THE HISTORY OF THE FLANAESS

The common folk know little of history, nor do they need to. Most consider tales of ancient times little more than legend. However, since the growth and development of the "adventuring" class, the pages of history have been bought from the realm of legend. The wise explorer appreciates the history of the ruins underfoot, for in that history lie secrets of the ages, and a pattern that might be repeated all to easily.

·         -395 CY Baron Lum establishes the first Oeridian Kingdom in the Flanaess. He, aided by his very able general/priest Leuk-O, uses two very powerful items to defeat all who oppose him. (5121 SD/-395 CY)

·         -388 CY Baron Lum defeats a large Flanae force and departs to the south-east with Hextor's followers among the Oeridians. For a short time he is acknowledged as high warlord of the Oeridians.

·         -381 CY Last records of the Warlord Lum are made in this year. He disappears and is considered dead from this point on. Leuk-O, high priest of Hextor becomes warlord.

·         -380 CY Several tribes: the Pictaves, Kalgonites, Diembres and Aeredi refuse to yield to orders of Leuk-O. War among the Oeridians begins.

·         -374 CY In the battle of keep Garwad (today's southern Furyondy) Diembre followers of Heironeous, helped extensively by Aeredi mages succeed in destroying the army of Leuk-O and forcing him to use spells to disappear from the battlefield. It is commonly held opinion that something had gone wrong or that his god was displeased by his performance on the battlefield, for he has not been seen since.

·         -360 CY Kalgonites and a lot of smaller Oerdian tribes divide from the main stream of migration and go south-west to the territory known today as the Ulek-Keoland-Yeomanry states which have been emptied of the majority of their Flanae inhabitants by the exploits of Lum the Mad and Leuk-O.

·         -352 CY Kalgonite chieftain Tuerny the Merciless establishes his Oeridian realm in the Flanaess (today's northern Keoland) he crowns himself as a king.

·         circa -350 CY The Aeredi perfect the art of magic, becoming the most accomplished sorcerers of all the Oeridians. Highly tribalistic criteria in selecting students will lead to concentrating vast magical power within that tribe.

·         -346 CY Certain powerful Aeredi wizards establish a conclave on the abandoned Vecnian strongholds of the Isles of Woe in the Nyr Dyv

·         -344 CY The first recorded appearance of Baba Yaga's Hut

·         -330 CY The Isles of Woe, a small Aerdian enclave ruled by Wizard Priests (led by Yagrax), sinks into the Nyr Dyv; a hard blow is dealt to Aeredi magic and prestige, but many books and scrolls were saved through magical and mundane means.

·         cca -311 CY Majority of the Diembres, having no need for the help of a war god for the last sixty years switches their faith to that of the more organised and aggressive priesthood of Pholtus. Even some Aerdi accept that deity

·         -285 CY Oeridians in great numbers start populating the eastern part of the continent. Except for occasional clashes with the Flanae their conquest is left unchallenged because great human-elf wars have vastly depopulated the area. The elves retreat to protect their remaining cities.

·         cca -280 First permanent settlements in what is going to be Nyrond. Diembres and Aeredi are the two major tribes to populate the eastern part of the continent. That is due to the ambitious and inquisitive nature of both of those tribes. In the empty, fertile land both of those tribes enlarge and prosper.

·         -244 Establishment of Rel Deven, the first walled city built by the Oeridians. It was created by the Aeredi first as a citadel for one of their wizard conclaves and later as a trading post and eventually a stronghold and military base. Aeredi influence in the east enlarges considerably due to the existence of the city.

·         cca -230 Several other cities have been created by this year following the pattern of Rel Deven (high walls and narrow streets.) The most impressive are: Rel Mord in the west, Rel Astra on the far east and Rauxes, which is designed to be the major city for controlling all movement through what is known then as the "central Aeredi lands". Many Diembres are assimilated into the Aerdi population of the cities and bring their dialect and their Pholtus worship. In the north-west this assimilation occurs to a lesser extent.

·         -217 CY Founding of the Kingdom of Aerdy. For the next 100 years Aerdy absorbs other Oeridian states to the west . Its capital is elected Rauxes mainly because "the Order" wants to keep powerful noblemen from seizing power over their conclave in Rel Deven.

·         -213 CY Geimel Cranden, from a minor noble family of Aerdy becomes head of the "Order". He rediscovers many old Flanae and even elven spells and becomes one of most powerful archmages of his time. He will be the first head of the "Order" ever to hand his title to descendants based on familial relationship.

·         -209 CY Church of Pholtus established as the major faith of Aerdy; a magnificent temple to the sun-god is built in Rauxes.

·         -198 CY Having recovered from their defeats, the Flanae tribes start organising to regain their land. They capture a few small, unfortified towns and cities in today's eastern Nyrond.

·         -195 CY After initial succeses, the Flanae fall into bitter internal strife between war leaders and Ur-Flanae sages over leadership. Aerdy starts to recover from the initial shock.

·         -193 CY After one part of their army is defeated but not destroyed by Aerdy, the Ur-Flanae assume the leadership of the Flanae tribes. Bitter war begins with changing war fortunes but being mostly in the Flanae's favour mainly because of their great numbers and ferocity.

·         -185 CY Until this year almost all of today's North Province and most of eastern Nyrond is controlled by the Flanae. Many more come from the northern lands to join the fight against the conquerors.

·         -182 CY Geimel Cranden dies and his nephew and successor Ferlaand Cranden becomes head of the "Order" despite being fairly young for the position (43).

·         -175 CY Vecnian cultists among the Ur-Flanae attain positions of power.

·         -160 CY A cautious peace begins as Aerdy tries to consolidate its forces and to find a competent King to lead the army against the onslaught. The Flanae use this time to start negotiating an alliance with the Suel barbarians and other northerners. Their wizards desperately seek for the hand and eye of Vecna.

·         -135 CY War begins again with increased intensity; even Rel Deven is besieged for two months. Winter and the mages' skill have succeeded in breaking the siege even though a relief force is caught and routed while trying to pass through the northern edges of the Adri forest in the "Battle of Sleeping Trees".

·         -133 CY Paranoid mages of the "Order" begin the construction of Permanence castle on the site of an ancient shrine of Boccob, in order to protect copies of their most valuable texts in case of the fall of Rel Deven.

·         -120 CY Flanae conquests reach their peak as they pillage and raid both Rel Mord and Rauxes. The last large temple of Heironeous is destroyed. Many Aeredi turn to the worship of Hextor, looking for help against the barbarians. The King takes refuge in Rel Astra, which for a time becomes the capital.

·         -118 CY Magical disortion occurs at Permanence castle as magic runs wild and some mages of the Conclave die attempting to stop it. Permanence is abandoned for a time.

·         -117 CY The King halfhartedly accepts the offer of Hextorite priests for help in rallying the armies in return for recognition as a second state faith.

·         -115 CY In these years the mages of the Order discover the first hints of the Cauldron of Night and begin an extensive search for its location and properties.

·         -112 CY Finally, deciding to fight their old enemies in spite of their mistrust for allying with any humans, elves set forth in battle from their hidden cities in southern and central Aerdy. No help comes from the lost cities of the north. The Treaty of Rel Astra is made between Fiel, lord of the City of Eternal Dawn in the Grandwood, oldest of all the elven cities of Aerdi, and exiled king Kalzabad of Rauxes.

·         -110 CY Battle of a Fortnight's Length. Probably the decisive battle in Oerth's history. The host of Aerdy and their elven allies face the Barbarian alliance of north: the Flanae with their wizards and a vast number of various Suloise tribes. It is fought on the shortest day and longest night of that year and helpful to the Aeredi because of the advantage that their elven allies have, but also a hindrance to them severely for the dark and necromantic magic of the Ur-Flanae is enhanced. Finally, just before dawn, the Elves break the barbarian lines and engage in a savage onslaught of the Ur-Flanae. Not until Fiel is killed do they stop, and by then more than seven thousand Ur-Flanae lie dead on the field. Never again they will be able to raise war and they will continue to threaten elves and men only through the machinations and manipulations of others. After their lord's death the elves return to their cities demanding to be left alone for good.

The place of this battle cannot be exactly pointed to, but Nyrond, Almor and Cranden lands all claim that it occurred within their borders. However, the surest bet would be the vast unoccupied area between today's Bone March and Nyrond.

·         -108 CY Beginning of the age of great expansion. Over the next hundred years the Aerdi will conquer a good two thirds of the Flanaess.

·         -105 CY Hurven Cranden is the first mage to discover the Cauldron of Night. He dies at it's site, being unable to control the strong magical flux caused by his own spells on that highly sensitive site.

·         -104 CY The rebuilding of Rauxes commences. In the same year a division occurs within the "Order" as the Crandens are trying to place their family members in all important positions in it. The majority of the other wizards resign and form several separate schools, leaving however most of the library in Rel Deven itself in Cranden Hands.

·         -103 King Kalzabad dies and is succeeded by Kelebran II who is a long time soldier and warlord of the armies in the war against the Flanae. He reforms the army so that the warlord's position ceases to be inheritable and assumes the right to appoint warlords. He divides the army into the "Royal Guard", "Western campaign army" and "Southern campaign army" with the purpose of reconquering all Oeridian lands.

·         -102 Aerdi reconquers today's Nyrond and turns further west. Against them stand other Oeridian Kingdoms and strong remains of the Suel people along with migrating and barbaric Flanae.

·         -101 CY "Order of Wizards" effectively ceases to exist. The Cranden family however, remain the most respected mages of the Kingdom.

·         -99 CY Azharadian, later to be known as "the Great" is appointed warlord of the "western campaign" by the King in Rel Astra. He will be the most successful military leader ever to be recorded in Oerth's annals of war. His exploits will lead him from Nyrond all the way to eastern Perrenland. In the over 40 years that he will lead the Aerdi armies he will not lose or withdraw from a major battle.

·         -97 CY Aerdi mages forge the first great magical blade: the famous sword "Kalvang"

·         -94 CY Reestablishment of Rel Mord as the seat of power for house Nyrond.

·         -93 CY Azharadian defeats the Suloise and their Oeridian allies in the battle for the Duntide river. Aerdy conquers most of the eastern Nyr Dyv.

·         -91 CY The people of today's Furyondy ally together against Azharadian. They ask for help from the elves of Celene and the dwarves of the Lortmils but only later send a token force.

·         -89 CY Azhardian defeats the Furyondians in the battle of port Dyvers. Half of the defeated host and King (Suel/Oerdian halfbreed) fly north.

·         -87 CY Azhardian lays siege to the ancient Flanae city of Hardby.

·         -86 CY After almost a year of exhausting siege Hardby surrenders to the general, but is granted a degree of self rule.

·         -84 CY While his southern army conquers the Pomarj and today's Ulek lands, Azhardian turns northwards and in a series of consecutive victories conquers the rest of Ferrond (Furyondy) and Voll (Veluna). The King in Rel Astra establishes the Viceroyalty of Ferrond.

·         -80 CY Azhardian finally completes the circle around the Nyr Dyv. He defeats the last remains of the Flanae/Suloise alliance in a naval battle for Admundfort. In this year he joins his forces in northern Urnst.

·         -78 CY Harsh weather, the bareness of the land and constant orc raids prove to the general that it would be unwise continuing north. He turns east again and begins conquering today's Theocracy of the Pale.

·         -76 CY Azhardian finishes his eastern conquest, banishing an enormous number of Flanae people over the river Artonsamay. He then returns to Rel Astra to receive his honours and hold a triumph as a conqueror of most of the world. In 23 years, his exploits have tripled the size of the empire

·         -73 CY Azhardian embarks on a "southern campaign" where he fights to claim all of today's South Province and a large part of Sunndi. Again, bad swampy terrain forces him to return with only half of his job finished in -71 CY

·         -67 CY The already aging general is sent to resume the "western campaign" and to bring Aerdy's borders to the "last sea".

·         -65 CY After destroying several minor rebellions on his way back Azhardian begins the campaign to conquer Perrenland. To avoid conflict with the elves and fighting in unfavourable terain, he avoids the Vesve and goes on a long and slow conquest of the easily defensible Velverdyva valley.

·         -63 CY Perhaps the most brilliant of all battles of Azherdian's wars is the battle of the Velverdyva canyon where he uses the almost impossible terrain to fool his opponents into attacking him instead of defending their well fortified positions. He gains a great victory and secures passage through the canyon.

·         -62 CY The general reaches Lake Quag. He is sure that it must be very near the "last sea" or the ocean on the west but has to turn back to destroy a rebellion in Voll.

·         -61 CY Verweln Cranden, cooperating with mages from Rel Astra and Rauxes, whose names are lost, finally succeeds in controlling to a certain extent the stuff of the Cauldron of Night. Liquid or "living" steel is used for the first time to transport it.

·         -60 CY Although victorious again, the general is stricken with a powerful asthmatic attack and shipped by sea back to Rel Astra. He has been sick of this disease for some time already and some say that he acquired it while fighting in the swamps of Sunndi, others that it is hereditary and that he had it ever since childhood. In the same year the Dukedom of Voll is established.

·         -59 CY Sea air, on the way back home, helps the general to recover and after a brief visit to his family and friends in Rel Astra, he rejoins his army in the south in a winter campaign against the Onnwal tribes on the peninsula of the same name. Harsh winter rains in that part of the world destroy the general's health utterly and he falls a victim to disease again. He dies of flu on his way back to Rel Astra but not before he has ensured that Onnwal has become a part of the Great Kingdom of Aerdy. Thus ends the glorious and long career of a man who has played perhaps the single most important part in Aerdy history. Armies that he has led and created will continue to be invincible, except for a few minor exemptions over the next several centuries. His legacy of over twenty major and hundreds of minor battles have become the example for generations of Aerdy military leaders. His dream of an empire from sea to sea has remained unfullfilled and seems it never will be. However, his exploits have for the first time made the people of the Flanaess aware of each other and the results of his campaigns are geographical maps so accurate and well made that some of them are used even today.

·         -57 CY King Kalzabad III dies in the hunt. His two daughters marry noblemen from houses Torquen and Garasteth. Nobles of most houses elect Garled Torquan for a King . This begins the period of elective Kings which have little power over certain noblemen, and none over the mages of Rel Deven. In the conquered provinces, army commanders still remaining from Azharadian's times keep the empire from disintegrating through civil war.

·         -54 CY The rebuilding of Rauxes is finished; it's walls being almost impregnable to outside attack. The capital is not moved back however, for several noble families contest over the Kingship.

·         -53 CY An assassin war begins between the houses of Torquen and Garasteth for the Kingship of Aerdi. A series of elected Kings and elector nobles are killed by opposing sides over the next half century. Neither of the families dares try to call upon the vast provincial armies to fight for their cause because nobody is certain on which side lay the alliegances of Seimel Besequr, great warlord of the "western campaign" elected by Azharadian himself.

·         -38 CY Cranden mages begin extensive underground work connecting Rel Deven with the Cauldron of Night.

·         -7 CY Seimel Besequr begins negotiations with the mages of Rel Deven about ways to stop the assassin war.

·         -5 CY Council of Rel Deven ends the assassin war as all Houses agree to pass an electorate to the Council of the Wise composed of major mages and priests of the kingdom.

·         -4 CY Council of Rel Deven ends with the election of Narson Cranden as Overking of all Aerdy with far greater power than Kings have had before him. His coronation however, is postponed for five years during which time the council of electors is to assure that the King will have absolute support from all the houses. Rauxes is again elected capital.

·         -3 CY Royal fostering is established as a custom.

·         -1 CY Celever Cranden, archmage of Rel Deven, with help from numerous mages and priests of the council of electors creates the Malachite Throne and places it in the palace in Rauxes as a seat for the new King . In the same year the council dissolves itself and reestablishes the rule of primogeniture in ascending to the position of Overking.

·         1 CY Crowning of Nasron, of the House of Cranden, as the Overking of Aerdy. Thus begins the most glorious chapter in Aerdy history. Although the Crandens will rule a comparatively short period time, their rule will always be known as a golden age, as the greatest achievements in art, magic and statemanship occur during this time. In Richfest of that year Narson I declares the Pax Aerdy (Aerdian peace) throughout the empire.

·         2 CY Army commanders from all parts of the Empire come to swear allegiance to the Overking. This is against the old custom that their primary allegiance was to their noble houses. Narson divides the "western campaign" into: the "Army of Furyondy", the small but efficient "Velverdyva Army" where most of the old students of Azharadian go, the "Shield Army" which is supposed to protect the empire from orcish raids from the north. The "Army of Rel Mord" which is from the very beginning under the control of the Nyrond noble house, even when the chief appointed general is not from that house, and the "Lortmil Army" which has to face those few still unconquered Oeridian lands. The "Southern campaign" he divides into : the "Sea Barons", virtually the ocean navy of the Great Kingdom, the "Hestmark army" and one of the most elite, the "Glorioles Army". He establishes elite units within the Royal Guard and increases the number of ordinary guards so that they virtually become the army of the central lands.

·         31 CY Narson Cranden dies and is buried in the family tomb in Rel Deven. His second son Belver becomes Overking.

·         32 CY Narson's brother, Schandor Cranden is appointed royal mage by his nephew. He will be one more of those people who have marked the history of Aerdy and we might even say the world.

·         33 CY Schandor Cranden with help of some other mages and sages and also with the high priests of several lawful religions starts to write the "Lex Aerdy", the first Oeridian Code of Laws, one that will continue to be used for generations and to which at least lip service is paid even today under the degenerate Naelax Kings.

·         38 CY "Lex Aerdy" is finished and starts to be employed by the Overkings. It is a seven hundred pages long code which establishes the proper place in society for anybody, from King to lowliest peasants and slaves.

·         40 CY Belver Cranden dies of fever and his baby son Celeb becomes Overking. Schandor becomes regent.

·         41 CY First violation of Pax Aerdy occurs as Avaric, general of the Furyondian Army, rebels against the Overking. He starts skirmishing with the "Velverdyva army" and a great number of soldiers desert both armies. Schandor sends one detachment of the Royal Guard including the Elite Legion to combat the rebels.

·         42 CY General Veixers of the Elite Legion defeats Avaric and returns triumphantly to Rauxes. Schandor awards him with the title of leader of the newly formed "Guard Companion". This controversial unit will be the source of much disagreement between chroniclers of the life of Schandor Cranden. While more traditional ones attack him for giving the ultimate weapon of oppression into the hands of the Overkings, others praise him for postponing and reducing the chances of civil war in Aerdy. In any case the Companion Guard will be from that year the chief force for destroying nobleman rebellions and any other kind of civil disobedience within the empire. They are sworn loyal to "..one who with blessing of the Patriarchs sits upon the Malachite throne.." and are recruited from the most competent soldiers in the whole empire. Their number will vary between one and seven hundred but will stabilise on 200 heavy knights with 500 reserves ready to take the place of those fallen.

·         43 CY Schandor recognizes Zilchus's faith as the third major religion of the empire in order to keep balance and encourage trade and well-being.

·         44 CY Schandor, with the help of lawful Patriarchs establishes the "Chamber of Essence" in Rauxes, necessary additions are made to the "Lex Aerdy".

·         46 CY Although successful in their attempts to create an underground "highway" from Rel Deven to the Cauldron of Night, Cranden mages discover vast underground chambers populated with several intelligent species. Most dangerous of all, semi-aquatic creatures called Kuo-Toa challenge Cranden rights to the underground route and start attacking the builders and mages of Cranden.

·         47 CY Several marriages mark the combining of two important noble houses, that of Rax, from the south-east and Nyrond from the north. This house suddenly becomes one of most prestigeous and richest both in political influence and estates.

·         48 CY In spite of attacks, several Cranden noblemen, both mages and others, dare to exploit the vast underground that is discovered. A few sketchy maps are made. Cranden wizards decide to make a few underground libraries and to move some of their magical potential underground so it can be kept outside the grasp of the noblemen.

·         50 CY Kuo-Toan attacks increase in severity as the Crandens try to establish a small harbour on the rim of a sunless sea.

·         51 Schandor builds a new noble's quarter in Rauxes. In the same year he orders the building of a walled city on the place of former keep Dyvers in Furyondy and also the building of Eastfair to the north.

