Historical Timeline

A Timeline of Civilization
The History of West End and Beyond

300-50 BF(before the founding of West End): A huge empire existed called Dimhold. Dimhold was your typical medeival expanding empire. Dimhold throughout these 250 years began a conquering and expansion phase where it amalgamated the surrounding provinces into a powerful empire. It has been lost how Dimhold began, or the early stages of advancement. Toward the later stages, Feudalism reigned supreme. Knights however were more scarce, and the highest ranking among them held dominion over enourmous tracks of land rather than small parts of a city or countryside. There was a unanimity of purpose that held these lands in political order. Everyone believed in certain ideals that they held as self evident. There were of course a few bad seeds but with provinces this large it was rare the empire found out about these misbehaving knights.

50-20 BF: A war broke out between Dimhold and the people to the far eastern edge of their territory. The people who inhabited the western realms were far more organized and numerous than any enemy Dimhold had ever faced before. Supplies began to grow scarce. Explorers were sent to the West to seek fresh mines and supplies.

10 BF: The town of Landover was established under Sir Nathaniel Landover. Landover became a logging town and hardwood products were sent to the battlefront from the mills there. Also this year the King of Dimhold fell in battle. His son Exeter took over. Exeter, a former explorer, stepped up the exploration projects to the West.

5 BF: The Crescent Mountain is discovered and Iron ore is brought back from the region.

3 BF: Sir Gregory Grimwar, an aging but noble night is selected by King Exeter to settle the Crescent Mountain region and form a town there. Grimwar was selected because though he was getting a bit old for combat, he was a knight of good standing. It was not believed there would be any danger he and his knights could not handle in the West. He would spend the next two years gathering men and supplies to construct the town and mine of West End. The moving process would begin.

1 BF-1 AF: The town of West End is founded. Construction of the town and Mine are completed. There is a population boom to the Crescent Mountain region, and the town becomes a paradise for tradesmen, craftsmen and artisans of all kinds. Within the year of 1 AF it is discovered that 98% of the ore in this mine is tainted with a metal believed to be cobalt, making it unusable for ore. Redkeep is formed by Sir Amelio Rensin. He plans to raise and army and conquer West End through treachery, taking the rich land for himself. He had not at this time ever been to West End.

2-5 AF: West End loses 75% of it's population do to abandonment. Many craftsmen, tradesmen, farmers and artisans staked too much of their fortune in West End and are forced to remain. These craftsmen band together and begin to form close bonds. Several exciting discoveries are made that make West End an enlightened scientific community. By 4 AF Redkeep finishes construction. A mine is built into the cliff face where iron was discoverd. The iron in this cliff is red in color, and has a much lower melting point than normal iron. It also corrodes much faster than normal iron. It is nicknamed "blood iron", and weaponsmiths develop a way to forge it in January 6 AF.

6-10 AF: During this time West End becomes more of a foresting community. Wood starts being shipped through Landover to all parts beyond. Discoveries made by the scientific minds of West End are exported for use in the war still waging far to the east. The people of West End have mostly forgotten the world or the affairs of Dimhold. Close community bonds begin to grow. Denim is invented.

11-12 AF: October 11th, a caravan of wood leaves West End. It was not a particularly unusual caravan, but it is the last one West end will ever see. By August of the next year Sir Gregory Grimwar grows worried that a caravan has not arrived. A party is dispatched to Landover to discover the cause. That party never returns. In March when the snows broke, another party was formed to go to Landover. They found the town destroyed, and rotting bodies lying everywhere. They found among the corpses strange bodies of foreigners they had never seen. Two members of the party returned to West End to report, while the rest of the party continued onwards toward Dimhold. They were never seen again either. The scouts who did return reported seeing a strange symbol painted all over Landover, like a strange staff with two yellow circlers.. Sir Gregory Grimwar set up outposts along the Western edge of the crescent mountain, but made Landover and all points beyond off limits.

