Timeline of recent events

***1 to 608 AEF - The Empire***: The Empire was formed, the ten dukes were appointed and the ten dukedoms were established. Destroying the other gods’ temples, burning religious books of the other Enneade, and confiscating magical artifacts began almost immediately after the coronation. The Empire would remain in power for six centuries.

***3 AEF - Sacred Arms***: The reformation of Sacred Arms’ forces was officially finalized, and they received their formal order to eradicate all spellcasters on Frostmark who weren’t priests of Riahn. The Sacred Arms’s headquarters in Aynor was established.

***4 to 18 AEF - Rewriting History***: Empress Leana ordered that the history of Frostmark would be rewritten to remove the memory of the other gods and Soul Magic. This venture was regarded as essentially complete 14 years later.

***608 AEF - Fall of the Empire***: Emperor Rainer officially releases the ten dukedoms from the Empire, ending an era. For almost half a century, constant armed conflicts have plagued nearly all dukedoms, and the Empire slowly but surely loses control. When Rainer gave the order, only Greenfield still supported the Empire. After the order was delivered, the dukes became kings and queens, and Emperor Rainer became king of Malgrave.

***608 to 609 AEF - Overthrown Dukes***: Both Beornhelm and Oldwood storm their respective royal households and murder many of them. The first Warchieftain of Beornhelm was established and brought stability for a few years in Beornhelm. Soon afterward, it kickstarted the rapid tradition of changing the head of state in Beornhelm. Oldwood, on the other hand, fell into almost a decade of chaos as the Woodlings repeatedly failed to rule themselves.

***610 to present-day AEF - Raids of Beornhelm***: Beornhelm starts raiding northern Greenfield, Oldwood, and Sirendale, and the three kingdoms suffer heavy losses.

***614 AEF - The Northern Front***: Greenfield, Oldwood, and Sirendale successfully formed the Northern Front after years of negotiation. The allegiance aims to share information, aid, and military power to defend themselves against Beornhelm. For as long as the Northern Front was active, the Beornish incursion was abated to a significant degree but not completely eradicated. This resulted in a rough period for Beornhelm, with common food shortages during the cold winter months and an increased frequency of Warchieftain cycling. This forced some Beornish settlements to change strategy and focus more on trade, which ensured the continued might and survival of the kingdom of Beornhelm.

***616 to 618 AEF - Lysander***: Oldwood admits their shortcomings and accepts parts of the governing strategy that was forced upon them by the Empire. Through the Northern Front, they asked the brother of the Queen of Sirendale, a member of Lysander’s royal house, to become their new regent because of his intimate experience with the crown. Prince Lysander required many platitudes and assurances that he and his family would not meet the same fate as the former royal household of Oldwood met. After two years of negotiations, both parties agreed, and Prince Lysander became King Lysander of Oldwood. The ties of the Northern Front deepened, and King Lysander could bring some stability to Oldwood. He was not wholly successful; however, the western coast and the northern territories of Oldwood often resisted royal decrees in surprising stubbornness, a phenomenon still present to this day.

***632 to 634 AEF - Applegate Invasion***: Armathain suffers failed harvests and cannot sustain its population like usual. They turn their eyes towards their fertile neighbor, Applegate, and quickly launch an invasion. Soon afterward, Karthmere does the same for strategic reasons. Karthmere does not want Armathain to gain too much land and power. It is also the worst outcome for Karthmere is to become direct neighbors with Armathain. Due to the military might of Armathain and the sheer size of Karthmere’s army, Applegate stands no chance and loses a quarter of its size to Armathain in the north and a quarter of its size to Karthmere in the south in just 2 years.

***634 to 641 AEF - The Armathain and Karthmere War***: After the two kingdoms reduced Applegate to half its original size, the distance between Armathain and Karthmere continued to shrink, and the two powers turned their attention to the other. Armathain and Karthmere would test their might against each other on and off for five years, and Applegate was their battlefield. During this conflict, the royal household of Applegate was murdered as collateral damage. No clear winner came out of this conflict. Instead, large pieces of both Armathain’s and Karthmere’s armies were destroyed, and the war turned more and more half-hearted to a point it simply died out. Armathain and Karthmere settled in and were satisfied, in the end, with their share of Applegate’s land and the fact that the rest became a buffer zone between the two giants.

