The Hornlands Campaign: Chronology

The following chronology is provided mainly as an aid to creating character histories, and to give you a feel for what your character might have heard about or even participated in as he or she grew up.

The current year is 1281. (See below for information about systems of dating in the Hornlands.)

1200s: On-and-off wars between Kingdoms of Armishan and Ishlene.

1250s: Skirmishes and border wars between various Horn River cities and the kingdom of Rhulmere. Minor towns and castles are traded back and forth.

1266-67: Plague in the Hornlands, apparently coming from the Moravian Empire. The kings of both Rhulmere and Armishan are among the victims.
1267-1275: Rumors begin to reach the Hornlands of a massive and devastating Orcish invasion in the southern part of the Moravian Empire. Stories eventually suggest that a large part of the Empire has been overrun and lost to Orcs.

1268: Last major invasion of the Hornlands by the Moravian Empire (largely indecisive).

1269: Invasion of Ishlene by Armishan; initial victories end in defeat and withdrawal to former borders. Most fighting between the two nations after this point is in the nature of border raids and skirmishes.

1270-on: Economic disruption and hardship in the Hornlands, leading to a certain amount of upheaval (minor peasant revolts, scattered riots in cities, etc.). Conditions seem to improve somewhat as the decade ends.
1271: Spectacular explosions destroy the castle of Salris of Ishkir and end her reign in the borderlands west of Armishan. Rumor attributes the sorceress' demise to the (in)famous band of adventurers known as the Company of the Claw.

1273: The Elven mage Teal, said to be the most powerful wizard in Shalitzar and to be several hundred years old, disappears from the city under mysterious circumstances. Royal agents from Ishlene scour the country and its neighbors in an apparently fruitless search.

1275: Late in the year, a comet appears in the northern skies, accompanied by stories of strange, uncanny monsters in the wilds of Ishlene and Rhulmere.

1276: Invasion of Armishan by Orcs of the Darkazh Mountains; repelled, evidently with Dwarven aid.
The County of Dasentyr (a small state between Ishlene and Rhulmere) is stricken for a time by a plague of vampires. After fierce struggles, they are destroyed or driven off by locals and a group of adventurers called the Knights of the Basilisk, but rumors suggest that the Countess of Dasentyr is now a vampire. Her court and people seem strangely unconcerned.

1279: An immense black dragon flies out of the Elven Borderlands and devastates several territories near some of the Horn River cities; the city of Uljesar is attacked and laid waste. Despite the desperate efforts of groups of adventurers, wizards of the Horn River cities, and several small armies, the dragon is never actually defeated; after a time, it flies on eastward across Ishlene and over the ocean beyond. A second dragon descends on the city of Sulwood and actually rules it for a time before disappearing -- whether secretly slain or simply escaped is unclear.

1280: Rich new lodes of gems (opals in particular) are discovered in the Iron Mountains (on the border between Ishlene and the Moravian Empire, near the Elven Borderlands), triggering a "jewel rush" and fighting between intruding humans and the local Dwarves. For a time, it appears that this may trigger a war between the Empire and Ishlene, but negotiators from Rhulmere (and, it is said, Dwarven realms far to the north) calm things down.

Systems of Dating

The most common dating system in use in the Hornlands is that of the Moravian Empire, which records events in years since the founding of the Empire's capital city, Almorad.

The current year is 1281.

When it is necessary to distinguish this from other systems, the date is denoted Y.A. (Years of Almorad), Y.I. (Years of the Imperium), or something similar. Other systems may exist; it is rumored that the Elves of Kyrielu have an impossibly old chronology going back to well before the appearance of humans in Iskandra. The Dwarves may have their own, closely guarded system.

The year as measured by human cultures in the Hornlands consists of 360 days, divided into twelve months of thirty days each [convenient, no?], which roughly approximates the cycle of Tirn, the larger moon. Various festivals and holidays are scattered throughout the year, some of the most important falling on the solstices and equinoxes.

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Last modified 10 May 1998.

1200s:	On-and-off wars between Kingdoms of Armishan and Ishlene.
1250s:	Skirmishes and border wars between various Horn River cities and the kingdom of Rhulmere. Minor towns and castles are traded back and forth.
1266-67:	Plague in the Hornlands, apparently coming from the Moravian Empire. The kings of both Rhulmere and Armishan are among the victims.
1267-1275:	Rumors begin to reach the Hornlands of a massive and devastating Orcish invasion in the southern part of the Moravian Empire. Stories eventually suggest that a large part of the Empire has been overrun and lost to Orcs.
1268:	Last major invasion of the Hornlands by the Moravian Empire (largely indecisive).
1269:	Invasion of Ishlene by Armishan; initial victories end in defeat and withdrawal to former borders. Most fighting between the two nations after this point is in the nature of border raids and skirmishes.
1270-on:	Economic disruption and hardship in the Hornlands, leading to a certain amount of upheaval (minor peasant revolts, scattered riots in cities, etc.). Conditions seem to improve somewhat as the decade ends.
1271:	Spectacular explosions destroy the castle of Salris of Ishkir and end her reign in the borderlands west of Armishan. Rumor attributes the sorceress' demise to the (in)famous band of adventurers known as the Company of the Claw.
1273:	The Elven mage Teal, said to be the most powerful wizard in Shalitzar and to be several hundred years old, disappears from the city under mysterious circumstances. Royal agents from Ishlene scour the country and its neighbors in an apparently fruitless search.
1275:	Late in the year, a comet appears in the northern skies, accompanied by stories of strange, uncanny monsters in the wilds of Ishlene and Rhulmere.
1276:	Invasion of Armishan by Orcs of the Darkazh Mountains; repelled, evidently with Dwarven aid. The County of Dasentyr (a small state between Ishlene and Rhulmere) is stricken for a time by a plague of vampires. After fierce struggles, they are destroyed or driven off by locals and a group of adventurers called the Knights of the Basilisk, but rumors suggest that the Countess of Dasentyr is now a vampire. Her court and people seem strangely unconcerned.
1279:	An immense black dragon flies out of the Elven Borderlands and devastates several territories near some of the Horn River cities; the city of Uljesar is attacked and laid waste. Despite the desperate efforts of groups of adventurers, wizards of the Horn River cities, and several small armies, the dragon is never actually defeated; after a time, it flies on eastward across Ishlene and over the ocean beyond. A second dragon descends on the city of Sulwood and actually rules it for a time before disappearing -- whether secretly slain or simply escaped is unclear.
1280:	Rich new lodes of gems (opals in particular) are discovered in the Iron Mountains (on the border between Ishlene and the Moravian Empire, near the Elven Borderlands), triggering a "jewel rush" and fighting between intruding humans and the local Dwarves. For a time, it appears that this may trigger a war between the Empire and Ishlene, but negotiators from Rhulmere (and, it is said, Dwarven realms far to the north) calm things down.