525
Human adventurers exploring the territory known as Dyllaria by its Dwarven inhabitants find wealth and fame. More groups pour in from established territories to the north and east. The human population begins to grow rapidly.
528
Sir Garic Lorne and his followers construct a fort near the confluence of the Snake River and Basmar River. He announces plans to construct a castle.
532
Construction begins on Stonegate Keep.
535
An enormous army of Goblins, Orcs, Ogres and Minotaurs has formed under the direction of The Overlord. This Dark Army begins to march westward from the Fortress of Kaas to annihilate both the Dwarves and Humans. Plains Barbarians allied with the Dwarves hear of the force and warn them of their fate. King Verle I declares war and the Dwarven forces are mobilized.
536
Led by the extremely formidable Stone Giant known as Krolm, the Dark Army engages the first Dwarven forces on the Battle Plains. The Dwarves are heavily out-numbered, and over half of their troops are lost in a rout. The Goblin Wars have begun.
538
Believing the Dwarves defeated, Krolm pushes on through the Devil's Gate Pass to the unfinished Stonegate Keep. Seeing that the Dark Army is simply too large to defeat, Garic decides to flee. Under the cover of darkness he and his followers float on rafts down the Basmar River. His fortress and the unfinished castle are leveled.
539
Garic enters the Beard Mounds. He and Verle I form an alliance to combat the overwhelming numbers of the Dark Army. Lacking discipline, Krolm's forces have broken down into mobs and are terrorizing outposts and villages along the Basmar River. The Dwarven/Human forces are able to isolate these mobs and eliminate them one at a time. The tides of war begin to shift in favor of the alliance.
541
A small trading post near the North Wood is attacked by the Goblin armies. Many Human women and children are slaughtered. The newly crowned King of the Erlunn Elves Pylarius III, refuses to respond to pleas for help. The survivors are forced to abandon their homes and flee north of the Basmar River. The Goblins pursue them.
545
The Humans and the Dwarven allies move up the Basmar to face the main force of the Goblin army. This battle will be decisive as to the future of all races in Dyllaria, and Pylarius III is again asked to help by giving whatever assistance that he can. He does not reply. Garic and Verle I each swear an oath of indifference toward the Erlunn Elven Nation. King Pylarius III's name is entered into the Royal Book of Grudges by Verle I.
546-548
A game of cat and mouse occurs during this period in which both sides attempt to determine the relative strengths of the other. During one battle a Dwarven soldier named Aelin Goldentongue sacrifices himself to save Lord Garic's life by taking a poisoned crossbow bolt which was intended for the Human leader. Garic suggests that the reconstructed and rapidly growing outpost near the North Wood should be named the town of Aelin.
549
The two armies meet at a spot just north of the Basmar River and take part in the Battle of Basmar Fields. The confrontation lasts weeks and the Dark Army is eventually forced to retreat south across the river.
550
Construction begins anew on Stonegate Keep.
551
The town of Torrent is established as a lumbering community by survivors of the Battle of Basmar Fields. The founders are those too severely wounded to pursue the Goblins and those who are disenchanted with the Goblin Wars. Although not on terribly bad terms with Lord Garic, Lord Canus Guthenor makes it clear that the citizens of his community will not pledge allegiance to Stonegate Keep.
551-553
A period of small skirmishes occurs in which the Humans and Dwarves successfully push the Dark Army southward. Near the end of this period the Goblins enter Devil's Gate Pass.
554
Krolm decides to make a stand in the Devil's Gate Pass. Commander Barris Hornfist leads nearly half of the Dwarven army south through the Beard Mounds to block the southern end of the pass and effectively prevent the Dark Army's retreat. The Overlord's army is annihilated. Lord Garic's top field marshal, Rage Scenarius, meets Krolm on the field of battle and defeats him in one on one combat. Some Goblins, Ogres, and Orcs escape and flee across the Battle Plains. Barris leads a division to hunt the survivors down and exterminate them. The victorious Humans and Dwarven forces return home. The final battle is known as the Battle of Devil's Gate.