***639 AEF - The Royal Family of Applegate is Murdered***: On their way to escaping from a town under siege by Armathain and Karthmere, the whole royal family runs into a bandit group who murders them all.

***637 to present-day - Economy Reform in Stormholme***: Stormholme changes some of its trade rules as guilds grow in power and pressure the government, causing the guilds to become more affluent. These transformations would create an unstoppable spiral of guilds continuing to siphon political and economic power from the government of Stormholme.

***639 to 641 AEF - Political Revolution in Malgrave***: Ever since Emperor Rainer lost complete control of the Empire, the upper class of Malgrave has continued to express their disappointment of how the now dead Emperor and his closest advisors handled the situation, as well as the politics they enacted. As Malgrave enjoyed many economic and structural benefits, being the high seat of the Empire, the upper class of Malgrave was perhaps the most educated and bored group in all of Frostmark. Soon the group turned their internal culture and focus to philosophical studies. And as soon as Emperor Rainer was dead, they took the opportunity to change the political system of Malgrave rather than electing a new king. The new system was in effect by 641 AEF, and during the same year, the first Prime Servant was elected.

***642 AEF - The Peelers take out their Frustrations on their Nobles***: A chaotic year in Applegate’s history as the peasantry take out their frustrations on their noble families that were supposed to protect them during the war. Many noble houses disappear during these years either by exile, theft, or murder, and only a handful of noble houses are allowed to go on.

***643 AEF - Applegate Recovers***: Applegate starts the long process of rebuilding from almost destruction. It’s a long and slow process due to both their extensive wounds and the small economy of the kingdom, a process that is still not complete to this day. Applegate decides not to allow another royal household to rule over the kingdom; instead, the most powerful noble houses come together and form a council of sorts. In general, the war changes Applegate’s culture from something similar to Karthmere’s culture to something more practical, cooperative, and frugal.

***644 to 647 AEF - Relocation of the Church and Sacred Arms***: The Church of Riahn and Sacred Arms tried for many years to oppose, as well as reverse, the changes of the Malgravian government structure and the new direction Malgravian culture was taking. Due to the diminishing power that the Church and Sacred Arms experienced in Malgrave, they ultimately surrendered and relocated the whole structure to the still impressively pious kingdom of Crowhill in 644 AEF. Goldbank became the Church’s and Sacred Arms’ new headquarters officially. In just a short amount of time, the Church segmented its influence over Crowhill’s society.

***663 AEF - Northern Front Falls***: Due to political disagreements of aid and military intervention, the Northern Front falls after a few years of internal disputes. In the years that follow, Sirendale broadens its relationship with Armathain, and Greenfield does the same with Malgrave. Oldwood, on the other hand, remains independent to this day.

***667 AEF - The Great Ransack of Mistshear***: The year after the Northern Front falls, the raids of Beornhelm immediately resumes in Sirendale. At first, quite timidly, as if the Beornish were testing the waters. The raids were soon picked up in ferocity, and Sirendale was a prime target due to their weak military might and prosperous production. In 667 AEF, one particular sizeable raiding party was so successful and gathered so much momentum that they pierced far south into the kingdom.

This momentum gathered more Chieftain to the cause, and by autumn that year, the Beornish sieged the capital of Sirendale and quickly after that brought the city to its knees. It is a great tragic event in Siren history, where many Siren’s died or had their whole livelihood stolen or destroyed. The Lysander royal household, who had defended Mistshear the best they could and refused to leave the capital after conquering, were executed by the Beornish raiders. The Beornish stayed and ruled the capital and many other cities in the north of Sirendale until spring the next year. At that point, internal disputes made it impossible for the Beornish raiders to keep their control, and they simply left with all their treasure and thralls and returned to Beornhelm. It would take Sirendale almost three decades to rebuild and recover from the event. But just like Applegate, they elected not to appoint another ruler to become king or queen of Sirendale again, instead of creating a council of influential nobles.

