Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Naderion 05-29-07, 11:02 AM	I have the FC1 and read the FC2, and I was also able to get a hand on some of the old planescape boxes, and it all got me quite wondering about the History of the Planes. There are a lot of apparently very important figures named and described in the FCs, that played great parts in the first eons of the planes, but I never heared anything about most of them ever before. A lot of stuff from the FCs is completely new and often contradictory to many things that have been established before, but I'm still wondering if the creation myths of the FCs have any connections at all to the rest of the worlds of D&D, or if these "facts" effect only the books they are in and have no real connection to other D&D settings at all.
sciborg2 05-29-07, 12:09 PM	The legal pdfs for Planescape can be found (almost in their entirety) at Paizo, as well as the 1e manual of the Plane and other non-planescape supplements. Two other 2e supplements are Guide to Hell and Warriors of Heaven. As for contradiction, take it as a saving grace. Wizards has done a good job of contradictions in-game which allows DMs to pick and choose the theories they want to go with. Some will say Planescape material is canon, others will not. Some will say Vecna never entered Sigil, or Guide to Hell has no relevance anymore, etc etc. There are likely hundreds of posts on what canon says on varied topics...we like to beat our dead horses here into pate. :) Finally, Rip made an excellent timeline I'm sure he can provide the link to...
Tobias Talco'un 05-29-07, 05:07 PM	Part of the fun of the Planescape setting is that very little is ever given for fact. Many of the facts given, especially about the murky past, is contradictory and vauge. This is explained by the fact that very few who were alive back then are either dead, not talking, can talk, pursuing their own agenda, and as such you can't take their words at face value (all of the fiends), or are just making it up to back their factions or beliefs(the factions or followers of the gods). So, in essence, any "facts about the begining of the multiverse" you read can be taken as a myth, and you can choose what is true in your campain. However, there are some events that are fact, and those would be in Rip's timeline. Also, many of the big players in FC1 are made up just for it. Most of the ones in FC2 can be found in Planes of Law and Faces of Evil, planescape products. Also, some of them were only introduced in a article from Dragon magazine from back during second edition. That's all I know, so goodluck! It's confusing, but fun to sort though.
ripvanwormer 05-29-07, 07:20 PM	Finally, Rip made an excellent timeline I'm sure he can provide the link to... You'd think so, wouldn't you?
sciborg2 05-29-07, 09:01 PM	i thought you had a site for that kind of thing. ;)
Tobias Talco'un 05-30-07, 09:18 AM	Got to love some Google. Timeline (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=611694) Note though, some of that is made up, or based on ideas culled from these and other boards. Doesn't mean it's not dang good, though.
ripvanwormer 05-30-07, 07:23 PM	I also wrote this one (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=786923). Sorry, I was just being lazy.
Tobias Talco'un 05-31-07, 12:29 AM	No problem. Save your energy for the new stuff. My Google-fu is good.
Naderion 05-31-07, 06:35 AM	Ah, nice... Should hold a lot of ideas for creating a cosmology.
Sorcen_Anenooata 05-31-07, 10:21 AM	Heres one that I believe Rip wrote that I had copied and saved on my computer. * The leshays destroy the previous multiverse [Epic Level Handbook, 202]. * The present multiverse begins, created by the so-called Old Ones. [DM's Guide to Immortals, page 3] * The Old Ones create draedens and the first dragons [Dragon #158, page 14] * The Elder Evils create the aboleths [Lords of Madness, page 15] * The Old Ones create a Barrier around the multiverse and withdraw beyond it, interacting with their creation only through their minions, the umbral blots and spectral hounds. Others say the umbral blots destroy their creators [DM's Guide to Immortals, pages 3, 4, and 50 - see also the Epic Level Handbook, page 224] * The first gods find the multiverse without order and without purpose, and they make the achievements of these things their highest goal. [ibid] * The draedens become resentful of the gods, and the two forces go to war. After long strife and negotiations, the draedens agree to peace, planning to outlast their enemies, waiting for the gods to destroy themselves, leaving the multiverse to them again.[DM's Guide to Immortals, page 39] * The draeden Ulgurshek falls asleep in the void that will one day become the Abyss [FC:1, 126]. The Sleeping Ones fall asleep in what will become the Plane of Ice [The Inner Planes, 72]. * The forces of Good, Evil, Law, Neutrality, and Chaos form [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, page 8] * The force of Evil creates the baernaloths [Ibid, page 8]. The force of Law creates the Twin Serpents [Guide to Hell, page 2]. The slaad lords (first Ssendam, then Ygorl) and the unnamed celestial progenitors also emerge at this time. * Law and Chaos battle, as do Good and Evil, twisting and deforming scope of existence. [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, page 8]. The forces of Law enforce order on the chaos of the outer planes, leaving the Abyss as the remnants of their plunder. [FC:1, page 5]. * The Unity of Rings principle is established by the Twin Serpents [Guide to Hell, 2] * The Outlands are created at the border of Law and Chaos [Guide to Hell, page 2, also Hellbound page 8]. * The Rule of Threes principle is established [Guide to Hell, 2] * The Center of All principle is established last [Guide to Hell, 2] * Law combines with Good and Evil, and Chaos does the same thing [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, page 8]. The Serpents battle between themselves. [Guide to Hell, 3] * The Inner Planes shift. The Paraelemental Planes of Dust and Vapor become Quasielemental Planes of Dust and Steam. They are replaced by the new Paraelemental Planes of Smoke and Ooze [Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix III, page 116; see also 1e Deities & Demigods, page 113] * Thousands of years after the emergence of the baernaloths, they create the yugoloths. [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, 8 and 10] The guardinals are created at the same time. The roles of the Celestial Lion and his Five Companions are established [Book of Exalted Deeds, 138] * The Styx grows from a trickle to a stream, creek, and finally a full river. [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, 10]. The Oceanus grows at the same time. * The rebellious baernaloth Apomps creates the demodands [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, 10] * The General of Gehenna creates the Heart of Darkness to purify the yugoloths of Law and Chaos. The expunged forces are transferred into larvae and driven into Baator and the Abyss [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, 10] * The tainted larvae evolve into obyriths [Fiendish Codex I] and ancient baatorians. Ssendam and Ygorl create the Spawning Stone to limit future slaad forms [Tales From the Infinite Staircase, 71] Seven blessed martyrs who sacrificed themselves for the cause of a goodness and law are transformed into the first of the Celestial Hebdomad [Book of Exalted Deeds, page 124]. The eladrin Queen of Stars is born [Book of Exalted Deeds, 150] * The baernaloths disappear [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, page 11]. * The ancient baatorians disappear [Hellbound: War Games. [page 74], leaving behind their young, the nupperibos [Faces of Evil, 12] * The kamarel Hallonac creates the Mirrored Library [Tales From the Infinite Staircase, 102] * The beholder Great Mother spawns beholders and gibbering mouthers [Lords of Madness, 37] and oculus demons [Dungeon #129, 64] * Obyriths create the tanar'ri [FC1, 105]. The first baatezu form from the blood pooling in the Serpent's Coil in Nessus [Guide to Hell, 36]. Aphanacts emerge from Mechanus [Dragon #341, 52] * The vaati conquer the Elemental Planes and much of the Material Plane [Dungeon #124, 17] * The Queen of Chaos declares war on the vaati [FC1, 106], cowing most of her rivals under her banner. Ogremoch becomes her ally [Dragon #124, page 29]. Bwimb becomes her ally [Dragon #129, 47]. She kills Obox-Ob, naming Miska the Wolf-Spider Prince of Demons in his stead [FC1, 73]. Dagon refuses to become involved [FC1, 61]. * World after world falls to the Queen of Chaos and her minions [FC1, 106]. * Law and Chaos stalemate for centuries [Dungeon #124, 17] * The battle at Pesh. Miska the Wolf-Spider is bound by the vaati Icosiol using the Rod of Seven Parts [Dragon #124, 17] * The Harrowing of the Abyss. The eladrin Queen of Stars dispatches an army to cleanse the Abyss of the obyriths. The tanar'ri, led by Demogorgon [FC1, 139], rebel against their former masters. [FC1, 106] Pale Night misleads the Consort of Stars, Ascodel, and thousands of eladrins are imprisoned in the layer Androlynne [FC1, 148] * War between the rilmani and kamarel [Tales From the Infinite Staircase, 103]. The kamarel flee into the Plane of Mirrors. * Ascodel, Consort of Stars, dies protecting the innocents of Androlynne [FC1, 148]. * Although Law and Chaos settle into an awkward stalemate throughout most of the planes [FC`,106], the tanar'ri and baatezu fight on. Parties of the respective races encounter one another for the first time, resulting in slaughter on their respective planes. Larger parties are sent in retribution, then batallions, then armies. [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, page 11]. * Arcanaloths offer the mercenary services of their race to the tanar'ri and baatezu. They betray their employers in the very first battle. [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, page 11] * Demogorgon declares himself Prince of Demons. [FC1, 139] The Lords of the Nine make their first appearance in planar records. [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, page 11] * The balance of power between tanar'ri and baatezu swings wildly [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, page 11] * The tanar'ri and baatezu explore the upper and neutral planes [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, page 12] * Millions of celestials, archons and angels (not eladrins, who learned their lesson long before) intercede in the Blood War. Only 3000 return to the Upper Planes, teaching the celestials caution and prudence when dealing with the fiends [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, page 12]. * In the aftermath of the slaughter, celestials schism along lawful and chaotic lines. [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, page 13] * War in the heavens [Book of Exalted Deeds, 124]. The archon Triel succumbs to temptation, craving more power and authority than Heaven would grant him. Blinded by ambition, he goes to far and is exiled to Hell as Lord Baalzebul [Book of Vile Darkness, 158; see also Green Ronin's Legions of Hell, page 60]. * The fiends begin keeping meticulous histories of events. [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, page 13] * The gods intercede in the Blood War. A god of chaos dies, apparently due to the agency of wrathful fiends. Most take the hint and leave the demons and devils to their war; a few continue to involve themselves to this day [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, 13] * Early battles in the Blood War. Bel, not yet a Lord of the Nine, executes his legendary Four-Cross. [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, page 13; Guide to Hell, page 39] * After millennia, the first petitioners begin arriving in the Outer Planes. Baatezu experiment on twisting them into lemures. Archons transform them into lanterns. Tanar'ri turn them into manes. [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, 13] * Fiends and celestials discover Sigil, the City of Doors, and its Lady of Pain [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, page 14]. They scheme to use it to their advantage. * First battles on the Field of Nettles in the Gray Waste [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, page 14] * The empire of the Aeree, the progenitors of birdlike