556
The Free City of Mythamber is established by a group of ex-soldiers. Their main source of income is the vast reserve of amber in the area. They wish to remain independent of Stonegate and to establish their own ties with the Dwarves and the now independent Alipostos Elves. The Dwarves establish an outpost at the southern mouth of the Devil's Gate. Originally founded as a guard against entrance into the pass, this outpost becomes a springboard for trade between Stonegate Keep and the barbarian tribes. The town is named Barris in honor of Barris Hornfist.
560
Lord Garic and the Dwarves sign the Treaty of Barris. In the document both sides promise to come to the other's aid in time of war. Garic grants the Dwarves farmland to the south of Stonegate Keep in return for permission to build a few Human outposts in the Beard Mounds. It is agreed that Mythamber shall remain a free city and that both sides can trade freely with them. Construction begins on Bloodhammer Forge.
563
Guildmaster Crabbet Guthenor of Aelin and his brother Canus, Lord of Torrent, form the Basmar Merchants' League. This union binds the two together as trading partners and solidifies their independence from Stonegate Keep. The league's main function is to standardize prices of all products exported by its members.
564
Bloodhammer Forge is completed.
569
Helmwood is established as a free outpost and a base of exploration into the Dragon's Fire Peaks and the southern part of the Forest of Tears. It quickly blossoms into a thriving lumbering town, supplying wood to the Dwarves as well as the Drae in the Slaver's Peaks. Stonegate Keep is finished.
570
Erlunnite Elves passing through the Devil's Gate Pass encounter a Dwarven patrol. The suspicious Dwarves thoroughly interrogate them about their intentions. The Elves refuse to allow their packs to be searched by the Dwarves. The confrontation escalates into a battle in which two Elves and one Dwarf are killed, and several are wounded. The now venerable Dwarven King Verle I declares war and notifies Lord Garic that the Dwarves will march on the North Wood in two weeks. Barris is attacked by Barbarian raiders in the night. Elven arrows are found and this fuels the smoldering Dwarves' anger and they begin to march toward North Wood. Garic sends his son Palinor to Pylarius III to find out his intentions while Lord Garic himself intercepts the Dwarven army in hopes to dissuade Verle I. Both sides are determined that war is inevitable. Garic sends a messenger to Lord Elonia of the Alipostos Elves asking him to help mediate. Lord Elonia immediately sets out for the North Wood. Garic is able to delay Verle I long enough so that the Alipostosian leader can overtake the Dwarves and reach the North Wood first. With the Dwarven army standing in the shadow of the North Wood, Palinor manages to convince Pylarius III that his best option is to negotiate. Verle I agrees, but he rufuses to meet face to face with the Elven leader. Though correspondence it is decided that troops from Stonegate will patrol the Devil's Gate and Dwarven troops will patrol Barris. It is also decided that any Elf who should attempt to enter Barris without allowing themselves to be searched shall be barred for life. This agreement is known as the Devil's Gate Pact.
572
After being snubbed by Lord Garic and learning of his father's supposed expedition to the Green Mountains, Negeon Mangus establishes a settlement near the head of the Snake River. Construction begins on a keep at this location, which is known as River's End.
579
Lord Garic passes away due to natural causes. Palinor is the new Lord of Stonegate Keep. He holds an official banquet to begin his reign. Representatives from all over Dyllaria attend the affair, including ambassadors from Erlunn. The Dwarven Kingdom receives invitations, but sends no representatives.
581
A group of Mystic Wood Elf merchants settle in the Snake River Valley and establish the town of Dollos. The area is great for vineyards and will eventually produce the famous Dollosian Brandy. Later the same year, the town of Galavast is established on the northern edge of the Valley of Bones by the Wizard Arianus.
