Timeline

YBE - Years Before Empire, dating negatively from the coronation of the first Empress of the Great Rowan Empire.

IY - Imperial Years, dating positively from the coronation of the first Empress.

YT - Years of Tears, dating from the end of the Breaking.

* **9M YBE**: The first definable ancestor of livathi evolves.

* **4.5M YBE**: The first definable ancestor of kiisic evolves.

* **3.6M YBE**: The first definable ancestor of bramen (and humans) evolves.

* **3.4M YB**E: The first definable member of the moradda species (later to be used to create moloks) evolves.

* **3M YBE**: The first definable ancestor of atlasia evolves.

* **2.4M YBE**: Proto-braman populations begin to seperate into two divergant groups, thanks to a number of geological and cultural factors. One group is to become modern bramen, the other modern humans.

* **1.4M YBE**: The first definable ancestors of goblins evolve.

* **26K YBE**: Bramen discover a workable system for communication with kiisic. Kiisic soon apply similar methods to communication with humans and goblins; communication with moradda is attempted, but the race proves to lack true sentience.

* **8500 YBE**: First contact between bramen and continental races, with kiisic assistance.

* **7000 YBE**: The first ocean-going vessels are created by bramen.

* **6100 YBE**: The city of Bhagada is established on the Isle of Olives, in the Verdant Isles.

* **6000 YBE**: Aquaepurae begin interacting with bramen.

* **4700 YBE**: Aquaepurae begin to infiltrate braman society.

* **2100 YBE**: The city of Liidhaga is established on the Isle of Emeralds, in the Verdant Isles.

* **1200 YBE**: Rowans are created through biological and alchemical experimentation. Within a few years, they gain much knowledge from their braman creators, but are convinced to develop their own civilization outside of the Verdant Isles.

* **1000 YBE**: Modern rowan culture begins to evolve.

* **831 YBE**: The city of Araila is established by rowans.

* **600 YBE**: Rowans first encounter kiisic. This first contact is shocking to both races, but rowans learn of the existence of magic in the process. Rowan experimentation with magic begins.

* **220 YBE**: Kiisic create modern moloks from moradda stock, for use as workers in their mines.

* **1 IY**: The Great Rowan Empire is established, and the first Empress crowned.

* **153 IY**: The city of Ydra (now ruined, and now better known as Edra) is established by humans.

* **~300 IY**: Several human cities are unified by Edran forces, forming the Kingdom of Edra. Over the next few centuries, Edran influence expands over much of the continent.

* **522 IY**: The Kiisic Republic is established by treaty between several disparate kiisic powers, in response to perceived threats from surface-dwelling races (particularly rowans).

* **622 IY**: The city of Forest Heart is established as a border fort of the Kingdom of Edra.

* **702 IY**: The First Rowan/Kiisic War begins. The city of Faweho is established by rowans. Bands of human and goblin mercenaries begin to join both sides, though goblins tend to support the kiisic side due to abuses by rowan forces.

* **704 IY**: Rowans begin research into creating mysrrae from humans and a species of large feline. The new race is intended to serve as front-line fighters.

* **705 IY**: The First Rowan/Kiisic War ends. Rowan dominance is reestablished, but the Kiisic Republic begins forging links with a number of surface states.

* **754 IY**: The Second Rowan/Kiisic War begins.

* **758 IY**: Shilalein's Rebellion begins on the Kinar Plains. This large- scale mysrra revolt destabilizes rowan war efforts and indirectly brings an end to the Second Rowan/Kiisic War, though its success is limited-- many mysrrae remain slaves.

* **760 IY**: The Second Rowan/Kiisic War ends. The rowan fortress of Ordlec Kyosi, on the Windsong Plains, is razed by mysrra forces and its garrison massacred. Construction of the mysrrae's holy city of Dalara begins on the same location; mysrrae take control of the Windsong Plains and its subsidiary areas, destroying or driving out the citizens of the patchwork of rowan, goblin, and human states that had occupied the area up until that point.

* **776 IY**: The Third Rowan/Kiisic War begins.

* **777 IY**: Kiisic create ilysin, to be used as as airborne shock troops against rowan forces.

* **778 IY**: Rowans create halaks in an attempt to combat ilysin.

* **779 IY**: The Battle of the Red Plains, pivotal battle of the Third Rowan/Kiisic War, is fought. Rowan forces win a nominal victory, but neither side gains much ground. An uneasy peace is declared.

* **783 IY**: The Fourth Rowan/Kiisic War begins.

* **786 IY**: Mages of the Kiisic Republic attempt a ritual of immense power in an attempt to gain final victory over their rowan counterparts. Rowan mages learn of it, and cast a powerful counter-magic; the resulting magical feedback releases the Black Blood, destroys the kiisic capital, and begins the Breaking or Dark Maelstrom. Livathi mages conduct the Rite of the Closing Fist in an attempt to gain control over the Black Blood; the Rite backfires, causing devastating damage to Sethzeloran, then the greatest livathi city, and killing or permanently twisting the great majority of the livathi race. Great plagues, triggered either by out-of-control disease magic or simple bad luck, ravage many of the less magically inclined races. The possible connection between events is not lost on their victims, many of whom begin large-scale witch hunts. Moloks revolt against their kiisic masters, earning freedom for their race; somewhat baffled but willing to accede to this apparent desire for freedom, the remaining kiisic free their grakkon servants. Halaks are freed under similar circumstances. Ilysin escape the control of their livathi creators through their own means.

* **0 YT**: The Breaking ceases for reasons which remain unclear, but not

* **(787 IY)** without causing great damage. Magic is permanently tainted, lending an element of chaos to even the weakest spells; the political power of rowan and kiisic states alike is dealt a heavy blow; mages become reviled by most cultures, and magic is seen as a curse. The Years of Tears begin.

* **~15 YT**: The city of Edra, weakened by war, Breaking, and plague, falls into abandonment and ruin. The surviving Edran royalty flees to the city of Forest Heart, but their power is reduced to almost nothing; Edra degenerates into a collection of petty city-states, often warring with each other.

* **103 YT**: Mysrrae learn draite smelting techniques from bramen.

* **110 YT**: Mysrrae begin an ore trade route to the human city of Graveston in order to secure steady quantities of draite ore.

* **180 YT**: A catastrophe of unclear nature strikes the mines of Graveston; its mines become unusable.