humanoid races, emerges on worlds not dominated by illithids. [Citation needed - Serpent Kingdoms?] * Kiaransalee, necromancer-queen of the world of Threnody, ascends into true divinity after destroying her world. [Demihuman Deities, 23; also Lost Empires of Faerun timeline] * The Blood War pauses to access the threat of the expanding illithid empire [The Illithiad, page 38] * The first human, Vashar, is destroyed by the gods. He is recreated by a demon, some say Graz'zt. [Book of Vile Darkness, 12] * A slave rebellion headed by a Pharagoan warrior-psion named Gith quickly spreads to most illithid settlements. The armies are divided into three groups, one led by a warrior-psion named Zerthimon, one led by a wizard named Vlaakith, and one led by Gith herself. Enough elder brains are destroyed to break the Overmind and plunge the illithid empire into darkness. [The Illithiad, page 39, and Dungeon #100] * The Proclaimation of Two Skies. The followers of Gith begin to battle one another as Gith's general Zerthimon leads a third of their forces against her [Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix One, 48] * Zerthimon is killed in personal combat with Gith. The followers of Zerthimon make a strategic defeat to Limbo, a plane hazardous enough to discourage pursuit but not devoted to evil. [A Guide to the Astral Plane, 46] * Gith travels to Baator to make a pact with Tiamat's red dragon consort Ephelomon. She does not return. [A Guide to the Astral Plane, 46] Vlaakith is crowned Vlaakith I, Queen of the Githyanki. * Tanar'ri and baatezu begin exploiting the Material Plane [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, page 14]. A group of archons called the Watchers teach mortals the arts of enchantment, astrology, smithcraft, writing, and the signs of the sun and clouds. The Watchers are exiled from Celestia for interfering too closely with mortal development. They give rise to a race of aasimar [Planes of Law: Mount Celestia, page 10; See also Green Ronin's Legions of Hell, page 61] * 30,000 years ago. Araushnee is driven from the Seldarine [Lost Empires of Faerun timeline] * Collapse of the spellweaver empire [Dragon #338, 63] * Much more than 10,000 years ago, a wizard of nearly godlike power weaves a spell designed to destroy the lady of Pain. He is imprisoned in the Labyrinth Stone and cast into Pandemonium [Faction War, 4] * The race of ethergaunts, or Khen-Zai, abandon the material plane for the Ethereal. [3e Fiend Folio, 64] * Orcus becomes a demon, initially a manes [FC1, 127] * 10,000 years ago. The death of Shekelor. [In the Cage: A Guide to Sigil, 23]. The last aphanact disappears from the plane of Mechanus [Dragon #341, 52]. * The Reckoning/Rebellion of the Inferiors in Baator begins. The lower castes take advantage of changes in the Material Plane to rebel. Some of the Lords of the Nine take advantage of the rebellion to attempt to sieze control of Nessus. In the aftermath, Moloch and Geryon are removed from their positions. Triel is transformed into a hideous, sluglike being. Fierana becomes Lady of the Fourth. The Dark Eight take control of Baator's legions. [Hellbound: The Dark of the War, page 14; Guide to Hell, 37] * The first inevitables appear [Dragon #341, 52]. * Imaskari empire stricken by mysterious plague. [Lost Empires of Faerun] * War between geniekind and the gods. The Loregiver receives the Law from Fate Herself. [Adventurer's Guide to Zakhara, 114] * 4000 years ago, the mortal Alvarez becomes a chasme. [Faces of Evil: The Fiends, 60] * A truce between the warring forces of the Blood War is brokered in order to study the newly-opened Ghoresh Chasm. * A thousand years ago: Vlaakith CLVII is crowned queen of the githyanki. [A Guide to the Astral Plane, 52] * About 500 years ago. The monk Tarmuid, the first illumian, becomes a god [Races of Destiny, 73] * About 200 years ago. The Death of Orcus. * "Relatively recently," Mydianchlarus whispers a single secret of such profound and disturbing insight that Anthraxus leaves Khin-Oin. [Faces of Evil, 71] * A hundred years ago. The library of the goddess Aulasha is sacked by the githyanki, rendering Aulasha homeless [Races of Destiny, 74] * 8 years ago. Orcus returns to Thanatos, driving the goddess Kiaransalee to the world of Guldor [FC1, 125]. http://www.hobgoblin.org/chronology/chronology.htm General - The timeline as read from the books, and DRAGON I've been going through most of the books to try and get a coherent sequence of events. My best guess is as follows. Elder Evils era: infinite Aboleths spawned by Blood Queen. Aboleth Empire. Catastrophe (Aboleths decimated by Elder Gods) Elder Gods killed by Umbral Blots Elder Elves Empire (problably the LeShay) Elder Elves open gate to Far Realm. Far Realm Chaos consumes Universe Draedens form out of Chaos. Fight among themselves. Hecatoncheires born. Baernoloths form, and split off into Obyriths, Baatorians, and Yugoloths Inner Planes form. Wind Duke empire begins. Abyss forms around sleeping Draeden. Obyriths colonise Abyss. War begins in Inner Planes Queen of Chaos unites Demons and leads them against Wind Dukes Miska the Wolf Spider imprisoned. Eladrins assault Abyss. Mortal sentients begin to come into being. Illithids arrive from future Illithid Empire formed with Penumbra as capital Zaxum attacked and Gith race enslaved 2000 years ago: Gith Rebellion. Illithid Empire sundered. Githyanki and Githzerai split. Orcus becomes Demon Prince slightly less than 2000 years ago (Greyhawk) Most of these are from WOTC, or Dragon. Making Elder Elves = LeShay is my guess though. Any corrections? I@m not sure if I've missed some of the more important events. You're mixing in a lot of stuff from the DnD (rather than AD&D) mythology which doesn't really apply, though one of two critters from that have from time to popped up in 3e (Umbral Blots for instance). Here's my version: Energy planes form out of the raw probability of a pre-existant deep ethereal, a new multiverse out of an endless sea of potentially infinite others (the Far Realm conceptually being another such multiverse, the postulated Macrocosm being another). Inner Planes form out of the energy planes. The Outer planes already exist in some non