of a dare. 	, ch. 2
10 ABC 	Connavar and Braefar are involved in a scuffle against Govannan and four other children after Govannan calls Connavar's father a coward. 	, ch. 2
10 ABC 	Ruathain and Meria separate following an altercation in which Meria accuses Ruathain of letting Varaconn die just in order to marry her, and Ruathain likens Meria to a pox-ridden whore. 	, ch. 2
11 ABC 	After the witch Vorna refuses to help him reconcile his parents through magic, Connavar seeks out the Thagda in the Wishing Tree Woods. He rescues a trapped fawn from a bramble bush, and is rewarded with the Seidh blade. 	, ch. 3
15 ABC 	A sickness among the coastal Norvii kills one sixth of the population. 	, ch. 3
15 ABC 	After sharing a kiss with her in the woods, Connavar declares his intention to ask for Arian's hand in marriage from her father Nanncumal at the Feast of Samain the following year. 	, ch. 3
15 ABC 	Ruathain punches Nanncumal after the latter accuses Connavar of theft and calls him the get of a coward. 	, ch. 3
16 ABC 	Braefar wins the Solstice Race. Connavar comes second and Govannan comes third (thanks to Conn meddling with a signpost to send him off track). 	, ch. 3
During his long annual journey to Three Streams from Stone, Banouin is accosted by three Norvii outcasts. He fights them off but is wounded. 	, ch. 3 	
Ruathain kills two young Pannone tribesman while intercepting a cattle raid. 	, ch. 4 	
Arian is traumatised by the death of her younger sister Biara. She allows a foreign trader to take advantage of her by the roadside, receiving a silver coin in exchange. This begins a series of such encounters throughout the year, several of which lead to pregnancies aborted with the help of Eriatha. 	, ch. 3 	
Eriatha the earth maiden initiates Connavar in the art of lovemaking ahead of his intended marriage to Arian. 	, ch. 3 	
Connavar batters Govannan (in front of his sisters Arian and Gwydia), for teasing and shaming Braefar. 	, ch. 3 	
In an encounter with the Morrigu, Connavar wishes for glory. 	, ch. 4 	
Connavar becomes friends with the young crippled metal crafter Riamfada, after teaching him to swim in the pool beneath Riguan Falls. 	, ch. 4 	
Connavar beats up Casta after catching Arian flirting with him. Arian and Connavar then make love in the woods. 	, ch. 4 	
A large bear attacks and kills three children outside a Norvii settlement. The Norvii drive the bear west into Rigante lands, where it attacks seven children who had been swimming at the Riguan Falls. Three of them—brothers Galanis, Baris, and Gethenan—are killed. Connavar, with help from Govannan, fights the bear to protect crippled Riamfada. Braefar also survives. Eventually, Ruathain and his men slay the bear. Conn is left severely wounded, close to death.	, ch. 4–5 	
Vorna risks her life to save the dying Connavar by Merging with his unconscious body and forcing it to eat and drink. The ritual costs her her magical abilities. She is no longer a witch. 	, ch. 5 	
17 ABC 	After an old man and young girl are found murdered (the girl has also been raped) on Rigante lands, Connavar hunts down and kills three of the perpetrators, all Gath tribesmen. A fourth suspect, Lexac of the Ostro, is placed on trial before the Long Laird, where he is interrogated by Brother Solstice the druid. He is found guilty and sentenced to death by drowning. 	, ch. 6
17 ABC 	Borga the Baker dies of heart failure, leaving Pelain a widow. 	, ch. 6
17 ABC 	At the Feast of Beltine, Riamfada dies peacefully and his spirit is led into the Wishing Tree Woods by the Seidh. 	, ch. 6
17 ABC 	Banouin and Vorna fall in love and marry one another after spending the night together during the Feast of Beltine. 	, ch. 6
17 ABC 	Connavar accompanies Banouin on a journey across the water where the Stone empire is rapidly expanding. 	, ch. 7
17 ABC 	At Goriasa, Connavar saves Valanus from an assassination attempt orchestrated by Garshon. 	, ch. 7
17 ABC 	Banouin is executed by public hanging in Arin, on the order of the Perdii king Carac, after being betrayed by fellow merchant Diatka. Connavar kills Diatka and swears to avenge Banouin by wiping the Perdii off the face of the earth. 	, ch. 8
17 ABC 	Pursued by Perdii warriors enlisting the help of Parax the hunter, Connavar flees into the Talis Woods, where he is protected, assisted against his assailants, and healed by the Seidh. 	, ch. 9
17 ABC 	Connavar joins the Stone army led by Jasaray during their conquest of Perdii lands. He keeps close company with Valanus. 	, ch. 10
17 ABC 	Connavar plays a pivotal role in helping the Stone army anticipate and defend against a large Perdii ambush. During the battle, Connavar slays Carac and his son Arakar. 	, ch. 12
17 ABC 	Upon the petition of Connavar (a gift that comes with a price), the Morrigu safely delivers Banouin and Vorna's son, despite him being in a breeched position. 	, ch. 12
18 ABC 	Connavar returns home to Three Streams, accompanied by Parax. 	, ch. 12
==Notes==