Lotharian Calendar

The **Lotharian Calendar** (**L.C.**) is the calendar used most prevalently in the world of Azeroth, beginning a few years before the opening of the Dark Portal in year 0 L.C. It was named in honor of Sir Anduin Lothar who led the Alliance of Lordaeron in battle against the Orcish Horde for the majority of the Orcish Wars.

The present year of the Lotharian Calendar is 37 L.C.

## Disclaimers and Notes

* The following calendar is a combination of canon and fan-written events. While role-players can and generally do recognize "server" events, the events listed on this timeline are by no means an authoritative chronology that all players must recognize.

* The exact dates of certain events are often contested even by Blizzard's writers. As such, this timeline is constructed and ordered to the best of our ability to preserve real-world time.

* This timeline will always be very much a work in progress!

# Golden Age of Stormwind (-10 L.C. - 3 L.C.)

The Rule of King Adamant Wrynn with Sir Anduin Lothar as his most trusted guard. Sir Lothar begins to make a name for himself amongst the people. This is the last record of Azeroth before the presence of the Orcs.

* Varian Wrynn is Born (-7 L.C.)
* Arthas Menethil is Born (-1 L.C.)
* Jaina Proudmoore is Born (0 L.C.)
* Opening of the Dark Portal (0 L.C.)
* Raid on Stormwind (3 L.C.)
* Frostwolf Clan leaves the Horde (3 L.C.)

# The First War (3 L.C. - 8 L.C.)

After the opening of the Dark Portal, the Orcish Horde swept across the Kingdom of Azeroth - destroying centuries worth of progress and gutting the nation to its core.

* Thrall is Born (3 L.C.)
* King Llane's Coronation (4 L.C.)
* Battle of Grand Hamlet (4 L.C.)
* Battle in the Deadmines (5 L.C.)
	+ Assassination of Griselda Blackhand
	+ Rescue of Anduin Lothar
* Defense of Northshire (5 L.C.)
* Assault on Karazhan (6 L.C.)
	+ Death of Medivh
* Orgrim Doomhammer's Coup (6 L.C.)
	+ Destruction of Kyross
	+ Sacking of Northshire
	+ Death of Blackhand
* Lothar's Offensive (6 L.C.)
	+ Battle of Rockard
	+ Battle of Stonard
* Siege of the Twin Cities (7 L.C.)
	+ Battle of Moonbrook
	+ Battle of Goldshire
* Second Battle of Stormwind (8 L.C.)
	+ Assassination of King Llane
	+ Human Exodus to Lordaeron

# The Second War (9 L.C. - 11 L.C.)

With the backing of the Alliance of Lordaeron, the survivors of Azeroth rallied to push the Orcish Horde back and liberate the ruins of their homeland.

* Conquest of Khaz Modan (8 L.C.)
	+ Siege of Ironforge
	+ Battle in the Badlands (8 L.C.)
* The Alliance of Lordaeron is founded between Lordaeron, Stormwind, Ironforge, Gnomeregan, Dalaran, and Kul Tiras (8 L.C.)
	+ The Order of the Silver Hand is founded by Alonsus Faol and Uther
	+ Alterac, Stromgarde, Quel'Thalas, and Aerie Peak join the Alliance.
* War at Sea (9 L.C.)
	+ Battle of Zul'dare
	+ Battle of Tol Barad (9 L.C.)
* The Horde Offensive (9 L.C.)
	+ Raid at Hillsbrad
	+ Ambush at Tarren Mill
	+ Battle of Southshore
		- Turalyon is promoted to High General
	+ Fall of Stromgarde (9 L.C.)
* The Alliance Counterattack (9 L.C.)
	+ Battle of Dun Algaz
	+ Battle of Grim Batol
	+ Battle of Caer Darrow
	+ Tyr's Hand Peasant Riots
* Invasion of Quel'thalas (10 L.C.)
	+ Battle of Stratholme
	+ Battle of Eversong
		- Quel'Thalas puts it's full effort into the war
	+ Battle of Silvermoon
* Battle for Lordaeron (10 L.C.)
	+ Battle of Dalaran
	+ Battle of Ambermill
		- Gilneas joins the Alliance in full force
	+ Siege of Lordaeron
		- The Stormreaver and Twlight's Hammer clans leave the Horde
	+ Battle at the Tomb of Sargeras
* The Alliance Offensive (10 L.C.)
	+ Destruction of Alterac
	+ Battle of Balor
	+ Liberation of Ironforge
	+ Assault on Blackrock Spire
		- Anduin Lothar is ambushed and killed near Searing Gorge, Turalyon leads the Alliance into battle.
		- Orgrim Doomhammer is captured, Kilrogg Deadeye assumes command of the Horde forces.
	+ Battle of the Dark Portal (11 L.C.)
		- The Dark Portal is destroyed by Khadgar

# Reconstruction (11 L.C. - 23 L.C.)

After the death and destruction of the Orcish Wars, the remaining people of the Eastern Kingdoms began to rebuild their holdings.