material, abstract form, and the Baernaloth legends that describe the immaterial abstract alignments can be interpreted to mean that they may have already existed before this point, or exist outside the normal flow of time. In any event, the truce of the alignments begins and the cardinal planes begin to form as each alignment sends their primordial exemplars to the planes. Of these, the Baernaloths are the chosen of Evil, and the only one of these beings known by name in current lore. Of note, Sigil is already present when the planes solidify into place. Time of the Baernaloth hegemony on a singular plane of Evil, as yet untouched by Law or Chaos Creation of the Yugoloths Revolt of Apomps, creation of Carceri and the Gehreleths/Demodands Purification of the Yugoloths by the General of Gehenna. Creation of Obyriths and Ancient Baatorians (or Tanar'ri and Baatezu depending on source. They created one of them, and the timeline shuffles accordingly). Migration of Obyriths and Ancient Baatorians to the Abyss and Baator (or Tanar'ri and Baatezu) Going by the Obyriths version of the legends, we then have the rise of the Queen of Chaos, and your timeline more or less falls into place loosely. I would then add that at some point after the start of the Blood War you get sentient mortal life on the planes and the first larvae appearing on the lower planes. Some time later you have the first deities begin to appear on the planes with the rise of mortals on the prime and the influence of mortal belief. http://www.superunicorn.com/erik/2005/08/brief-history-of-multiverse.html I'm assuming that the summon monster spells didn't get invented until there were enough things to summon. Before then, I suppose they could have summoned other aboleths... or maybe accidental creations of the Elder Evils? Anyway, this timeline's (the implied timeline of D&D apart from any campaign settings) one of the more common idle chit-chats that pops up now and then at Paizo. Here's how I've always assumed the timeline breaks down: 1: Elder Evils era: infinite (Lords of Madness); the elemental planes already exist at this point, as do the outer planes, although "life" on these planes is little more than animate manifestations of elemental matter or law/chaos/good/evil. The obyriths are already dwelling on the Abyss, but haven't yet organized into anything more than forces of chaos. Opposing forces of law clash endlessly against the obyriths. The Material Plane exists at the core of the elemental planes, but nothing lives there yet. 2: The aboleth race is created when Piscaethces (aka the Blood Queen) accidently brushes agaisnt the Material Plane on her unknowable journey through the Far Realm and dimensions beyond. 3: Aboleth Empire. Aboleths create other forms of life on the Material Plane, and these creations quickly take on their own lives. The energies these ur-aboleths use to create life has a "ripple" effect on the other planes, and the mindless forces there begin to organize. 4: Divinity manifests on the outer planes, perhaps sparked by faith on the Material Planes. The first gods (the Elder Gods) begin to populate the outer planes with life. The baernoloths form, infuse the obyriths with evil and sentience, and the obyriths begin to colonize the Abyss. They first encounter the Wind Dukes as personifications of law, and the ancient war between these two creatures begins. 5: Mortal life discovers (invents?) divine magic, and with the aid of the gods are able to rebel against their aboleth creators. The aboleth empire is destroyed, and the few survivors retreat to the deep oceans to nurse their wounds and sulk. 6: As the secrets of creation fade, life on the Material Plane begins to evolve into the way we look at it now. Certain races (elder elves/LeShay/dragons/etc.) are the last races to keep these secrets. Elder elves open gate to Far Realm. Draedens and other super powerful outsiders manifest, further fueling the conflict between order and entropy, law and chaos on the Outer Planes. 7: Devils arise as mortal life develops the capacity to sin or blasphemy against the gods. 8: Baernoloths create yugoloths. Obyriths (perhaps at due to baernoloth urging, or perhaps not) create the tanar'ri to aid in their battles against law (led by the Wind Dukes). 9: War between the Wind Dukes and the obyriths spills into the Material Plane, a place where these forces can clash on a sort of "neutral ground" where neither one has a specific home-field advantage. The Queen of Chaos unites the obyriths (a few resist and go into hiding or are killed) and leads them against Wind Dukes. Miska the Wolf Spider is imprisoned and many of the obyrith lords are destroyed, leaving only those who managed to resist the Queen's call to arms. Eladrins assault the Abyss in and deliver the killing blow to the obyrith race, nearly destroying all that remain. 10: Humanity and other "modern" races develop on the Material Plane. 11: Illithids arrive from future Illithid Empire. 12: Gith rebel against illithids. 13: Tanar'ri and baatezu begin the Blood War, recreating the ancient Law Vs. Chaos battle of old. 14: Known history of most D&D campaigns begins. Anyway... I'm sure I got a few things backwards there or forgot something, but that's more or less the way I see the prehistory of D&D playing out. Your Mileage May Vary. Not too far off considering it's all off the top of our heads here. But a few changes to the above to note: I'd put the start of the Blood War between 9 and 10, or 10 and 11. We already know that the Blood War had been in full swing for eons at the height of the Illithid empire, and it actually paused to determine if the Illithid expansion into the Astral and Ethereal might impact the drive of the War Eternal. I'd note that deities formed from mortal belief should be pushed to after the start of the Blood War based on the Blood War timeline from Hellbound. At the very least, deities should postdate the Yugoloths, and either postdate or appear at roughly the same time as the Tanar'ri and Baatezu. I'd make sure of putting the origin of the Yugoloths explicitely before that of the Tanar'ri and Baatezu certainly (in that respect, 7 on the list is way too early) and depending on which version