Serora In-Game Timeline

## Pre-Game

1694 - Sultan Osprey is elected.

Summer 1699 - The rains have not come. One of the worst droughts in living memory begins.

## Chapter 1

Around the turn of the year 1699/1700

After six months of drought, Serorans are at the end of their rope. Diplomats are sent to Aodh, Breim and War Forged in an attempt to secure any aid that might be available. Aodh promises ample food and supplies in exchange for Serora rounding up their Vagabonds to be sent to slavery. Breim offers farmable land from its own territory, in exchange for 25% of the produce. War Forged can give them nothing but the potential of future trade.

Back in Serora two groups sent to find food come under attack from wild animals, but are nonetheless successful in securing food and medical herbs sorely needed by their people. Sultan Osprey himself leads a band of Serorans to Alya’s shrine to commune with the Wind Mother.

Serora has to accept the proposal of Aodh, as while they also accept and appreciate the help from Breim, farmable land is hardly an answer to an immediate food crisis. Less than a month later, Serora receives its first shipments of supplies from Aodh. Shipments continue throughout the winter and spring.

## Chapter 2

Spring 1700

The Serorans set about fulfilling their end of the bargain, and round up a number of wandering Vagabonds from their territory. One of them is pregnant, giving birth just as she is about to be loaded off. The Serorans claim the child as theirs, forcing the Aodh Envoy to concede. The Aodhian caravan leaves with the rest of the captured souls.

Elsewhere, a party of Serorans searching for supplies to tide them over meets a band of angry Vagabonds guarding resources. Vagabonds, betrayed by Serora giving them up, attack the Serorans, forcing them on the defensive, and eventually chasing them off and keeping the resourced to themselves.

In the Valley of Melodies, the Sultan and his entourage come across a peculiar soul who leads them to a vast Oasis hidden within the Valley. The verdant natural garden is untouched by the drought, and able to provide for the herd.

As word of the Oasis reaches the rest of Serora, all efforts to capture and surrender Vagabonds cease immediately. Any Vagabonds already captured are freed, and Serora announces to Aodh that they have no intention of resuming shipments of Vagabonds; the shipment which already left being the only one to ever be sent.

Over the following weeks and months, a majority of the herd moves into the Oasis to enjoy its bounty. Vagabonds still on good terms with the herd are also allowed to join them there.

## Chapter 3

Summer 1700

The Aodh Envoy returns to discuss the broken agreement. With her is a bodyguard entourage, something that irks the Serorans. She brings her Kings demand: Serora must surrender them the foal, and additional Vagabonds up to the value of goods Serora received, and no ill will shall remain. If they do not, it will mean war. Serorans refuse, confident that the Oasis will allow them to withstand a war. In the Oasis, the pale stranger who helped them find the place comes under suspicion from their strange behavior, and is discovered to be harboring something most thought impossible: a kirin. A group of curious and concerned individuals split up to listen in on both of these events, and joined them upon being discovered.

Two groups of Serorans aspire to protect the Oasis from danger - a flock of aggressive Thunderbirds, and a quickly moving wildfire. They are able to lead the birds away from the Oasis and towards the wildfire, and successfully contain the fire itself, protecting their herd from catastrophe.

In the safety of the Oasis, the Prophet Adhara gives birth to an anomaly: a kirin. Adhara dies in childbirth. In New Valore, the Serora Peacemaker to Aodh, Syria, is helped out of the city by Adviser Ember.

After the appearance of the two kirins, more begin to show up, seemingly out of nowhere.

Shortly after events of chapter 3, a group of refugees from Aquore arrive in Sedo - with them the Emperor.

## Mini Event - The First Rain

Late summer 1700

After a year of drought, the rains finally arrive, washing over the Oasis and the rest of northern Sedo. Things return to normal, and the promise of a better year has people dancing and celebrating.

## Chapter 4

Autumn 1700

The Talori refugees enter into discussions with the Serora government about an alliance between their nations. They give very little information on their homeland or specifics of the situation, but promise that in return for aid retaking their homeland, they will lend 30,000 soldiers to the war effort against Aodh. Several Serorans object, most loudly one of the Mullah, who is ejected from the meeting by the Sultan, who agrees to the treaty.

It is not just the leaders trying to grapple with a potential alliance, as Serorans and Talorians try their best to find common ground while running errands. The Talori are heckled by teenagers, and the Serorans do their best to smooth things over.

A group of children comprised of Serora and Talori refugee youths solve a puzzle relic and are rewarded with carved weapons, offering hope of a lasting bond between the nations.

The Talori are not the only allies sought by the Serorans. A group of Furies negotiates a temporary alliance with a tribe of Thunderbirds led by the matriarch Malaika, who promise to offer aid in the war against Aodh. The kirins are also implored for aid, and while some of them accept, others leave, feeling no connection to the land they popped up in.

