Timeline of the Twelve

Dates in this timeline are taken from the Urovan calendar. The Urovan calendar is based around the appearance of the moons in the sky. It is divided into PL (Pre-Lunar) and LE (Lunar Era). Remember that because the world of Iourn turns more slowly than our own, one Iourn year is equal to four Earth years (one Iourn season is the length of an Earth year). The ascension of Azygous 3000 years ago, took place 12,000 Earth years in the past. The names of the months come from the druidic measure that first came into use in Urova more than 2000 years ago.

This timeline was originally used as a player handout for the Song of Sarakite adventure. Eventually these details will be combined into one seamless timeline, but until that happens, here is the information for your edification:

Pre-History

In an attempt to stop the Dragon Wars from consuming all reality, the dragon god Io traps all dragons on Iourn. The elves of Corellon Larethian eventually broker a peace, leading to the formation of The Great Pact. No dragon will ever harm an elf, and no elf will ever harm a dragon. Dragonkind is now free to leave Iourn, but many stay making this world replete with the beasts.

Mankind is created by the god Azygous. His ultimate achievement is the race of Men that populate The Twelve islands of Elessenia. Azygous resides with his people in the material world, and rules them for millennia.

4000 PL

The Custodians of Concordance is a religion that worships each of the nine aspects of Io as separate gods. Fearing such a partisan approach to worship may spark another dragon war, Io destroys the nine temples dedicated to him, trapping the guardians within them for all time as punishment. None of the temples were built on Elessenia, and this whole episode of history passes the Elessenians by.

3000 PL

For reasons unrecorded, Azygous ascends from the mortal plane leaving his chosen people to fend for themselves for the first time in their long history.

2978 PL

War engulfs the Muirland as the kings of The Twelve islands try to ascend over their fellows. The established church of Azygous, the Papacy, remains aloof from the war.

2878 PL

Vyvian, a Chalamaeic monk offers the kings of the Muirland a chance to stop the fighting. Every heir to the throne will study the Chalamaeic philosophy of Equality, Philanthropy and Integrity. They will become better rulers who are against war. A thirteenth island is raised by sorceress, Imelda LaFaire, and a monastery built upon it. The heirs of The Twelve kingdoms move in to study philosophy and bee-keeping.

2875 PL

Vyvian dies, but his memory lives on. He is made a saint by Papal degree, and the Chalamaeic order responsible for carrying on his work is named the Order of Saint Vyvian.

2865 PL

The tradition of sending heirs to the throne to the monastery of the Order of Saint Vyvian is completely ingrained in Elessenian society. It is having the positive effect that Vyvian intended. Peace and prosperity reigns in the Muirland.

2830 PL

The time of peace and plenty has eaten up Elessenia's natural resources. The first colonial ships are sent from The Twelve Kingdoms to expand, and find riches and send them home. Lands of plenty are discovered to the south and to the west.

2818 PL

Elessenia has grown fat on the wealth sent to it from abroad. The Papacy has grown to rely on this wealth, and has become corrupt. The teachings of Azygous mean less and less to the Papacy. The Papacy has grown greatly in power since the end of the wars, and now controls all aspects of the Church except the Order of Saint Vyvian. Great injustices are committed against foreigners in the colonies and when the kings try to step into stop this, the Papacy removes each of them by stealth and revolution.

22 Suntask 2818 PL

The Papacy, now in control of The Twelve kingdoms, sends agents to destroy The Twelve heirs at the monastery of Saint Vyvian. The princes stand up to the forces. The god, Azygous, reappears and names them his chosen. Azygous strips the Papal priests of their powers.

23 Suntask 2818 PL

Imelda LaFaire visits the monastery and tells The Twelve princes to follow the will of Azygous and seek out the Armourer. The princes depart the Muirland.

2 Midsummer 2818 PL

The Twelve princes arrive in western Urova after following a stream of shooting stars. They save the life of a dwarven kinsman and are taken to meet the dwarven king.