* Post-War
	+ Varian Wrynn's Coronation (11 L.C.)
	+ Signing of the Alliance Internment Act (12 L.C.)
		- Gilneas and Stromgarde leave the Alliance
	+ Alterac Crisis
	+ Ner'zhul becomes Warchief of the Horde
* Construction of the Greymane Wall begins. (13 L.C.)

# The Third War and the Rise of the Lich King (23 L.C. - 25 L.C.)

What began as a rogue wizard's plague in the Kingdom of Lordaeron eventually spread into an all out war for the very survival of the planet.

* Thrall escapes from Durnholde and begins liberating Orcish Interment Camps (21 L.C.)
* Orcish Exodus to Kalimdor (23 L.C.)
	+ Defense of Strahnbrad
* The Scourge of Loraderon (23 L.C.)
	+ Battle of Andorhal
	+ Battle of Hearthglen
	+ Culling of Stratholme (23 L.C.)
	+ Battle for Northrend
		- Muradin Bronzebeard is presumed killed
		- Arthas Menethil claims Frostmourne
* Path of the Damned (23 L.C.)
	+ Death of King Terenas Menethil II
	+ Destruction of Lordaeron
		- Uther the Lightbringer is killed
		- Kel'thuzad informs Arthas of the Sunwell and its immensely powerful magical properties
		- Arthas begins to lead his army north to Quel'Thalas in order to seize the Sunwell and restore Kel'Thuzad to his corporeal form
* The Scourge Invasion of Quel'thalas
	+ Sylvanas Windrunner and her rangers make their way to Thalassian Pass to confront Arthas after hearing reports of the atrocities committed in Lordaeron
		- Sylvanas fails to kill Arthas outright, begins an assault on his undead hoards, hoping the Elfgates would provide support
		- Arthas breaks through the first gate and his necromancers begin reanimating the slain rangers
	+ Sylvanas and her rangers are forced to retreat, and sends several runners to warn the Magisters of Silvermoon City and Quel'Danas of the undead army
		- Almost every runner is killed by Arthas's gargoyles and Sylvanas evacuates Fairbreeze Village and several other settlements
	+ Ranger Lord Lor'themar Theron is patrolling Zul'Aman and becomes aware of the threat and moved his forces west to confront the Scourge
		- He is nearly killed by reanimated Elven guardians and loses his left eye in the process, but is saved by Halduron Brightwing
	+ Koltira, Faltora and Merriel encounter the scourge, including Thassarian and are slain
	+ Arthas acquires the Key of the Three Moons with the help of Dar'Khan Drathir, thus bypassing several Elfgate defenses
	+ Arthas confronts Sylvanas and the two do battle
		- Sylvanas is too exhausted from her previous efforts and is slain by Frostmourne, only to be raised as a banshee as a form of mockery, forced to battle her own kin and homeland
	+ Arthas and his army approach Silvermoon and lay siege to the city, forcing Sylvanas to the frontlines as a mockery to the elves and as a testament to his power
	+ Grand Magister Belo'vir and his forces hold fast in their defense with Vandellor and Liadrin healing the wounded
	+ Arthas uses the mooncrystals to bypass the defenses of Ban'dinoriel and renders Silvermoon vulnerable
	+ Belo'vir realizes defending the city is impossible, and commands Rommath to evacuate Silvermoon's elves to Quel'Danas
	+ Several ships accompanied by Liadrin's apprentice, Galell, set sail in hopes of reaching the safety of the Wildhammer Clan, but are attacked and destroyed by Scourge gargoyles
		- Most of the child passengers drown, and the remaining survivors are forced ashore, most of which promptly being slain
	+ Dar'Khan Drathir murders roughly half of the Convocation of Silvermoon in order to begin his binding ritual upon the Sunwell
	+ Thalorien Dawnseeker, wielder of Quel'Delar, makes a final stand on the shores of Quel'Danas and is killed by the death knight Morlen Coldgrip; the legendary blade is lost for the time being
	+ Arthas rushes to the Sunwell by way of an icy bridge, but is met with the High King of Quel'Thalas himself, Anasterian Sunstrider
		- Anasterian destroys the bridge and attacks the Scourge forces whom are forced into the ocean
	+ Anasterian manages to severely cripple Arthas's steed, Invincible, by severing its forelegs
	+ Anasterian and Arthas engage in a fierce battle which resulted in Arthas shattering the king's blade, Felo'melorn, and is undeterred even when Anasterian buries a broken shard into his thigh
	+ The king is killed with Frostmourne and his soul is stolen
	+ Two elven brothers, Salonar and Falon retrieve the king's body and usher it away from the battle, saving him from a life of undeath like Sylvanas
	+ Arthas arrives at the Sunwell and submerges Kel'Thuzads body in its waters, resurrecting him as a powerful Lich and tainting the fount in the process
	+ Arthas leaves Quel'Thalas in shambles, and what remains of the Elven forces are left to deal with the irrecoverable damage
* Human Exodus to Kalimdor (24 L.C.)
* Battle of Mount Hyjal (24 L.C.)
* Arthas sets off for Northrend (25 L.C.)
* Arthas defeats Illidan Stormrage and ascends the Frozen Throne, becoming the new Lich King. (25 L.C.)