·         54 CY Celeb Cranden comes of age and takes the reigning scepter from his uncle. He will be noted as probably the best but definitely one of the tactless Kings of the golden age. During his reign a bitter quarrel begins between the Crandens from Rel Deven and those from Rauxes.

·         57 CY Schandor Cranden dies; law giver and builder, one of those rulers who will be remembered more for what they gave than what they have conquered.

·         59 CY One of most revered Cranden mages is killed in a Kuo-Toan attack in what now comes to be known as the "Underdark". Mages swear to retaliate with the greatest force. Unwilling to explain his purposes, for the Cranden mages did not want the Overking's influence over their dealings in the Underdark, the new head of the family mages demands from Celeb that several musters of soldiers should be put under the direct control of Rel Deven to serve in some unexplained conflict. The King refuses and with proud words sends the mage away. Silently Yaverl Cranden leaves the capital, never to return.

·         60 CY House Cranden starts building and equipping troops, mainly from serfs and peasants from their own lands in clear defiance of the "Lex Aerdy". The outraged king arrests several of his mage cousins and threatens that he will use the Companion Guard if the Crandens do not stop their activities. Yaverl seemingly capitulates as he disbands a few of the newly created musters (having already sent several more into the Underdark on their future training) and sends a letter to the King . On the surface it is a formal apology for rebellious behaviour, however to all who know the secret phrase language of Cranden it is an outright insult and even threat to the King 's life. Quite strong when it comes from the most powerful mage in the King dom and also the head of the King 's own family.

·         61 CY Sees the beginning of a hidden war between the Crandens and the Kuo-Toa. The King , although enraged, looks away as several thousand Cranden vasals "disappear" somewhere east of Rel Deven.

·         62 CY After initial successes, the Crandens find themselves in bad situation concerning the Kuo-Toan war. Their wizards are too important and too few, to risk in actual battles, and the Kuo-Toa were formidable fighters, certainly more formidable then the trained peasants that the Crandens have employed. Yaverl however tries to entice several elite units of the Royal Guard to pass to the Cranden side, being almost sure that the Overking will not dare to act against him. He is successful in one case and one of the Overking's best men, Pajarifan, leader of the Rangers of the North, a small guard detachment that was constantly looking for and exterminating orc settlements in still unconquered areas had been won to the Cranden side. Yaverl presents him with Finslayer, a specially made magical blade and sends him with a majority of his soldiers to help the war in the underground.

The King is unable to stand idle any longer and after he has discovered that the Crandens are effectively making their own King dom underground, and that they are taking over his own people, he sends the Companion Guard to Rel Deven with the order to arrest Yaverl. Being unable to fight this royal threat, the mages surrender Yaverl to the Companion Guard and ask for the King 's mercy. The King removes the Companion Guard from Rel Deven, accepting what he thought a sincere apology of his kinsmen. However he refuses to absolve Yaverl, who accepts the King 's offer to commit suicide on his way back to Rel Deven. The King takes over the underground war, absolves Pajarifan and gives him supreme command of underground forces of Empire.

·         63 CY Dyvers is officially recognized as the seat of the Legate (military commander) of Furyondy. In same year Pajarifan seemingly disappears as he embarks on an intelligence gathering mission deep behind enemy lines in tunnels that do not lead towards the sunless sea.

·         64 CY Pajarifan returns and brings help in theform of a small nation of underground gnomes. This nation has fled in front of Drow advances deeper underground and have been wandering aimlessly before Pajarifan offers them protection of Aerdy forces in returnfor the help of their mages and illusionists in war.

·         65 CY Eastfair is built. Hextorites adopt it as their Capital. In order to balance it with a religion more to it's liking and also to have a nearby city in case of a new rebelion in Rel Deven, Celeb sends thousands of Pholtus worshipers to build a city for themselves on the mouth of Harp river. The city is going to be named Chathold.

·         66 CY War in the underground comes to a stalemate as Pajarifan succeeds in driving the Kuo Toa back into the sunless sea but is unable to exterminate them utterly nor to secure a route over hte sea to the position of the Cauldron. In the same year an old grudge between Garastath and Torquann erupts again as Jaan Torquann seduces and then abandons the daughter of an important Garastath noble. The young lady kills herself and Garastath demands the death penalty for Jaan. The King sends his envoys to investigate but are unable to find anything out, for the young lovers have done their best to conceal everything from their families. The King proposes the summoning of Jaan Torquann into the Chamber of Essence but Havel Garastath is unwilling to have his daughter's shame revealed in front of three Patriarchs; he declines and removes his family's request.

·         67 CY Fortgar Cranden, new archmage of Rel Deven, defies the King 's order to go personally and help in the underground war. He answers by pointing to his young age and lack of experience. The King disbelieves him but is unable to prove anything. The quarrel between Rel Deven and Rauxes deepens. In the same year Jaan Torquann fall victim to assassination. His body is found dismembered in a particulary unpleasant way, and the King accuses House Garastath.

·         68 CY Havel Garastath is tried in the Chamber of Essence and executed for arranging the killing of a fellow nobleman. However several more deaths within House Garastath quickly follow. In the same year several barbarian raids on the northern borders are recorded.

·         69 CY Neither Torquann nor Garastath raise any charges and both houses go to great lengths to conceal deaths that might lead the heads of both houses to the Chamber of Essence but it is certain that a new war of assassins is raging. The King is unable to summon any help from Rel Deven in order to end this quarel.

·         70 CY Hextorites in the north again increase in number as many folk look for the protection of the war god against increasing northman raids.

·         71 CY King decides, against family tradition, to employ a non-Cranden court mage. His choice is a half-Flan wizard named Weylin with a few drops of elvish blood. Weylin is great friend of the elves of Grandwood and he is one of rare people allowed to enter the City of Eternal Dawn. Weylin proves as excellent diplomat as he succeeds by a combination of threats and promises to end the second assassin war without executing the heads of the houses and thus causing political instability.

·         72 CY On one of his lonely expeditions to deep below, Pajarafan disappears. It is commonly held opinion that he was slain in fight with some monsters, for he is never seen or heard about again on surface.

·         73 CY Kuo-Toa decide on a last big strike against the invaders. In large numbers they assault the King 's soldiers. For a short time they reconquer some parts of the "highway". In the same year scandal approaches as it is discovered that a deep romantic relationship exists between the sixteen year old prince heir, Tenmeris Cranden and Yarlanda, doughter of his father's court wizard. Being a commoner would be bad enough; being one quarter Flanae was terrible. The nobles would never accept her as their queen. In winter of this year the Rel Devenians finaly struck. Their plan was to kill the King and to offer to the nobles to choose between Tenmeris and his cousin Flavy, former apprentice to Frotgar the archmage. They also want to resume control over the remains of the underground army and to finally drive the Kuo-Toa back to the sea. Eleven years of contemplation by the best sages and wizards of the empire have proved succesfull; Celeb dies of an inexplicable fever that to many smells of Necromantic magic. Weylin sends the young King and his own daughter to the safety of the Grandwood where the elves will take care of them, shortly before he himself dies in an obviously magical duel. However, he has proved tougher than Frotgar has expected for when his body is found it is almost obvious that only one man could have been his killer: Frotgar himself. Faced with a choice between an obvious killer's apprentice and a young heir in love, the nobles grudgingly decided in favour of the latter. In the Underdark, the mages have struck the Kuo-Toa when they had not expected it. In a swift attack the war was over and the fish-men retreated to the sea to lick their wounds.

·         74 CY Young Tenmeris Cranden becomes King of Aerdy, he will renew good relationships with the Elves and is considered the best of the Golden Age rulers. Although he becomes King quite young he is a successful ruler and to his wisdom is attributed the ceasing of military rule over the conquered provinces. Also he is along with his father responsible for increasing the number and influence of Pholtus's worshipers. He will rule for more then sixty years, signaling with his death an end to the golden age. His wife will soon, instead of animosity, gain undivided love from her subjects. Commoners and nobles alike will learn to love their good-hearted and wise queen, which will solve most of the problems that have troubled internal relationships between great houses for decades. Lawful and good in all respects, both of them will be hated only by the most selfish of their subjects. Unfortunately in this category are the mages of Rel Deven. On the nobles' request soon after assuming the Malachite Throne, the young King orders Frotgar to appear in the Chamber of Essence to answer for murder. Frotgar answers that murder of a common man is not crime to be tried in the Chamber and sends the King 's messengers back to Rauxes. The King demands his expulsion from Rel Deven and threatens use of the Companion Guard. The mages refused and politely informed the King that attack on Rel Deven would mean civil war, saying "..our walls now are strong enough to withstand even the Companion Guard.. for a while..". Listening to his beloved wife, the King calls off his charges against the mages, knowing that the noblemen will not be impressed if he starts his reign by employing the Companion guard in a case of doubtful legality, for according to the "Lex Aerdy", slaying of a commoner really is not a crime to be tried in front of the Patriarchs, even if the commoner was a court mage (a thing unimaginable in the time when the "Lex.." was written). Yarlanda however advises Tenmeris to put Rel Deven under close scrutiny by both nobles and Patriarchs in order not to allow them to create their own parallel state.

·         75 CY Tenmeris and his Queen, Yalranda rule Aerdy. From he long closed City of Eternal Dawn and even from depths of the Adri elven envoys begin coming to Rauxes. The Capital of the World was enriched with beauty and song and artists, and the mages of Rel Astra and Rauxes went to the elven cities to teach and to be taught. The library in Rauxes begins to grow, hoping even to surpass that in now isolated Rel Deven.

·         76 CY Tenmeris Cranden creates the University of Rauxes, the first institution of that kind in the world. For almost four hundred years it will be a bastion of learning and an enormous amount of information will be obtained by its scholars. Even in the days of the mad King s, the university will remain an oasis of sanity in Rauxes.

·         77 CY King starts the building of Zeltradon.

·         78 CY After almost fifteen years of building with the help of elven masons, the beautiful city of Chathold is finally finished. Contesting in its beauty even with Rel Astra, it becomes one of King 's favorite places and his summer palace is located there. With the King 's permission, the Patriarch of Pholtus moves his residence to the newly built city.

·         79 CY Yarlanda holds a closed meeting between the heads of houses Torquann and Garasteth. It is unknown what happenes in the meeting but after it the old grudge sleeps for several decades.

·         80 CY Old Garasteth fiefs of Roland and Ountsy finally gain walls in this year and grow enough to be called cities.

·         84 CY Rax-Nyrond noble house has replaced the Crandens as the major house in the central lands of old Aerdy (those around Rauxes). A mixture of land grants by the king and the buying of land from Rel Deven mages and others who did not care for it have means they posses now not only a good part of today's Nyrond but also an enormously large tract of land in the south east. Philip of Rel Mord, head of the house is elected commander in chief of the royal army and keeper of the King 's seal.

·         87 CY Encouraged by Aerdy's friendship with their traditional allies, the Grey Elves, the Dwarves of the Iron Hills offer their friendship to the King . Many dwarves go to Rauxes to trade and to employ their blacksmithing skills in the King 's service. In return, Tenmeris grants them independence in the Iron Hills and they start building aboveground battlements and buildings on the place that will become Irongate, capital of the Dwarves in the east.

·         89 CY House Darmen is accepted as a major house after they have from their own coffers financed the building of the city of Kalstrand. Kalstrand is the first city in Aerdy not to follow the example set by Rel Deven long ago. The streets are much wider and the walls smaller and thinner. Several majestic buildings surrounded by parks dominat the city. It lies on a much larger area than any other excluding Rauxes itself and it is visible that it was built to show both the wealth and taste of the builders.

·         90 CY Church of Zilchus moves to Kalstrand.

·         94 CY Start of the second rebellion in the west. Together with the attack of Keolanders, the Legate of Furyondy declares independence and tries to make pact with the southerns. More out of stubbornness and vanity than with real ill will, the mages of Rel Deven decline to give even symbolic, divining help. The King sends lord Philip with parts of the "Shield army", the "Rel Mord army" and several units of the Royal Guard. He does not send the Companion Guard for two reasons, one was not to insult his loyal general by sending him troops that he will be unable to command. The other is that the Companion Guards were primarily invented to fight noblemen within Aerdy. The large army of Keoland combined with almost all of the "Furyondian army" was too much for their fairly small numbers.

·         95 CY Lord Philip succeeds in dividing the Keolanders from their northern ally by conquering castle Weltder in southern Furyondy. However he is besieged in the castle for a month and a half before the Shieldlanders come to his aid. He drives the rebels back and in counterattack comes near Dyvers itself. Winter stops him but he encamps his force and sends some number to spend the winter in their forts in the south.

·         96 CY Early in the spring, before lord Philip musters his army again, rebels attack him with reinforcements from the north. Soon he is forced to flee and cut off from his planned emergency retreat into Perrenland. He would be destroyed, and with him the rule of Aerdy over Furyondy if Velunian units in the Furyondian army did not refuse to obey orders and joined Lord Philip's forces encamped near Littleberg. In the battle for Littleberg, the combined forces of Aerdy and Veluna triumph over the rebelling Furyondians and the Legate is captured. Most of he remaining army surrenders to the mercy of lord Philip.

·         97 CY After defeating the Keolanders in series of skirmishes after which they are unable to seriously threaten the empire, lord Philip returns triumphally to Rauxes. The prince heir, Margwel Cranden marries in that year the daughter of lord Philip and on that day one of the most important and long ranging political decisions in Aerdy history is made. Instead of the bride taking the Imperial surname and becoming lady Cranden, the young prince decides, advised strongly by his father, to change his surname to Rax-Nyrond. This is a wise decision. In this way, Rax-Nyrond has effectively become the semi-ruling house with the prospect of becoming rulers of all Aerdy. Surely, for any King , the support and close family ties with the loyal rich and powerful house of Rax-Nyrond are more important then doubtful ties with an ostracised magic using family isolated in a single city and surrounding fiefs. Formally, there is a Cranden on the throne for forty more years, until death of Tenmeris but effectively, the days of the Crandens as the royal house are over and the archmages understand it.

·         99 CY In order to prevent further unrest in the conquered lands, the King summons all of his nobleman and several important military leaders to a council in Rauxes. This council is considered the first of five great councils that take place in the history of the Great King dom. In that council he proposes an end to military rule over the western empire and decides to give noble titles, even semi-royal titles to some of the lesser nobleman and to send them to rule in the west. The major division goes along the Selentan river and the middle of the Nyr Dyv and divides the empire into the King dom of Aerdy and the Viceroyalty of Ferrond. Giving to the most rebellious province such high standing is calculated to make a friend from an enemy. Appointing a local nobleman who is not even Aerdy by nationality the Viceroy enraged both Torquann and Garasteth who coveted the title for themselves. However, this is probably a wise move because it gives the Furyondians, especially those of Kalgonite and Pictave origin the feeling that they rule themselves and thus they become less rebellious. Veilereked Deiseer, newly appointed Viceroy is however carefully selected, by the queen and several other of the King 's closest advisors, and highly loyal to the Malachite Throne. He nor any of his family ever rebel against Aerdy and are loyal to the Rax-Nyrond King s even when some of the Aerdy nobles are against them. Aerdy itself is divided into four major parts: the Westernmost one, on the shores of the Nyr Dyv and further east, almost all the way to the Adri forest are considered under the control of the Duke of Rel Deven. The name for them iss primarily the Western Province but because of the long standing domination of house Nyrond in these parts they begin to be called the Lands of Nyrond or later just Nyrond. All the land from the Yol river in the north to a hundred and fifty miles north of Rauxes are called the North Province, and are under the official jurisdiction of the Duke of Eastfair. However the most northwestern part which is divided from Kalstrand by the southern part of the high Raker Mountains and therefore makes more of a geograhical unity with Nyrond is populated by Diembre tribes mixed with remaining Flanae. Neither of the two peoples really liked the Hextorites that rule Eastfair, so they become very self sufficient and try to rely on the rest of empire as little as possible, relying on the on Nyrondese when necessary and almost never on Eastfair. The Duke himself never really cares for that land of grim and poor miners and loggers who have not been able to pay in taxes the cost of keeping a sizable military force there so he just lets them go. On the other hand those lands are an official claim of the North Province and that is important to remember. The third part is what is for short time called the Eastern Province and is under the direct command of the king. All lands from Delaric to the Thelly and Mikar Rivers and from the western rim of the Adri to the Solnor Ocean belong to this area which soon begins to be called the "old lands" and sometimes just Aerdy as if something has forshadowed the destiny of the Great King dom. The last part is the South Province which is called by the inhabitants of one of it's largest parts Ahlissa. It runs from the Thelley and Mikar rivers south into the bogs and marches of Suundi. It is the richest part of Aerdy both in the wealth of it's inhabitants and in argricultural potential and thus the greatest conflict erupts over control of these lands. Major pretenders is House Darmen which is geographically best placed to rule from their city of Kalstrand but they are soon put aside as a conflict arises between two of the most revered and oldest families of the empire: Garasteth of Rel Astra and Naelax of Rel Deven. If the other person was the Duke of Rel Deven the King would not be able do decline to his cousins something which they as the oldest and most important family of the empire deserve. However the archmage of the city (the title forever connected with the Dukedom) is still Fortgar Cranden, now in his ninth decade of life. Old and arrogant, still hating the King for defeating him almost thirty years ago. Despite advice from his councillors and even his wife who hate Fortgar as much as he does, Tenmeris is unable to place South Province in the hands of a man whom he knows to be his father's killer. The Garasteths are given the Dukedom over South Province and Rel Astra is elevated over Rel Deven. A bad choice because no matter how arrogant and selfish the mages of Rel Deven are, they are, and will prove to be, keepers of order and sanity in what will become Aerdy. Garasteth on the contrary are too divided internally, too prone to anger to be effective rullers of any large tract of land. Declining power over Ahlissa was degrading Rel Deven to the role of passive observer of things that are going to happen, not powerful enough to change anything.

·         100 CY The Viceroyalty of Ferrond is officially founded on the first day of this year. Loyal King 's officer Veilereked Deiseer is appointed Viceroy and the second most important person of the empire. Elevation of this low-ranking nobleman over powerful Aerdi Dukes enrages many a nobleman. Not last of which is the now old Duke Philip of Nyrond, a man who hoped for supremacy over the West, as he has been military conqueror of Furyondy. The King however decides to give the position to someone who will have more support from the local population. The Viceroyalty of Ferrond is further divided. From the Velverdyva to the Veng River is the Viceroy's personal province which becomes known as simply Furyrondy. It is a land of people hostile to the Aerdi; Pictaves and Kalgonites in origin with strong feudal customs it is hard for them to accept the military rule that lasted for almost hundred years and which has deprived their lords of their feudal rights. Upon assuming his position, the Viceroy reestablishes the old division of the land in the Noble Estates from each of which a certain number of soldiers is to be sent to him if need be. Those estates are divided between his knights and some of the old Furyrondian families that have sworn him loyalty. Such estates are 43 in number and their existance spells an end for the "Furyrondian army". The Emperor removed them from Furyondy giving full comand of the now feudal army to the Viceroy. The Emperor has however remained in direct command of the "Shield Army" mainly because it is too important strategically to be removed, and secondly because the cold lands north of the Nyr Dyv are not likely to attract enough nobleman to create an effective feudal army. Also under the King 's personal command remains the "Velverdyva Army" because of it's tradition as the best army in all Aerdy and it's close relationship to the legendary general Azhardian. South-Western Furyondy regains a form of it's old Flanae-Oerdian name as it becomes the Dukedom of Veluna. This land is settled mainly by Diembres and several Kalgonite tribes. Of all parts of the Great Empire it is the most faithful to the religions of good, not so much for that of Pholtus but more for the original Oeridian worship of Heironeous and later of Pelor and Rao. The Velverdyva valley in the north has not officially become part of Furyondy. Perrenland remains the personal domain of the King and thus the Velverdyva army avoids the feudal disintegration that has happened to other western armies. For a short time there will be a Furyondian military presence in the lands of Ulek, south of the Lortmils but not much connection was ever maintained between those far off provinces and the rest of the empire and they soon obtained self rule from the Viceroy although they still pay lip service and some rare taxes to the empire.

