World of Greyhawk Timeline

This article was transcribed from Wikipedia. It was nominated for deletion on Wikipedia

The World of Greyhawk Timeline is a list of fictional historical events that either explain the history leading up to the present state of the
World of Greyhawk Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting, or that enumerate further developments described in campaign products
published by either TSR, Inc. or Wizards of the Coast.

Contents [show]

Development of the original timeline Edit

The original campaign setting of Greyhawk was a home campaign world invented by Gary Gygax in 1972 while playtesting the game that
would become Dungeons & Dragons.[1] In the beginning, the entire "world" consisted of a single dungeon underneath an abandoned castle.
This world eventually grew to encompass a nearby city and then some neighboring states, but since Gygax, and eventually his co-DM Rob
Kuntz were making up the story as they went, there was no need for an elaborate historical background.[2] Although Gygax referred to
Greyhawk in many of his columns, magazine articles and D&D adventures, the overall world remained his personal home campaign for
several years.

In 1979, Gygax made the decision to publish the world of Greyhawk, but in order to do so, he made substantial changes to his home
campaign world. Rather than using his own map, which was simply a map of the United States overwritten with his cities, towns and regions,
he sketched out a new world called Oerth,[3] then concentrated on one corner of one continent, a place called the Flanaess. In order to
quickly explain the current state of the world, and the motivations of various states and important characters, Gygax delineated twenty-one
historical events that bracketed a thousand years of "pre-history" leading up to the "present" time of 576 CY (Common Year Reckoning).
Gygax resisted the urge to fully outline a detailed timeline in order to give players as much leeway as possible when designing their own
home campaigns: "The history is given briefly, and most states are only outlined generally so as to allow as much personal input as possible
from DMs who decide to acquire and use it."[4]

For the next few years, Gygax was the arbiter of all events that occurred in Greyhawk until he was ousted from TSR in 1985. TSR took over
creation of new events for his world, and a re-visioning of the campaign in 1992 resulted in an extension of the end of the timeline from 576
CY to 585 CY.[5] In 1996, Wizards of the Coast bought TSR, and several years later, again reset the campaign, resulting in a further extension
of the timeline to 591 CY.[6][7] From 1985 to 2003, newly published material added more "backstory" to the Greyhawk history, subsequently
adding many items to Gygax's original timeline.

The Greyhawk timeline Edit

A summary of historical events, by Common Year Reckoning.[8]

c -1900

The Kingdom of Sulm comes to prominence.

c -1400

The Kingdom of Sulm begins to decline.

c -700
 The Kingdom of Sulm is destroyed by its last king, Shattados, using the Scorpion Crown in an attempt to gain perpetual dominion over
his subjects. The crown turns Shattados into a gigantic scorpion, and his people into manscorpions and dune stalkers. The land itself is
transformed into the Bright Desert.

c -594

Lyzandred born in a small town in the ancient Baklunish lands, probably relatively close to the Suel borderlands. (Crypt of Lyzandred the
Mad 2)

-555

Lyzandred discovers a portal to a demiplane closely aligned to Oerth and transforms it into a storehouse of magical objects best kept
from evil hands. (Crypt of Lyzandred the Mad 2)

-535

Lyzandred, trapped in his private demiplane, finally succumbs to death and becomes a lich. (Crypt of Lyzandred the Mad 2)

-484

Beginning of the Baklunish-Suloise Wars. (Guide 9)

-465

First employment of humanoid mercenaries. (Guide 9)

-457

Oerid migrations east of peak point. (Guide 9)

-446

Suloise migrations begin.