7 Midsummer 2818 PL

The Twelve princes meet Davidian the First Armourer. He has been expecting them, and starts to work making them armour and weapons from the strange metal that made up the falling stars. He also trains them to become The Twelve.

1 First Snow 2818 PL

Their training completed, The Twelve begin the long process of cleansing the world of the evil of the Papacy. It will take them fifteen seasons, but they are eventually victorious.

25 Midsummer 2814 PL

Victorious in their battle against the Papacy, The Twelve are crowned kings of their respective lands. But they soon discover that there is no rest in the struggle against Evil.

14 First Snow 2814 PL

Davidian steps down as Armourer. When he passes, his memories and experiences pass into the Orb of Wisdom. The new Armourer is Kathuur. The Twelve embark upon a crusade against evil that lasts more than a millennia.

1806 PL

Descendents of the Papacy, still bearing thoughts of revenge against Azygous and The Twelve seek to undo the work of Azygous. The Armourer, Isabella Lacouer, is captured and her soul is unknitted, so she is susceptible to the power of Fate. Despite the best efforts of The Twelve, Fate intervenes and all the Muirland is destroyed in a tremendous deluge. The Order of Saint Vyvian, The Twelve and all the Elessenian peoples are destroyed.

1735 PL

The elf, Karatath, is born in the elven nation of Erissinor, to the south of the girdle. He is the most gifted magic weaver the elves have ever produced. His ambition for power knows no limits.

1635 PL

Karatath rises to a position on the White Council - the ruling body of the elves - at only 400 seasons.

1600 PL

The race of Men known as the Hadradans - who are one day destined to be pre-eminent in the world - are little more than wandering horsemen in their native land. Although comprised of thousands of warring tribes, their lands are invaded by Vikallians from the north around this time. This will eventually bond them together as a single nation.

1485 PL

Karatath disappears. He is a thousand seasons old by this time, and many believe that he has passed over into Arvandor, but others including his page, Grimalkin, are suspicious. Karatath and thirty like-minded companions have actually travelled to the Great Dark, deep in the southern world. They carry on their magical study, immersed in darkness and Evil.

1454 PL

Karatath emerges from the Great Dark changed. He now harbours distinctly unelven desires of conquest and domination, and in mastering the dark forces of the deep south he has the power to turn those dreams into reality. The White Council senses the coming war. The first contact between elves and humans take place in the land of Eldagaire on the continent of Urova. The elf, Slovellis of the Lashankiir, meets with Grand Druid Morrigan. Slovellis tells Morrigan of the threat of Karatath rising in the Great Dark and suggests an alliance between Men and elves to prevent it.

1453 PL

Karatath and The Thirty begin their war against the Light. Demonic legions of destruction arise in the southern world dedicated to evil. As Karatath was once an elf, the dragons will not involve themselves in this war. Elves stand together with Men and Dwarves against the darkness.

1200 PL

Doing their best to ignore the war and the darkness around them, the Vikallians now control almost all of the continent of Hadrada.

1179 PL

After centuries of war, elf and dwarf come together to create the seven Blades of Virtue - potent magical artefacts that will hopefully defeat the evil. The blade-wielders cut a swathe against the forces of darkness.

1169 PL

A decisive battle takes place on the world girdle in which the blade-wielders defeat Karatath's armies. It seems as though the war is over, but it is a deceit. When the backs of the forces of light are turned, Karatath's forces separate and kill the blade wielders and steal the Blades of Virtue for themselves.

1130 PL

The Hadradan prophet Elyas comes to prominence in his the land of Hadrada. Rebellions against the Vikallian rulers begin.

1117 PL

Elyas dies an old man. But by this time the Hadradan nation and national religion have been established. The Hadradans begin to send forces to aid in the Great War. It doesn't help much.

1095 PL

Karatath destroys all the seas in the northern world, plunging everything into chaos. Billions die. The Hadradans draw back within themselves. A vast army begins to march across the dry sea floor to the continent that will one day be called Urova. Urova is the seat of elf power, and it has never looked more vulnerable.