·         101-135 CY So at the end of the first century of its existence, the Great King dom of Aerdy enters its longest period of unmolested peace. The towers of southern Veluna and the arms of those brave people have kept Keoland at bay, the "Shield Army" protects the north from orcs and other vile creatures from the frozen north. Furyondy is steadfast against all barbarian raids and all lands of the south east pay their homage to Rauxes. So it happens that for thirty six years no battle larger than a skirmish happens in all of Aerdy. Stone roads connect large cities and trade flourishes. Tenmeris rules in Rauxes and Deiseer in Dyvers and no objection is raised to their rule by any of the noblemen. Cranden mages return to their exploration of the occult and are heard from no more. For a time in Rauxes, three Patriarchs judge cases and enforce the law and oversee progress from their high temples in Chathold, Eastfair and Kalstrand. New cities are built and to everyone it seems that this golden age must reign forever. The elves of the Grandwood are friendly to humans as are the dwarves of Irongate. Later travel by sea and roads creates lasting friendship with the nobles of Veluna and Furyondy.

·         107 CY The Overking of Aerdy constructs Castle Millennium at Seawolf Point proclaiming at the same time a following millenium of peace for Aerdy. This castle with its enormous underground lake linked to the sea, becomes one of the major ports for the ever greater royal navy, for Tenmeris has dreamed of building so impressive a navy that he will be able to land in the southwest and to take over Keoland without war. In the following years two great navies, that of the Solnor ocean (stationed at the Sea Baron islands) and that of the Azure sea (in Millennium and Prymp) will compete for the King 's favour by building more and greater ships.

·         109 CY Ferenbrand finishes "The History of the Aeredy", a major historical work of the early days of the empire.

·         111 CY The King 's expeditions to the south establishes small ports on the edges of the Amedio and Hepmonaland jungles.

·         117 CY Barbarians from the furthest north (Hold of Stonefist and both Frost and Snow tribes) send hostages and great gifts in silver and wrought iron to the King as a sign of friendship after encountering a fleet of the Solnor ocean navy.

·         119 CY The Old City of Greyhawk is built as a trading port on the Nyr Dyv and as a center for sheep herding in the area. It's significance however, beside such cities as Hardby and Dyvers in the vicinity remains minimal. 

·         129 CY Margwell Cranden, only son to the King , dies when his ship encounters a large water snake and is destroyed. The King declares a year of mourning.

·         130 CY Having no more direct decendants the King declares the second son of Duke Philip, Kelven Nyrond as his succesor on the throne of the Aerdy. From this year on Tenmeris does not enjoy life anymore and spends more and more time in the company of his wife and his best friend from childhood, an elf, Estrandir of the city of Eternal Dawn. Too often the King will be in the Grandwood and not in Rauxes; Yarlanda effectively rules the empire. However, no rebellion rises for no nobleman even thinks of disturbing the "millenial peace". The Golden years continue even when the King has lost his will to rule. Important to mention is that never again has the King mentioned his choice of succesor nor has he even called upon young Kelven to join him in Rauxes and to partially take the place of the fallen prince. The young man will remain in Rel Deven and his loyalties will be given to his father Duke and the wellbeing of Nyrond, much more than to the empire.

·         137 CY Tenmeris Cranden dies, the last Cranden to rule Aerdi and also the last ruler of the golden age. He dies sitting on the Malachite Throne while listening to Estrandir's song and holding the hand of his wife and childhood lover Yarlanda. She, although also in her ninth decade of life still looks young or better to say ageless for the elven blood of her family has blosomed in her. However, after the King 's death she feels that her youth has come to an end. She also sees that young Kelven is ready to assume the kingship and takes the body of her husband and leaves for the Grandwood without escort and never again is anything heard of her in all Aerdy.

She bids Estrandir to remain and help the new King to rule wisely and the young elf accepts her bidding as he wishes her farewell. In Goodmonth of this year the Patriarchs meet in Rauxes to welcome and crown Kelven I as Overking of Aerdy. Then two things occur that will turn the history of the Great King dom and thus the rest of the world in a new and evil direction. First of all, Kelven comes from the north, not with a friendly retinue of several relatives and servants but with good part of the Army of Nyrond. Unhindered they march towards Rauxes, demanding that all recognise him as a sovereign even before his crowning. This seems more like occupation than crowning of the rightful King to many nobles, even to those of the Rax branch of the family, relatives to the future King . However, no one wishes to interfere with the order of the deceased King and Kelven is accepted in Rauxes and the nobles gather to swear loyalty to him. Then the second event occurs, one of the few remaining Cranden nobleman who holds land in the relative vicinity of Rauxes accuses Kelven of falsifying the King 's will in order to take the ancestral crown from the Cranden family. It is still not certain what prompted Ferem Cranden to such a foolish act, for there was no slighest trace of doubt that the King planned to give power to the Rax-Nyrond house and it was known to all that Kelven was declared succesor in the presence of two Patriarchs among others. However, charge was laid and now, according to the Lex-Aerdi, the Patriarchs were to investigate it. Kelven's crowning is postponed. Kelven reacts furiously by accusing the Patriarch of Pholtus of not less than treachery because he happenes to be a distant relative of the Cranden house and is one that urged most for a detailed investigation of Ferem's charges. This is unwise for a young prince because Derem Allwir Cranden of Pholtus is a stern and unforgiving man. He listens patiently for the prince to finish his tirade and then leaves the room assured that this man must not become King . The "investigation" drags on several weeks and all involved become nervous. Kelven wants the throne and wants it now for he has great plans about redistribution of land and great wars in the north. The nobles wanted a King and a chance to return to their fiefs, but increasingly they think that this young man is not a good choice for a sovereign, for many of them have realised his rashness, bad temper and reliance on the army, particulary the Nyrondese army. The army itself, brought to the capital completely unnecessarily, as show of force of one megalomania, starts to grow restless. Street fights with the regular Rauxes soldiers, drinking and gambling leads them several times to conflict with the Companion Guard itself for it they who are responsible for maintaining order in Rauxes. When after one night in a bordello, a high Nyrondese army official is arrested by the Companion Guard for disrespectful behaviour and fighting, prince Kelven becomes angered. He himself runs to the second in command of the Companion Guard, one Regwel Thain and demanded immediate release of his man and an apology! There is no reasoning with the future emperor and Thain and the supreme warden of Rauxes, Lerwer Eskker, commander of the Companion Guard, both soldiers of the finest quality and reputation have to apologise to a drunken northerner. This is not the greatest way to acquire the loyalty of the Companion Guard. Derem of Pholtus drags the investigation on for almost three months hoping that something will give him a reason not to crown Kelven. The prince himself provides him with good material. Almost imprisoned in the capital the young northerner enters into an affair with a very beautiful young girl that belonging to some minor branch of the Darmen family. When this is discovered (and many say that Patriarch Derem had his hand in that discovery), the Darmens politely ask the future King to marry the girl. The rash Nyrondese refuses, for he has been betrothed in Rel Mord, claiming that the affair was the girl's fantasy. Now the honour of the Darmen's was at stake and another charge was laid against the future King , this time one that was legible to quick proof. Both prince and girl were summoned into the Chamber of Essence. Here Kelven was to answer in front of the Patriarchs for his behaviour. It was obvious that his honour and future marriage will be destroyed and with them last fragment of respect that he has in the eyes of the noblemen. The Patriarchs of Hextor and Zilchus however were not willing to put the King dom in crisis by discrediting practically the only legitimate claimant to the throne. They let him slip through their examination by half truths that obscure rather then reveale the actual state of things. Derem however is not willing to let things go. He interrogates the prince and leads him into an impossible situation where he is forced, not only to admit the truth of his relationship with the Darmen girl but also his attempted lies in the Chamber of Essence. Faced with utter dishonour and probably losing forever his chances to assume the King ship and even more bitter, the scorn of his relatives and hatred of both girls, one he wanted to marry and one he seduced, Kelven chosed the only possible path for a man of his temperament. He draws his sword, for the first and last time in the Chamber of Essence and before the Companion Guard can interfere, Derem of Pholtus lies dead on the floor of the Chamber. In the same moment Companion guards rush into the room and shoot the prospective King with a dozen crossbow bolts. Soon, news reaches the noblemen. The Patriarchs are left with a terrible situation on their hands with most senior of them dead and without a legitimate heir to the throne. Old Duke Philip is sent for and also prince Ebbert, older brother to the deceased Kelven. The two Patriarchs make the decision to proclaim Ebbert's son Gudwin, now only six years old as heir and to acknowlidge the old Duke of Rel Mord as regent until a new Patriarch of Pholtus is elected and crowning of the child king can occur. This is too much for the noblemen. At this moment nobody wants a Nyrondese on the throne, especially not a six year old and spurious one. The Darmens and Torquen declare that they will not recognise any King until Pholtus's Patriarch is elected and a grand council is held to elect a new King . The old Duke tries upon his arrival to remove the cause of the quarrel with the noblemen, going so far as to offer the status of his daughter in law to the young Darmen countess that was seduced by his son. It seems that after all, this crisis will pass without any more bloodshed but then bad news arrives from Chathold.

·         138 CY In an exceptionally mild winter, riders of Ket attack unprepared Furyondy from the west and thus end the longest period of Pax Emporium that has occurred within the Great King dom. However at this moment for those in Rauxes the more important connotation of the attack is that the high priest of Mitrik and the holy censor of Dyvers (of Pholtus) will not be able to attend a meeting in Chathold until spring at the earliest when eventually the Feudal army will be able to strike back and draw the riders to their land. This implies that no Patriarch of Pholtus is to be elected and no emperor is to be crowned in the following months. To make a bad situation worse, Duke Philip dies late in Readying this yea,r leaving, by the dictate of the Patriarchs, the regent's position to Ebbert. A particular kind of stubborness is manifest in Ebbert, not unlike that of his brother. He is rash and brave. He also belives in the supremacy of Rel Mord over all other cities in the land and in the glorious destiny of his house. Inevitably this leads to conflict. At first conflict arises with the already enraged Torquens. Ebbert insists on a personal oath of loyalty from Sever Torquen and is refused. Both request and refusal are equally stupid, for neither regent needs a personal oath of loyalty from a nobleman to order for him to do his bidding nor is the refusal to do any good to the Torquens for they are effectively independent until the election of the new King . Ebbert however reacts by dispatching his Nyrondese soldiers to deal with the rebellious Duke (a duty reserved for the Companion Guard). The first battle is fought near Winetha where both sides suffer heavy casualties but the Nyrondese are forced to turn back and so it is considered a victory for Torquenn. Soon, the two factions are formed. Torquen has got the support of Darmen and several minor families. Whereas the regent is not completely able to count even on his relatives; the Rax nobles who have followed the Cranden example and declared neutrality, but differently from the Crandens in that they play extensively in politics weakening both the regent and his adversaries. Practically the only ally left to Ebbert is House Garsareth and his own Nyrondese army which cannot be moved from the north in fear of barbarian invasion. The Garasteth are old enemies of Torquen but that has been the only thing holding them together because in the early spring when Darmen has struck, no help comes for the besieged baron of Mentrey from his Garasteth cousins and that city falls to the rebels. Garasteth power over South Province is crippled. The Companion Guard decides not to fight and so the regent is brought to quite a dire situation and forced to send his son into the safety of Rel Mord when finally a coach from Chathold arrives carryng Heimer Tosser, new Pholtus's Patriarch. He, along with other two Patriarchs and several Cranden mages invite all noblemen to a second Council of Rel Deven to elect a new Overking. The nobles assemble but this time things run out of the control of the imperial sages and Patriarchs. Long and disgusting bargaining with power and titles begins. For two months various noblemen are engaged in endless discussions on who should be king. First there is almost general consensus on excluding Ebbert and his son from a bid for the King ship. This done, discussion continues until finally in late July, Felix Rax, one of the more prominent Rax noblemen known for his sweet tongue and beautiful face, but also for his enormous wealth succeeds in winning more that half of the elector voices. Fearing new civil war and dreading even longer negotiations the Patriarchs order the electors to vote and so a Rax nobleman is crowned as King , Felix I Rax-Nyrond in Rauxes, in Goodmonth of this year. The Great King dom enters it's byzantine stage.

·         139 CY Felix Rax is not a great King ; although a succesful politican and shrewd merchant he lacks something of greatness that even the most inept Crandens have had in common. His first decision is not to send help to Furyondy which is still under attack by Ketites, and to order the Velverdyva army to "..fight if they find that opportune..". He is not interested in those far off lands that have brought him little if any taxes. He distrusts Rel Deven and suppeorts secretly with money and influence several mages, especially those in Rel Astra and Rauxes. Through his reign he is constantly at odds with his noblemen, especialy with his cousins in Rel Mord who have, even after their oath of loyalty to the King still think of themselves as appointed rulers of the empire. He plays an economic and political game of influence in order to prevent any of the noblemen to grow powerful and is partially successfull except for the fact that by doing this he ceases to spend funds on public works, and so more and more money finishes in noblemen's hands and in the great vaults of Rauxes, and less and less things are built. Above all things Felix Rax is distrustful of the Elves. He knows that Estrandir the Fair has fought on Ebbert's side in the short war and thinks that all elves support Rel Mord in a claim for rulership. From his side, Estrandir, though he has never had a particular likness for Ebbert, thought his son rightful heir to the empire and even though he swears loyalty to Felix, is never impressed with the witty merchant who sits on the throne. He spends less and less time in his position of King 's adviser and often roams the land speaking with elven folk that are still roaming Aerdi and looking through cities and villages for interesting people, artists and those who need help.

·         142 CY The number of Elves in the land has steadily declined as the King offers them less and less hospitality, but still there is traffic between the forest and the city. Estrandir is not much seen in Rauxes.

·         146 CY In this year Felix announces the second of his four sons as his successor. Promptly, the young prince is found dead in his bedroom, apparently strangled by his mistress who was under magical influence. The Rel Deven mages investigate but are not able to find the mage who has charmed the girl. All three remaining princes are investigated in the Chamber of Essence but neither of them have had any connection with murder ar at least so appear to the Patriarchs.

·         147 CY The Oldest son of the King is assaulted in the street and killed with a poisoned dagger. The two remaining sons retreat to virtual house arrest in Rauxes.

·         149 CY The last Viceroy from the Deiseer family dies in battle against the Ketites, after his death raiders penetrate deep into Veluna and become a threat to all parts of Furyondy. No appointment cames from Rauxes, so the nobles of Furyondy elect Vergard I Thrawren as their new viceroy.

·         150 CY Felix Rax dies of a heart attack in his forty-seventh year. The older of two remaining brothers refuses the crown and is granted, by his own request, title of lord warden of the northern frontier and leaves for Wintershiven to fight the barbarians. Jaan Rax-Nyrond is crowned King this year. In the history of Aerdi he is known as Jaan the Black King and also Leech King of Rauxes for his lacks father's his shrewdness but is greedy and lustful and the most evil of all Rax rulers. He begins his reign by increasing taxes to the level to which it is almost impossible for a peasant to meet all his obligations and still pay all taxes. Many are sold into slavery and taken to the King 's lands in Ahlissa to work until death. The number of Elves in the land reduces significantly. Devver Foyrich of Rel Astra is appointed court mage.

·         153 CY A magical duel occurs as Helimen Cranden refuses Devver Foyrich the right to enter Rel Deven in spite of the King 's command. Rumor goes that the archmage has said to Foyrich: "With no King slayers will we deal nor with their apprentices" but no official charge is made and Foyrich returns to Rauxes.

·         155 CY Attir Aedorich's discovery of the Sinking Isle in the Nyr Dyv. Helimen Cranden himself goes there and emerges several weeks later pale and exhausted. Speaking to nobody he leaves for Rel Deven. It is said that a shadowy figure is seen entering the citadel of the lord mayor and leaving again on the longest night of the year and some say that the shadow belongs to Estrandir the Singer, old friend to Crandens.

·         157 CY Peasant life becomes next to unberable as the King brings forth his appendix to the Lex Aerdy which gives new and bigger rights to noblemen over their serfs. Finally rebellion erupts when some particulary debauched noble of house Garsareth is killed in the Gull Clifs while he going to Rauxes from Ountsy. Soon a force of about five hundred peasants attack and burn to the ground another noble's estate on the northern bank of the Imeda river. In his response, the Overking sends the Elite Legion to take collective revenge on all peasants of the Imeda valley. Approximately two thousand people are slaughtered in this pointless expedition and even the Houses of Darmen and Torquen demand explanation from the King for this barbarous act. Response is house arrest for all prominent members of those houses that are in Rauxes. For a time the rebels are peaceful.

·         158 CY Rax Noble estate north of Mentrey is burned to the ground by most probably the same mob from he north, showing that they were quick enough to escape before slaughter. The only survivor, a boy of fourteen is sent to Mentrey carrying the head of his father placed upon the leather whip that he was using on his serfs.At approximately the same time, a large group of Frost Barbarians lands in their longship near Kaport Bay and pillage all the way to the walls of Eastfair. The King is forced to send the Elite Legion to deal with the barbarians and so is unable to make another slaughter in the Mentrey area. However he sends the Companion Guard to deal with the rebels. The Companion Guard follows the trail to the Lone Heath but is bogged in the swamps and moors of that area, and unable to track the rebels. News come to Rauxes about armies on the move in the north. The King sends Devver Foyrich to investigate. Foyrich's Chariot is stopped on the road seventy miles from Rauxes by revolting peasants. He tries to force his way through the crowd by use of magic but finds thatt another wizard is opposing him. His spells are met with subtle counter spells and the encouraged and frightened mob tear his chariot to pieces and his head sent to Rauxes. Many later swear that they have seen the pale face of Helimen Cranden that day but nobody is certain. The King dispatches another squadron of the Elite Legion to Rel Deven to bring the archmage for investigation in the Chamber of Essence. He does not refuse but pleads his illnes and asks the soldiers to wait for spring when he will be able to travel. The King accepts this because that is (as he thinks) a way to place Rel Deven under his control. Several detachments of the Rauxes Army are sent to "guard" the archmage, but effectively to start enforcing the King 's will in this oldest city. A remarkably small amount of resistance is shown by apparently surrendering citizens. In late winter, heavy snow makes any communications difficult. Suddenly, two figures appear at the King s gate in Rauxes. These are messengers from Kelerb Rax, the King 's older brother and inform the King that a complete northern army with reinforcments from Nyrond is one days march from the city. To the people snow war was part of the usual experience. The King 's army has been weakned by the absence of most of its detachments including the Companion Guard which is still hunting rebels in the frozen Lone Heath and also by their inability to fight in snowy weather. One of the messangers was the elf, Estrandir. He informed the King that his brother now has proof of his treachery and that he with the help of Foyrich was the slayer of his father and brothers and that thay will demand an investigation and trial in the Chamber of Essence and that if the King does not allow it their army will besiege Rauxes and declare war on the King . The King is willing to risk it, and he orders Estrandir arrested, but at that momment news arrives that the King 's soldiers in Rel Deven are out of the game and that the archmage and his apprentices are riding towards Rauxes. Unwilling to risk a confrontation with the most powerful mage of the empire while his soldiers are busy doing battle with the northerners, the King sends for the elf in his dungeons and asks him for his terms. Estrandir in the name of Kelerb offers the King personal safety for him, his wife and baby son and security for as long as they stay in house arrest in their home fief in Mentrey. Surrounded by enemies Jaan accepts and in in late winter abdicates in favour of his brother and goes to Mentrey under house arrest.

·         159 CY Kelerb becomes high King of Aerdi. He is a broken man. His brother has intimidated him into leaving the court and a life of easiness that he was used to and sent him to the furtherest north to the most inhospitable part of the empire. There Kelerb never accomodated to his new subjects and the harsh weather and hardness of life to all, him included. However, with time he started to like the frozen Yol and the tower of Wintershiven in winter. He was quite content never again to see many towered Rauxes and to spend his life as guardian of the frontier. However, the elf Estrandir came, with orders from the archmage, that Kelreb was to be King . Still afraid of his brother's poison, the prince was unwilling to try, but the elf was adamant - the archmage had discovered the reason for which the empire must stand strong and the empire will not be strong if Jaan remains on the throne. Estrandir went so far as to threaten the prince with the archmage's wrath if he did not go south with the army. Through all of the campaign Kelreb was frightened and he started to have an intense hatred of Estrandir, not only because he forced him out of his northern shelter but because ho recognized in the Elf all that he never had and desired - beauty, elegance, courage and immortality. So when he regains the throne Helimen is awarded with the title of "high court mage" but no title is reserved for Estrandir. He is expelled from Rauxes and the persecution of the Elves in Aerdy continues.