of the legend you go with, they'll be older than the Obyriths and Ancient Baatorians as well by a slight bit (though you seem to suggest that some sort of Proto-Obyrith race and possible proto-ancient baatorian race existed as just Chaos versus Law before the Baernaloths got their claws into them and created the Obyriths proper and presumably the Ancient Baatorians proper). But if we go with 'Faces of Evil', 'Hellbound' etc, the 'loths come first then the Tanar'ri and Baatezu are formed out of them by the Baernaloths. If we go with the varient legend from FC:I itself, then the Baernaloths seem to have created the Obyriths and Ancient Baatorians, presumably dovetailing the Heart of Darkness mythos of the Yugoloths, and then the Tanar'ri and Baatezu come later. The exact relationship of the fiends is in a bit of flux at the moment. We seem to have fully established the Baernaloths as the original source of Evil who then created the Yugoloths, but then the legends split. Some sources say the Baern then created the Tanar'ri and Baatezu, and now the new spin on this says they instead created the Ancient Baatorians and Obyriths. A bit contradictory certainly, but in either case it's fun stuff to work with. Perhaps the Yugoloths were lied to by the Baernaloths, or maybe the 'loths are responsible for twisting the true history of the early lower planes that they've watched elapse since their creation, and rather than tell the Tanar'ri and Baatezu about the Obyriths and Ancient Baatorians who resulted from the Baernaloth manipulations of the early 'loths, they omit them and themselves claim responsibility for the younger fiends, removing one degree of seperation to empower themselves and their own racial propaganda in the immediate here and now because those earlier spawn of theirs are less important in the current status quo of the Blood War. That would be my spin, if I directly went with the varient legend that FC:I brings up for the super early history of the fiends. "Elder Elves" is a term introduced into the D&D lexicon by Bruce Cordell, near as I can tell. They are responsible for opening the first rift to the Far Realm. I have always assumed that when Bruce says "Elder Elves" he means "the quasi-mythological race of elves that existed before the drow split off from the elves and they started identifying themselves by subraces." That's my assumption, and is not based on a conversation with Bruce. From reading the leShay (that name is awful, especially with the uncapitalized L at the front of it) entry in the Epic Level Handbook, it appears that those guys aren't really elves, and are sole survivors of a catastrophe that essentially wiped out their ancient version of reality. While that catastrophe is probably worth thowing into the timeline, I don't know that I would equate Elder Elves and leShays. Here's some of my own thinking about the issue: A Brief History of the Multiverse --------------------------------- Nothing Exists. The Inner Planes form. Elementals take shape and begin battling each other along law/chaos axis. This is the conflict that eventually becomes the Blood War, but in the earliest days it's warring between elemental forces, because only elemental forces exist at this time. Elemental Princes (Imix, Cryonax, Bwimb, etc.) take form in this era and become major figures in this struggle. As the conflict mutates, the concept of morality develops, opening the good/evil alignment axis. With this development, the Outer Planes come into form/are discovered. Elemental creatures such as genies and the air-focused Empire of Aaqa discover the Material Plane and begin to colonize it. In the oceans of the Material Plane, the aboleth manifest as an entity brushes against the Material Plane. Over the eons to come, the aboleth perfect the art of enslaving other life forms. By the time the elementals reach the Abyss, it is already inhabited by demons (but not tanar'ri), who seem to be made of the "stuff" of the plane itself. The most powerful demonic entity is a being called the Queen of Chaos, who (with her consort Miska the Wolf-Spider, the so called "Prince of Demons") joins the side of Chaos in the great planar war. The gods develop/emerge from Somewhere Else. These beings establish domains in the Outer Planes and begin to create mortal creatures in their image on the worlds of the Material Plane. The aboleth empires decline as the rise of faith and divine magic gives these races a new tool to use against them. Dinosaurs and dragons are the most numerous/powerful mortal beings. By this time, the souls of countless mortal inhabitants of material worlds come to rest on the Outer Plane that most matches their alignment. In the Abyss, they become manes, though some of the most vile become true demons in their own right. Certain servants of the gods rebel and become the devils. The infusion of mortal souls into the Outer Planes is a major paradigm-shifting event that forever changes the multiverse. Old orders crumble and new political/sociological institutions take form. The great Law/Chaos War takes a breather when the Wind Dukes of Aaqa employ the Rod of Seven Parts to vanquish Miska the Wolf-Spider and defeat the Queen of Chaos. The battle lingers on, however, in the form of warring between various evil factions, who continue the struggle primarily along the law/chaos axis. The conflict eventually becomes known as the Blood War. With the Queen of Chaos sundered, servitor demons, the tanar'ri, boil up from the lower Abyssal depths and rebel against their "proto-demon" overlords. One of the greatest of these Abyssal rebels is the mighty demon lord Demogorgon, who takes Miska's title "Prince of Demons" as an insult to the old regime. Mortals like elves, dwarves, and humans arise on the Material world. They replace more primeval races like kuo-toa and lizardfolk and troglodytes, driving these races into the corners of the world. Mind flayers arrive from the future and create the gith from enslaved humans. Their empire extends over several material worlds. The Elder Elves split into subraces. The drow take form as Lolth is cast out of the Seldarine. Today. --Erik Mona Here's one I made a little while ago: I'm using Sigil's calendar, the