# The Dark Times (28 L.C. - 29 L.C.)

Despite the victory against the Burning Legion in Kalimdor, the remaining kingdoms of the east fell one by one. The bastions that remained would form the Grand Alliance while the Orcish remnants forged the New Horde.

* Sentinel-Warsong Conflict begins. (28 L.C.)
* Stormpike-Frostwolf Conflict begins. (28 L.C.)
* Assault on Blackwing Lair (28 L.C.)
* Defilers-League of Arathor Conflict begins. (28 L.C.)
* Rise of Hakkar (29 L.C.)
* Opening of the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj (29 L.C.)
* Fall of Naxxramas (29 L.C.)

# The Burning Crusade (29 L.C. - 30 L.C.)

As the Alliance and Horde recovered from internal strife, the reopening of the Dark Portal emboldened the factions to rekindle heroism of old. The Blood Elves joined the New Horde and the Draenei sided with the Grand Alliance.

* Draenei join the Alliance (29 L.C.)
* Sin'dorei join the Horde (29 L.C.)
* Reopening of the Dark Portal (29 L.C.)
	+ Second Alliance Expedition to Draenor
* Siege of the Black Temple (May, 29 L.C.)
	+ **Death of Illidan Stormrage**
* Amani War (November, 29 L.C.)
* Battle for the Sunwell (30 L.C.)
	+ **Kiljaedan Defeated**

# Wrath of the Lich King (30 L.C. - 31 L.C.)

After Varian Wrynn was returned to the throne of the Kingdom of Stormwind, the Lich King launched a war that would engulf all of Azeroth. Death Knights of the Ebon Blade defected from the Scourge to join the Alliance and the Horde.

# The Cataclysm (31 - 33 L.C.)

Deathwing erupted from deep within the earth, sundering the world of Azeroth and igniting war between the Alliance and Horde. Forced by circumstance, the Goblins of the Bilgewater Cartel joined the Horde and the Worgen of Gilneas joined the Alliance.

* The Sundering (31 L.C.)
	+ Attack on Stormwind City
* Siege of Wyrmrest Temple (33 L.C.)
	+ **Deathwing Defeated**

# Mists of Pandaria (33 L.C. - 35 L.C.)

With Deathwing defeated, the forces of the Alliance and the Horde clashed in a bloody war of conquest and colonization throughout Azeroth. The discovery of Pandaria accelerated the bloodshed, eventually prompting civil war within the Horde.

* Bombing of Theramore Isle (33 L.C.)
* Discovery of Pandaria (August, 33 L.C.)
* Purge of Dalaran (33 L.C.)
* Siege of Orgrimmar (September 10th - October 22nd, 34 L.C.)
	+ **Hellscream's Defeat**
	+ Vol'jin replaces Garrosh Hellscream as Warchief.
* Trial of Garrosh Hellscream (34 L.C.)

# Warlords of Draenor (35 L.C. - Present)

After Garrosh Hellscream was deposed, he was put on trial for his crimes. However, due to the intervention of the bronze dragon Kairozdormu he escaped imprisonment and fled to the past version of an alternate Draenor, creating the Iron Horde and invading Azeroth.

* Iron Horde Invasion of Azeroth (October 14th, 35 L.C.)
* Assault on the Dark Portal (November 11th, 35 L.C.)

## References

Timeline dates adapted from [1] and in-game events in World of Warcraft. Add three years to the given year to get the L.C. years.

Due to Blizzard's repeated habits of shrinking expansions that span longer than a year into a single year in lore, it may cause issues when giving specific dates to events role-played by players. The only exception thus far has been Cataclysm, but with other expansions that have spanned well over a year in some cases they have been condensed into one year typically. (Vanilla being an exception.)