·         160 CY The King removes oppressive laws concerning peasants and virtually absolves the rebels of the Lone Heath for he recalls the Companion Guard back to Rauxes.

·         162 Finally, with the help of the Velverdyva army, Furyondy succeeds in ending the Ketite invasions into Veluna. This war will be remembered as first succesful employing of a feudal army based on heavy cavalry and also as one in which no help from Great King dom comes.

·         163 CY The King orders the great building of Wintershiven. One of last great city contructions of Aerdi comes from a slow and irresolute King who is still afraid of his own shadow. However, the vaults of Rauxes, enlarged manyfold by the high taxes of Jaan the Black is almopst emptied in buiding the northern border town with it's double bridge over the Yol and enormously large temple of Pholtus (the religion that the King was adherent to).

·         166 CY Barbarian raids finally put an end to by a naval victory north of theLoftwood.

·         168 CY A group of elven travelers is stoned in the spring of this year near Eastfair by a mob led by a priest of Hextor who accuses them of witchcraft which has led to the rise of smallpox in the area. Three elves are killed in the attack (an enormous loss for immortal beings) and the elves retreat from all parts of the Great King dom except those around Rel Astra and a small enclave near Chathold and Rel Deven.

·         169 CY The priest of Hextor who led the stoning of the elves is found dead on the altar of his god, with a single arrow protruding from his eye.

·         172 CY Kelreb Rax abdicates in favour of his son Fergard, and returns to Wintershiven. He is slain early the next year in an unsuccesfull attempt to overtake southern Tenh from Flanae tribesmen.

·         173 CY Fergard orders the slaughter of his uncle and cousin, still in house arrest in Mentrey, against the promise given by Estrandir and his father. Estrandir returns from his wanderigs to plead for their lives in front of the King but is arrested and imprisoned for slaughter of the priest and desecretion of the temple. In this way the Great King dom repays a little less than a century of loyal service to the elf who has put his human friends before his elven relatives. Jaan is slain but his son succeeds in fleeing Mentrey and reports say even from the Great King dom itself.

·         174 CY Estrandir escapes from the inescapable dungeons of Rauxes. Some connect this with the aging archmage Helimen. No more is he heard of in the Great Kingdom and stories say that the noble elf went to Celene or even to the lost cities of the north in order to forget his grief. After this year, no more open trafic exists between the City of Eternal Dawn and Rauxes.

·         179 CY Fergard blinds his fourteen year old son Terweld so that he is unable to become threat to him. The Cranden mages insist on increasing the size of the northern army in spite of the relative peace with the barbarians.

·         180 CY Helimen Cranden dies. As his legacy he leaves the golden calendar of days found on the sinking isle and his own diary in which he explains to his successor the terror that might happen to the Flanaess if ever again the Vecnian cult is resurrected. He gives instructions that direct the Cranden fight against Vecna's cultists in the generations to come.

·         183 CY Fergard Rax, Overking of Aerdy, challenges the now old Vergard Thrawren as unlawful Viceroy of Furyondy. An unwise deed for an old man ready to resign and to give the sceptre to Rauxes to deploy it as it sees fit. For the Furyondians, the old man is their war hero, symbol of their dominance over the Ketites. He is the friend of the Velverdyva army and one of the best rulers that Veluna has ever had. Fergard however disgracefully takes the silver sceptre away from him and gives it to an incompetent nobleman, Greewel Thorrich who will hold it for a few years only.

·         185 CY Ketite riders again attack Furyondy; the nobles do not rise to help the appointed Viceroy. The Velverdyva army goes to war practically alone except for some Velunian volunteers.

·         186 CY Faced with the possibility of losing Veluna and all of eastern Furyondy, the Overking offers the Velunian nobles the choice of their own Viceroy in return for their dual oath of loyalty. The noblemen elect Vergard II as their new Viceroy.

·         187 CY Vergard II in cooperation with the Velverdyva army beats the Ketites and drives them back to their land.

·         192 CY Great schism within Pholtus's church arises as the high priest of Wintershiven is elected Patriarch with a thin majority of high priest votes. The powerful churches of Chathold and Rauxes refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the appointment because they find the Wintershiwen way of worshipping too close minded and warriorlike - as is suited to the barbarous and inhospitable northern areas. The high priest of Chathold proclaims a new revalation of laws and changes the way of electing the Patriarch. Mistrust appears between the northern and southern brethren. The high priest of Rauxes is elected Patriarch instead.

·         194 CY Terwell Rax escapes from house arrest in Rauxes. Even though still blind, he succeeds in fleeing to his Nyrond cousins in Rel Mord. Duke Gervern of Rel Mord gives sanctuary for the young man hoping that he will be able to rule through the blind man as his puppet.

·         198 CY The appearance of the Ball of Fire over the South of the Great Kingdom

·         199 CY Fergard Rax dies. His son Terwell takes the crown as Terwell the Blind. He soon disposes of the Duke of Rel Deven and rules quite succesfully, leaning primarily on Rewel Cranden, Duke of Rel Deven and his Court Wizard.

·         200 CY The city of Leukish begins as a trading post.

·         203 CY Terwell gives the Viceroy's sceptre forever into the hands of the Thrawren family for the exceptional valour shown in the battle against the Ketites.

·         205 CY The blind King takes for his wife Ellen Nyrond, his first cousin. Teh practice of inbreeding in the Rax-Nyrond family begins.

·         209 CY Terwell Rax dies of some blood disease. His wife becomes regent for her four year old twin sons.

·         213 CY Age of Great Sorrow commences as a most terrible plague strikes Flanaess. Probably brought from the Amedio jungle by some Keolandish explorers, the plague strikes first southern Veluna and then spreads through the Great King dom killing every fourth person in it's path. Clerics of Pholtus limit their help to those cities in which the population is mostly Pholtic in their beliefs. Massive migrations towards Wintershiven begin.

·         216 CY The Patriarch of Hextor attacks the queen-regent of Aerdi for adultery and an unnatural relationship with her brother, Duke Hevard of Rel Mord. She succeeds in avoiding trial in the Chamber of Essence.

·         217 CY Nobles of Rauxes help the Companion Guard engage in a night of blood in Rauxes. Everyone who has any relationship with persons having the plague are slain and the bodies burned. Great fires light most of the poorer parts of the city. More than ten thousand are slain in this night alone. Rauxes is declared free from plague and entry to the city forbidden.

·         219 Rel Astra is stricken with the plague terribly. In this year over seven thousand (more then one-third) of the inhabitants die. The Garsteth noble is replaced with the Censor of Pholtus as effective ruler of the city in return for the help in stopping the disease.

·         222 CY Isteer Nyrond, regent of Aerdi is killed by a poisoned needle brought to her bed by one of her lovers. Many say that her sons are behind this act but no one wants to investigate a death that has happened under such embarrassing circumstances. However, Duke Hevard of Rel Mord, brother and occasional lover to Isteer remains rebellious towards the rule of his nephews and they have to keep most of the army and the Companion Guard ready on Nyrond'ss border to intervene against the Duke if need be.

·         223 CY Dellween and Frether Rax-Nyrond are crowned as joint rulers of Aerdy. This twins, raised by lustful mother in a city of death and slaughter will be remembered as the mad King s of Aerdi and their reign marks the beginning of the decline of the Great King dom.

·         224 CY Plague in the east ceases and the rate of death drops significantly in this year. 11 years it has raged acress the Flanaess and in the following century will continue to take it's toll in human lives.

·         226 CY Provoked by raids in North Province, the brother King s declare war on the barbarians in the north. The navy and army of the Great King dom are once more sent in conquest. The cruelty of the north army led by Hextorites and ordered by the mad twin King s will be remembered by the barbarians for generations.

·         227 CY Another insane order of the Twin King s is given as they decide to adopt a custom of King s from the legendary times of the great Suel Empire. They decide not to marry but to gather most of the daughters of the noble houses and other attractive maidens from the empire and create a harem for themselves. A "bride tribute" is established.

·         228 CY Furyondy declines to pay the "bride tribute" when the daughter of Vergard III is supposed to be sent to Rauxes. The King s order the Velverdyva Army to besiege Dyvers and to take the girl.

·         229 CY Thrommel, the son of Vergard III flees Dyvers with his sister. The King s declare the end of the viceroyalty and appoint themselves rulers of Aerdy and Furyondy. In the same year the northern army finally gains a foothold in the barbarian lands. The Twin King s declare the province of Ratik in the newly conquered territory.

·         230 CY Thrommel is captured by one of the Velverdyva units. His sister surrenders in exchange for her brother's life. She is taken to Rauxes.

·         232 CY Thrommel returns to Dyvers to muster the army for the hopeless march on Rauxes to release his sister. He is attacked by the Velverdyva army and succeeds in pushing them back to the borders of Perrenland.

·         234 CY Thrommel starts his campaign with the conquest of Admundfort. He tries to build a navy to take his soldiers to Nyrond.

·         238 CY The Navy of the Nyr Dyv attacks Admundfort suddenly and destroys most of the ships that Thrommel is making. In the same year Fyona Thrawren, sister to Thrommel dies in Rauxes of mistreatment. Not the first and not the last of the noble-born maidens killed by the insane twin rulers on the Malachite Throne.

·         240 CY The Duke of Rel Mord declares that he will not participate in a war with Furyondy except if attacked. This creates a stalemate with both opponents being unable to attack each other. Thrommel vows eternal hatred for Rauxes.

·         243 CY Velverdyva army receives an insane order that they alone are supposed to reconquer Furyondy. The Ten Year War begins.

·         244 CY Thrommel declares that this war is the final war for the independance of the Western King dom. He declares an end to all loyalties, not only to the twin King s but to the Malachite Throne itself. A small number of loyal nobles change sides and join the Velverdyva army.

·         246 CY The Velverdyva Army reconquers northern Veluna and Furyondy all the way to the Velverdyva river.

·         249 CY An uneasy peace is made between the twin King s and the barbarians after the great battle of Djekul. The more southern of the barbarians are forced to yield to Aerdy and to send numerous hostages. The King awards Ratik's protector with a Baron's title.

·         250 CY The Velverdyva army breaks through nearly all the way to Dyvers. The King 's however decide not to send them help by ship through Wooly Bay as that might be seen as an invitation for the rebellious Duke of Rel Mord to strike at them. The Elite Legion is concentrated on the northern border and so the Velverdyva army is unable to lay succesful siege to Dyvers. In winter they start to retreat towards Verbobonc.

·         251 CY A rebellion in Verbobonc, forces the forces of the King s to move further north. The march in winter conditions and Verbobonc and Furyondian partisan units decimate the army which finally finds shelter, but not food in Mitrik.

·         252 CY In the battle of Mitrik, the defining battle in Furyondian history, Thrommel forces the Velverdyva army to retreat to Perrenland.

·         253 CY The Ten Years War finishes as Demm Hervel, commander of the Velverdyva army signs an armistice with Furyondy and retreats with his forces to Perrenland.

·         254 CY The King dom of Furyondy declared with the crowning of Thrommel I. Veluna follows in declaring independence. The whole western King dom is lost due to the insanity of the two King s. The decline and fall of the Great King dom begins. The King s are unable to send a reconquering force to either of these regions and thus for the first time in more then three centuries, the Nyr Dyv ceases to be an Aerdy lake.

·         255 CY The King s send an order to Demm Hervel to commit suicide. For the first time Velverdyva army commander refuses an order of his sovereign. The Velverdyva army officialy ceases to be an army of the Great King dom. They mix with the Flanae clans of Perrenland, helping them to improve their fighting prowess and learning from them the use of new weapons, the pike - effective against the Furyondian main weapon, heavy cavalry.

·         256 CY Nobles remaining loyal to Rauxes in Furyondy are granted lands north of the Nyr Dyv where they might to continue with their ways if they pay an annual "protection" tax to Furyondy. They merge with the remainders of the Shield Army and create a semi independent province without central government called the Shield lands. Due to the naval superiority of Aerdy on the Nyr Dyv, the Shieldlanders gain the large port of Admundfort.

·         260 CY Rel Deven mages announce that Great King dom should prepare for a new battle with a long destroyed opponent - Vecna's cultists.

·         262 CY Both twin King s die within two days of one another. These two wretched creatures, disloyal and monstrous, were deeply connected to each other. They are the last firm rulers that Aerdi is to have before house Naelax takes over in 437. They began the total degeneration of the Rax house and are considered responsible for much of the decay that happened to the Great King dom. They had named no one of their seventeen children as heir to the throne and so internal squabbles over the crown begin anew.

·         263 CY Evver Rax, son of Dellween and a slave girl from Suundi is crowned king because he is judged as most mentally stable of the descendants. He rules for exactly three months before being slain by his body servant paid by one of the other siblings. He succeeds however, in abolishing the "bride tribute". After him Gedden Rax and his half sister/wife Ralea take the throne and force the Patriarchs to crown them as joint rulers of Aerdy. They organise the giving of food and wine to the people of Rauxes and thus gain great public support in the capital turning Rauxes into one great party for several months when the city treasury, already damaged by wars waged by the twin King s, runs completely broke and Gedden begins imposing enormous taxes on those areas of the King dom that he does not care for. Many nobles simply cease paying their taxes. In early winter an angry mob in Rauxes kills Geden and Ralea as they are walking without guards through the shady parts of city as they used to.

·         264 CY The Elite Legion proclaims Hanmelen Rax as King . The only reason the Patriarchs crown this inept and more then half mad King is to keep the appearance of stability and to keep the nobles afraid of the Companion Guard and thus prevent full scale civil war. The complex machinery of civil servants, bureaucrats and officials is too rooted to be damaged by a few idiotic King s and too self sufficient to be dependant on the person sitting on the Malachite Throne. In this complex organization the sages of Rel Deven and the Patriarchs place their hopes for preventing Aerdi from collapse. The Nobles start to mind their own business more then paying attention to the happenings in Rauxes.

·         266 CY Hanmell Rax starts a campaign for gaining the southernmost land. His pitiful wanderings through the Vast Swamp are more a parody than a reviving of the great conquests of the past. The King dies of malaria and the last communication with Aerdy posts in Hemponaland are lost.

·         267 CY Defrin Rax, one of the indirect relatives to the twin King s is crowned King . A trace of sanity reappears on the Malachite Throne. This man however is a defeatist. He is sure that Aerdy is doomed and that nothing can be done to prevent it. He however gives his best to repair the most terrible of the damages that have been done to the King dom. He starts collecting reasonable taxes and regains some of the respect of his nobles. He rebuilds the damaged parts of Rauxes in ways much less glamourous and beautiful than were first built due to restricted funds. He abolishes most of the insane laws of his predecessors and returns the code of laws basically to the Lex Aerdi. He is however unable to escape the court politics that take up most of his time.

·         268 CY Defrin receives a delegation from the easternmost city of the empire - Greyhawk; which pleads for status of a free city so that they might conduct trade with both Furyondy and Aerdi. Whereas any other King would probably refuse Defrin grants them a charter in exchange for a symbolic annual tax.

·         270 CY Defrin takes Flewer Cranden as his royal archmage.

·         272 CY Padin the Vain uses the Hand of Vecna to start the Insurrection of the Yaheetes, a Flanae enclave in the North Province. The Malachite Throne destroys them to a person. The first of the predictions of Helimen Cranden is fulfilled. The Hand itself is captured and locked in the vaults of Rel Deven.

·         277 CY Death of Flewer Cranden. During the election of his succesor magical fire and an attack on the citadel itself begins. Mysterious mages attack the place of the most powerful magic on Oerth. In the chaos and confusion that follow someone succeeds in breaking, for the first and the last time in recorded history, into the vault of the Crandens. Several old and magical items are stolen including Hand of Vecna and the Golden Calendar. The Ur-Flanae have struck bitterly at Crandens. However that has its price. Eleven of the twelve most powerful Vecnian mystics lie dead. Although the Crandens are beaten, the victory for the cultists is more expensive then they expected.Young Belver Cranden becomes archmage, himself responsible for the slaying of three of the warlocks.

·         281 CY Death of Defrin Rax. His nephews Haverl and Remin contend for the King ship. For the first time the Patriarchs are seriously divided and while that of Hextor supports Remin, who promises a new expansion of Aerdi with the money and influence that was created by Defrin, the churches of Pholtus and Zilchus along with the majority of the Darmen nobility are for Haverl, called "the fat" who is a loud speaker for those who want peace and trade at any cost for the empire. Problems increase even more as the Wintershiven sect of Pholtus worshipers decide to join Remin's side makeing the schism between them and southern church even deeper.

·         282 CY Start of the third war of assassins along with might mongering by both princes. For the first time, the lower rank noble family of Naelax appears on the scene because Sterwen Naelax is elected Patriarch of Hextor in this year. He supports Remin quite violently, even employing "Red Arrows" to fight some supporters of Haverl. With the help of the new Patriarch, Remin gains prestige which effectively grants him the title of Lord Protector of the throne. However, a lack of concensus among the Patriarchs makes his claim for King ship impossible for some time.

·         283 CY After he has avoided, despite his great bulk and apparent lazyness, several assassination attempts by his cousin, Haverl Rax goes on the counter-offensive. He remains in Rel Astra near his family estate but sends a message to Rel Mord, promising his distant relative reunion of the families and even more, title of Altmeister of all Aerdi for his support. This title is connected with the early days of the King dom (before the empire) and officially means Master of State. The duty of such a man is to be the King 's right hand man and first person of the King dom after the King himself. Never before has position of Altmeister been inheritable and that is exactly what Haverl promises to Lev Nyrond if he happens to be crowned King . He gains Lev's support and his daughter's hand in the winter of this year.

·         284 CY The fat prince then turns to the Dukes of Rel Deven, promising them the inheritable position of court archmage and more importantly, full freedom of actions concerning the Ur-Flanae and also exclusive rights to approach the Cauldron of Night. He flatly wins their support and in the council of this year is elected Lord Protector.

·         285 CY Hextorites remain to be won; a major problem for Haverl. To actually win over the opposing priesthood he decides that he will buy support from those who are holding leading positions, and in this case those are princes of Naelax. In a secret meeting with Sterwen he promises that house Naelax will be elevated to a level of high nobility and that Sterwen's son Remwel will even be made Duke of Eastfair, establishing thus a sixth Dukedom within Aerdi. Before the question is put in front of the grand council of the Hextorite church, which would definiely reject it, the Patriarchs gather in Rauxes and crown Haverl "the fat" Rax-Nyrond King of Aerdi. His main policy during a relatively long reign is to let anybody who has any kind of power to do what he wants and to force the peasants to pay taxes that are just high enough to fill the coffers of the King and various nobles and at the same time low enough that peasant survival is not brought into question. His main policy is that of inactivity and that is probably the reason why the second uprising of the Vecnian kult is a much more serious matter than the first one.

·         287 CY The King arrests and later executes his cousin Ramin for high treason. To the majority of his followers bribes are offered to change sides. Those stupid enough to refuse are slowly exterminated by the King 's regular forces and army of sycophants who find this the best way to advance in the court.

·         289 CY An Ur-Flanae mystic with the name of Vecna II appears and the Crandens try to hunt him down. For a time they succeed in driving him underground but largely they have been left on their own by an indolent King and they lack even the magical might of ancient times; for no more then five of them have gained the title of magus - which means that they are capable of casting magic of third and higher level.

·         290 CY "Vecna II" rises in the Bone March area and builds Tyrus. He rules for 100 years with the aid of the Eye and hand of Vecna and with the support of numerous Barbarians and humanoids. This opens one of the longest conflicts that Aerdi will be put into. The House of Cranden will make its primary objective to destroy this menace and for the next hundred years conflict will reign in northern and eastern Aerdi.