Temporum Sphaera, the Unified Timeline of the Spheres, and a timeline Gray Richardson posted to the Gravelands forum. And I made stuff up. And I'm assuming that one year in real time equals one year in Sigil, which means many decades pass on Krynn while only a few years pass in the City of Doors, but time can do weird things between planes. Assume, for the moment, that the Temporum Sphaera is pretty accurate. How would other planar events, like those described in Hellbound, fit with it? The result is kind of weird. The multiverse is only a million years old, the gods are less than a quarter that age, and humanity is less than an eyeblink. And it's all stuff that no campaign should set down as definites. Far, far too many darks are revealed. But it's an interesting exercise. Hashkar -1,000,000: The Breaking of the First Sphere in the Material Plane. In the Outer Planes, the baernaloths, priminals, true slaadi, kamarel, and Serpents of Law emerge. Hashkar -990,000: Swelling of the Styx and Oceanus. Hashkar -980,000: Creation of the yugoloths, guardinals, and gehreleths. Hashkar -970,000: The Heart of Darkness. Harrowing of the Elder Baatorians. Brood Wars in the Abyss. Books of Keeping written. Hashkar -968,000: Fall of the Maeldur Et Kavurik. Disappearance of the baernaloths and priminals. Hashkar -966,000: Tanar'ri and baatezu encounter one another. The Blood War begins. Hashkar -956,000: The yugoloths begin their mercenary work. The First of the Ultroloths begins referring to itself as the General. Hashkar -946,000: First appearance of the great lords of Baator, the Abyss, Arborea, and Celestia recorded by arcanaloths, though of course some may have been around earlier. Hashkar -945,000: Celestials begin to interfere in the Blood War. Much of the Upper Planes are destroyed by fiendish retribution. Hashkar -944,900: The fiendish races task certain castes to record and remember all knowledge. Hashkar -944,855: Fall of Triel. Hashkar -922,000: Fiends first encounter the titans. Several of them are killed before they learn not to interfere in the Blood War. Hashkar -921,980: Construction of the Wasting Tower of Khin-Oin begins on the site fabeled to be the origin of the yugoloth race. Hashkar -911,980: Khin-Oin completed. Hashkar -900,000: Fiends and celestials discover how to reproduce their number from petitioners. Hashkar -890,900: The yugoloths begin their move to Gehenna. Hashkar -500,000: Fiends and celestials discover Sigil. Hashkar -100,000: The Migration of the "Real Ancestors." These nonhuman beings, tall, faceless, psionically adept beings who call themselves the Vedmoti, are the first mortals to begin exploring the planes and the City of Doors en masse. Hashkar -60,000: Height of ancient Reigar civilization. The reigar, a race of planet-shaping artists, are found to be extremely vulnerable to outer planar influence. The Watchers, a sect of archons, fall from grace for interfering too closely in the development of the Material Plane. Shortly thereafter, fiends begin exploiting the Material Plane in earnest. The first aasimar, cambions, and tieflings - crossbreeds with the reigar - emerge. Hashkar -59,000: Mass genocide of all tieflings in Baator as part of an experiment in forging souls. Hashkar -58,950: A group of reigar time travelers invite the predecessors of the illithids into their world from Outside. Hashkar -58,850 to -31,400: The Illithid Empire. Hashkar -57,638: The Aeree Empire emerges on worlds not dominated by the illithids. Hashkar -34,743: Aboleths begin manipulating the life of the material plane. Hashkar -32,438: Kiaransalee, necromancer-queen of Threnody, ascends into true divinity. Hashkar -32,000: The natives of the world of Pharagos are enslaved by the illithids; they are found to be obedient servants with little psionic potential, yet somehow ideal for ceremorphosis. The Pharagoans soon become the illithids' preferred slaves and are brought to hundreds of different worlds. Hashkar -31,400: A slave rebellion headed by a Pharagoan warrior-psion named Gith quickly spreads to most illithid settlements. The armies are divided into three groups, one led by a warrior-psion named Zerthimon, one led by a wizard named Vlaakith, and one led by Gith herself. Enough elder brains are destroyed to break the Overmind and plunge the illithid empire into darkness. Hashkar -31,393: The Proclaimation of Two Skies. The followers of Gith begin to battle one another as Gith's general Zerthimon leads a third of their forces against her. Hashkar -31,390: Zerthimon is killed in personal combat with Gith. The followers of Zerthimon make a strategic retreat to Limbo, a plane hazardous enough to discourage pursuit but not devoted to evil. Hashkar -31,389: Gith travels to Baator to make a pact with Tiamat's red dragon consort. She does not return. Hashkar -31,388: Vlaakith is crowned Vlaakith I, Queen of the Githyanki. Hashkar -30,888: Vlaakith I is assassinated by one of her most trusted knights, or possibly a githzerai. Twenty of Vlaakith's female descendents die the same night. Hashkar -30,887: Vlaakith I's youngest daughter, championed by a powerful githyanki faction, is crowned Vlaakith II. Hashkar -30,893: Vlaakith II is assassinated. The githzerai are blamed. Her older sister becomes Vlaakith III, the Bloody Queen. Hashkar -30,891: Vlaakith III dies. Her niece becomes Vlaakith IV. Hashkar -30,038: A member of an powerful royal house makes a play for the githyanki throne and becomes Vlaakith V. Hashkar -21,885: Height of the Juna Civilization. The young gods first appear in the planes, overthrowing the older, titanic powers. The fiends soon teach them not to interfere with the Blood War. Hashkar -21,338: The First Confirmed Citing of the *Spelljammer*. Hashkar -19,885: Bel executes his legendary Four-Cross. Hashkar -19,000: The Field of Nettles first comes into use. Hashkar -17,885: Creation of the Labyrinth Stone. Hashkar -11,864: The race of ethergaunts, or Khen-Zai, abandon the material plane for the Ethereal. Hashkar -9885: Disappearance of the Juna. Hashkar -9874: Shekelor dies. Hashkar -9872: Annihilation of the aphanacts (Dragon 341: Ecology of the Inevitable) Hashkar -9800: Appearance of the first inevitables (Dragon 