Ten thousand years ago, the world lay in the grip of a persistent and numbing ice age and then came the Old Ones in their silver star ships.
The History of the World
This timeline records the events that shaped the world and the approximate date that they occurred expressed in years before today's date.
It is based upon the 'Timeline for the known world.' published on page 269 of the WFRP First Edition Rulebook but has been supplemented by the addition of events which were introduced into the Warhammer setting after that book was originally published.
The Era of the Old Ones
-15,000 > -7,000 Before Today
The Old Ones created the world and ruled over its evolution for three thousand years before finally being defeated by their enemies the Necrons and driven from the galaxy. Leaving the planet and its part in their Great Plan abandoned and incomplete.
-
-15000
First Appearance of the Old Ones
Era beginning/end -
-9000
End of the Ice Age
Geological / environmental eventThe Old Ones alter the planets orbit in the Solar System closer to the Sun causing a general rise in temperatures. The Ice Age is ended and the melting ice creates The Great Sea and the retreat of the permanent ice sheets to the polar regions. The continents are formed in accordance with the standard terraforming template required by The Great Plan.
Location
Warhammer -
-8750
Emergence of the Elves
FoundingThe Old Ones nurture the Elven race and guide the development of their civilisation encouraging them to move northwards and populate the forests of the Old World.
Location
The Old World -
-8500
The Migration of the Dwarfs
FoundingThe Dwarfs begin their northward migration from the equatorial regions into The Old World.
Location
The Old World -
-8500
The Population of Ulthuan
Cultural eventFor some unknown reason, the Old Ones select some of the Elven population and transplant to an island group in The Great Western Ocean which becomes known as Ulthuan, the Elven Kingdom.
-
-8,000 > -7,000
The War in Heaven
Military actionAnother starfaring race known as the Necrontyr begins a war against the Old Ones to conquer the Milky Way galaxy. Their initial efforts proved futile as The Old Ones were far superior in technology and the Necrontyr Empire eventually collapsed into a series of bitter internal conflicts known as 'The Wars of Succession.' However, the respite was temporary and after resolving their disputes and forming an alliance with another starfaring race known as the C'tan the war against the Old Ones was renewed and they were driven from the galaxy.
-
-7000
Fall of the Old Ones
Era beginning/endAfter more than a millennium of intergalactic conflict, the Old Ones are finally defeated and driven out of the Milky Way Galaxy. They are forced to abandon their Great Plan for the galaxy and the planet Warhammer.
Location
Warhammer
The Birth of Chaos
-7,000 > -6,000
The exploitation of the web way by a decadent race known as the Eldar causes a Great Cataclysm which plunges the entire world and 20,000 light-years of the galaxy into chaos.
-
Circa -7,000
The Eldar exploit the Web Way
Discovery, ExplorationThe Eldar quickly recognised the benefits of the inter-dimensional web way abandoned as a result of the defeat of the Old Ones and began to exploit it not only as a means of rapid travel between planets but more importantly as a place to indulge their taste for self-indulgent pleasure. They quickly realised that the psychic energy present in the warp could enhance their own desires and make anything they wanted become real. Very quickly the more decadent members of the Eldar civilisation formed Cults of Pleasure specifically intended to exploit this amazing phenomenon.
-
Circa -7,000
The Birth of Slaanesh
Metaphysical / Paranormal eventThe warp entity feeding on the veritable feast of decadent emotions emanating from the Eldar starships of the Eldar Cult of Pleasure grew so large that it dominated the warp. Having filled the void, it was desperate to grow still farther, straining at the apparent limitations being imposed upon it by The Warp Gates built by the Old Ones. Interdimensional space travel through Warpspace became extremely perilous and ships were becoming lost in the many strange warp storms along their routes. Thousands of planets had been isolated for centuries, or even millennia, including both Warhammer and Earth.
Location
Warpspace -
Circa -7,000
The Great Cataclysm
Disaster / DestructionThe Birth of Slaanesh in the warp causes the explosion of the warp gates abandoned by the Old Ones over both poles of the planet allowing energy from the warp to escape into the material world.
Location
The Eye of Terror