·         294 CY The Cranden mages restart experimenting with the stuff of the Cauldron of Night so they can use it against the Vecnians.

·         297 CY Two young mages are slain by a strong force of some seven hundred corpses risen within the Bone March. Belver Cranden requires from the King decisive military action against the Vecnians but is rejected.

·         299 CY Belver Cranden goes alone to Tyrus. He is captured but his identity is not revealed and he flies, but not before he acquires a vast amount of information about Vecna's plans and armies.

·         301 CY Belver Cranden leaves Rel Deven again and embarks on travels that will lead him to old Flanae city of Hardby, to Niole Dra in Keoland and after all to the city of Eternal Dawn in the Grandwood.

·         303 CY Vecna II strikes. His army conquers north province all the way to Eastfair, and he lays siege to this old city. Nyrond promises help and a host of Nyrond goes east but is stopped in the Flinty hills where medium and heavy cavalry of the Nyrondese are less mobile than the light horses and barbarian footmen. From the Rakers another army sweeps south decimating Nyrond's force and forcing them back all the way to Womtham. They move south towards Rel Deven but the presence of the Elite Legion along with numerous Cranden mercenaries makes them change their mind about besieging the oldest city of the empire. They pillage Innspa.

·         304 CY King refuses to send help to Eastfair, being both terrified by reports of the Vecnian army and by talks of their bestiality. Rumors state that he even has sent a secret envoy to Tyrus to negotiate making peace by which he would give all of North province to Vecna in exchange for peace. Only the fact that Vecna does not allow this messanger to return alive is the reason that this treachery did not happen.

·         305 CY One of the generals of the Elite Legion, Hiveer Szefrin leads about 2,000 men north to Help besieged Eastfair. He accepts battle with the barbarians and almost repeats the military genius of the golden days of the empire for he defeats a five times larger army, forcing them to retreat to a hundred miles north of the city. He is awarded the title of hero by the Patriarch of Hextor after coming to Eastfair and later is appointed supreme general of the Elite Legion, with the sole order to destroy the Vecnites.

·         307 CY The start of the northern war, as Szefrin embarks on a war of destruction of the Vecnites.

·         309 CY Haverl the "fat King " dies of a heart attack. His daughter Velene remains his single child. Lev Nyrond indicates, as Altmaister, that it is without precedent for a woman to be crowned "Overking" and he proposes his son Archbold as the closest relative to succeed Haverl. Always at odds with Nyrond, the Naelax nobles from North Province object to that and so does the Patriarch of Hextor. There are no other close relatives and so the Malachite Throne remains unocuppied for a time. The nobles in the south start to cease sending food and levies to the Vecnian war and Szefrin has a hard time defending Eastfair. Velene is taken to Kalstrand to be kept "safe", by the Patriarch of Zilchus.

·         312 CY Lev Nyrond promises his help to the besieged Naelax in return for his claim of King ship for his son. House Naelax divides on this issue but the hard line of the Hextorites declines the offer, especially after Szeffrin succeeds in defeating the Ur-Flanae and drives them to a hundred miles north of Eastfair. Velene flies from her Eastfair inprisonment and as later records show meets with Belver Cranden

·         313 CY The old and senile Eltemer Rax, uncle of Haverl, is elected by the priests and noblemen to be King of Aerdi. His powers are severly limited and effectively the Patriarchs are running the King dom for him. Szefrin is given almost unprecedented independence in matters concerning war.

·         314 CY Lev Nyrond tries to establish his authority in the northern lands by sending his troops to conquer Inspaa. He however, meets one of three detachments of Szefrin's army. Tragically for the Nyrondese army, the Iron General is in Inspaa. He organizes the defence, caring not that the attackers are Nyrondese knights and not Vecna's barbarians. He routs them but from Rauxes comes no order to march on Rel Mord. The general declares war with Nyrond.

·         315 CY From one barbarian tribe, an archmage obtains information that leads him to a forgotten underground fortress under the Griff mountains. He and Velene Rax and also their dwarven friend Bewarg go there and emerge a month later with several artifacts from long ago, most imporant of which is a certain sword of grey glass - the "Sword of Kas"

·         316 CY The archmage and the girl return to Rel Deven; Belver starts an investigation of old papers he has found in Kas's citadel. But he feels that his powers are failing him. He returns his archmage staff to the council and so becomes the first archmage who has left the position willingly. He and his beloved girl leave for the City of Eternal Dawn.

·         318 CY The Grand Master of Enchantment - Kelwer Cranden, also known as "the Sword Forger" becomes archmage of Rel Deven. He the continues research of his teacher, hoping to find a way to destroy the Vecnites for good.

·         325 CY Without further attack from damaged Nyrond, Szefrin succeeds in forcing the Vecnites into Bone march. Terrain and a great concentration of enemy troops, and also low supplies of food and fresh soldiers from Rauxes, force him to abandon his planned siege of Tyrus, and so he returns to Eastfair, which has become the base of the Elite Legion. The watchful peace has begun.

·         327 CY Ancient Eltemer Rax dies, for the last ten years on throne he is not fully in control of his faculties and so virtually all noble houses have declared various semi-independences. However it is Nyrond which has gone the farthest. Lev of Rel Mord has not even found it appropriate to act out the form of fealty and so he created his own army and, even more importantly, a navy so he can eventualy enter into a new civil war prepard and win the crown for Archbold, his son.

·         330 CY The First skirmish between Revel Torquan, admiral of the Imperial navy and the Nyrondese fleet happens in this year. All noble houses prepare for civil war and no one has the strength to offer their candidate for the throne, for there are no close relatives to the King .

·         331 CY The Church of Hextor through their general Szefrin establishes military authority in North. They declare universal peace and say that they will unilaterally attack anybody who breaks it. This does not prevent but postpones civil war as all noble houses prepare for war but no one decides to strike. Bejin Rax, an unimportant figure from the lower ranks of the house is positioned on the throne, just as a figurehead. The nobles that have positioned him force him to sign a treaty which allows all high noble families to create family armies. Even a good part of the Elite Legion becomes divided between the noble houses.

·         335 CY Kalven Thane, son of an impoverished nobleman enters the service of Rel Deven in these years of constant turmoil and mercenary gathering. Besides the fact that a firm friendship is created between him and the Archmage, this young man proves a successful military leader as he helps in defeating a large war band of orcs northeast of Chathold. Those creatures have started appearing more and more in the Great King dom, obviously attemptimg to join forces with the Vecnites in Tyrus.

·         337 CY Kalven becomes first in command of the Cranden forces.

·         339 CY Crandens and mixed nobles of South Province make a deal to create an army powerful enough to protect the west from Nyrond and the Vecnites. They find a way in the long unused Glorioles Army. Once an elite force of the Overkings in Cranden times, the Glorioles army has become a retirement club for old officers. It has not engaged in military conflict for more than a century but still has retained the regalia of an elite unit. The Crandens succeed in replacing the aging commander of that army, one Dewrin Kapert, with Kalven Thane and start reorganising that army as a fully independent fighting unit. In the meantime, the Northern part of the Elite Legioin unites with the army of the north to form an enormously large Northern Army under the command of Szeffrin.

·         340 CY From its side Nyrond does not remain calm. Lev creates a large army but even to him it is clear now that his dreams of easy victory will not come true.

·         342 CY Portillan Rax, Bejin's son becomes Overking following his father's abdication. The young man, is supported strongly by Hextor's church and strongly reckoned on the support of Szeffrin's forces in his attempt to reestablish his dominion over Aerdi.

·         345 CY Quite sure of peace with the Vecnites, the King orders "..an end to the open rebellion of Nyrond . . . by whatever means possible". It is interesting how much support he has gotten from both noblemen and the Patriarchs who all urged for the reestablishment of security. Lev Nyrond renews his claims for the Malachite Throne and starts a civil war.

·         346 CY Major schism occurs between Wintershiven and Chathold as the Patriarch demands from the northern brethren to help in "reestablishing order in rebellious Nyrond." The difficulty is that the High priest is unwilling to help a King who is an open worshipper of Hextor, a god that considered pagan by the strict clergy of the northern border. The Patriarch however has considered the Hextorites his allies in attempts to reestablish the rule of law over Aerdi. He is also enraged by the insubordination that his nominal inferior is showing. The Patriarch and high priest excommunicate each other and thus ends even the apparent unity of the Pholtian church,

·         348 CY Szefrin gains victories in a few initial battles and stops the advancement of the Nyrondese into Aerdi teritory. He is unwilling however to pursue them into Nyrondese territory for that would leave his flank undefended from eventual Vecnian attacks.

·         349 CY Lev Nyrond dies. His son Archbold becomes the last Duke of Rel Mord. It seems to all that the civil war has ended, for the young Duke shows no willingness to attack.

·         351 CY Archbold declares the independence of Nyrond from the Great King dom, and declares himself Archbold I, King of Nyrond. It is an unexpected but killing blow for Aerdi. The illusion of the indivisability of it's territory is shattered. At the same time Medegia, Sunndi and Ratik all declare independence.

·         352 CY With decisive force Kalven and his Glorioles army strick Medegia and soon bring it to its knees. Selvern Torquan, self proclaimed King of Medegia and lord protector of Rel Astra is captured and sent to Rauxes, Glorioles army turns towards Sunndi. In the same year Portillan Rax dies poisoned; offically it is declared a deed of the Vecnians, in reality, all know that house Torquan paves itself a path towards the Malachite Throne. Only the urgency of the war and the unexpected unity of the other families secures the throne for Galren Rax, the King 's son, a young, asthmatic half-wit man who is no more than an insurance policy for the other houses that the Torquens do not take the throne and that the Companion Guard remains in action.

·         353 CY After direct orders from Rauxes, Szefrin reluctantly moves to attack Nyrond. He sets siege to the strategically important city of Mithat.

·         354 CY Szefrin captures Mithat. At the same time war in the south goes well for the Glorioles army. They succeed in capturing all of Sunndi, even the southern parts of the swamp, and to pass even further south into domains now held by the Scarlet Brotherhood. The only pockets of resistance remaining in the south are those around the dwarven city of Irongate which is constructed in such a way that it is virtually inconquerable by frontal attack and unexhaustable by siege.

·         355 CY The worst nightmares of general Szefrin come true as in early spring of this year hordes of barbarians and orcs emerge from the Bone March and the northern mountains. Too numerous to count, they strike the unprotected flank of his army and effectively cut it in two. The smaller part of the force, himself included, is captured in Mentrey, prey for the approaching army of Nyrond. The larger one is surrounded and due to a lack of leadership is effectively being torn to pieces in the northwestern part of North Province. Szefrin succeeds in a miraculous retreat from Mentrey, one that will definitely enter military encyclopaedias only to be faced with more than 10:1 odds versus physically more capable orcs and savage barbarians, completely separated from the majorty of his forces. At the same time something strange happens in the south. General Kalven is attacked by a powerful and well-trained army in a part of the world where there is not supposed to be any. All reports of the war in the south that are avilable have strangely been destroyed and even later written memoirs of general Kalven are burned in great fire that destroys Rauxe's university and library. (The other copy mysteriously disappeares from Rel Astra some years later) but from those few remaining sources it can be concluded that the war is led against a great number of well trained savages that are comanded by a white skinned man. They are numerous and attack the general first. The general was forced to retreat to western Sunndi and that he is attacked by dwarves there. Only his military genius saves him from utter defeat and he regroups and in the following year succeeds in reconquering Sunndi and deals several crushing defeats to the savages. He is however reluctant to continue following them further south from the fear of their numbers and due to the growing danger in the north. In that time there is an assumption that the savages are part of Keoland's plan to conquer weakened Aerdi but that the general's successes have diverted them from it. In retrospect, there are other ideas, some of which are bold enough to include the Scarlet Brotherhood for which it is not sure that it even exists at that time, much less to have such military power.

·         356 CY The King dom of Nyrond is established without foreign soldiers in its territory. The Theocracy of the Pale declares independence with its center in Wintershiven. Szeffrin succeeds in breaking through Vecnian territory and reorganizing the remains of his army. He leaves as many troops as he is able to defend Eastfair and retreats towards Rinloru to regroup and to meet the Companion Guard which is sent from Rauxes as reinforcements for him.

·         357 CY Innspa falls and the Vecnites gain control of all land north of the Harp river. Eastfair and even Delaric are under siege. The Glorioles army returns to Rel Deven.

·         358 CY Sees the start of a combined counter-attack by the Great King dom's forces. This military operation will be remembered as the first active defensive action of Aerdi since the founding of the Great King dom. For the first time they are not conquerors but conquered. Nevertheless, Kalven and Szefrin set out to prove once again the superiority of Aerdi military education over the barbarians. Kalven strikes first and by forcing across the Harp he places the barbarians and their Orc allies in a wedge made by the Tessar and Harp rivers; here he was able to expand fully his front without fear that the much more numerous enemy will be able to outflank him. As soon as his flanks are protected by the rivers, the Vecnites have lost their main adventage and are forced to fight on a 1:1 front line that becomes more and more narrow for them as Kalven's better equipped forces push them towards the rivers. Soon panic strikes the ranks of the northerners. Many thousands are slain that day and many more lost in the rivers that they try to swim over in search of escape. Great victory is gained for the Great King dom that day but even while his losses are less then one-tenth of those that he has inflicted upon his enemy it is too costly for Kalven, for he is still too far from the enemy mainland and he knows that no reinforcements will come. At the same time, Szefrin is pushing towards Delaric. The Vecnites, after hearing about the great slaughter in the west are not willing to wait for him, reinforced by all detachments of the notorious Guard Companion. They retreat towards Eastfair. At one momment the Companion Guard alone, under the command of Gehed Turwel, leaves the main body of Szefrin's force and attacks the rear of the retreating enemy due to their greater movement. Afraid that they are attacked by Szefrin's whole army, the Vecnites turn their retreat into a panic and the Companion Guardists slay many of them as they flee towards Eastfair. In Eastfair, the Patriarch of Hextor and the Red Arrows, along with those detachments of the north army which had been left are able to defend the city's strong walls, although the city was near the starvation. Already, cannibalism is employed in the poorer parts of the city and even the Patriarch is treated to meals of rats and dogs. When Szefrin's army closes near, the exhausted Red Arrows open the city gates and make a heroic charge out of the city, trapping and destroying another substantial part of the Vecnite army. Faced with the defeat of their offensive, the Vecnite commanders decide to fortify in the conquered cities of Inspaa and Bellport, hoping that prolonged siege of those cities will give them time to regroup and bring reinforcments from the north. Knowing that a siege will shatter his forces which were designed for field battle, but still reluctant to give a break to the enemy, Kalven attacks Innspa. Here he is likely to bog down, for Inspaa has well fortified walls that are repaired by the Vecnian army. His salvation comes in the form of nine riders from Rel Deven. For the first time, the Grand Masters of the magic schools ride into open battle. With fire and thunder, they have break the walls of Inspaa and Kalven's forces enter the city, slaughtering orcs and barbarians. Even then, Kalven is still not satisfied by the success of his forces. He wants to be in Tyrus before the end of the year. Through the first snow he forces his troops north and despite casualties due to winter conditions he reaches Knurl before the new year. The barbarians did not expected a winter march of their adversaries whom they considered southern weaklings, and in a battle of falling snow they are caught by surprise and decimated. All hopes for reinforcements for Vecna are shattered, for news of Inspaa and the Knurl slaughter travel fast and no more tribes are willing to join what is obviously the losing side. Faced with the fact that they will have to fight in their land, the Vecnites leave Bellport and Szefrin comes and conquers it during the winter 358-359.

·         359 CY The Aerdi forces spend the winter in Knurl and Bellport and as soon as the ice melting in Grendep bay allows, Tervel Aras, Baron, high admiral of all Aerdi and commander of the Eastern fleet of the Great King dom comes in force and attacks not only Johnsport, which he soon conquers but also conquers most of the roads that are the supply lines for the Vecnites. He stops short of reconquering Ratik for there is ferocious resistance among the native population and the Admiral lacks enough land-fighting troops. Szefrin is the first to enter the Bone March. At this point he already expects an easy victory but even so his military caution is enough to warn him against not defending his flanks. It is a wise precaution, for after the first day of the march through seemingly undefended land he is attacked from the flank by a huge force of humanoids followed by a barbarian charge. The whole flank protection unit, about 2500 men in medium armour are slaughtered in that assault and only to their discipline and self sacrifice ensures that the whole of Szefrin's army is not crushed that day. Heavy cavalry, and the Companion Guard are lessened in efficacy in the hilly landscape of the March and so it is the infantry that suffers the major assault that night. Wave upon wave of humanoids and barbarians attack Szefrin's army which is unable to take any position except a defensive one with their shields and spears in front of their persons. Whole detachments are decimated and the casualties for Szefrin's army for that dreadful day are estimated to be about 5000 men, almost a quarter of his whole force. Enemy casualties are too numerous to count. "Blind to the enemies' weapons, and in some kind of religious trance..", as one of Szefrin's officers will record later, and also lightly armoured," the barbarians attack and die and attack and die until the whole field looks like a great slaughterhouse full of human and orc meat. With the first daylight, when the piles of corpses begin to stink, the barbarians cease their assaults, for no more help is available from their orcish allies. A similar, altrough less extensive attack happens to Szefrin the night after and then he is reassured that reconquering the Bone March will be a much more demanding affair then he had thought. This time he is more prepared and he repulses several barbarian attacks with his combined crossbow fire and charges of light cavalry. He succeeds in reducing his casualties to about 400 men this night while he inflicts at least five times as much upon the enemy. And still it seems like a losing battle. When he finally reaches Tyrus, he is left with about 12,000 men, all of them tired from continuous marching and fighting and against him there are about 30.000 fresh barbarians and more then 15,000 orcs. Szefrin knows that he cannot hold the siege but Vecna is not willing to prolong it anyhow. The city gates are opened and the army of the barbarians rushes through. It is not a pure charge as were those of previous nights. It is a well planned military operation and for it Vecna reserved his elite troops. First there comes orcish wolf-riders armoured and disciplined, then barbarian berserkers wielding two axes each and screaming at the enemy. Beside them are lines of regular infantry with their beastlike banners and mystic commanders. And in the middle of the host rides Vecna himself, in a flaming chariot with his hand and eye that are hideous to look upon. The Guard Companion lower their lances and engage, followed by the rest of the army and the general himself in his armour of black and gold. And so it begins, the battle of Cloven Fields, after the battle of a Forthnight's length the most famous of all that history has recorded. The "Death of the General" written by the famous blind bard in 428 CY tells us of that battle. It is said that Companion Guard wins in the first engagement and that they almost rout the orc wolf-riders. Only the magic of the Ur-flanae and the barbarian shamans prevent them from winning the day. Under layers of magical arrows and an attack of the second orcish ranks, the Guard retreated in orderly fashion to regroup. In the meantime, the berserkers unleash their fury on the left flank of Szefrin's army and it penetrates inwards so far, the General himself goes there with his own retinue to stop them. He succeeds in killing one huge, half ogre chieftain and so eases the pressure that threatens to completely devastate the left flank of the Aerdi army. Crossbowmen are rendered almost totally ineffective by a strange wind that constantly blows from the enemy and so one major advantage of the Aerdi army is anulled. While the Companion Guard is, along with what is left of the medium cavalry, decimating the orcs on the right flank, the centre of the Aerdi army is facing terror of different kind. Surrounded with summoned fiends Vecna is riding practically through the army for no one is able to kill or harm him. Again, the General comes to face this new peril. He meets with Vecna in the middle of the battle and attacks him with his sword, the witch-slayer. For almost half an hour the general and warlock fight and the fiends are destroyed, but then two mystics come to their master's aid and divert the General's attention. In that crucial moment Vecna slays him with the hideous claw summoned from the nether planes. For the moment it seems that Aerdi is defeated and Gehed Turwel, who becomes first in command is on the edge of ordering a retreat, for already many detachments are fleeing, assured that their defeat is imminent. Then from the south comes the sound of song and the diamond banners of the Glorioles Army appear. And so cometh Kalven Thane, and the army of the south, and also comes Kerred Cranden wielding the sword of Kas and eight Grand Masters. As a storm they fall upon the Vecnites, crushing barbarians and orcs in their path and going to join the Companion Guard on the right flank. Vecna II meets his demise at the hands of Kerred Cranden and the Sword of Kas. Unfortunately, general Kalven, probably the most brilliant strategist since ancient times also falls in the battle. His eye is pierced by an incidental orc arrow. Nevertheless, it is a glorious victory. The Companion Guard destroys rank upon rank of barbarians and orcs that are fleeing the field. Just a few hundred barbarians make it to the safety of the Raker mountains. Of the orcs, only a handful survive. It is a costly victory for Aerdi as well, and more then a half of it's army is dead or wounded and the Companion Guard reduced to just 70 men, about a third of its regular size. Back in the King dom there are rebellious noblemen, and a King scared of his own shadow and whose name is almost unknown outside Rauxes and a few noble courts throughout the land. It is not an easy decision for the commander of the Guard Companion, a man without any real power, and even less for the Cranden mages, to decide that they should turn west and attack Nyrond. So leaving only skeleton garrisons in the ruins of Tyrus and Knurl, the Glorioles army and the army of the north turn back, only to be, due to a lack of finances, constantly reduced in power and prestige repeatedly until the advent of the House of Naelax. Never again will Aerdy have such an army at it's disposal. Szefrin's young son and wife are kept by Hextor's priesthood as a hero's family and all the general's descendants are promised superb military training by the Red Arrows.