But the destruction of the seas also uncovers the remains of the Muirland. Aerethani, an elf who bears the great guilt of being Karatath's mother, seeks out the remains of the Order of Saint Vyvian. She rediscovers the armour and swords forged by Davidian and goes about creating a new Twelve.

1094 PL

Karatath's forces occupy the country of Sorostrae on Urova (the name means The Land of Sorrows). The battle for Urova begins. Karatath's forces are commanded by a triumvirate of evil. Three members of The Thirty who were Karatath's most trusted disciples - Mínaris, Kurst and Sarakite. They also have the Blades of Virtue at their disposal, although now they are called The Blades of Sin - each wielded by a dread death knight.

1093 PL

The Twelve ride again into battle against the forces of Karatath. They concentrate their efforts in Urova, seeking to harry their enemy.

1067 PL

The Twelve attack the forces of Karatath, and in a great battle manage to retake six of the seven Blades of Sin for the forces of light. Eight of The Twelve knights are killed in the endeavour, but it is a terrible blow for the forces of darkness. Over the next decade fighting becomes more scrappy and even. But Karatath has time on his side.

1050 PL

An engine of destruction called the L'guru Titanis is constructed in Sorostrae. A golem several miles in height and powered by thousands of demonic spirits, it is sent north to destroy the great elven nation of Cyryth Allavorean. The forces of light throw everything they have against it, but to no avail. In the end, the last of the elven high magic is used to levitate and dump ten miles of mountains on the automaton. It is buried and remains so to this day. The evil spirits are released and descend on Cyryth Allavorean corrupting and destroying the elven heartland. The woodland around the great city darkens and becomes full of undead creatures. Over the coming years it becomes known as the Wraith Haunt. Sarakite leaves Sorostrae and journeys to the Wraith Haunt to set up a new command centre for her master.

1000 PL

Karatath pulls back to the southern world. No account of how he was actually defeated and thrown from Urova remain intact. The Grey Princes (the foremost elven magic users) create a prison for Karatath at the southern pole called the Aegis. They rise a great wall around the entire Great Dark called the Enceinte to keep the evil within. Using their vast powers they begin the process of restoring the seas of the northern world. In gratitude for the help of The Twelve, they rise the island that once held the Order of Saint Vyvian above the waves once more. When all this is done, the task of managing the oceans and repopulating the life there is given over to the druids, and the elves leave Iourn forever. They depart for a parallel reality of their own construction, called The Greymere. The work of rebuilding the world begins.

In Hadrada the teachings of a new prophet called Vanda lead to a violent and expansionist Hadrada that is very different from the one expounded by the teachings of Elyas. They begin a campaign to rid their land of non-humans.

964 PL

The Oceanic Order (druids who are dedicated to restoring the oceans) finally complete their work.

928 PL

The dwarves in the Black Hills in Hadrada are exterminated. Expansion continues.

750 PL

The greatest civilisation on the planet is now the Hadradan Empire. The Hadradan populate an enormous continent many thousands of miles to east of Urova. Over the coming decades and centuries their empire expands in a very similar manner to the ancient Elessenian empire. The Twelve comes to blows with Hadradan colonists on several occasions.

700 PL

The Hadradan, Belsinor, 'discovers' the world girdle. The Hadradan's call this Belsinor's Girdle in his honour. Beneath it is the southern world and the Great Dark, but the Hadradans do not know this. All they know about it is the legends that have come down from the Great War, that have made the lands of the south synonymous with Hell. The Hadradans begin moving south, to annex all land between them and the Girdle.

580 PL

The Hadradans attack the advanced civilisation known as the Erewhoi. They are repulsed again and again, but they will eventually get a toe-hold in their land.

350 PL

The Hadradans invade and conquer the continent that will eventually be known as Urova.

24 PL

The Hadradans now control the entire western coast of the land of the Erewhoi.

20 PL

The Hadradans send troops south of Belsinor's Girdle to discover what is there. None return.

16 PL

More troops are sent south of the girdle.