-422

Suloise Mages of Power call down the Invoked Devastation upon the Baklunish. In retaliation, Baklunish spellcasters bring down the
Rain of Colorless Fire upon the Suloise Imperium, transforming the empire in the Sea of Dust. (Guide 9)
Surviving Baklunish migrate north to the shores of the Drawmidj Ocean. (Player's Guide to Greyhawk 9)

-216

Foundation of the Kingdom of Aerdy. (Guide 9)

-110

Battle of a Fortnight's Length. The Kingdom of Aerdy defeats Nyrondal cavalry squadrons to become the regional superpower. Aerdy
thereafter becomes known as the Great Kingdom. (Guide 9)

The Common Year is established as the system of reckoning by Grand Prince Nasran I of the Great Kingdom of Aerdy in 645 OR (1
CY), when he declares universal peace throughout his the land, and takes the title of Overking. At this stage the borders of the Great
Kingdom of Aerdy extend all the way to the City of Greyhawk. (Guide 9)

141

Kargoth of Mansbridge born.

198

The lich Lyzandred uses a potent spell to pull a giant meteor into Oerth's atmosphere. The resulting fireball streaks across the Oljatt
Sea, where it is noted by the astronomer Selvor the Younger (among others), who interprets it as an omen presaging "wealth, strife and
a living death." The resulting impact in the eastern Abbor-Alz sends shockwaves far and wide, interrupting an experiment by a cadre of
Suel wizards at the Star Cairns, in the Cairn Hills. (Crypt of Lyzandred the Mad 2)

203
 The Order of the Knight Protectors of the Great Kingdom is shaken by Sir Kargoth’s pact with Demogorgon, when he unleashes a
demonic terror upon the Great Kingdom. The abomination is destroyed, but Kargoth sways thirteen other Knight Protectors to follow
him. They become the first of the death knights.

209

The death knight Sir Farian of Lirtham is destroyed.

213

Age of Great Sorrow commences. (Guide 9)

247

Sir Kargoth's castle, Fharlanst, destroyed by the Knight Protectors of the Great Kingdom.

254

The Viceroyalty of Ferrond declares independence from the Great Kingdom.

305

Zagig and his adventuring band delve the Crypt of Lyzandred the Mad. Zagig remains for a short time to learn at the lich's feet and gains
inspiration that will aid him well in the later construction of his masterpiece, Castle Greyhawk. (Crypt of Lyzandred the Mad 2)

318

Zagig Yragerne, Murlynd, Keoghtom, and the rest of the Company of Seven explore the Flan ruins of Veralos. (Dragon #293.90)

c. 320

Zagig Yragerne elected Mayor of the Free City of Greyhawk. (Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk)

320

Mixed Oerid-Baklunish nomads gradually move into and claim the steppeland east of the Yatil Mountains, pushing eastward as far as
the Griffs. (Guide 9)

Outer dependencies of Aerdy gain sovereignty. Perranders, Velunians, Furyondians, and Tenhas each establish independence in a
series of minor but bloody wars. (Guide 9)
Zagig Yragerne begins construction of Castle Greyhawk. (Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk)

c. 355

Keolandish armies press into Ket and Veluna, but are later forced out. (Player's Guide to Greyhawk 10)

356

Kingdom of Nyrond established when junior branch of Aerdy House Rax-Nyrond declares itself independent of Great Kingdom rule.
(Guide 9, 10)
Invasion of northern barbarians into North Province prevents the Great Kingdom from retributive action against Nyrond.
Theocracy of the Pale and Urnst also secede from Great Kingdom.

Kingdom of Keoland at peak. (Guide 9)

375 The Free City of Greyhawk achieves its first period of greatness under the rulership of Zagig Yragerne. (Player's Guide to Greyhawk 10)

420-455

Halmadar the Cruel, a Shield Lands warlord, gains the Hand and Eye of Vecna, conquers the region near Delcombon, and lays siege to
Critwall. Ultimately he is drugged by his followers and interred alive in the Kron Hills.

437

Turmoil Between Crowns. Scions of the Celestial House of Naelax destroy the House of Rax to assume the Malachite Throne and
rulership of the Great Kingdom. (Guide 9, Player's Guide to Greyhawk 10)

438
 Keoland and Furyondy go to war, resulting in the secession of the Keolandish regions of Gran March, Bissel and the Yeomanry.