·         362 CY Nyrond desiring to profit from the supposed Aerdi weakness, attacks Innspa and tries to conquer it. Defenders of the city are, however, soldiers of Szefrin. Soon, many former soldiers from the same army remobilize even without the Overking's command and they, together with the host of Eastfair go and give a bloody beating to the upstart Nyrondese. In a shamefully short battle, the Nyrond army, which did not expect much resistance retreats, but soon reinforcements arrive and are placed at the Nyrond border to prevent any possible Aerdi invasion.

·         363 CY The scared King , Galren Rax, and Archbold the first of house Nyrond meet in Womtham in the spring of this year to make a treaty that will accept Nyrond's independence. Borders are drawn and although Nyrond is very willing to claim rulership over Almor, the Dukes of Chathold are adamant that it not happen. Archbold is already too pressed by rebellions in Urnst and the Pale and must withdraw as much of the army as possible from the Aerdi border. Essentially, the treaty of Womtham gives to Nyrond rule over all territory of the old Duchy of Rel Mord, but contains one interesting clause. The clause states that all countries of the Pale and further north remain the jurisdiction of the Great Kingdom as a part of the world dominion of Aerdi. This clause is complete nonsense for by this time the Pale is fighting their "glorious revolution" to break Nyrond's rule and establish the Theocracy. The lands north of the Yol, particulary the Flanae semi-civilised state of Tenh have never been part of either Nyrond or the Great King dom. This clause is written because Archbold knows that the Pale is already lost to Nyrond but that the Great King dom can never reach for it without going through Nyrond territory, (against which there is enough protection in pacts and in the real situation). Galren insists on the clause because the Yol and Pale for him have a mystical sound of past conquest and imperial glory and give him the feeling that he is able to dictate the terms of the peace. This clause later proves one of the most important pieces of international diplomatic agreements in it's significance in the Greyhawk wars. At home, although necessary, the treaty is met with uproar. The Torquens openly speak of the false King who is selling the country to barbarians. The Church of Hextor, whose minor clergy participated in the latest victory at Inspaa feel betrayed. The people of Chathold feel exposed and many other nobles feel that Nyrond may have done the right thing. Garasteth, for example, who are ruling Medegia after an unsuccessful separation are on the brink of declaring the independent state of Rel Astra and only the fact that strong a Torquen army from the north would fall upon them as a way of gathering public support for the crown bid, prevented them from doing so. The Crandens on their part are busy selecting a new archmage after the death of "the sword forger" and are unable to give any support to the King .

·         366 CY Despite pleads by Pholtus's and Zilchus's priesthoods, Galren Rax abdicates. He returns to the family fief near Edgefield to live the rest of his life in peace. The Houses look for someone to stop the ever more strong Torquens from a quiet takeover of Aerdi. The prolific house of Rax gives them their man in the figure of Sonned Rax, Galren's unlawful son, a brute and bully of doubtful wisdom from South Province. He begins a conflict with the Torquens, as instructed by his "faithful advisors". This conflict will last for more then fifty years and will range from an assassin war to outright military conflict. It will completely ruin both houses and will cause immense damage to all others and will essentialy sound the death knell for the old Great King dom. It will not have victor for all lose something in it and the peasants most of all. Those who are most able to profit from it are the Hextorite church and, closely connected with it, House Naelax. Even among the Hextorites are those, however, who think that this is too low a blow and that even civil war would be more in accord with the wishes of their god than this low affair. These are a minority.

·         367 CY The first blow in the war comes from the King , who orders the Companion Guard to ransack one family fief of the Torquens where, he believes, they keep a large amount of money. What they succeed in doing however is cutting off supplies of food for Delaric for several months by trampling over seeded fields on said estate. Soon, assassinations begin, and then threats, destruction of merchandise, et cetera.

·         373 CY Sonned dies of poisoned wine and his son Telvan becomes Overking. This man is the last attempt in the preservation of house Rax on the throne by the Patriarchs. He is more stable than his father although not less cruel, and he is driven by an insane desire for vengeance over those who killed his father and also by a paranoia which would be considered as completely mad if there were no actual need for such a thing.

·         375 CY Telvan Rax establishes "the Web", a spy organiztion that is supposed to control the state of matters in all of Aerdi and to perform the secret bidding for the King . Telvan understands that every use of the Companion Guard lowers the support that he gets from non-Torquen nobles and so uses them only in emergency circumstances.

·         382 CY Elvin Naelax, the brother of the Patriarch of Hextor becomes Duke of Eastfair. These two men start organizing North Province in a cruel but efficient fashion. Effectively, they create a state within a state, ready to follow the path of Nyrond when circumstances are right. Soon they are the only sovereign rulers in North Province and the King relies on them more and more in his struggle with the rebellious Torquen.

·         386 CY The Duke of Zelradton, a Garasteth noble, makes a fatal mistake in joining with the old enemies of his house: the Torquans. The Duke of Rel Astra allows for news of this treachery to reach Rauxes and the enraged King unleashes the Companion Guard upon the unfortunate Duke. After the complete slaughter of him and his close family, the King appoints Defeen, another Naelax to rule South Province. Effectively, he has made a coffin for his family.

·         392 CY Elvin Naelax proclaims himself Altmeister of Aerdi, Grand Prince and is crowned with a silver coronet (of the kind that only heirs to the throne wear) in Eastfair this year. The King does not react.

·         395 CY A meeting that will mark, if not change the history of the Flanaess occurs this year in Rauxes. At a ball arranged by the crown, 17 year old Jaaran Krimeeah, a distant relative to the King, and the 15 year old Ivid Naelax, son of Grand Prince Elvin meet. Jaaran at that time is apprentice to one of most powerfull Rauxes mages and he has not seen much of the world outside the capital, which still holds it's lavish splendour. It is therefore hard for him not to be flamboyant in front of the "uncouth northerner" and to put Rauxes far in front of any city in the world, and himself (exaggerating his relationship with the King immensely) far ahead of his noble guest. Ivid Naelax at that time has not yet developed the shrewdness that will become his hallmark in later years but he is able to recognize empty boasting when he sees it. His response to the mage-apprentice is a logical one: "Little more than shadows of the past that have gone, never to return", this scorn, told in a mocking and assured tone by someone little older then a child are a strong blow to the young apprentice. From that moment on, he sees all the weaknesses of the Great Kingdom and also aware of the growing influence of Naelax, and learns to hate that noble house with passion. At a time for his first love, Jaaran has developed and nourished his first and most passionate hate.

·         397 CY Jaaran Krimeeah finishes his apprenticeship as the youngest mage ever to gain the staff. Not a single moment of his life since that ball two years ago is spent in any activity but his training. His brilliant intelligence has made him an expert on the internal politics of Aerdi. He becomes one of the court mages and gets to know the King personally.

·         399 CY Jaran Krimeeah, even though only 21 years old at the time succeeds in thwarting a Naelax plot to take over Rauxes through control over it's lord major. He is awarded the title of Royal Court Mage. Again, the youngest in history.

·         400 CY House Naelax attempts an assassination of the royal mage. Five assassins are killed but not before they admit who has sent them.

·         402 CY Jaaran teleports himself into the palace of the high prince in Eastfair during an important meeting of the heads of house Naelax. He unleashes magical fire and slays all of present, striking a major blow to the House. The Patriarch and Prince are slain beyond revival. Young Ivid becomes High Prince and head of the Naelax. The hatred becomes mutual.

·         403 CY The King attacks Jaaran for his destruction of Naelax. He is even willing to put him on trial for the deed but the mage produces evidence that they had been conspiring against the state. The King releases him but makes sure to destroy the evidence. The mage is now sure that the King is a weakling and that he will hand the Kingdom to Ivid on a silver plate. He starts preparing his own coup.

·         407 CY Jaaran Krimeeah, the Black Mage as he is known, in his 29th year becomes the youngest archmage ever. Danubis Cranden of Rel Deven proclaims him the mage of the Great Kingdom. In the same year he starts his coup. For a short time it seems that he is in control of most of the Elite Legion and that the King will have to abdicate. He enters the palace with his retinue and then a detachment of the Guard Companion, whom he has thought to be in the south fighting the Torquans attacks him in the hall of the palace, while the rest of it surrounds his followers outside. His plan has been discovered and prevented due to the work of the Web and the treachery of Jaaran's own apprentice. The Mage is captured and imprisoned.

·         408 CY After long torture by the inquisitors of Hextor (a little gift of the King to the Naelax) the still living remains of Jaaran Krimeeah are brought to trial in the Chamber of Essence. There he admits his coup and tells that it was done in order to prevent the Naelax from taking power. When the King (due to the Chamber's magic) discovers that the young mage is really speaking the truth, he finally becomes wary of the Naelax. It is however impossible for him to release a cousin who tried to replace him, but he finds what he thinks is a brilliant plan. He releases Jaaran and exiles him from the Aerdi "never to return" wheras he will secretly send him a summons to come back and to return to help him fight the Naelax. As some would say that is the bill without the innkeeper. The treatment by the Naelax Hextorites have terribly changed the Black One; his once beautiful face is disfigured and he is left as a ruin of a man, unable to move without mechanical apparatus. He also to hates his cousin, with a hatred even more passionate than that for the Naelax. He leaves Aerdi for Niole Dra to try to repair his damaged body.

·         412 CY This year features the last appearance of Jaaran Krimeeah within the Great Kingdom. Telvan summons him as he plans to strike at the Naelax. The Archmage, who has in the meantime replaced his apparatus for walking with shadow stuff that now supports his fragile and ruined body, answers. He succeeds in passing through the best guarded corridors in the world to enter the supposedly unenterable chamber of the Overking. There he slays Telvan Rax in a manner too disgusting to be mentioned on these pages. This effectively ends the rule of house Rax and starts the period known as the Turmoil Between Crowns. Jaaran then turns upon Ivid and only his priestly skills save the prince's life, alhrough he is crippled and his hair turns unnaturally white from fear until the end of his days. After the massacre of Hextor's priesthood (including the Patriarch that tortured him) Jaaran really leaves Aerdi never to return. This strike of revenge of the greatest Archmage of Aerdi is one of the turning points in the Kingdoms history, for from this day on Aerdi is considered a power of evil in the books of the wise.

·         413 CY Ivid's cousin, Frevreen Naelax, the Patriarch of Hextor refuses to bless the crowning of the half-wit, Nalif Rax, Telvan's son as the Overking of Aerdy. Thus he effectively removes the Companion Guard from the struggle for the Malachite Throne. Nalif assumes the Kingship with the halfhearted blessings of Pholtus's and Zilchus's priesthoods.

·         414 CY Civil war effectively starts with house Naelax of North Province refusing to recognise and to swear loyalty to the new King . They are quickly followed by some princes of house Garsareth and house Darmen. Yever Cranden, Duke of Rel Deven declares the Crandens loyal subjects although that causes great outrage between the non Rel-Devenian Cranden nobility which is sick of the long and ineffective rule of Rax. Yevrl however understands the great peril that Ivid Naelax is presenting to the world. Through some fiendish contract he has assured for himself the help of Baalzephon, also known as Baal - The Duke of Hell. Yever, a scholarly mage, formerly of the divination mastery, now faces a threat as great as any that his predecessors have faced. He knows that the Crandens alone cannot succesfully face that peril. He sets out to establish an alliance able to face the threat from Eastfair.

·         415 CY The third meeting of Rel Deven is held this year. Representatives from the Overking come and also some of the Garsareth princes, nearly all of house Torquan, the most important Darmen nobles, and very importantly, King Archbold II of Nyrond. Officially the conference is to reestablish a good relationship between the Malachite Throne and "red Kings" as the Kings of Nyrond are known due to their red Coat of Arms. Unofficially it is an attempt to establish a firm alliance against the Naelax threat. In the first day opf the conference, Archbold makes himself clear. In return for eventual help he demands Almor as a Nyrondese sphere of influence in Aerdy and recognition as a separate state. Almor has been, from ancient days a Cranden fief, although more inclined towards priestly rule in Chathold than from Rel Deven. Assured in the necessity of cooperation, Yever issues orders to the Cranden nobles who are the rulers of Almor and they grudgingly accept. Two months after the conference, the Overking declares Almor a Prelacy within the Great Kingdom, "..under the rule of a Prelate appointed by the priesthood of Pholtus with the good advice of the Overking and the King of Nyrond." Effectively, this is semi-independence. The scavenging of the Cranden and Rax lands has begun. Every princeling demands this or that estate in return for his help. Soon, the archmage and Devric Freshen, the newly appointed Altmeister, a low noble representing the retarded Overking understands that no one is really willing to give substantial help. The conference was dissolved after three days and only the deals that are made are with Nyrond and with the northern branches of Darmen House who have some Rax and Cranden estates near the Flanmy and Thelly rivers in return for military and monetary aid. The money never arrived, and as for the military, about seven hundred men at arms come to help with the defense of Rel Deven.

·         416 In the third year of what is known as the "sleeping war" probably its greatest tragedy occurs. Advised probably by some of the power hungry Rax nobles, the King orders the execution of Altmeister Freshen. This man had been strongly favoured in the Overking's eyes by the archmage of Rel Deven and it might be said that the archmage's intervention brought him to that position. With his death no alliance between Rel Deven and Rauxes possible any longer. Torquen sides with Rax, for mainly geographical reasons, and it is clear to the Crandens that have to lean primarily on themselves with the eventual help of Darmen.

·         417 CY The "Sleeping War" finally ends as the forces of Naelax under the brilliant general Kelver Naelax strike the strategically important town of Delaric. The combined forces of Torquan and Rax succeed in delaying the conquest but not in avoiding the inevitable, and Kelver succeeds in entering Delaric in late spring, thus effectively isolating the Torquan cities of Winetha and Rinloru from the main part of Aerdy except by sea. Shortly before the fall, Defreen Rax, the new Altmeister sends a demand for help to Rel Deven. Unwilling to divide his forces and still expecting Nyrondese help, the archmage decides to concentrate on the defence of Innspa, traditional bastion of Rel Deven's defense. The only Cranden that decides to accept the King's and not the Duke's order is the Paladin of Goldbolt, Gemrin Cranden. Gemrin succeeds in retreat from Delaric and is remembered for singlehandedly slaying a devilish ambassador who is helping Kelver's forces with infernal magic. Gemrin aids the evacuation of many women and children from Delaric and is awarded the orb of Rax, the highest honour for wartime bravery. In mid fall, Defreen sends the order to Rel Deven to immediately accept their vassal responsibilities and to send more than half their army to Rauxes to join an army which is planned for a counterattack through the Flanmi valley towards Eastfair. The Duke answers negatively and is proclaimed by the Overking a traitor and the title of Duke of Rel Deven is given to Gemrin. This s doubly ridiculous because Yever controls not only Rel Deven but also Goldbolt, the paladin's own citadel. The other thing that history has never seen is a Duke of Rel Deven that is anyone but the highest magician of the Cranden family. Several warrior nobles of Cranden, however, look on this appointment with quiet approval but dare not to rebel against their Duke.

·         419 CY After consolidating in the north and repulsing the supposed counterattack, Kelver, with Ivid's fiendish help attacks Innspa. Almost a year will the siege last and soon the Crandens will understand that they have been betrayed. After they establish their foothold in Almor, the Nyrondese have no reason to enter into what they call "inter-Aerdy conflicts". They send their army north and not east and explain that it is due to the increased struggle against the humanoids (mostly untrue) and the Theocracy (quite true). After seven months of bitter struggle Innspa falls and with their spells exhausted, Yever and his younger brother, Grand Master of evocation, Kleven commits suicide in order not to fall into the hands of the Naelax. Hurven Cranden, Grand Master of Enchantment becomes archmage.

·         420 CY The start of a war in the East, as Kelver stops his army fifty miles from the walls of Rel Deven (Carefully avoiding Almor to which Nyrond sends several detachments of its army "..to protect the independence of the Prelacy..". The siege of Winetha is broken by the arrival of fresh troops from Rel Astra.

·         421 CY The Naelaxes, with fiendish aid, succeed in conquering large tracts of land in central Aerdi. A fundamental breakthrough occurs when Kelver finally succeeds in surrounding Atirr and thus conquers the fabled Causeway of Fiends and a direct route to the Cauldron of Night. Ivid summons a large force of Devils and with their help attempts to conquer the Cauldron. Using their underground passage, Hurven and most of the eight hurry to meet him and prevent him from taking over the Cauldron. Great magical battle ensues at the very sight of the Cauldron itself and it envokes some force from within it. Force strong and terrible enough that it destroyed most of those present and even the devils scream in terror at the sight of it. Ivid and Hurven succeed in teleporting themselves to safety but almost all of their followers and six of the eight Grand Masters are killed. Some terrible, formless and nameless creature is unleashed upon the world.

·         422-434 CY Intensity of operations ceases as the Naelax, Cranden and Torquan Houses attempt to recover from the severe losses they have suffered. Nevertheless, Naelax succeeds in conquering all of Northern Aerdy except for the Torquan enclave, guarded by the fierce Mage-Prince Fermen of Winetha. In 434 Goldbolt finally falls and so begins the siege of Rel Deven.

·         435 CY Kelver succeeds in almost completely surrounding the old city; the only remaining route in and out being that which goes down the Thelly towards Kalstrand. The magic of the long enchanted walls repulses attack upon attack on the city.

·         436 CY The year of great treachery. After being given a hint from Ivid, Ferger Darmen, head of the family, severs the alliance with the Crandens. Another force attacks Rel Deven from Ahlissa and the Darmen soldiers within the walls open the gates. The great sack of Rel Deven begins as everything outside the citadel is pillaged and plundered by the Darmen and Naelax forces. Hurven gathers the remainder of his troops and his comparativly young Grand Master into the inner sanctum of the citadel and prepeares to die and destroy the magical vaults and lore of Rel Deven. Ivid appears in the city and displays a great feat of statemanship. He pretends to forget all old grudges with the Crandens and in return for their support to his claim to the Throne offers the retreat of his troops from Rel Deven and the renewal of the ducal title to Hurven. Placed between an ungrateful Overking, treacherous allies, and offer that at least enables him to preserve the knowledge of Rel Deven, Hurven accepts. Thus he puts himself in a vassal position towards house Naelax. The loyalty of many warrior nobles of the Crandens sways the Archmage.