15 PL

Of the 100,000 troops the Hadradans sent south of the girdle the previous year, 2000 return. Hot on their heals are the black-skinned, cannibalistic creatures that look like Men, but do not act like men. Named Mannenites, after the demons of legend, the Hadradans are hard-pressed to defeat them.

13 PL

The Mannenites are finally driven off. But the Hadradan empire is in ruins and the imperial family has been eaten. They are pursued by hundreds of Elyastic Knights - Hadradans still loyal to the teaching of Elyas. They colonise the girdle and create the largest order of paladins ever assembled - the Saldarím. To this day, they remain on the Girdle. Records show that The Twelve had a hand in helping the Saldarím set up their operation.

Many troops had to be recalled to Hadras to fight off the Mannenites. As a result a chain of events began that resulted in popular uprisings against Hadradan rule across the world. The Hadradan Empire began to disintegrate. In 204 LE it is a shadow of its former self, although Hadrada is still a powerful force.

1 LE

The prophet Uros appeals to the heavens for help in throwing off his Hadradan masters. The moons appear in the sky for the first time, and the Moon Faiths are born.

5 LE

A combination of circumstances - including the advent of spell-casting clerics who worship the moons - drive the Hadradans from Urova.

13 LE

The new Hadradan Emperor is of the Timinite religious sect. Timinites are inward-looking and tolerant. The age of Hadradan expansion is over.

103 LE

The Twelve suffer their greatest losses since their battle to retake the Blades of Virtue in 1067 PL. In the country of Ranishan they come against an undead creature of such malevolence and power that they are overwhelmed by it. All twelve knights are united against it, but five of them are captured. Four are killed, the fifth, Jonus, is tortured and unspeakably violated. His body is broken and his spirit is driven insane. His mind is kept intact by the Armourer until such a time it can be sanely returned to a body.

196 LE

Rumours and dark tidings of a rise of evil to the south awaken the interest of the accomplished Norandon archwizard, Narramac. He leaves his position as the court wizard of King Yaddagon XIV and journeys throughout the world. He even journeys to the Greymere and consults the elves. It becomes obvious that the wards holding Karatath are weakening, and that the day is soon coming when the Dark One will free himself from his prison.

The growing power of Karatath awakens his servants from their long slumber. Sarakite returns to the Wraith Haunt and begins to rally her forces.

201 LE

For the most part the elves of the Greymere won't help in the coming battle against Karatath. Narramac and a handful of elves hatch a complicated plan to delay Karatath while more help can be garnered.

202 LE

Narramac steals the six captured Blades of Virtue from the elven city of Shallambor.

36 Scatterseed 203 LE

A party of adventurers enter the Wraith Haunt and discover first hand the growing undead menace within it. The name Sarakite is bandied about for the first time in a millennium.

2 Frostbite 203 LE

The Twelve depart Iourn for the Heavenly Realm. They do not return for three seasons.

204 LE

Narramac's grand quest finds six new wielders for the six Blades of Virtue. Christened the Chosen of Narramac, within months, these six find themselves and their swords in the Great Dark facing down Mínaris. A blight is released from the Blades of Virtue, destroying the swords. This blight wipes out much of the still-imprisoned Karatath's servants. The coming of Karatath is delayed months, perhaps seasons. The Chosen of Narramac escape into the Greymere but receive a frosty reception from the elves. Narramac is killed in a duel with Grimalkin to secure the Chosen's freedom. Recovering from this blow, the Chosen go on to kill Mínaris in a battle a in Uris few weeks later.

Also at this time a new king, Galahyde, takes the Norandon throne after the death of King Yaddagon. Galahyde is a rebellious duke who always believed he should be king. But he was welcomed by the churches and the nobility. Mínaris was Galahyde's archwizard before his death. But there is no evidence that Galahyde is under the influence of Karatath.

As Mínaris moved against the forces of Uris, so did Sarakite launch her undead forces against the north of Norandor. A far more detailed timeline of these events can be found in The Great Upheaval.