585
Remin is established as a mining town. Much of the initial funding comes directly from Stonegate Keep.
586
Lord Palinor becomes the first Human to be invited into the North Wood. He and Pylarius III agree to trade openly and that each shall be welcome in the other's lands.
589
Cyrus Ashington, the mayor of Dollos, swears allegiance to Stonegate Keep. As a response to the new found friendship between Palinor and Pylarius III, Verle I abandons Barris leaving it virtually undefended and putting an end to the Devil's Gate Pact.
590
The High Council of Barris appeals to Lord Palinor for protection. No agreement is made as details need to be ironed out. Verle I dies of natural causes. He is suceeded by his son Grell Scanna.
592
Lord Palinor is brutally murdered in his bed chamber while his guards stand watch outside. The assailant somehow gained entry and committed the murder without making a sound. His only heir, his son Balladan assumes the title of Lord of Stonegate Keep. His first action is to meet with the new Dwarven King Grell II.
594
Lord Balladan and Grell II agree to a strong trade and military alliance. As a show of unity, Lord Balladan pledges to stop minting coins and to begin using the ancient system of Dwarven currency known as Dyllars. This agreement is known as the Treaty of Steelhaven after the name of the Dwarven town in which the coins are minted.
595
Lumberton Shire is established as a taxing station between Dollos and the Free City of Mythamber. The residing noble and town founder is Lady Morgan Le Fay Scenarius. The Fractured Skull Orc Tribe under the direction of King Aug, declares war on the newly formed settlement.
596
The Head Healer of Galavast, Kellimon Pree is revealed to be the Necromancer Dannacus. After imprisoning Lord Arianus in an initial attempt to gain control, Dannacus leads his undead minions to victory. Helmwood is quickly taken over as Dannacus proclaims himself king. His newly acquired lands become known as the Kingdom of Varingard. Later that year Lord Chancellor Kern Darkway and High Guildmaster Dinen Davere lead an assault on Dannacus’s stronghold. The Necromancer is ousted and Lord Arianus is reinstated as the Lord High Wizard of Galavast. In the aftermath of Dannacus’s defeat the people of Helmwood proclaim Lord Arianus as their new Lord.
In a brutal takeover of River’s End, a conglomeration of Dyllarians and Elysian Nobles murder Lord Negeon Mangus. The takeover is unsuccessful as no strong leader steps to the forefront. Former Herald, Glenstorm assumes control under much protest.
The Lumberton Shire Orc War heats up. The town defenders are defeated handily at The Battle of Blood Mountain. Lord Balladan establishes a standing garrison at Lumberton Shire.
597
Lord Glenstorm resigns as the Lord of River’s End. Within the next few months both he and his successor Lord Khabarakh are slain during a visit to Galavast. The title of Lord is next passed to Sir Fooz Coalbaron.
The Orcish hero Huntonno leads several assaults against Lumberton Shire and meets with mixed success. He joins forces with an unknown Lich and together they pose a formidable threat to the town’s survival. The Lumberton Garrison under the direction of Field Marshal Urik meets the combined forces of Orcs and undead in a large clearing outside of town where the Lich is trying to form a new dimensional portal. The creatures are defeated handily at the Battle of Lich’s Gate.
In Galavast, the deposed necromancer Dannacus returns seeking to reunite with Lord Arianus. He is allowed to return under much protest from the people of both Helmwood and Galavast.
By the end of the year River’s End becomes cursed by a chaos being calling himself Lord Vinlar. This being uses powerful magic to taint the ground so that healing spells cannot be cast within town limits. Lord Fooz seeks aid from several sources to no avail. The economy of River’s End makes a miraculous recovery despite the curse.