·         437 CY House Naelax replaces House Rax on the Malachite Throne. Nalif Rax, the last, pitiful remainder of an Imperial house is captured and executed for high treason. For a short time Defeen will fight a street war against Kelver and Ivid within Rauxes itself, utilising many underground passageways, and the complex maze-like streets. This "war" lasts for about seven months after which the Altmeister himself is captured and publicly executed at the newly established Screaming Column. His followers continue their struggle but dwindle in number and eventually degrade from a liberation army into a thieves guild, although larger and better organised than most. In the winter of 437 the only two parts of Aerdy that are still unconquered are the Almor and Torquan lands. Almor is occupied by "peacekeeping" Nyrondese forces which the population of Chathold endures rather than likes but they are better then Ivid's rule. Ivid reasons that Nyrond will not dare to strike further into Aerdy and is willing to sacrifice Almor for the silent recognition of his claim for the throne. The situation is different with the two strong cities in the north. Winetha and Rinloru, the famous Torquan twin cities are a thorn in his side. From there the Torquan warlords are able to disturb trade and any kind of communication deep into North Province and, even more importantly, in Winetha lives now a Cranden exile, a man whom Ivid hates most save the Black Mage himself: Gemrin Cranden, the paladin of Goldbolt. Ivid wants the paladin dead, not only because of his renowed deeds in the civil war on the loyalist side, but also because of some reason unknown to historians. Whether it is some personal grudge, or Ivid is able to perceive some great threat from Gemrin remains to be guessed and probably will never be known because Ivid took the secret to the grave with him.

·         438 CY The Torquans operate unmolested from Winetha, Gemrin dares a few raids and even succeeds in recapturing a few important forts near Delaric. In the meantime Ivid's reign in the Great Kingdom starts to seem much less hellish than was imagined originally. He sets out to redistribute the land and here he pays his price for the support of his cousins. The Hextorite branch of the family gets the whole of North Province as the Hertzegowina. Kelver is appointed lord protector of South Province but a nominal Herzog is established over him, another Naelax of course. This is near insult to the proud warlord and he will never raise his sword in the defence or aid of Ivid. Ivid restructures the churches as well, recognising Pholtus's church as one of the "three pillars of the Kingdom" and by returning them all of their ancestral rights and even establishing the archclericy of Eastfair, much to the annoyance of the Hextorites. His reign during the first few years might be described as tight fisted but not despotic. He adheres to the reasonable laws of the old Kingdom and if he works hard to reestablish the influence of the monarch over the nobles, that is more in accord with the people's wishes than against them. He is brutal however, and enforces his will with astonishing force and severity. If a village will not (or cannot not) pay its taxes, every third child is crucified, thus the number of starving mouths to feed is reduced and the village is able to "fullfil it's duty to the crown". Even worse then this, rumours are spread that Ivid has personal dealings with fiends but if this is true (and today it is almost certainly known to be true) it is well kept from the knowledge of clergymen. Towards city dwellers, and especially rich city dwellers, Ivid maintains the face of a civilised man who has to use harsh methods to deal with the semibarbaric people that populate his countryside. He does not demand to be crowned Overking instantly. He actually never demands it. He keeps his seat at the topmost stair of the Malachite Throne and lets the clergymen decide when they are going to acknowledge the obvious.

·         439 CY Ivid sends an enormous army from North province and Rauxes to attack Winetha but he fails miserably. Outnumbered in both men and mages (some even say that Archmage of Rel Deven sent his disciples to the aid of Ivid for this battle) Reverden Torquan and Gemrin Cranden defeat the expeditionary force and chase them all the way to Parlad. Gemrin then turns north, sweeping the army of the Herzog of North Province in the battle of Yibernai woods and triumphantly enters Delaric. This is a major blow to Ivid and it takes him some time to recover from it. He however still commands enormous (and ever increasing, for not many are willing to risk their lifes for disobeying Ivid) resources wheras Torquan's are stretched to their limits and their lands barren except for the cities.

·         441 CY After two years of fighting Ivid finally succeeds in cutting off Gemrin in Delaric from Torquens. The Red Arrows, led by Ivid's cousin, storm into the city and capture the paladin. He is tortured and finaly executed on the screaming column but it is said that a gleaming light appears atop the pillar on the night of execution and the head of Gemrin disappears. Various legends are circulated about the disappearance of the still living body of the Paladin of Goldbolt and they range from a Cranden archmage going himself to kill if not rescue his unfortunate cousin and thus protect him from worst of all fates, to Rao himself ascending his faithful servant to Elysium and thus elevating him from earth's misery. There would have come an end to Goldbolt line if Gemrin did not send his young son to Rel Deven some time ago with a plea for the archmage to protect the child. Hurven and Ferterwen, who become archmages afterwards care for the boy and after he comes to manhood he is returned to Goldbolt under name of Victor Serrand. It is known among the learned of Rel Deven that the Serrands of Goldbolt are indeed the cousins of mages, but cultivate mixed sentiments towards mages for their help but also for what they consider the great treachery of the Crandens.

·         442 CY Recognising the absurdity of his position, Reverdenn Torquan negotiates the peace and submission of his lands to Ivid's rule. He demands acknowledgement of his title and the twin cities as eternal Torquan feuds. He gets both, but he also gets a Web assasination and he dies early the next year from a heart attack, most probably caused by too much crystals of hyacinth injected during his sleep. Winetha and Rinloru remain Torquan feuds forever after.

·         444 CY Nyrond finally retreats from Almor, acknowledgeing, but also guaranteeing the independence of the newly created country. Ivid dares not strike against it for he is still spent from the wars against the Torquans and worried about increasingly rebellious feelings in Sunndi to risk a confrontation with Nyrond.

·         445 CY A great meeting of all of Pholtus's clergy happens this year in Wintershiven. Clergy from all over the Flanaess gather for a canonical discussion that will last for almost seven months. At the end, four churches of Pholtus are formed, each respecting the others' existence (though the southern churches still have a deep resentment towards the grim ways of the Wintershiven priests) First church was that "Of the Blinding Light" centered in Wintershiven itself. The Patriarch of Wintershiven is appointed religious superior of all Pholtus's worshippers although this does not give him any real power over the other churches. Second is the church of Nyrond, self contained and not willing to mix much with the others, primarily because of the fact that in Nyrond there is growing respect for Heironeous, Rao and Pelor, all of which endanger Pholtus's position as the chief deity of good. Perhaps the most influential of all is the church of Almor. Closely related to the ruler of the Prelacy, this church exemplifies the virtues of the Pholtian religion as it was in the days of the old Kingdom. Most of Pholtus's worshipers from the Cranden lands and even deeper in Aerdy turn to the Prelate for guidance. This leaves the fourth church with very little support. The Church of Rauxes is left without anything, except tradition. It is the high priest of Rauxes, Cervernis Laveranis who is elected Patriarch that same year and he sets himself the almost imposible mission of preserving the Pholtian religion in Aerdy and to make it a shield of the good folk in the Great Kingdom.

·         446 CY In this year, Laveranis approaches Ivid, who now controls almost the whole of Aerdy and offers to him and his ancestors crowning at the hands of the Pholtian Patriarch and support from the Church as long as he respects the ancient position of the church in the Kingdom, and recognises the high priest of Rauxes as its rightful Patriarch. Ivid accepts. He is looking himself for a force to balance the might of the Hextorite church led by his cousins. For more than a hundred years the Naelax respects and tolerate the Pholtian church. The Patriarch in Rauxes is listened to in meetings of officials and he is called to be judge in the Chamber of Essence. Indeed, this has improved the situation of the innocent within Aerdy but it makes it worse for those outside it and also gives legitimacy to a house that will spawn the greatest abomination in the history of Aerdy.

·         447 CY For a short while it seems that the glory of the old days have returned, for Ivid succeeds in reestablishing peace throughout the Kingdom, but it is Ivid's kind of peace. Tyranny sweeps over the land. No resistance is tolerated. The Companion Guard roams the countryside destroying nobles that Ivid thinks dangerous. Those in the cities are slain by the Web's assassins. The Hextorite church rules North and South Province but not even they escape the watchful eye and iron fist of the Overking. The priests are controlled and elected by the King's men. Even the Naelax who were thought to be more ambitious or less subservient to Ivid are eliminated and as for the house of Rax, by all that is known, not a single prince or relative of that house survives the slaughters of these years.

·         449 CY It is in this year that Ivid's tyranny become unbearable to the noblemen. Torquan and most of the warrior Crandens along with the Darmens and even some of the Naelax gather in Rel Astra to declare war on Ivid. The greatest bloodshed occurs before the great wars even start. Torquan and Darmen unite, and strike from Rel Astra north towards Rauxes under Hebrec Torquan, Major of Rel Astra. he Crandens sweep towards Ahlissa and almost knock out the troops of the Herzog as they enter port Prymp. Ivid disregards the councils of his advisors and remains in half desolate Rauxes to personally await with his Companion Guard the coming of the rebel forces. In that time from the north there is an army coming under Tabren Naelax, one of Ivid's loyal cousins. The North army is caught by surprise by several detachments of the Almorian army (probably the work of the archmage of Rel Deven) and forced to retreat. This leaves Rauxes open for prince Hebrec's troops. They enter the city in late Harvester of this year and start a great civil conflict inside the city iself. Street by street, the forces of the Overking and the rebels' armies clash, destroying the capital. In four months Hebrec controls almost half a city but is still held at bay from the royal palace and the Malachite Throne.

·         450 CY A regrouped army of the North appears near Rauxes after a long and deadly winter march in early Readying this year. Understanding that the tide of war is turning against their side once again, the Darmens change coats and as they did to the defenders of Rel Deven, they strike their knife into the back of Hebrec. They attack his supply lines towards Rel Astra and soon he is surrounded within the royal city. In this year Hebrec is captured and executed at the screaming pilar and the princes of the land finally understand that there is no way they can defeat Ivid. In the summer of this year a great parade of crowns is held in renovating Rauxes as all princes of the land come to swear their loyalty to Overking Ivid I of house Naelax.

·         451 CY Sunndi rebells against the Great Kingdom, and joins the Iron League. Ivid's armies are far too wasted by the recent civil war for him to be able to respond to this strike, but he remembers it and never during his reign is there ever peace in Sunndi. War parties from Ahlissa and Medegia are constantly passing the border, killing and capturing the population to be sold as slaves in Prymp and Rel Astra.

·         451-463 CY Not much can be said about these years of tyrannical rule. Ivid fights his long struggle against the Hextorite church and craves more power and territory but his neighbours are strong and united and he dares not to provoke them. In 455 all good countries of the north sign the "Covenant of the Golden League", a document about mutual protection against Ivid's Kingdom.

·         464 CY Ivid I dies, and Ivid II ascends the Malachite Throne. His father's motto: "Tyranny is the path to Power" he replaces with "Power is the path to Tyranny". The Great Kingdom sinks in black despair as the Naelax continue to rule over most of the land. Ivid II however is an inept ruler and that gives rise to the independence of the noblemen. None of them are willing to risk conflict with the Guard Companion and execution on the screaming pillar, and so most are satisfied with torturing their own subjects and not turning on Rauxes. In the following years Rauxes will become a city of evil, and only temples of Pholtus, Zilchus and Boccob, and also a great University will provide shelter from the debauchery and evil of the city.

·         466 CY Drax I Torquan, major of Rel Astra and head of the Torquan family threatens the Malachite Throne with a new rebellion. He masses soldiers and prepares an attack on Mentrey. The Companion Guard is sent and they force the Rel Astrans back to their city but are unable to force them into submission, for Rel Astra is virtually unconquerable by siege and Drax still holds a sizable navy and is able to purchase food for his city. The expenses of the war are much greater for the Malachite Throne than for the ebony tower.

·         467 CY Denarwel Xaene, a young mage, enters the service of Ivid and starts rising quickly through the ranks of the court hierarchy.

·         468 CY The rebellion of Rel Astra is ended with the Great Charter of Rel Astra which gives it the status of a semi-independent city obliged to pay taxes and give certain military assistance to the Overking. The central fief of the rebellious Torquans, it will become the shelter for many groups of "freedom fighters" against Ivid.

·         470 CY Ruvel, a fiendish-looking humanoid creature is admitted to Ivid's court with the position of "high adviser". Some say that he is a magic user of great might who is blackmailing Ivid. Others that he is a representative of Baal himself and that his admittance to court is one of the concessions promised to him by the first Ivid.

·         473 CY Ruvel insists on an attack on Sunndi, and it is passed through the Court. General Szefrin III, grandson of the great Szefrin, the 'hope of north' is assigned to conquer that unconquerable land. Szefrin makes an unexpected attack in late autumn and captures a vast number of the inhabitants of northern Sunndi. Many of them are shipped directly to Ruvel.

·         474 CY Szefrin is bogged down in the vast swamp of Sunndi. The high temperatures of the Sunndian spring and summer decimate his soldiers, as well as the Sunndian partisans. He asks for permission to retreat. Ruvel refuses that permission to him.

·         475 CY Against orders from Rauxes, Szefrin retreats from the swamp, unwilling to risk one more summer there. Ruvel orders his execution but the Hextorites rebel against the order and declare that the Red Arrows will protect the general. He returns to Eastfair. The Sunndi campaign is continued under the uninspired general Gotum Naelax. Irongate declares war on Aerdi and attacks Gotum's army in northern Sunndi. Dwarven axe wielders and human light infantry of IronGate with help of vast number of Onwall volontiers rout Gotum and only intervention of Glorioles army prevent their retreat to Alhisia to become slaughter.

·         477 CY Conflict arises between the newly appointed Royal mage, Xaene and Ruvel over control of the magic treasury of Rauxes. Xaene is seemingly victorious.

·         478 CY Ruvel travels to the Cauldron of Night and disappears. Some say that he has returned to his plane and others that he was destroyed by a Nameless Terror that Hurven Cranden and Ivid I have released. No mage visits the Cauldron for seventy years after this.

·         480 CY North and South Province are declared semi independent Herzegowinas rulled by the Hextorite church. In the north, the Naelax noblemen have not protested but in the south, a son of Kelver Naelax, Revdern, and Heiman Garasteth, major of Prymp, openly defie the Herzog.

·         482 Heiman Garasteth is killed by a crack unit of Red Arrows that are sent to Prymp. Revdern sends his family to Nyrond and continues fighting from his castle Freiburg in central Ahlissa.

·         485 With the help of the Companion Guard, the Red Arrows succeed in capturing Castle Freiburg. Revdern Naelax is sent to Rauxes and executed on the Screaming Column. From Rel Mord his son, Roland promises that he will avenge his father even though he is only thirteen at the time.

·         494 CY Ivid starts to become senile. His four sons start an inter-family assassin war to determine the successor.

·         496 CY Koman Naelax, second son of Ivid, becomes the head of the family after he eliminates two of his brothers. He marries his sister Jarga and changes his name to Ivid III

·         497 CY Ivid II is assassinated and replaced by his son, Ivid III. The new King proves to be wasteful and even less efficient then his father. His major policy is to indulge in various kinds of debauchery, to build extravagant houses in Rauxes and to maintain an enormous standing army for a potential war with Nyrond. Logically all of this results in great spending and he is in a position to constantly negotiate with the Dukes for financing.

·         498 CY Ivid III sends public apologies to Szefrin's family and blames Ruvel for the "insane orders that were given to the general". Urged to do so by priests of Hextor, Sefrins reenters the service of Aerdy.

·         499 CY Ivid starts building in Rauxes and vicinity in the famous or infamous "Aerdy baroque style". Multitudes of slaves and serfs are killed during these works. In this time new western and southern parts of the palace will be added to give it its current look of terror and might.

·         501 CY All Dukedoms gain a higher state of independence in exchange for an increase in taxes. At this time the Cranden mages are usually led by grand masters of Abjuration and Illusion and are willing to go their own way sheltered in Rel Deven. But in this very same year Riilven Cranden, the grand master of Divination comes to power as Duke of the city and Archmage. He will be an important figure because of the prophecies that he will make based on the writings of queen Yalranda.

·         513 CY After only sixteen years of rule Ivid III is assasinated and replaced by his oldest son, Ivid IV. Ivid IV will be remembered as one of shrewedest rulers that Aerdi has ever known. His works, and that of his son Ivid V will return the Great Kingdom to the military and political power levels close to those of the early Rax emperors.

·         515 CY Ivid IV increases the rights of the Pholtian church to almost their normal level through a supposedly independent "Tribunalus Dei" that directs much state money to the rebuilding of Pholtian churches and temples over the empire. The point of this move is to give the idea to the mighty Hextorite church that their only hope lies not in separating but in close cooperation with house Naelax under omnipotent Ivid.

·         519 CY The Torquan noblemen, Horwen, cousin of Drax II is appointed censor of Medegia. In return, the Torquans promise entry to their ports in the north for imperial ships without prior notice.

·         525 CY After a short revolt in Sunndi and Onnwal, and the people in South Province, Ivid changes the Herzog of South Province. The old Herzog dies under unexplained circumstances that are connected with Ivid and with Roland Naelax, the exiled ruler of Ahlissa.

·         527 CY Ivid and the Hextorites finally come to an arrangement about reelecting Herzogs, as Ivid returns that right to the church but in return gets the right to establish almost the whole of the secular hieararchy including military leadership in the province and also the church obliges that all church raised armies except for the Red Arrows should be under the command of Ivid.

·         531 CY Ivid begins the "short war" with Almor as Almor claims lands around and including Innspa. This move is purposefully provoked by the Overking as his men have constantly raided the territory of Almor from the Innspa lands.

·         532 CY Almorian army makes a quick advance towards Innspa through seemingly undefended regions and prepares to lay siege to the city in mid summer of this year. The city proves to be much better prepared than usual and the Almorites remain locked in siege. At the same time the first western legion under the leadership of Furgan Cranden, one of the Cranden's non magic using nobility attacks their retreat lines and strikes them from the back. Many horses are employed to move this army from Rel Deven to Innspa faster than expected. This is the first recorded use of horse transported infantry. From the East, the church army of Eastfair, along with several legions of the north provincial army are hurrying to help in the destruction of the Almorite army. The Almorites start a retreat and are badly beaten in the battle for Fort Kurast where they attempt to take refuge. Furgan's forces conquer the whole territory between the Flessern and Harp rivers, thus reducing Almor's border with Nyrond to almost half. However Nyrond decides to act against the danger from the Great Kingdom and sends an army consisting of seven hundred knights and twice as much infantry to western Almor. The Prelate is forced to accept this "aid". Ivid understands that it is not yet time to chalenge the might of Nyrond and aborts his plans for the total annexation of Almor. This war diminishes the military potential of Almor but also increases its ties to Nyrond, which now really considers Almor not much more than a buffer state between them and the ever more powerful Empire of the East. Ivid on his side starts plotting the destruction of Nyrond.

·         537 CY A new wave of barbarian invasions from the North and the reappearance of a large number of Orcs in the Bone March forces Ivid to turn north for some time. He appoints Yegar Naelax admiral of the fleet and gives him orders to stop the barbarians from raiding Aerdy.

·         539 CY After the first defeats, the barbarians ally with the small state of Ratik, whose strong ports prove good protection for their longships.

·         541 CY Yegar is himself killed in one barbarian raid.

·         542 CY Ivid forces Hextor's church to give him the right to announce a holy war against Ratik "if need be" and with this threat he insists that Ratik cease its alliance with the barbarians and to hand over several barbarian leaders. Godberd, prince of Ratik is forced to accept but the alliance is broken only formally and only a few "leaders" are handed to Ivid. Nevertheless, the barbarian raids decrease in intensity.

·         545 CY Ivid increases the shipbuilding capacities of Aerdy by bribing Drax II to give him the right to build ships for the royal navy in the great shipyard of Rel Astra. In return Drax is promised the inheritable Censorship of Medegia for his family.

·         547 CY Ivid IV reestablishes the custom of Ivid I to control the payment of secular church officials within the Hextorite church.

·         550 CY The Valley of the Mage is established. (2084 OR)

·         552 CY A heart attack and subsequent complications severely limit the capacities of Ivid IV; although he remains in power, he is not so commonly feared as before.

·         554 CY Riilven anounces that Carwen and not Mordenkainen is to be the next archmage of Rel Deven. A great schizm occurs that finishes with the defection of Mordenkeinen and the archmage of Evocation, Bigby, in this year. Carwen starts gathering the Crandens and tries to establish a coherent council of Rel Deven to speak in front of all the Crandens. For some time it is impossible.