341) Hashkar -5977: In the dawn of one world's history, the being who would come to be called Skall arose from a battlefield, transformed into something other than mortal. Hashkar -5885: Ascension of the Syllix. Hashkar -5685: Founding of the Syllix Emirate. Hashkar -5385: First Thri-Kreen space travellers. Hashkar -5335: Arrival of the Arcane. Hashkar -4385: Zenith of the Chitin Empire. Hashkar -4085: The The Tyme of Divyne Hosts' Wrath Hashkar -3885: The Screaming Migration. Hashkar -3885 to -3685: Crusade of the Celestial Mantis. Hashkar -3882: The Reckoning/Rebellion of the Inferiors in Baator begins. The lower castes take advantage of changes in the Material Plane to rebel. Some of the Lords of the Nine take advantage of the rebellion to attempt to sieze control of Nessus. In the aftermath, Moloch and Geryon are removed from their positions. Triel is transformed into a hideous, sluglike being. Fierana becomes Lady of the Fourth. The Dark Eight take control of Baator's legions. Hashkar -3785: The Height of the Oortlings. Hashkar -3732: Imaskari empire stricken by mysterious plague. Fated, Bleakers, and Incanterium originate around this period. Hashkar -3300: War between geniekind and the gods. The Loregiver receives the Law from Fate Herself. Hashkar -3285: The Al'Malamut Empire. Hashkar -2963 to -2887: Great Illithid Wars. Hashkar -2839: Destruction of the Oortlings. Hashkar -2785: Height of modern illithid influence. Hashkar -2802: Defeat of the illithids by beholders. Hashkar -2200: A truce between the warring forces of the Blood War is brokered in order to study the newly-opened Ghoresh Chasm. Hashkar -2142: Rise of the fiend-worshipping Empire of Narfell. Hashkar -1885: Collapse of the Al'Malamut Empire. Hashkar -1391: Collapse of Narfell. Hashkar -983: The arrival of the neogi. Hashkar -885 to -787: The Years of Blight (The First Inhuman War) Hashkar -883: Charter of the Imperial Elven Navy. Hashkar -875: Arrival of the grommans, hadozee, and giff. Hashkar -865: Vlaakith CLVII is crowned queen of the githyanki. Hashkar -857: Fraternity of Order officially becomes a faction. The Transcendent Order impulsively follows soon after. Hashkar -816: Arrival of the tinker gnomes. Hashkar -812: Bleak Cabal finally gets around to filling out their paperwork. Hashkar -804: The Doomguard is driven from Citadel Cavitius by the lich Vecna. Their organization crumbles. Hashkar -787: Battle of Greela. Hashkar -774: Rillith founds her Collector's Society. Hashkar -770: Rillith's Society moves to philosophical concerns, becoming the Sign of One. The Transcendent Order attempts to destroy it, but the plan backfires. Hashkar -761: The destruction of Borka. Hashkar -757: End of the First Inhuman War. Hashkar -753 to -747: The Insectare War. Hashkar -749: Athar formed by Dunn and Ciro. Hashkar -744: Perrine forms a philosophical society, the precursor to the Believers of the Source. Hashkar -740: Factol Gaelan of the Sign of One makes a pact between his faction and the pit fiend Bel. Later that year, Bel seizes control of Avernus from his predecessor, Zariel. Hashkar -665: An increasingly paranoid Vlaakith CLVII becomes a lich, the first and last of the royal githyanki line to do so. Hashkar -628: The Rama'tal'ain. Hashkar -581: Society of Sensation formed, initially as a social club. Within twenty-five years they're one of the most popular factions, though without a factol. Hashkar -500: The Great Upheaval. The Mercykillers form from the Sons of Mercy and Sodkiller factions. The Doomguard becomes an official faction (again), and becomes Sigil's official city guard. Hashkar -466: The Law of the Loregiver is rediscovered. Hashkar -412: Jafar al-Samal becomes the first sha'ir. Hashkar -397. Geniekind is coverted to the Law of the Loregiver. Hashkar -374: Knights of Harmony found the Harmonium in Ortho. Hashkar -238: The Cataclysm in Krynn. Hashkar -230: First major dealings with the Dohwar. Hashkar -185: Cult of Ptah forced underground. Hashkar -167: Factol Molluus founds the Destroyer fraction of the Doomguard. Hashkar -97: First dealings with the K'r'r'r. Hashkar -92: Clockwork horrors plague the known spheres (and, briefly, Sigil itself). The Khen-Zai emerge from their long seclusion in the Ethereal Plane. Hashkar -74: Corwin of Anchor, the last survivor of Ortho's invasion of the Abyss, becomes the first Harmonium soldier to set foot in Sigil. Hashkar -67: Harmonium sets up shop in Sigil and wars with the Doomguard. At the end, the Harmonium are the city guard and the Doomguard in charge of the Armory. Hashkar -66: The Fated seizes control of Bigby's College in Sigil, citing overdue taxes. Hashkar -37: Founding of the Rock of Bral in its current incarnation. Hashkar 34: A mercane cartel known as the Great Trading House expands in Krynn, Toril, and Oerth simultaneously. Hashkar 54: First contact with the dracon. Hashkar 56: The mercane cartel known as the Union opens a planar metropolis to the public. Hashkar 60: First verified contact with the scro. Hashkar 77: Omar becomes factol of the Harmonium. Hashkar 106: The Geonomicon. Hashkar 112: Lolth invades the world of Oerth. Hashkar 115: Guide to the World of Greyhawk completed. Hashkar 116: First Edition of the Temporum Sphaera. Hashkar 117: Zuggtmoy is released from her prison in the world of Oerth, and the goddess Takhisis fails in her attempt to conquer the world of Krynn. Hashkar 120: The chaos lord Wartle is exiled from Limbo. Also this year, Orcus' wand is stolen by adventurers from Toril. Hashkar 121: The Time of Troubles on Toril. The gods Bane, Bhaal, Myrkul, Leira and others enter the Dead Book of the Gods. Orcus is killed by Kiaransalee. Hashkar 123: The world of Athas is added to Guvner's roster of worlds. New Tyr founded in Sigil. Hashkar 123-124: The Second Unhuman War consumes the spheres. The elven armadas are beaten badly by the orcish and goblin armies, causing the cube of Nishrek and Clangor in Acheron to expand greatly in size, while the realm of Arvandor withers and shrinks. Refugees from the war and from Arvandor flood Sigil. The Doomguard and tanar'ri begin work on the Ships of Chaos. Hashkar 124: The Wrath of the Immortals in Mystara. In the month of Catechism of this