Aerith, originally Haven, began over 6400 years ago, and has undergone a few startling and world-altering transformations. It has seen its share of wars; cataclysms; and periods of great inspiration, hope, and fear. The Aerithian timeline shows the great events over its 6400+ years but each continent has its own unique set of events that differ from region to region.
Well-learned sages, or long-lived races may know more but the common person is concerned mostly with living day to day and not on what transpired in the past. The timeline below can be found in libraries throughout the world, most notably in Forgehome, and Essillion, as well as in Brightbough and Aspenshield, to varying degrees.
The Ages of History
Throughout Aerith there have been three major ages, but Starhelm is currently experiencing a fourth age that is not shared by the rest of the world. The Age of Dragons tells of the beginning of the world, and the ancient wars between the Dragons and the Avariel. In the Age of Haven, the founding of the world with its races, and cities, and newfound knowledge takes centre stage. Finally, the Age of Aerith is the current age of the world, where the cataclysmic events of the Ascension of the Dragon Lords reshapes the world to its current configuration. On Starhelm, however, there is also the Age of the Queen, which begins at the moment of the Fractioning of Alucar. As the face of Aerith was changed during the Ascension, so too was the face of Starhelm during the Fractioning, with cities being destroyed, gods being altered, and new enemies being created.
The Age of Dragons
The Age of Dragons starts at the creation and shaping of the cosmos by the Three Pillars and ends in and around the year 856. During this time the Dragon Lords began their Eternal War as Ilbrendar and Drakova continued to fight each other for centuries. The blood from their battles produced the first Dragons, who continued to fight their parents’ war on Haven.
Fearing the destruction of their world, the Three Pillars created the powers of Life and Death, in Tereale and Morthos, to help control the rampant growth of the Dragons. Shortly after, they created the Avariel, as Wardens of Haven, to help cull the Dragon hordes that were inflicting so much damage on the world. As the Avariel restored balance to Haven, the Age of Dragons came to an end.
The Age of Haven
As the Avariel continued to monitor and control the Dragon population, The Age of Haven truly began in the year 1362 when the Three Pillars populated the world with the Founder Races of Dwarf, Halfling, Human, Goblin, and Grippli. In response, the Dragons created the Dragonkin in their likeness. Fearing their destruction, the Dragons went into hiding, paving the way for the Founder Races to prosper and grow. Seeing the success of the first races, other powers sought to include their own creations to the world of Haven, producing a second wave of races to arise, including the Giants, Minotaurs, Gnolls, and many others.
During this time, the world of Haven gained much knowledge, created many wonders, and fought many wars. The Mind Flayers, created by Janosis, were ones who reveled in power and knowledge and would stop at nothing to attain both. They wreaked havoc on the world, and even on other planes in their quest for power. Finally, Janosis was forced to balance them out, same as the Avariel had done for the Dragons. She created the Gith to do just that and they were very successful at stopping the Mind Flayer threat, ending the Tyranny of the Mind Flayers.
A few hundred years after the fall of the Mind Flayers, a new war swept across Haven, as magic users of all kinds competed for who controlled the most pure and powerful forms of magic. Warlocks, Druids, Clerics, Sorcerers, and Wizards all fought each other, with great armies of magic devastating the lands and people around them. While legendary magic was created during this time, the cost was too great. A great hero of the age traveled to battlefields across Aerith and managed to put an end to the conflict. Animosities die hard but the main fighting of the Magic Wars ceased and peace was able to take hold. For almost 1500 years the world was able to grow and find balance. Then the Dragon Lords ascended.
The Age of Aerith
The Age of Aerith had begun. From the year 4000 the world of Haven was no more; replaced by the newly named Aerith. The sundering of the Pangaea of Haven into its five current continents wreaked great havoc across the world. In an effort to protect the world, the magical energies released by the Dragon Lords had to be dispersed amongst remaining forces. The world divided into 6 Magical Aspects of Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Arcane, and Divine energies; the rising of the Pinnacles of the Founder Races and the forming of The Conclave of Magic, were all major events during this age.
As the years passed, and Aerith settled into its new state, cities rose, and fell, some races left for the Underdark, while others retreated to the surface. Life had settled to continue on as it normally does across all of Aerith, with the exception of Starhelm.
Starhelm experienced a cataclysmic event that ushered in a new age for that continent.
The Age of the Queen
In the year 5426, the Fractioning of the Human Pinnacle Alucar, on the continent of Starhelm, changed the face of that land forever. With his destruction, 12 gods were created – the Shards of Alucar; a new evil was born – the Witch Queen of Starhelm; and only two Human cities remained – Avandar, and Essillion. The events prompted the other Pinnacles to leave the land of Aerith and head to their own divine home, away from this plane.
The evil of the Witch Queen brought a new race of warriors – the Orcs, to fight the Goblins at her doorstep. The union of the Goblins pushed back her army and destroyed the Orcs to a man, leaving her bereft of protection, until she learned how to control her undead army. Now she is a blight on the land and all oppose her.
Travel to and from Starhelm has been cut off from the rest of the world, and even across Starhelm trade and communication is difficult. The Shards of Alucar have left the plane to retreat to their divine home, with the exception of Parfin the Farstepper. The people of Starhelm are just now beginning to wrest control of their fate back into their own hands.
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