***680 to 695 The Stormholmish Guild Wars***: As the guilds of Stormholme continued to amass power, the royal household became more of a puppet to the guilds than a ruler. In 680 AEF, a rival guild assassinated the royal family of Stormholme, which was the start of the complete political overhaul of the kingdom. The guilds took over the legislative powers, and from one day to the other, the nobles lost the little protection and power they had left. A very chaotic time followed, where guilds fought for control and influence, sometimes leading to widespread bloodshed. In 695, four guilds came out on top of the power struggle and secured monopolies in different areas. For business’ sake, they realize that continued open civil war is non-profitable, and so Stormholme entered finally into a shaky cease-fire. But in the years to come, the four guilds sometimes participate in minor conflicts and sometimes violence with each other up to the present day.

***683 to 690 AEF - The Karthmere and Malgrave War***: At the same time guilds were growing rampantly powerful in Stormholme, the same process was beginning in Karthmere. Several guilds became prominent in Karthmere during this time and pushed for political change, similar to how the Stormholmish guilds did back in the 630s. Many historians argue that this was one of the primary reasons why the royal household of Arundell initiated the war against Malgrave, to distract the kingdom and unify around the royal family.

It didn’t succeed. The flourishing class of merchants became a necessity in the war, and new regional rulers were required for the very rapidly growing kingdom. The Arundell family tried to compromise and passed the “Representative Act” in 687. But neither camp was satisfied. The traditional rulers, the noble houses, were furious about their power loss, and the guilds just wanted more. At the same time, Karthmere started to lose the war against Malgrave. Dissension grew to a boiling point until a mob stormed the royal castle and terminated their royal family in 690 AEF. Karthmere tried to keep on fighting, but the chaos within the kingdom made it impossible, and they surrendered later that year. Malgrave, despite not starting the war, gained a lot from the conflict. As they had the upper hand in the negotiations, they could seize a large part of northern Karthmere.

***685 AEF - Malgrave Grabs Influence over Greenfield***: During the war, Malgrave enlisted help from their old valiant ally, Greenfield. At first, this was merely a friendly alliance, but as Malgrave required more and more aid in the war against Karthmere, Malgrave realized that it was easy to exploit the smaller kingdom and fell for the temptation. Malgrave forced Greenfield to pass several laws that benefited Malgrave and its citizens within Greenfield. For example, Malgravian citizens could not be trialed by Greenfield authorities, Malgravians do not need to pay as much tax to the Greenfield government and, in many cases, can avoid tolls and fines. After the war, this practice just carried on, and Malgrave, to this day, continues to siphon money and resources from Greenfield.

***691 AEF - Era of Somerset***: The current matriarch of the small but affluent noble house of Somerset served as castellan to the Arundell family during the war and the uprising. They took the side of the people against Arundell. Their resources, as well as extensive experience, alleviated the chaotic times that followed the regicide. Eventually, both the noble houses and the merchant guilds supported crowning the matriarch of Somerset, queen of Karthmere, due to their noble heritage and the mercantile world’s support. In the years that would come, the royal house of Somerset sought absolution and harmony between the nobles and the guilds, which has created many years of peace, albeit a tense one.

***702 to 705 AEF - Invasion of Eastcreek***: After the Karthmerian and Malgravian war, the kingdoms of Frostmark entered into a period of comparative peace, where even smaller conflicts became unusual. The Church of Riahn, now firmly integrated into Crowhill, had a moment of respite and an opportunity to prepare for their plans. For some time, the Church had their eyes set on Eastcreek, sending several emissaries and missionaries to the kingdom, testing the waters, and acquiring intel on its internal affairs. From their new strategic location on the map of Frostmark, Eastcreek was the perfect target for the Church to expand its influence. In 702 AEF, they launched their invasion, and because of their extensive precautions, as well as the difference in technology levels between the two kingdoms, Crowhill swept easily away Eastcreek’s defenders. In mere 3 years, Crowhill had almost complete control of the kingdom, but it required many years to integrate large parts of Eastcreek’s population to the Crowhillian way of life.