598
A group of necromancers and rogues led by Lofton Sargus, Kane Lee, Kage of the Blue Diamond, and Lorik Blixar attempt a takeover of River’s End. After their initial assault meets with some success they are trapped within the Healing Guildhall and most of them are slain. Kage is captured and sent to Galavast to be Obliterated. Lord Arianus agrees to supervise the administration of the River’s End Celestial Guild as part of a new-found unity between River’s End and Galavast. Sir Gili Rockcrusher and Lord Magistrate Achee lead a group to capture Lord Vinlar in a tree in the middle of River’s End, effectively ending the curse.
A large horde of mixed stock invades several parts of Dyllaria, beginning with Barris. Lord Balladan, visiting Remin to quell a minor rebellion, is cut-off from Stonegate. He is not heard from again and many believe him to be dead. Meanwhile the Dark Horde continues to attack and scores several early victories by razing Torrent, Helmwood, and even Stonegate Keep itself. Lord Fooz Coalbaron resigns as the Lord of River’s End and sets up a council of leaders who will rule in his place. He moves to Lumberton Shire and sets up a school for battle mages to aid in the war against the Dark Horde.
The Dark Horde attacks the Army of Stonegate east of Lumberton Shire. The army withstands the assault, but several groups of horde troops manage to slip behind the lines to attack Lumberton. Lord High Marshal Jarn Shanodin assumes control of the town’s defenses personally and leads the local garrison to victory. Several of his men are proven to be traitors, and they are all either slain or captured. The advances of the Dark Horde are effectively stalled in the Lumberton area.
Using the former town of Helmwood as a base of operations, the Dark Horde begins a campaign of harassment against Galavast. A division of the Royal Army of Dyllaria under the direction of the Dwarven Prince Threll Scanna defends the town from the bulk of its attackers. After a seesaw battle the two sides draw to a stalemate. Sir Anselm Poleho leads a group to flank the Dark Horde and create problems with the supply lines near Helmwood. He is caught in the line of retreat of the undead army of the Arch-Lich Daranak. Sir Anselm’s force makes a valiant stand but is routed and its leader slain at the Battle of Daranak’s Flight. Sir Jarvis Longshadow also assists the Dwarves in leading a mildly successful counter-attack that settles the region for the winter.
In River’s End the council falls apart due to the death of some key members, and Sir Gili Rockcrusher claims the title of Lord of River’s End. A nobleman from western lands named Alarian Oakmore supports him. Lord Gili’s reign begins shakily when he slays a woman and her unborn child at the direction of Vala Gurth and a few others from Galavast. The woman’s protectors claim that she carried Lord Balladan’s unborn heir. Sensing that all is not well, Lord Gili sets out on a quest to reclaim the child’s life force. Sir Fooz Coalbaron returns to River’s End with a group of his companions to help defend the town. In Lord Gili’s absence the Chaos Lord Vinlar is freed and begins to harass the town once again. Little more than six months since Sir Coalbaron resigned his position as lord, River’s End seems on the brink of collapse.
599
The year begins with the death of Lord Gili Rockcrusher of River’s End at the hands of an unknown assassin. Without any true heir apparent to the lordship of the land, things seem close to civil war. The Dark Horde continues to attack the town, and the intensity of the assault is raised to sap the will of the people. The morale at River’s End sinks to an all-time low.
As things worsen in River’s End, Lord High Marshal Jarn Shanodin of Stonegate Keep, acting in the King’s name, sends a small army to defend the lands and the people from the threat of the Dark Horde. Lord Diplomat Artemis Silvertree is also sent to calm the political environment and assess the situation. While inspecting Lord Gili’s private belongings, Lord Silvertree uncovers proof of an alliance between the deceased lord and the western nobleman Lord Alarian Oakmore of the Free City of Ashton. Lord High Marshal Shanodin declares this union to be valid, and Lord Oakmore is appointed as the new Lord of River’s End. Within the first few months of his reign Lord Oakmore successfully defeats the Chaos Lord Vinlar. He assigns Lord Dakota Ironbane as the Lord of River’s End under him, and continues to rule both Ashton and River’s End. One of Lord Ironbane’s first acts as lord is to rename the town Rockcrusher Forge in memory of the sacrifice made to the town by Lord Gili Rockcrusher. Lord Oakmore claims the lands in between Ashton and Rockcrusher Forge as his own holding. He calls this territory the land of Oakwood.