Practical preparations are also in full swing. Syria shares with the Serora warriors what she knows of the army and strategies of Aodh, and the group discusses plans on how to fight the invaders once they arrive. Meanwhile, another group is sent to locate and gather valuable ore for the war effort.

After the Talori treaty, winds around Hireath become unpredictable. Serora bears the brunt of it, with dangerous gusts and storms rising out of nowhere.

## Mini Event - The Schism

Autumn 1700

The Serora Sultan, Osprey, leaves the herd without a warning, leaving behind only the message that he must leave to commune with Alya, and is unlikely to return. In his absence, a new Sultan, Baram, is selected. Around the same time, the errant winds stop. The sky is quiet and Alya is not answering prayers. Her blessings across Hireath weaken.

Baram’s first order of business is to reaffirm that they will hold onto the alliance treaty with Talori, mostly to avoid damaging Serora’s reputation by backing out of another treaty on such short notice. This decision is not particularly well received, and many voice their concerns, loudest among them the Mullah who was cast out of the treaty discussion - something which is not the Seroran way.

The opponents of the treaty also believe that the recent strange phenomena and the following disappearance of Alya are a sign of her disapproval of Serora’s actions.

The sides are eventually able to reconcile their opinions and join together in group prayer with the rest of the herd. Only silence meets them.

After these discussions, Serorans prepare for war in Aquore, and towards winter, troops depart from Sedo on ships.

## Chapter 5

Early winter 1700 (before new year)

Serorans participate in the war in Aquore, fighting the Flight in the air. They sustain many casualties, but are eventually able to win over their opponents, while also discovering the Talori’s dirty secrets - there is no army 30,000 strong, and the reason for the civil uprising is the Talori prejudice against pegasi.

Suitably disgusted and distraught, the Serorans still aspire to live up to their standards of morality, and broker a new agreement - Talori will still offer aid by sending troops and healers to Serora, as well as abandon their ways of sacrifice. A new political marriage between Serora and Talori cements this alliance.

The Sultan, Baram, promises the Flight leadership to protect them from retaliation, and after the fighting is over, the captured Flight combatants, as well as a number of their supporters, are brought to Sedo with the intention of integrating them to the Serora society, although some of the more hostile Flight members are kept imprisoned for the time being.

Back in Serora, those left behind struggle with the absence of their god, and the coming war. The religious leadership of the herd gathers the faithful atop God’s Landing. They are joined one by one by several parties. First to arrive are a group of children and their caregivers, presenting to the mullah a strange artifact, a weapon with mystical power. The second group are fresh off of fighting off a vicious flock of Thunderbirds who do not honor Matriarch Malaika’s agreement. The third and final group brings with them strange news of a Jackalope who has acquired the ability to teleport, an ability unheard of before then. With the large group now gathered in God’s Landing, Alya reappears, affirming her love for her people. She thanks them for keeping her weapon safe, but also viciously returns the memories of the two kirins present, and when challenged, grants them a vision of what the kirins did to the people of Sedo before leaving.

As a part of the war preparations, the viability of Oasis as a safe haven is investigated. While there, the equines are shown visions from the past - ancient kirins murdering common horse, pegasi and unicorns alike. A mysterious Zesla shows them Alya’s defeat at the hands of Ignacio and Kaia, scattering her to stardust and drawing her away from her people. The creature then reveals its true nature as Alya, telling them that she never intended to abandon them.

Some months later, the Harbingers of Serora and Flight conspire to free the Flight prisoners held in Sedo, and the majority of the rebel faction returns to Aquore, with a select few remaining behind as Serorans.

## Chapter 6

Spring 1701

The war has now come to Serora in earnest as Aodhian troops have marched inland, and progressed from harassing the Sedo border settlements and Vagabond camps to threatening Osulas itself. Serorans have worked with guerilla tactics and turned the land itself against the invaders. It is working, but the troops still advance, and the Serora leadership has to make a choice: to destroy Osulas, or leave it for the Aodhians.
In the end, they decided to destroy Osulas, with a councilors Holy Blessing obliterating the empty city.

Around Sedo, Serorans and their allied fight for their homeland. Furies and Thunderbirds face off against Chevaliers and their Furias, while a group of healers works tirelessly to mitigate the damage done. A party of Folk and Windracers, protected by a ranger and kirins, split, one half continuing on to the Oasis, while another attack the nearby Aodhian war camp, looting it before setting it ablaze. Further in the sands, a Windracer carrying civilians and warriors alike are ambushed by Aodhians, leading to one of them being captured.

As people from all around Sedo fight for their lives and the lives of their families, many more race towards the promise of safety in the Oasis. This safe haven is being fast approached by Aodhian troops, and some of its protectors work together to use Alya’s relic to put up a great barrier, with the knowledge that this might not be easily undone. They are eventually successful, sealing off the Oasis from the outside world, guaranteeing the safety of those inside, but blocking anyone new from entering.