year, the god Rad disappears from his realm in the Quasielemental Plane of Radiance. Hashkar 126: Githyanki, led by a rogue knight daring to call herself queen, invade the Black Spine Mountains in the world of Athas. Hashkar 127: Planar travelers finally penetrate the Shadow World, enter the world of Aebrynis, and manage to make their way back to report their discovery to the Fraternity of Order. Also this year, the focrux is destroyed in Harbinger House. A'kin writes the Factol's Manifesto. Hashkar 128: The Summer of Chaos destablizes the world of Krynn, ultimately causing it to vanish entirely. Also this year, rumors begin that the fiends have lost their ability to teleport instantly across planes. Hashkar 129: The Great Modron March mysteriously comes early. Later this year, gods begin dying. A mysterious assailant able to kill with a word is blamed. Hashkar 130: Illithids begin dimming suns across hundreds of worlds in an attempt to create an Overmind. In the month of Tithing this year, a plague called the Iron Shadow devastates several prominent planar communities. In the month of the Pivot, the lich Acererak attempts to become one with the Negative Energy Plane. In the month of Nihilum, a war erupts between Sigil's factions. Not a good year for sunshine and light. On the positive side, the goddess of Waukeen is also freed in the month of Tithing from her imprisonment by Graz'zt. In Sacriligion of this year, the plane-crossing ship Demonwing is stolen. Postbellum 2: In Regula of this year, a githyanki knight declares herself Gith reincarnate. An entire Prime world is destroyed by something called the Apocalypse Stone and Moloch, exiled Lord of the Sixth, disappears in the month of Retributus of this year. In the month of the Pivot, the lich Vecna escapes from the Demiplane of Dread and temporarily sheds his divinity to enter Sigil; he causes a commotion by uttering the True Words. Postbellum 3: In the month of Catechism, the goddess Kiaransalee flees Thanatos for the Demonweb as the formally-dead god Orcus resurfaces. Postbellum 4: In the month of Accordant, a presence invades the Positive Energy Plane and begins devouring unborn souls. In the Pivot of this year the Codex of the Infinite Planes is recovered from Kerleth's Tower in the Elemental Plane of Fire. In Nihilum of this year, the demon queen Lolth mysteriously stops answering the prayers of her faithful. Postbellum 5: The War of Souls on Krynn ends in Retributus of this year. The gods Takhisis and Paladine vanish, causing chaos in Avernus and sorrow in Solania. Krynn is rediscovered by the dwarf Tarholt. In the month of the Pivot the githyanki Lich-Queen Vlaakith is reported dead after an aborted invasion of the world of Pharagos, though officials from Tu'narath are quick to deny this. Postbellum 6: In the month of Savorus, the existence of Eberron is confirmed by the Fraternity of Order. In the month of the Pivot, arguments rage in Mechanus as radical Doomguard scholars proclaim the extinction of the modrons. Postbellum 7: Arguments rage over the age of the illithid empire as radical Doomguard scholars claim to have evidence it actually existed in the far future. In Tithing of this year, Lolth emerges from her silence as a greater goddess. In Decadre of this year, certain exiled factions vow to return to the City of Doors. Postbellum 8: Regulus is penetrated, confirming the continued existence of modrons despite certain doomsayers' predictions. An unconventional conjurer manages to summon up a vestige of the being Tenebrous, confusing those who thought it had been resurrected as Orcus. A few notes: - I definitely wouldn't use Hashkar's reign as the default measure of time if I did this over again! It's stupid, in retrospect. I'd just use Anno Domini for simplicity. - The 2000 years ago date for the illithid appearance in the past just doesn't work with other material. The Planar Handbook says the current lich-queen of the githyanki is Vlaakith CLVII - if her line started less than 2000 years ago, that would mean less than seven years reign for each githyanki monarch, which doesn't make sense with the stable and ancient monarchy the game presents, or with the githyanki rate of maturation and reproduction. The Planar Handbook also said the Vlaakith line has ruled for "eons," and 2000 years is not eons by any stretch. As a result, I assumed the average reign of a githyanki queen on the timeless Astral Plane was more like 200 years, and moved Gith's rebellion back 37,000 years or so. - There are other additions and changes I would make to this, but I'm too lazy to do so right now. I probably wouldn't tie everything rigidly to "date of publication in the real world," for example, as the game world timelines don't advance at the same rate. For a detailed description (perhaps too detailed to paste into this thread) of the creation of the physical multiverse (pre-mortal, pre-fiend, pre-god, pre-everybody!) and how the "rules" of the AD&D multiverse came about, see my "Life, the Multiverse, and Everything" webpage at http://melkot.com/mysteries/multiverse.html With my own "Grand Unified Theory" (GUT) of the multiverse, I try to explain the how and why of the physical structure of the planes (their organization, as well as specific features such as the Outlands' "Spire"), the origins of mortals and immortals and their relationships as well as their sources of power, the different natures of planes (such as the varying effects of magic and time) and how those planes change and interact, the imbuing of sentience without the need for complex brains (as in simple organisms like puddings; objects such as intelligent swords, elementals and intelligent clouds of electricity; even entire planes with awareness), the palpable nature of good, evil, law and chaos on so many levels, the twisting of time and dimension impossible with our own RealWorld physical laws (such as portable holes, teleportation, and time travel), the very source of magic and its laws... ALL can be explained with the proper GUT.
ripvanwormer 05-31-07, 02:38 PM	Yeah, I wrote that one too. One of these days I've got to put them all into a single timeline, adjusting for the different lengths of years on the different worlds.