In Lumberton Shire, the Horde War has left its mark. The town proper barely stands in a shell of its former glory. The last lord in charge of these lands, Lady Scenarious received her final death at the razing of Stonegat Keep, and the local garrison has ruled in a state of marshal law ever since that time. The Hobling King of Dyllaria, the Great Old Guy takes over in a dual role as King and Lord of Lumberton Shire. The Great Old Guy proves to be too old and weak for such taxing responsibilities, and he eventually dies. Attendance at Shire market days continues to fall.
Dark Horde assaults continue to wear away at the will of the Dyllarians. In Galavast, this once proud town becomes disheartened and many of its leaders fall to infighting. Paranoia and mistrust run rampant through the streets of Galavast, and eventually the Lord Chancellor, Kern Darkway resigns his position in the face of unfounded accusations of treason.
During this darkest time the Dwarven Royal Army of Dyllaria and the badly battered Army of Stonegate begin to mount some victories against the Dark Horde in a two-pronged assault. In the south, the noted healer Ezeakeal Zeldarious leads a force of adventurers to a successful recapturing of Helmwood. The Dwarves and a force of Black Robe Knights under the leadership of Sir Jarvis Longshadow orchestrate an all-out frontal attack on the Dark Horde, while Zeldarious’s force attacks the town proper. The attack is a success, but not without cost. Sir Jarvis and his entire order of knights are annihilated during the fighting, and the Dwarven forces suffer heavy casualties as well. The confrontation is known officially as the Liberation of Helmwood. For his part in the engagement, Ezeakeal Zeldarious is named Lord of Helmwood by Lord Arianus. Meanwhile, Lord High Marshal Jarn Shanodin declares the realm of Stonegate to be a Kingdom, and begins to organize a ruling hierarchy that will include baronies and counties. He refuses to accept any new title, and declares Lord Balladan to be the rightful King of Stonegate.
While the recapturing of Helmwood is taking place, a group of heroes secretly makes an attempt to rescue King Balladan from the clutches of The Overlord, Tilicaf. Led by the former necromancer Dannacus, and consisting of Squire Malikie of Oakwood, Goodman Falcone of River’s End, Lord Merchant Garrett Starlen of Oakwood, Sir David Thorne of Oakwood, Sir Thain Ironhelm of Rockcrusher Forge, Battle Master Fooz Coalbaron of Lumberton Shire, Lord Vala Gurth of Galavast, Lord Ashe of Galavast, Sheriff Fluffy of Galavast, Goodman John of Galavast, Goodman Kane Lee of Galavast, and Goodman Kage of Galavast, this group succeeds at a high cost. Over half of the group are slain during the attempt, and both Dannacus and Fooz Coalbaron are believed to have received their final death at the hands of dark forces. The leaders of the Army of Stonegate use the return of the king as a battle cry, and morale among the Humans and Dwarves alike takes a sudden upward swing. The heroes responsible for the King’s rescue become known as The Company of Thirteen. Each takes the title One of Thirteen.
600
With the King recently returned, the lands settle a good bit. Morale picks up, and momentum begins to shift in the short but brutal Horde War. Victories mount for the Dwarven and Stonegate allies, but the fighting becomes more and more difficult. Many volunteers fill the ranks as all seek to do their part. As the year grows long in the tooth, two heroes are returned to the lands and the people as both Fooz Coalbaron and Dannacus are found to be alive. Dannacus is rescued from the Fortress of Kaas by a group led by Lord Vala and Lord Ashe. Goodman Coalbaron returns after months of amnesia, and takes up residence in Galavast.