446

Excessive taxation and repression leads to a general rebellion in the southern Great Kingdom. This event leads to the foundation of the
Iron League. (Guide 9, Player's Guide to Greyhawk 10)

Bandit Kings sack Trigol. (Guide 9)

Rise of the Sea Princes. (Guide 9)

Assassination of nearly all of the House of Rax, with the exception of Ivid I who accedes to Malachite Throne.

450 The County of Urnst gains independence from Nyrond at the Council of Rel Mord. (Player's Guide to Greyhawk 6)

455

Sunndi joins the Iron League. (Player's Guide to Greyhawk 10)

461

Creation of Ulek and Celene. (Guide 9)

479

Might of Iuz grows. Humanoid invasions become common. (Guide 9)

c 495

The Cairn Hills town of Diamond Lake hosts an order of monks, preoccupied with astronomy, at the Diamond Lake Observatory.
(Dungeon #124.40, 63)

The City of Greyhawk nationalizes the Cairn Hills smelting trade. (Dungeon #124.62)

c 496

First known outbreak of the Red Death plague in the Flanaess. (WG8)

498

County of Urnst becomes palatinate under the Duchy of Urnst. Greyhawk becomes a free city. (Guide 9)

505

Iuz imprisoned by Zagig Yragerne.

513

Rise of the Horned Society. (Guide 9)

Humanoids take the Pomarj. (Guide 9)

546

The mountain dwarf Obmi is enslaved by the fire giant king Snurre Ironbelly of the Hellfurnaces.

551

Obmi is granted his freedom by king Snurre Ironbelly, and continues to serve as an advisor to the fire giant king.

560

Savage humanoids invade the Bone March. (Player's Guide to Greyhawk 5)

563

Bone March falls to humanoids. (Guide 9)

566

Evil forces construct a small chapel outside the village of Nulb, in the Viscounty of Verbobonc. The chapel grows to become the Temple
of Elemental Evil.
569

Battle of Emridy Meadows. Defeat of the Horde of Elemental Evil. Temple of Elemental Evil sacked.

570s

Keoish coastal town of Saltmarsh threatened by sahuagin. (See events of U1-U3)

570

Iuz is inadvertently freed from imprisonment below Castle Greyhawk by Robilar and Riggby.

573

Scarlet Brotherhood first reported on the Tilvanot Peninsula. (Guide 9, Player's Guide to Greyhawk 10)
Prince of Furyondy/Provost of Veluna kidnapped. (Guide 9)

576

King Snurre Ironbelly's hall raided by adventurers. (See events of G3)

The Savant-Sage completes the Guide to the World of Greyhawk. (Guide 9)

The plague known as the Red Death sweeps across the Flanaess.

579

Events of The Temple of Elemental Evil. T-1-4

581

Halmadar the Cruel escapes his prison; slays majority of Circle of Eight. See events of Vecna Lives!.

Vecna's ploy to become a greater god fails. Diraq Malcinex, Heart of Vecna, slain. See events of Vecna Lives!.

582

A series of regional conflicts erupts into the continent-wide battle that eventually becomes the Greyhawk Wars.

The war is sparked when Iuz, masquerading as a god named Vatun, incites the Northern Barbarians into war against Stonefist,
conquering it quickly. The leader of the Fists, Sevvord Redbeard, soon allies himself with Iuz. (From the Ashes 6)

The Duchy of Tenh is conquered by the Fists/Northern Barbarian armies. (From the Ashes 6)

Before a planned assault on Ratik, the Northern Barbarians mutiny, refusing to fight any further for a "god" they have lost faith in. (From
the Ashes 6)

Other armies of Iuz conquer the Horned Society, creating a mass slaughter in the capital of Molag. (From the Ashes 6)
The Shield Lands refuse an offer of alliance with Furyondy, and are soon overrun by Iuz's forces. The Bandit Kingdoms fall to Iuz in the
same offensive. Lord Holmer, leader of the Knights of Holy Shielding is captured and taken to Dorakaa. (From the Ashes 6)

Queen Yolande of Celene declares neutrality of her realm, and imposes a strict isolationism.