·         556 CY Ivid IV is assassinated by his son, Ivid V. Even though he will start by continuing the shrewd and cautious policies of his father, Ivid V will be remembered as one of worst leaders that the Great Kingdom is ever to know, primarily due to the fact that now, while he is still formal ruler of Aerdy, it is just formal recognition above a state of total anarchy. Some say that Ivid's major problem was, and still is, his insane hatred for the Pholtian religion. We probably never will know what causes this hatred but some say that it is caused because he was cursed as a fiend-child by a wandering priest of Pholtus. This brings us to another major point concerning Ivid V. Magical research done in the tower of conjuration in Rel Deven reveals that Ivid himself was indeed part of the bargain that Baal made with the first Ivid and renewed with the fourth Ivid. Ivid IV was forced to accept one specific concubine from his "friend" and he was obliged to parent the child with her. As soon as child was born Ivid strangled the mother and ordered Xaene to destoy the body so no one would know who was the mother of the heir apparent. That child was Ivid V. His youth passed in debauchery and also in plotting against various noblemen in the court. The unhidden disgust that all of his "mistresses" and even his slave girls have shown for him make him hate all woman and at the same time looks for the "true love of his life". All of this will be well used by the Dawnbreakers in the years that follow. It is important to remember, however, that despite his emotional instability and his outbursts of hysteria, Ivid is not at all a stupid man. He is an expert in low blows in politics but he is unable to play the same game between the Pholtian and Hextorite church as his father had, and that will proves to be his downfall.

·         560 CY Formation of the Circle of Eight

·         562 CY In this year certain a nobleman mercenary crosses from Nyrond and presents himself to Ivid as person skilled in the Art of War who wishes to serve the mightiest empire on Oerth. Suspiciously Ivid accepts him and sends him to serve under Herzog Grace Grennel in North Province. The Young man's name is Reynard.

·         563 CY Ivid starts the prosecution of all political opponents in Rauxes. The strongest impact this has is in Rauxes university where in this year the very popular teacher of politics, Iven Beshni is captured and executed for treason. Demonstrators demanding his release are destroyed in bloodshed. About seventy students are killed. Secret groups of students start gathering to plan the overthrow of Ivid.

·         564 CY Reynard succeeds in driving the orcs which have become a menace from the southern Bone March. He also defeats some outer outposts of Ratik's army and reestablishes the border of North province with Ratik.

·         565 CY Groups of students gather and in this year they form the secret Dawnbreakers clan to overthrow Ivid. They look for help towards the city and ruler with the longest grudge against Naelax; Drax of Rel Astra.

·         565 CY Drax secretly promises help for Dawnbreakers. He allows some of his shipyards to start to build an alternative navy that will give a fatal blow to the old empire once Ivid is no more. The navy is to be hidden in many coastal caves on the Medegian coast and it's leaders are to be called Duxchaners.

·         566 CY The Dawnbreakers make two separate plans for the destruction of Ivid. First, is to ally with some of the Naelax cousins of Ivid and to ignite them in a rebellion that will drive Ivid's forces out of Rauxes and then to storm the palace with the help of several magic users from Nyrond. The other, grimmer plan, is to kill Ivid by infecting him with an incurable wasting disease . A young girl, Arita Thaw volounteers for the suicidal duty to carry the disease to Ivid. The plan is that Ivid's death will cause instability due to succesion problems and that the Duxchaners and Drax will be able to strike fast and before the Companion Guard can be used seize power in Rauxes. They also hope that the priests will agree to crown Drax Torquan as Overking who will then stop the prosecution and tyranny, and open an age of freedom in Aerdy. Here, we do not know enough about the personality of Drax from his pre-animus period so we can not say how valid were the hopes of the Dawnbreakers

·         567 CY After a series of successes in the north, Reynard is promoted to the status of vice-General and he serves in south under general Szefrin IV from the old family of Eastfair.

·         568 CY Szefrin and Reynard attack and defeat the Southern league, forcing the border of Ahlissa all the way to Irongate and Onnwal. A strange companionship develops between the two generals.

·         569 CY The Dawnbreakers succeed in gaining "support" from several lesser Naelax noblemen. They also gain widespread popular support in Rauxes. It will later prove that Ivid knew all along about this half of the plan and that he allows it to go on because he wants all of his potential enemies to show themselves in an act of open rebellion. In the same year, Arita Thaw is given to Ivid as a gift from Drax of Rel Astra.

·         570 CY As planned, Arita becomes the favourite concubine of the mad King and she passes to him the wasting disease that was placed upon her. Ivid discovers his condition in late winter of this year when first the girl and then he starts showing signs of rotting leprosy. He summons Drax to explain himself. Drax comes and explains that there is no way in which he was able to examine the girl and that it is a failure of the archmage that she was allowed in Ivid's bed. He even hints that it is Xaene who infected the girl once he found that she had become dear to Ivid. Ivid interrogates the girl who keeps pretending that she still loves him. Ivid is unable to think rationally in this matter and he still believes her. She tells him about being taken by the archmage to his chambers and about him performing magic in her presence. Ivid believes her and puts Xaene under arrest. He is still slightly suspicious of Drax and sends him to Rel Astra with a warning.

·         571 CY Irongate joins the Golden League and drives Ivid's forces under the Herzog back to the South Province. Szefrin retaliates but soon he is summoned to help the northern lands. The situation is going out of control. A Naelax rebellion under Tuvin Naelax, the youngest and least evil of all the Naelax princes gains more and more popular support and even though Ivid has massed his troops in the area and expects attack his health propblems do not allow him to personally resume command, and soon the whole of the southern Naelax lands are controlled by the rebels. The grand master of Illusion in Rel Deven urges Carwen to send some aid to the rebels. Carwen refuses. In Rauxes itself, the Dawnbreakers start a civil revolt from their underground hideouts beneath the old university building. One of their leaders is Iona Cranden, Felixes daughter.

·         572 CY A certain unknown magic user named Karoolck offers to prevent Ivid's further decay if he is granted the title of court wizard and Xaene's old laboratory. Ivid accepts and Karoolck succeeds in slowing his disease. Once again able to think, Ivid begins his plan for the destruction of the rebels. The southern army under Szefrin and the Army of the North under the "terror of the North", the famous Baron General Shalaster Garasteth, who was responsible for several successful punitive expeditons into the barbarian lands. As planned, Szefrin and Shalaster divide the rebel forces in two and the Companion Guard destroys Tuvin Naelax who is divided from the majority of his forces. In Rauxes, the Companion Guard takes on the operation of "cleaning the rat-holes". They succeed in capturing almost all of the Dawnbreaker leaders. The Sea Barons attack the Duxchaners after they embark to help their forces in the north. In the naval battle of Medegia they are utterly destroyed. No help comes to the rebels from Rel Astra.

·         573 CY War in the central lands continues because even though their commander is defeated, the Naelax still have a large manpower adventage over the two expedition armies. Szefrin is encircled by the large rebel army of Duvin Naelax and nearly killed. H is saved at the last momment by the brave and genial action of general Reynard who saves not only the general's life but a good part of the Southern Army as well. This battle marks an end to the Naelax rebellion and Reynard is awarded title of general of the south. Szefrin becomes the military leader of the west. He spends some time in Rel Deven.

·         574-577 CY The rise of the military might of the Great Kingdom. Reynard and Grenell raise enormous provincial armies and Szefrin prepares a strategy for the upcoming war against Nyrond.

·         578 CY The naval forces of the Great Kingdom and Nyrond skirmish in Relmor Bay. Again no naval help comes for Ivid from Rel Astra. The Nyrondese defend their waters fiercely, showing that Ivid will not have an easy conquest if he decides to strike.

·         580 CY Xaene succeds in fleeing Ivid's dungeons and attacks Karoolck in his chambers. He defeats him, but Karoolck shows that he has a powerful protector, a fiend from Baal's own guard. While he is busy summoning, Xaene takes several of his items and flees. It is said that his escape from the dungeon was through sorcerous means and that he died in the attempt, succesfully turning into a lich.

·         581 CY Orcs start attacking in enormous numbers from the Bone March. Shalaster defeats them and kills thousands in two battles but the only thing he succeeds in is to keep them contained in the Bone March.

·         582 CY The rise of the "Great God of the North" Iuz, and his attack on the Duchy of Tenh causes enormous rage in Ivid (which is inspired partially by his obligations to fiends and the whisperings of Karoolck). He demands "right of passage" from Nyrond to send armies north to punish the usurper and reclaim Tenh and the Shield lands. King Archbold refuses and orders the mobilization of his knights, implying that any attack from Great Kingdom will be met with resolute force. Szefrin is sent to the border with his army. He makes large encampments to the north of Almor, near Innspa. Shalaster and Grenell start a major offensive against orcs in the north.

·         583 CY The Great War begins in Aerdi by the strike of the Almorites. Faced with destruction if they are forced to accept battle on they own ground, they send a force under their great commanders. the adventurer Osson and lord Meural to invade the Great Kingdom and drive as many of its forces as possible from attacking Almor. Osson strikes southeast, avoiding both Szeffrin's army on the north and Rel Deven, cutting through the northern Cranden lands and then turning south towards Ahlissa. He defeats two Darmen armies but turns away from Zelradton and Permanence and prepares to face his first major challenge, the complete eastern half of the Glorioles Army under general Yvhan Semmel. In the meantime Szeffrin strikes north and destroys the first line of the Nyrondese defences, inflicting large casualties on Archbold's troops and almost halving the number of knights sent against him. The Sea Barons stop the barbarian attacks and succeed in making a short lived sea-borne invasion of Ratik. Reynard marshals his forces to stop Osson from advancing to South Province. Osson develops a new strategy of light cavalry attack and utterly defeats the Glorioles Army. Facing Reynard on the west he turns to Medegia. There he gains immense public support and increases his army. The Censor of Medegia flees to Rauxes to ask Ivid for help but he is executed on the Screaming Column. Drax succeeds in preventing the domination of the pale albino southerns over the southern Sea Barons. However he does not help with his navy in the battle against the Nyrondese in Relmor Bay and the Nyrondese succeed in bombarding Prymp from the sea.

·         584 CY In a terrible winter campaign, the Red Arrows and the Army of the North rout the Orcs of the Bone March which disperse to the north; most of them dying of frostbite and hunger. Without resting his army, Shalaster turns to the west to help Szeffrin, who has forced the Nyrondese with terrible losses to the heavily defended castle of Blazebane. Suddenly, Ivid commands both Shalaster and Szeffrin to come south and face Osson who has now dangerously increased his army by Medegian volonteers and deserters from the Glorioles army and is marching on Rauxes. The same orders are given to Drax and Reynard who are to attack Osson from the south. Unwilling to risk his already diminished army, Drax sends only a token force but Reynard comes with the complete might of the South Province army. That is the time for another deception which spells an end for the Great Kingdom., for in the South Province a certain Reydrich, mage at Herzog Chelor's court rebels and defeats the Herzog in a magical duel proclaiming himself sovereign ruler of South Province. Osson is faced with three powerful armies (from North and South province and Rauxes; Szefrin's army is still fighting in Nyrond) under the most capable generals of the Great Kingdom. He is defeated and taken to the Rauxes to be tortured. Too early, Reydrich announces himself a descendant of Roland Naelax who has returned to claim his ancestral right. Immediately, Karoolck recognizes general Reynard for what he is: Reydrich's brother who was all along in alliance with him. Ivid is struck with one of his severe paranoia attacks (which are even more prominent now because of his disease) and orders all of his generals (and many noblemen) to be brought to Rauxes to "renew their oaths of loyalty". He also orders Szeffrin to arrest and bring Reynard to him. Szeffrin allows Reynard to go for two reasons: to avoid bloodshed which would occur if two major Aerdi provincial armies were to face each other on the battlefield but also to repay a debt that he owes Reynard for saving his life during the Naelax rebellion. Reynard cautions both the general and Shalaster not to go to Rauxes. Szeffrin decides to go, hoping to convince Ivid to offer an alliance to South Province and accept Reydrich as Herzog so that Nyrond might be defeated. Shalaster receives orders from Grenell that his army is needed in the north because "the orcs are revolting again". This of course is not true but it is the Herzog's legitimate method of preventing he or his best general falling into the hands of Ivid whom he perceives as dangerously insane. Drax also goes to Rauxes to beg for pardon for not sending troops and to point out to Ivid the existence of the enormous danger from the south. Many other noblemen, mainly from the Naelax house either go voluntarily or are captured and brought to Rauxes by the Companion Guard. Ivid, with help of Karoolck, Hextor's Patriarch and Baal's high lord himself, perform the rite of revivication of his noblemen, turning them into undead Animuses which are supposed to be fanatically loyal to Ivid. Some of them are apparently loyal and are sent back to their positions, often with promotions. Thus Drax is announced Censor of Medegia and Szeffrin is "excused" his treachery to let Reynard leave. In the meantime, Szeffrin's forces are defeated, due to the lack of their commander and the bravery of the Nyrondese in the battle of Blazebane. Szefrin however had specific orders to stop the attack on Nyrond and imdertale a punitive expedition to Almor. Drax returns obediently to Rel Astra. Szeffrin begines an orgy of slaughter, rape and pillage through Almor so different from his usual economic style of warfare. Chathold is captured, razed to the ground and salted. About seventy thousand citizens of Almor are slaughtered during this, the most pointless of all the campaigns of the great war. Nyrond, still licking it wounds from Blazebane and pressed by Iuz to the north, sends no help. Sometime during this slaughter Szeffrin is visited by a powerful entity, suspected to be Xaene the Lich. He gives the general nine demonic medallions, one of which is supposed to summon Pazrael the Mighty, the most terrible opponent of Baal in the Blood War of the lower planes. Suddenly, the spell of obedience falls from Szeffrin (some even doubt that he was ever obedient and say that he conquered Almor to provide himself with a base of operations) and he begins to make plans for the destruction of all life and law in Aerdi. In the meantime six Animuses from Rauxes and the Naelax lands make a succesful assasination attempt on Ivid, even though they are themselves destroyed by the powers of the Malachite Throne. Ivid is revived himself by the Patriarch and Karoolck, but soon the Patriarch has to flee Rauxes because it is obvious that Baal does not want any spiritual meddling within his sphere of influence. Grenell in the north declares semi-independence from the undead King and so does the Archmage in Rel Deven and even Drax in Rel Astra. The Patriarch decides to try to negotiate with Grenell, despite their personal hatred, but his chariot is intercepted by agents of Midnight Darkness which give him an "invitation he cannot refuse" to join Drax in Rel Astra. What follows is the complete disintegration of the Great Kingdom as most noble houses declare semi- independence. General Szeffrin settles for some time to rebuild his army with the help of Pazrael. The Peace of Greyhawk is signed by all devastated nations of the Flanaess.

·         585 CY The general's attempt to inflitrate Rel Deven is thwarted. Meural and the remains of the Almor-Medegian army reach Rel Deven. Carwen establishes the Council of the Crandens as a permanent body. The Patriarch of Hextor is poisoned in Rel Astra. At the same time, members of the Scarlet brotherhood appear in the city. Ahlissa declares full independence. The second youngest son of the Duke of Chathold dies somewhere in the Great Kingdom. Szeffrin gathers great numbers of orcs for his army and conquers the citadel of Goldbolt, forcing the Cranden border southwards. Drax builds ships. In the autumn of this year Carwen becomes very ill. In mid – 585 CY, The Circle of Eight was brought back to its full numbers. This brought hope to the hearts of many residents of the Flanaess, as did the news that one of the assassinated  members of the Eight, Tenser the Archmage, had been bought back to life. However, Tenser left the Eight and now follows his own course in the Flanaess.

·         586 CY In Coldeven many of the demons in the Flanaess were banished by Veluna’s Canon Hazen (a priest of Rao), the archmage Bigby and others. They used a powerful artifact known as the Crook of Rao, retrieved some years before from a demiplane where it had been lost. This decimated the armies of Iuz, which relied heavily on demons, and gave beleaguered Furyondy the chance for a counter offensive. A few highly protected fiends resisted the banishment and remain in the Flanaess. In the Planting of 586 CY Furyondy discovered evidence that Iuz was preparing to raise an undead army against it. Disregarding the Pact of Greyhawk, King Belvor and his nobles began a crusade to reclaim Furyondian lands that Iuz had conquered. By the end of 588 CY, they had succeeded, but the king nevertheless declared permanent and unalterable war on Iuz. As part of this crusade, a small portion of the Shield Lands were also reclaimed. When the Great Kingdom collapsed, it left a number of struggling provinces, great and small, to determine their political state. By mid 586 – CY, the former north province declared itself the Great Kingdom of Northern Aerdy, and crowned an Overking, Grenell I. The “little” or “new” Great Kingdom has spent the time since strengthening its infrastructure and putting down a civil war. Ivid V the Undying, Overking of the former Great Kingdom, had retreated to his capital city of Rauxes during the Greyhawk Wars, There, in his madness, he allowed the kingdom to dissolve, focusing instead on the unfortunate residents of the city. In early 586 CY, a high priest of Hextor mysteriously declared that Ivid V was no longer Overking; battles for the Malachite throne began immediately. The city was reportedly devastated by fires and rioting. Since then, the status of Rauxes and the throne are uncertain, though there are reports that strong and bizarre magic dominates the lands around the city. Once the Pact of Greyhawk was discarded by Furyondy and Veluna in 586 CY, other nations also disregarded it and began claiming or reclaiming territory they desired. Shortly afterward, the Scarlet Brotherhood lost control of Idee to Ahlissa. The Brotherhood retains control of portions of Onnwal and the Hold of the Sea Princes, but at great cost.

·         587 CY Troubling reverses in the Furyondian lands were hardly mortal to Iuz’s great empire, but over several years other counter attacks and rebellions also whittled at Iuz’s borders. In 587 CY Wolf Nomads successfully raided Iuz’s homeland. The South Province also sought to step into the vacuum left by the Great Kingdom’s collapse. Under the aegis of its provincial gaf, Reydrich, South Province restructured itself as the Kingdom of Ahlissa. Reydrich conquered much of Idee, which had been taken by the Scarlet Brotherhood, and planned to move into Onnwal. Reydrich vanished briefly thereafter. Partially in response to the founding of the Great Kingdom of Northern Aerdy, Ahlissa’s rulers allied it with other provinces to the east and restructured their realm again, this time as the United Kingdom of Ahlissa, declaring its Overking to be Xavener I. By 590 CY, Ahlissa’s expansion northward ran into the northern Great Kingdom’s southward expansion. Currently Ahlissa is a hotbed of cutthroat politics.

·         588 CY Iuz lost his magical hold over Sevvord Redbeard, leader of the Hold of Stonefist; Sevvord largely abandoned his occupation of Tenh and restructured his land (now called Stokehold) to better fight against outside threats. Iuz’s control over the Bandit Lands continues to slip. Tenh is a war torn land, invaded by Iuz, Stoneholders, the Pale and returning Tenhas. By 588 CY, Sterich was freed from the humanoid armies that had overrun it. The battle for the lost land of Geoff continues. Celene remains officially neutral;  the valley of the Mage remains a puzzle. Following the assassination of its beygraf, Ket has largely withdrawn from Bissel, though Thornward now marks Ket’s eastern border.

·         589 CY While some portions of the former Great Kingdom have fallen in with one or the other of the new Great Kingdoms (whether voluntarily or not), others remain independent. The county of Suundi declared itself a self ruled Kingdom in 589 CY. Though Overking Xavener I. Has invited them to join, the independent cities of the Solnor coast cling to their autonomy, though their economies are threatened by the Scarlet Brotherhood’s stranglehold on certain waterways. The lordship of the Isles remains a puppet of the Scarlet Brotherhood. The realm of the sea Barons remains largely unchanged, and the elf population of the Spindrift Isles have isolated themselves from larger events. Gravely weakened by the Greyhawk Wars, Nrond suffered further reverses. However, under the guidance of a new king (Lynwerd I), it cleared and claimed the lands of old Almor, and is now rebuilding its war damaged roads and towns.

·         590 – 591 CY While the Flanaess still suffers from internal disputes and battles, times are slightly more stable than they have been. Nations and individuals still fight for freedom and survival against threats old and new; but some are able to focus their attention elsewhere -  even beyond the borders of the Flanaess. Sources of new trade and wealth are needed at all cost for rebuilding, and the age is fired with a spirit of curiosity and exploration.