***703 AEF - Armathain Grabs Influence over Sirendale***: During this peaceful period in Frostmark’s timeline, Armathain did not reduce its military industry despite the lack of conflict and the heavy toll on the Armathainan economy. For many years, the Armathaininan government ignored the consequences of their pride and traditions, but by

703 AEF, the situation was running so much out of hand that Armathain had to search for ways to increase its budget size without sacrificing its values. Armathain was inspired by how Malgrave had peacefully exploited Greenfield for their benefit and did the same to Sirendale, which started in 703 AEF.

***733 AEF - The Nightstrider and Steelshade Conflict***: Through a string of minor disagreements and clashes in the business between the Nightstrider Guild and the Steelshade Guild, minor frustration escalates to a tipping point. Minor incidents where the Guilds go out of their way to frustrate each other turn to a shadow war with open warfare events sprinkled about. Early on, it was obvious that Nighstriders were on the backfoot in the conflict, unable to outmatch the Steelshade mercenaries. This war raged on and off until 738 AEF, when Nightstriders’ guild leader, Domizio, found his daughter assassinated by Steelshade. This event rallies the spirits of the Nighstriders, and it turns the conflict around for the Guild. Two bloody years follow where the Nightstrider fight with no inhibition in their preferred arena. The arena of assassination and subterfuge. By the year of 740 AEF, Steelshade paid for peace very dearly to find an end to their heavy losses. After the conflict was over, Domizio changed for the worse as he mourned his daughter’s death.

***734 AEF - Ravenmoors Come to Power in Eastern Oldwood***: Rumor starts to circulate in the early weeks of 734 AEF of Count and Countess Ravenmoor’s rise to nobility in western Oldwood and taking control of Fenby town. A year later, their influence swells to encompass much of the western coast. Alderholt City becomes the couple’s new seat of power. Over the next couple of years, the Ravenmoors start to ignore the crown’s voice, and the Ravenmoor house flourishes under the crown’s distractions. Nevertheless, attempts of diplomacy and later threats were delivered and ignored by both sides.

***734 AEF - Agatha Rotleigh Rises to Power in Armathain***: Joy Rotleigh, at the time, the Master of Coin and matriarch of the Rotleigh family, dies in a fire with her child. Her younger sister, Agatha and becomes head of the family. The following year, she marries the late husband of her dead sister’s late husband and later conceives a child with him.

***738 AEF - Beornhelm Invades Northern Greenfield***: A particularly vicious raid, spearheaded by Chieftain Idris, afflicts northern Greenfield in 738 AEF. The raiding party pierces far into the kingdom through a string of crucial victories, and the raiding party is rewarded handsomely. When winter comes, Idris makes the historic decision not to return home with their spoils; instead, she entrenches herself in their ransacked territories. Unlike the great raid on the capital of Sirendale, Idris manages to keep her people happy and cooperative with her, and come spring, she continues her onslaught on the northern territories. Until this day, she continues this tactic, and every year her Beornish troops claim another sliver of the panicked kingdom of Greenfield.

***739 AEF - Duke Grimcolt Takes Control of Northern Oldwood***: Year 739 AEF, Duke Grimcolt of northern Oldwood loses faith in the crown of Oldwood. The catalyzing event was his brother’s and most of Grimcolt’s company's death as they were defending Aramore Town because reinforcements from the capital did not arrive in time. This causes the Duke to ignore Queen Lysander’s orders, and he takes the protection of the north into his own hands. He starts a campaign to gather support from all northern villages and towns, which he secures quickly and easily. In the years that follow, he builds an impressive defensive structure in northern Oldwood. In 742 AEF, news spread that Grimcolt had started the outstanding and laborious project of building a wall at the Oldwood border.