583

The Scarlet Brotherhood invades the Hold of the Sea Princes. (Player's Guide to Greyhawk 5)

Battle of Critwall Bridge results in victory for Furyondy, securing the eastern borders of the realm against Iuz. Soon after, Furyondy's
northern border collapses under an assault from Iuz-allied humanoids attacking from the Vesve Forest. Crockport falls, and Chendl,
Furyondy's capital, is placed under siege. (From the Ashes 6)

Nyrond moves against the Hold of Stonefist, striking first in the Phostwood, but staying close to the borders of the kingdom. (From the
Ashes 7)

At the same time, the Great Kingdom attacks on a broad front against the Theocracy of the Pale, Almor and Nyrond. Almor is conquered
in short order. (From the Ashes 6)

584

The Iron League enters into alliance negotiations with Nyrond, even weathering the defection of the Lordship of the Isles to the Scarlet
Brotherhood. (From the Ashes 7)
 Keoland, Gran March, the Ulek States and the Yeomanry enter into the Treaty of Niole Dra, a mutual-defense pact and military alliance.
(From the Ashes 7)

Ket allies with Iuz, and promptly attacks Bissel. (From the Ashes 7)

Turrosh Mak of the Pomarj attacks the Wild Coast and Ulek. His forces are stopped at the Battle of the Pass of Celene by a coalition of
humanoid warriors. (From the Ashes 7)

Renewed giant and evil humanoid raids hit the Grand Duchy of Geoff, Sterich, and the Yeomanry. Geoff and Sterich are conquered by
the invaders. (From the Ashes 7)
The Battle of Innspa marks the peak of the Aerdy invasion of Nyrond. The battle results in a decisive defeat of the Great Kingdom's
armies. Mass executions follow, ordered by Ivid V. (unbeknownst to much of the Flanaess, Ivid murders loyal generals and turns them
into undead servants. Ivid is subsequently assassinated by remaining generals, and risen as an undead animus by priests of Hextor.)
Mass killings of the Aerdy populace instigated by Ivid. (From the Ashes' 8)

The North Province secedes from the Great Kingdom. (From the Ashes 8)

The Scarlet Brotherhood begins campaign of assassinations in Iron League states with an aim to destabilize their governments. Cobb
Darg of the Free City of Irongate orders the execution of every known Scarlet Brotherhood agent within the city. (From the Ashes 9)

The Wars end with a Brotherhood-inspired general peace treaty, the Pact of Greyhawk in the month of Harvester. (From the Ashes 9)
On the same day, Rary instigates a massive magical battle within the Great Hall and attempts to assassinate the other members of
the Circle of Eight, killing only Otiluke and Tenser before fleeing into the Bright Desert to form his own kingdom. (From the Ashes
9)

585

Prince Sewarndt attempts to seize the throne of Nyrond from his father, King Archibold III. The plot is foiled by Sewarndt's brother,
Lynwerd.

586

The Great Kingdom comes to an effective end, as it splinters into two major states (The United Kingdom of Ahlissa and the North
Kingdom of Aerdy) and numerous minor states. Ivid V, the Overking, rules Rauxes as essentially a no-man's land.
The priesthood of Hextor officially deposes Ivid V as Overking.

Archibold III of Nyrond abdicates, leaving the throne to his son Lynwerd.

Canon Hazen of Veluna causes the "Flight of Fiends" through use of the Crook of Rao. Most (but not all) evil-aligned outsiders are
banished from the Flanaess.

588

Events narrated in the novel White Plume Mountain[9].