Later that year, alchemists discovered a process of forging that would allow wolf iron to be worked, though it required the use of hotter forges. All of the forges in West End were immediately converted to these new furnaces, and all able bodied men who had no other trades began mining this ore, which was dubbed Wolf Iron.

13 AF: While cutting lumber one day in February, a group of loggers reported seeing "wild men" hiding in the trees around their site. When they tried to catch or question these men, they were unable to find them in the brush, or any trace of where they might have gone. Throughout the next two months, every scout, woodsman, trapper or farmer who ventured near the forest reported seeing these "wild men". In April, a group of them walked right into town. They were dressed mostly in skins and hides, and carried a variety of wooden and stone weapons. Sir Gregory Grimwar was fetched, and met with these men. When the people of West End got a closer look it was discovered that these men were not men at all, but something else. They were fair skinned and fair haired, thinner than men with ears with swept up tips. Through crude sign language and gestures, it was established that these people were not hostile. Trade began and scholars began to learn and teach the two languages. Within a year, they were able to communicate with these people who called themselves "Elves". In December of 13 AF, the leader of the Elves met with Sir Gregory Grimwar behind closed doors. It was never released what was discussed during these meeting called the "Wild Talks", but by the end of December all of these Elves has made homes for themselves on the East side of West End. The town welcomed any newcomers, and they quickly became a part of everyday life.

17 AF: In August of 17 AF, a farmer and his family moved back to West End suddenly from one of the outlying farms. By October, 50% of the families who lived outside of the arc of the Crescent mountain had moved back within' West Ends borders. Tales began to spread of Dark men or "Darklings" that struck lone families at night, raping, looting, pillaging and in some cases murdering. By December all holdings outside of West End have moved back to town or are unaccounted for.

18 AF: Redkeep and West End form a treaty. The inhabitats of Redkeep migrate to West End. Second and third stories are bulit on most buildings to accomidate the new citizens.

20 AF: The Dread war begins and ends. The demiplane of Shadow and demiplane of Dread are seperated from the prime material plane. Kinden is found as a new god. The Toirtoise clan of the Berezin people mysteriously appears in West End. They are integrated into society.

23 AF: A few Dwarven and half-Dwarven families move into the Dwarven fortress and begin repairing it to make it livable. It is renamed "Angor". A few other families, led by Firt Arongell, move back to Redkeep to repair the fortress and make it livable

24 AF: Tavian's magical School, the Aidman Academy of Alchemy and the Arcane, gets up and running with his first full semester. Scout oversees the establishment of the first Dwarven History Museum. Trade routes from Angor and Redkeep are established and paths are cleared. The first trade caravan successfuly makes it to Berezin and returns with a number of unusual goods.

27 AF: A large warehouse in the central square of West End is bought by a group of retired guards and adventurers. They form a group known as the "Red Lancers" which is a tribute adventuring company to the Company of the Red Spear. Their adventures begin.

30 AF: As most of the farmland in West End is bought for development into homes and factories, the forests to the south are cleared to create new farmland. With less rocky soil and more open lands these farms are very productive. By 37 AF no farms remain in the valley of the Cresent mountain.

40 AF: Lord Amelio Rensin abdicates the throne to his son. At the same time he establishes the "Council of the West" to help govern fairly.

41 AF: Tavian Aidman is named to the village council, opening up a permanent spot on the council for a representative from the Aidman Academy.

43 AF: A representative from the Red Lancers is admitted to the Council of the West.

50 AF: A party of adventurers left West End to search for what happened to the old Kingdom of Dimhold. This party has not been seen since for the most part.

52 AF: The priests in town retreat to their temples, where they lock themselves in for over a weeks time. When they emerge, they do not speak of what has occured. Each of them go out and purue new lines of work, never mentioning what went on. The only functioning temple remaining is the Church of the All-Father.

58 AF: It has been over a year since an expedition has successfully made it to the city of Berezin.

60AF:

June 7th: There is a disturbance as a dead Dwarf is found at the town gate. A man named Benson has dissappeared from the Jennings Tavern.