As the fighting enters its most savage and crucial point, an aging but still strong King Pylarius III decides to lead his forces from the North Wood and into the field against The Dark Horde. Striking several key victories against Horde forces, the Erlunn King and his army appear to turn the tide. In a feat of Elven magic, the area of the Ivory Plain north of the North Wood sprouts into a thick forest within a week. This cuts off the eastern half of the Dark Horde army from the rest of it, and allows the combined Erlunn, Stonegate, and Royal Dyllarian forces to converge on the largest part of the remaining force near the western mouth of the Devil’s Gate Pass. The battle that ensues is one for the ages. All sides fight well, and even the still ailing King Balladan takes the field. The result is a resounding defeat of The Dark Horde, although it does not come without a cost. The Dwarven Crown Prince, Threll Scanna is slain. He is buried with the other soldiers at his father’s insistance, while the Elves and Humans look on. During the ceremony, King Pylarius III shows great respect by using his own cloak to shroud the body of the fallen Dwarven Prince. King Grell, touched by the gesture and the effort of the Erlunn army, declares that the Erlunn people will be removed from the Royal Book of Grudges. The fight becomes known as the Battle of Muddy Cloak.
After the victory and a brief celebration, King Pylarius III returns home to find his lands strangely quiet. Within a week after the Battle of Muddy Cloak however, the Elven Royal Family are found murdered in their beds. The King escapes such a fate while making an unscheduled midnight scouting trip. Furious and heartbroken, King Pylarius finds himself suddenly confronted by an enemy force that has somehow infiltrated his defenses. In defense of his lands and his people, The King invokes the power of a mighty artifact known as the Heart of the Erlunn Nation. After two weeks of fighting, the invaders are driven out of the woods, and King Pylarius III dies from prolonged exposure to the powerful magic of the artifact. The Erlunn throne sits without an heir.
Pockets of Horde forces still dominate some areas of Dyllaria such as Mythamber and the eastern Battle Plains. By the end of the year however, these groups become more and more fragmented, and it becomes apparent that the Dark Horde is very much on the run. In Lumberton, one of the heroes of the Liberation of Helmwood, Ezeakeal Zeldarius becomes Baron at the personal request of the King. The Baron brings much stability to the land, and by year’s end the Lumberton market days have made a striking turn-around.
In Galavast, Lord Arianus accepts an invitation to pledge allegiance to Stonegate and is appointed as Count of the Shadowlands. The newfound unity also spreads westward as Lord Oakmore becomes the Count of Oakwood. In a tragic occurrence, two members of The Company of Thirteen receive their final deaths. Sheriff Fluffy of Galavast dies while defending the the people from a vicious Wyvern assault, and Dannacus dies after he and Count Arianus make an unsuccessful raid on the Fortress of Kaas. Kaas is destroyed, but The Overlord is not killed. Both the bodies of Dannacus and Fluffy are exhumed and entombed within a special crypt in the refurbished People's Park in Stonegate City at the insistence of the newly named Baron Ashe of Galavast. Fooz Coalbaron and Garrett Starlen are named Lords of Ashton and Galavast for their unending service to the lands and people. Barons Dakota Ironbane of Rockcrusher Forge and Loren DeArman of Ashton accept their places within the new Kingdom gracefully.
By the end of the year however, Count Oakmore is summoned to stand before the Erlunn High Council as the last remaining heir to the throne. His claim is suspect as the bastard son of a royal mistress, but he is the only living Elf of any Erlunn blood at all. Just before his official crowning, Prince Aliposts Erlunn, lost since the end of the Dark Wars in 420, turns up and makes a claim to the throne. After confirming his identity, the High Council decides that Prince Alipostos shall rule as the king with Prince Alarian as his primary advisor, and that the blood line shall follow from Prince Alarian’s first-born son. King Alipostos Erlunn III is crowned at a private ceremony late in the year. His people, the Alipostos Elves abandon their home in the southern Forest of Tears and return to Erlunn lands with their King.