Timeline Redux I: Ancient period

[Havard]

At it again I am. The following awaits your commentary (or rotten tomatoes if preferred). Rather than one giant post, I've broken it into three for everyon's convenience. I've removed system specific stuff. Oh and this is an FFC ordered timeline, with the priority being FFC/Garbage Pits and Player recolections > DAB books > DA series. With small exceptions, this is meant to flesh out the timeline the 4eTFC, pg 147-8.

What is the end goal of this project? The idea of having the DAB books take preference over the DA modules still sounds strange to me, but it also seems like you are changing things from the timeline in the DAB books without any reference to said events in the FFC/Garbage Pits:

- 800 (+/- 300)
Construction of the great tower of shining blue glass in the Valley of the ancients. (4eTFC:192, true date unknown)
Humans known as Picts begin settling within the borders of the Elven Kingdom. The Picts are a freshwater based culture who build their settlements on islands within the rivers and swamps. (FFC 80: 86, Havard- Arneson letter) Initially, the Picts rely on bronze technologies, are highly superstitious and follow the leadership of religious leaders called wokan. (TWC:3; DoCBM:7 – The history of Callas Anethenitos. the earlier parts of which are considered largely apocryphal by most authorities) (wokan – 4eTFC:99)

There are various interpretations of what the Tower of Glass is. Rafe has some interesthing theories on this, which would help date it. Picts do indeed seem to have been around from ancient times. I connect Picts and Valemen. Bob Meyer suggests Picts were replaced by Orcs IIRC.

0 -
Founding of the Great Kingdom, (Grand Kingdom) southeast of the Northern Marches. (4eTFC:148)
Beginning of the reign of Uhlmar Ithamis, Lord of the Elves. (Havard, date approximate)

I like seeing Uhlmar in here. As you probably know, he is mentioned in the D20 line, but named by me.

26 –
Establishment of a trading post at Maus. (4eTFC:167, date derived from TWC:3 ”almost immediately after the founding of the empire”)

Having it from early on makes sense.

324 – 398
Rule of the Mad Wizard over the Black Moors of the North. Fortifications are built on the future site of Blackmoor Castle on top of Cumasti Elf ruins. The wizards laboratory is built nearby. The mad wizard’s defeat in battle resulted in the creation of a 60’ wide “bottomless” crater – The Wizards Pit - where his laboratory had been. (4eTFC:157, 158;”clear signs of Cumasti craftsmanship.” “ruins of at least three previous layers”, dates assumed/approximate)

As you know, I have placed this wizard's fate in the year 500, linking it too with the War against Id. Really it could have happened at any time.

398 –
A group of ambitious wizards found the Red Coven and establish a settlement in the diamond rich Superstition Mountains Called by some the Land of the Red Coven, it becomes more formally known as the Duchy of the Peaks. (D&DSuppII:37; true date unknown but Red Coven in the “Northwest” assumed to be associated with the Duchy of the Peaks due to the names of Superstitions, Starmorgan, Starport)

David Ross places this in 500-525 range.

440 -
Conquest and settlement by Robert I, king of All Geneva. He creates a ducal seat (assumed by later references to dukes) at “Blackmoor” and builds a fortification at Glendower (Rampart#10, presumed date) and builds Blackmoor Castle over the Cumasti and Mad Wizard ruins on Dragonsrock. (FFC80:17 Date must predate Temple of Id and post date Mad Wizard. FFC dates never exceed 5 or 6 centuries and there is no reason whatever to push back the date of Blackmoor castle further, creating centuries of empty history. Note: Dragon Rock probably was meant to refer to Serpent Rock island in Blackmoor bay, but I choose to mis-read “Dragon Rock, the hill where Blackmoor Castle itself stands,” as one thought.)
Early, Thonian settlers begin to clear the land and establish hamlets and farms utilizing hay based agriculture. In addition to sheep (DW42:M3), they begin to domesticate the large wild bison that constitute one of the most common wild animals in the area. The domesticated bison soon become the dominant farm animal in the Northern Marches. (FFC80:17)

I disagree with this. It is a generally agreed upon fact that Robert I founded the Empire. This is specified in the D20 line to which you give preference.

450 –
Uberstar Khazakhum establishes the Great Mines at Mount Uberstar. (DA1:63; 4eTFC:189 “nearly 600 years of mining”)

DA1 says nearly half a century. And the description of Uberstar as the ruler for 500 years. Ross places it in 500-525.

471 – 497
The Bloody Duke, a sadist and architectural megalomaniac, reigns in Blackmoor Castle. He greatly expands the dungeons to a depth of 11 levels or more, connecting to even older passages and giving the levels their present form. (DoCBM:184,185 “hundreds of years”; 4eTFC:158; FFC80:21, date assumed to be related to construction of the Temple of Id, which is known to connect by tunnel to Blackmoor dungeons)

Works. This is a different Bloody Duke from the one I have recently described, but the FFC says there was more than one such Duke.

474 –
Construction of the Temple of the Id. (FFC80:18, DoCBM:146 ”Worship of Id started shortly before the year 500.” date based on the supposition that the temple was not operational for more than a few decades )

Works, though it seems a bit early.

497 –
The Bloody Duke killed in his own dungeon by 13 escaped prisoners. (DoCBM:184,185)

500 –
Destruction of the Temple of Id. (FFC80:18)
An Evil wizard imprisoned in a workshop he has constructed in The Wizard’s Pit. (FFC80:21)

Didn't you have another wizard be imprisoned there earlier?

In general it doesnt really make sense to me to go against David Ross' Timeline unless there are references which specifically proves it to be wrong. David Ross' timeline was incorporated wholesale into the D20 line which means it was accepted by ZGG and probably this includes Arneson as well. Adding things is a different matter of course, but changing dates with only circumstantial evidence is a tough sell.




-Havard