***739 AEF - Ivone Coming to Power***: Ivone wins the hearts and minds of a large part of the lower and middle class of Malgrave, mostly due to her romantic and conservative rhetoric about Malgrave’s imperial history, to such a degree that she is voted Prime Servant by the Council in the year of 739 AEF.

***740 AEF - Beauport Takes Control of Pearlbay in Applegate***: The Count of Pearlbay goes raving mad and abuses his power over Pearlbay City’s citizens. The Baron of Beauport, the neighboring island and town, takes his soldiers and money and rids the city of the Count. The people of Pearlbay is grateful enough to accept his leadership over their island as well.

***742 AEF - Queen Lysander’s Husband Dies on the Road***: In one attempt to seek diplomacy with the Ravenmoor household on the western coast of Oldwood, Queen Mirnova Lysander sends her husband on a diplomatic mission to Alderholt City. On his way back from this journey, his escort is mysteriously attacked. Queen Lysander only finds his body a few weeks after his reported disappearance. Understandably, the Queen grows suspicious and substantially more chilly towards the Ravenmoors, but no clues tying the Count or Countess to the tragedy could be found. Simultaneously, disturbing rumors have reached her ears from the west coast that the source of Ravenmoors’ control of the area is supernatural. Only caution and confusion has kept her from following through on her threats, but an attack on the Ravenmoors’ could be imminent.

***742 AEF - Pearnelly Rises to Power in Applegate***: Duchess Evelyn Pearnelly trades her old quiet life for an ambitious venture. She sells her mansion to purchase a festival for the un-governed capital of Applegate. She wins over the populace and takes over as its ruler.

***742 AEF - Queen Fairfax of Greenfield is Betrayed***: By the year of 742 AEF, the Beornish occupation of Greenfield’s northern area has shaken up the kingdom’s hope and economy to the point that Idris dare to plot the demise of Greenfield in one fell stroke boldly. She sends secret correspondence to some high nobles of Greenfield that she suspects can be bought. She offers them position and power in the new government of Greenfield if they support her. The only thing they had to do to prove their loyalty was to kidnap the Queen and her son and deliver them to her. The plan was a half success. The Queen was successfully kidnapped and brought to Idris, but her son, Melchior, escaped the plot with Sir Kiara, the Stalwart’s help. The Queen is publicly executed as Idris hoped that the spirit of the kingdom would die with her. However, the young son is crowned and reclaims control, hunts down the backstabbing nobles, and executes them on his side of the fence. In the end, the new king has somehow been able to keep the loyal parts of Greenfield together. And thus, the war continues.

***743 AEF - Falconer Disobeys the Warchieftain***: Chieftain Soren Falconer, former closest ally and advisor to Warchieftain Kynemund, makes the bold decision to resist the Wardchieftain rule after his son dies with dreams of a more peaceful and prosperous Beornhelm. To this day, Soren is trying to transform the areas he controls in eastern Beornhelm following his son’s dreams.

***743 AEF - First Beornish Raids in Armathain and Karthmere***: The first villages on the coast of Armathain and Karthmere reports to their respective authorities that they have been robbed and raided by Beornish boats for the first time in history.

***743 AEF - Queen Underworth’s Boat Accident***: Queen Irena Underworth heads out on a party boat with several young nobles and otherwise influential youth of Crowhill. The boat comes upon a terrible storm and capsizes. Miraculously, Irena is the only one who survives the accidents and hasn’t been herself since.

***744 AEF - Rumors of a trade deal between Seyland and Falconer***: Rumors spread that Viscount Seyland of northern Sirendale and Chieftain Soren Falconer has entered into a peace and trade agreement with each other, much too many citizens of both Beornhelm and Sirendale’s surprise, as well as dismay.

***744 AEF - The Fiery Barrier Breaks***: In the night’s sky, one fateful evening in the year of 744 AEF, the Fiery Barrier becomes visible for all inhabitants of Frostmark. Burning like a great net, basking the continent in an orange to red light, it forces both rich and poor to pay attention. Before the shocked expressions of the Souls of Frostmark, the Fiery Barrier snaps open and fades away, like it never existed. What wonderful and terrible events will befall Frostmark next?