591–598

Events of the Living Greyhawk campaign

596

Hand of Vecna resurfaces in the central Flanaess, in the possession of a Vecnan priest named Darl Quethos. (Dungeon #132)

597

Riggby the Patriarch dies in Verbobonc. His body is returned to the Free City of Greyhawk for his funeral. (Expedition to the Ruins of
Greyhawk)
Iuz attempts to invade the Free City, via the dungeons of Castle Greyhawk. (Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk)
Although unbeknownst to most, Lord Robilar is returned to Oerth after an absence of 15 years. (Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk)

c 963

Pluffet Smedger the Elder examines a centuries-old copy of volume 3 of Catalogue of the Land Flanaess, being the Eastern Part of the
Continent of Oerik, of Oerth, by the Savant-Sage of Greyhawk. This volume, entitled A Guide to the World of Greyhawk, is discovered in
the library of the Royal University of Rel Mord. Smedger is impressed by the Guide's freshness and thoroughness. (Glossography 2)
 In this era, magic is not a lost art, but apparently a fading one. (Glossography 2)

998

Pluffet Smedger the Elder publishes his Glossography for the Guide to the World of Greyhawk at the Royal University of Rel Mord.
(Glossography cover)

See also Edit

Age of Worms Timeline

References Edit

Template:No footnotes

1. ↑ Rausch, Allen (2004-08-19). "Magic and Memories: The Complete History of Dungeons and Dragons" . Gamespy.com.
http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/538/538262p2.html . Retrieved 2009-02-23.
2. ↑ Gygax: "I did indeed create details for the PC party on the spot, adding whatever seemed appropriate, and as Rob played and learned
from me, he did the same, and when we were actively co-DMing we could often create some really exciting material on the spot, if you
will.""Gary Gygax: Q & A (Part IX, page 81)" . EN World. 2005-12-15. http://www.enworld.org/forum/archive-threads/125997-gary-
gygax-q-part-ix-81.html . Retrieved 2009-03-15.
3. ↑ Q: "In Dragon 315, Jim Ward talks about the origins of the Greyhawk setting, and is quoted as having said: 'He [Gygax] had the whole
world mapped out'. Does this mean you have material about the rest of Oerth hidden in your basement?" Gygax: "Yes, I had a sketch
map of the remainder of the globe..." "Gary Gygax: Q & A (Part IX, Page 33)" . EN World. 2005-06-21.
http://www.enworld.org/forum/archive-threads/125997-gary-gygax-q-part-ix-33.html . Retrieved 2009-03-15.
4. ↑ Livingstone, Ian (August/September 1979). "White Dwarf Interview : Gary Gygax - the man who made it all possible". White Dwarf
(London: Games Workshop) (14): 23-24.
5. ↑ From the Ashes: Atlas of the Flanaess, TSR, 1992, p. 39
6. ↑ Moore, Roger E. (1998), Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins, TSR, p. 31, Template:Citation/identifier
7. ↑ Holian, Gary; Mona, Erik; Reynolds, Sean K.; Weining, Frederick (2000), Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, Wizards of the Coast, p. 110,
Template:Citation/identifier
8. ↑ All events in Gygax's original timeline had six different dates due to the six different calendar systems used by the great civilizations of
Gygax's world. However, for ease of use, this timeline uses only the Common Year (CY) reckoning.
9. ↑ White Plume Mountain, by Paul Kidd, published 1999, ISBN 0-7869-1424-6

Additional reading Edit

Brown, Anne. Player's Guide to Greyhawk (TSR, 1998).

Gygax, Gary. World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting (TSR, 1983).

Holian, Gary, Erik Mona, Sean K Reynolds, and Frederick Weining. Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (Wizards of the Coast, 2000).

Logue, Nicholas. "The Library of Last Resort." Dungeon #132 (Paizo Publishing, 2006).
Sargent, Carl. From the Ashes (TSR, 1992).

Wilson, Steve. "Greychrondex." Available online: [1]

Retrieved from "https://dungeons.fandom.com/wiki/World_of_Greyhawk_Timeline?oldid=99438"

Categories: Greyhawk Fictional timelines

Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.