The war in Sedo continues. With Osulas destroyed, no large cities remain, and the people left outside the Oasis are scattered, fighting for survival. Most of the Serora leadership, including their Sultan, Prophet and several Councilors, are left on the outside, cut off from the majority of the herd save from communication via astral projection.
During these months, Aodhians raid northern Sedo, taking slaves and destroying anything they can find. This includes portions of the Serora navy. Many Vagabond visitors are also captured.

## Chapter 7

Summer 1701

In the Oasis, the citizens of Serora are safe, but they are also unfamiliar and somewhat uncomfortable with the new cramped settings - the Oasis may be big, but for a people used to nomadic lifestyles, it is a verdant cage. A group of Serorans find the artifact that sealed them waking, and with assurances from what seems to be the weapon itself, the barrier around the Oasis is transformed so that it can now be traveled through via Teleportation - a possible advantage in the war, as long as it stays secret from their enemies. The residents of the Oasis also discover a previously unknown type of creature, an Echo, a familiar which had long been lost to their people.

In the open desert, there is difficulty abound. The Serora council, on the run after the destruction of Osulas and separated from the Sultan, almost have a brush with the enemy, but are saved by the bad luck of another. Meanwhile, a group of citizens discover bandits hoarding the already sparse resources, discovering the emergence of the Water Bandit faction, a group that seems to have gained ground in these difficult times. Serorans, too, find their hearts changed, as a group of Furies suspiciously stop Vagabonds from entering Sedo, although after questioning, they are allowed in.

Amidst the uncertainty, the Oasis and the outside come in contact via Astral Projection. As they discuss the ongoing war, Alya appears to them, promising to renew Serora. Before anyone can question her for details, she disappears.

The war continues, and although Serora is remarkably successful in keeping the Aodhians at bay and raiding their supply lines, they sustain further losses. With many of the Council captured or retiring from duty, and with some other members of the Seroran government disappearing, the lack of leadership makes the situation even more dire. Additionally, the disruption in their traditional livelihood threatens Sedo with another famine, for the resources inside the Oasis have been heavily depleted by the past year.

## Mini Event - White Flag

Late summer 1701 (late August)

After months of war, Aodh and Serora form a peace treaty which heavily favors Aodh, but finally frees Serora from the war. The treaty is not popular among the people of Sedo, but they settle to a suspicious peace nevertheless.

With the war over, Serorans send word to Talori that they may come and retrieve the Talori reinforcements residing in Sedo, but no pickup arrives. Serorans use their own depleted navy to bring these equines home, and discover that Talori are now landlocked, and lack a trading fleet or any real means of interacting with the outside world due to the crumbling relationship between them and the Rogues.

Serora makes an attempt to continue trade with their own ships, but further attempts to approach Aquore are thwarted by Flight and Rogues.

## Chapter 8

Late September/Early October 1701

With the war over, Serora is eager to rebuild. In the absence of their Talori allies, a new trade agreement is formed between Serora, and the unified Rogue-Flight front. Simultaneously, unrest brews in the settlements as people speak up against the treaty and Serora's "weakness".

Several ancient things are rediscovered: the city of Alhaj is revealed again after being lost for nearly a thousand years, while in the Sear, ancient history comes at the price - the monstrous Sandhawks awaken. In the north, a strange tower rises, heralding a change - but good or bad?

The Oasis is lost to Water Bandits, who take over the Oasis settlement and begin calling it their home. They still raid outside the Oasis, but the safe haven of the herd now acts as their fortress.

Amidst all this, Alya soars in the sky with her sister, breaking new rivers through the desolate Sedo landscape. The land promises to be more fertile than in ages, come new spring.

## Mini Event - Windbreak 1 & 2

### Early December 1701 - Part 1

Harsh rains pelt Sedo, causing floods at the newly formed rivers. Serora government mobilizes all able bodies to help mitigate the damage.

At the same time, Thunderbirds have become increasingly erratic and aggressive, leading to an emergency meeting among the citizenry about what actions need to be taken. It is agreed that they should meet with Matriarch Malaika, who will hopefully have answers, if nothing else.

### Mid/Late December 1701 - Part 2

The weather is still stormy, but the situation is calming down as bad weather heads further south.

In Osulas, a meeting is held to decide the future of Sedo. The meeting decides to move the capital to Alhaj. They also hear from Sultan Jibriel that Aodh has proposed a deal: Serora helps them with evacuation efforts, and in return, one term of the treaty will be removed, and Seroran captives will be freed from slavery. Serora agrees to send aid.

At the Thunderbird meeting, Malaika tells them that the Thunderbirds are facing internal strife, and threatened by the Sandhawks. She allows the Serorans to partake in a mysterious vision, and then requests that she and her flock be allowed to move closer to Alhaj, where they will be safe from Sandhawks, but can also help their Seroran allies in fighting off hostile Thunderbirds.