Timeline of galactic history

Since the fall of the Vessic Empire, the galaxy has used a year numbering system centered on the original Victory Day as year zero, with BV (Before Victory) and AV (After Victory) designations.

### Time immemorial

* The Originators built a civilization that spanned the galaxy, and eventually disappeared.
* According to *Pirates of the North Quadrant*, Parthenian scribes wrote of a sacred sword taken from Caravanserai in this era by a band of pirates south toward the Core, causing an ecological catastrophe on Caravanserai.

### ~9,000 BV

* The Vessic Empire arises and begins to take control of the galaxy, heralding the opening of what historians call the **Unification Era**.
* Vessic Unification Era script becomes the predominant form of writing in the galaxy.
* From the writing on the Five Keys manuscript, it is apparent that the Five Keys were created in or before this era.

### 3,100 BV

* After six thousand years, the Vessic Empire has assumed near-total control of the galaxy.
* The Unification Era ends and the **Old Empire Era** begins.
* Vessic Unification Era script is replaced by Old Empire Era script as the predominant form of writing in the galaxy.
* The Vessic Empire has effectively shut down piracy in this era.

### 1,700 BV

* The Old Empire era ends and the **New Empire Era** begins.
* Vessic Old Empire Era script is replaced by New Empire Era script as the predominant form of writing in the galaxy.
* The Vessic Empire has effectively shut down piracy in this era.

### 650 BV

* The New Empire Era ends and the **Late Dynasties Era** begins.
* Vessic New Empire Era script is replaced by Late Dynasties script as the predominant form of writing in the galaxy.
* As Vessic control over the galaxy slips, pirates return to plunder the starlanes. Some of these upstart fleets are ultimately defeated by the Empire and disappear, including Crystal Tides, who are exiled to the prison planet Pryzon 15.

### 0 AV

* On the brink of defeat, the Vessic Empire destroys nearly all of its historical documents and libraries.
* The original Victory Day is celebrated as the Galactic Rebellion overthrows the Empire at Vessica.
* The First Coalition is formed.

### 2 AV

* The First Coalition collapses during the Wars of the First Coalition. The galaxy falls into a time of strife and endures a series of brutal wars.

### 100 AV

* Common alphabetical writing replaces Vessic Late Dynasties script as the predominant form of writing in the galaxy.

### 321 AV

* The Parthenian Empire nearly falls in a devastating vampirate raid on Parthenon.

### 400 AV

* According to *Pirates of the North Quadrant*, in the early 400s AV, the crew of Greenbeard's Greatfleet amasses an enormous pirate armada that captures dozens of systems, becoming a great power that grows to threaten the other kingdoms of the Core and Mid-Rim.

### 467 AV

* According to *Pirates of the North Quadrant*, a federation of worlds called the Core Defense League strikes down Greenbeard's Greatfleet at the climactic Battle of Ca'jantak in 467 AV, a victory that lays the groundwork for the founding of the Fourth Coalition a year later.

### 1030 AV

* Around this time, the Seventh Coalition is founded.

### 1086 AV

* The Dwarvenstars are conquered by the duergar Dominion of Duergola in the Night Wars.

### 1136 AV

* The Attack on the Valiant occurs near the end of the year.
* The Battle of Bral occurs on the third to last day of the year.

### 1137 AV

* Victory Day heralds the beginning of the year 1137 AV.