A Grand History of the Forgotten Realms
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A Grand History of the Forgotten Realms Designer & Cartographer: Brian R. James Cover & Interior Artist: Toni M. James 3rd Printing: May 25 2006 Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. This game product contains no Open Game Content. The content for this game product was compiled by resources owned by Wizards of the Coast. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, FORGOTTEN REALMS, and WIZARDS OF THE COAST are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The Digital Marble logo is a trademark of Digital Marble, Inc. All artwork is owned by their respective authors. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental. For more timelines and other juicy bits of realmslore visit our website http://www.geonomicon.com Introduction "These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed words unwritten—and set them down ere they fade... Learn then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding." —Alaundo of Candlekeep This chronology is the most definitive accounting of Realms history on the Internet or in print. This timeline includes dates from over 35 official Realms products (sourcebooks, novels, and magazine articles). All references in this timeline are considered canon in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. In fact, every single event in this timeline includes a reference to its associated sourcebook(s). A complete list of references can be found following the chronology. I'd like to thank the following members of the online community who have contributed to the success of this timeline over the years (whether they know it or not!): Lazar (chaostorm), Roland Schiller, Kenneth Burns, Zanan Telenna, Graziano Girelli, Alaundo, The Sage, Wooly Rupert, Dargoth, Brian Schutte, "N2dnd", Jesse G Nelson III, Verghityax, Jeff Harward, Khawar Siddiqi, Brad Bolas, Yaron Barak, JEB215AlphaZed, SickAurSHT, Greg Salito, and Steven Lansford. Of course this chronology could not exist without the Forgotten Realms and its enigmatic creator Ed Greenwood. A big thanks Ed! Finally, this work is dedicated to my little brother Matthew; a fine soldier and an even bigger D&D geek than myself. I miss you bro. Be safe. —Brian R. James Time in the Realms Gregorian Order Name Colloquial Description Month 1 Hammer Deepwinter (January) —Midwinter— year in the Realms consists of 365 days: 12 months of 2 Alturiak Claws of the Cold (February) exactly 30 days each (due to the single moon and its 3 Ches Ches of the Sunsets (March) A followers), plus five days that fall between months. These days are special occasions. Leap year is retained purely for 4 Tarsakh Tarsakh of the Storms (April) social convenience, and provides a sixth special day that is used as —Greengrass— the basis for long-term agreements and such contracts and activities. Months are subdivided into three ten-day periods. These are 5 Mirtul The Melting (May) known variously as eves, tendays, weeks, domen, hyrar, or rides 6 Kythorn The Time of Flowers (June) throughout the Forgotten Realms. While rides is the standard term 7 Flamerule Summertide (July) used in Cormyr and the Dalelands, this text uses weeks to avoid confusion. There is no standard set of day names. The days of the —Midsummer— week differ from geographic region to region, and usually have a 8 Eleasias Highsun (August) religious connotation. Although the months that comprise a year are standardized, the 9 Eleint The Fading (September) system of dating years varies from place to place. Usually, years are —Highharvestide— numbered from an event of great political or religious significance. Each nation or region has cultures with unique histories, and thus, 10 Marpenoth Leafall (October) different reckonings. The system of naming the months is named for 11 Uktar The Rotting (November) its inventor, the long-dead wizard Harptos of Kaalinth, and is in use —The Feast of the throughout the North. Moon— 12 Nightal The Drawing Down (December) The Calendar of Harptos The Calendar of Harptos is summarized in the table below. Each is considered a very bad omen, usually thought to foretell famine or month's name is followed by a colloquial description of that month, plague. plus the roughly corresponding month of the Gregorian calendar in Higharvestide: Higharvestide heralds the coming of fall and the parentheses. Special days are listed when they occur between harvest. It is a feast that often continues the length of the harvest so months, and appear in italic type. Each special day is described in that food is always on hand for those comin in from the fields. the Special Calendar Days section, below. There is much traveling about on the heels of the feast, as merchants, court emissaries, and pilgrims make speed before the worst of the mud arrives and the rain freezes in the snow. Special Calendar Days The Feast of the Moon: This festival, also called moonfest, is the Midwinter: Midwinter is known officially in Cormyr as the High last great festival of the year. It marks the arrival of winter and is Festival of Winter. It is a feast where, traditionally, the local lords also the day when the dead are honored. Graves are blessed, the of the land plan the year ahead, make and renew alliances, and send Ritual of Remembrance is performed, and tales of the doings of gifts of goodwill. To the commonfolk throughout the Realms, this is those now gone are told far into the night. Much is said of heroes Deadwinter Day, the midpoint of the worst of the cold. and treasure and lost cities underground. Greengrass: Greengrass is the official beginning of spring, a day Wars, by the way, are often but not always fought after the harvest of relaxation. Flowers that have been carefully grown in the inner is done, continuing as late as the weather permits. The bulk of the rooms of the keeps and temples during the winter are blessed and fighting takes place in the month of Uktar, and the ironic cast out upon the snow to bring rich growth in the season ahead. practicality of the Feast of the Moon is readily apparent. Midsummer: Midsummer, called Midsummer Night or the Long Shieldmeet: Once every four years, another day is added to the Night, is a time of feasting and music and love. In a ceremony year in the manner of February 29 in the Gregorian calendar. This performed in some lands, unwed maidens are set free in the woods day is part of no month and follows Midsummer Night. It is known and "hunted" by their would be suitors throughout the night. as Shieldmeet. It is a day of open council between nobles and - Betrothals are traditionally made upon this night. It is very rare people, a day for the making and renewing of pacts, oaths, and indeed for the weather to be bad during this night—such agreements. It is a day for tournaments, test and trials for those wishing to advance in battle fame or clerical standing, for entertainment of all types, particuarly theatrical, and for dueling. Marking the Years Years or winters are referred to by names, each name consistent across the Realms. Each kingdom or city-state numbers years differently, usually to measure the reign of a dynasty or the current monarch, or since the founding of the country. The result is a hodgepodge of overlapping numbers that serve to confuse the ordinary person and frustrate the sage. The widespread differing year dates include the following: Dalereckoning (DR): Dalereckoning is taken from the year that humans were first permitted by the Elven Court to settle in the more open regions of the forests. In some texts, primarily those which do not have direct ties to Dales history, Dalereckoning is called Freeman's Reckoning (FR). All dates in this chronology use Dalereckoning as its standard. Cormyr Reckoning (CR): Cormyr Reckoning begins at the foundation of House Obarskyr, the dynasty that still rules that land. The 25-year gap between Cormyr Reckoning and Dalereckoning has caused much of the confusion regarding elder days. Timelines and calendars by Toni James of the period often use DR designators, blut place the founding of Cormyr at 1 DR instead of 26 DR. This is understandable, given that the two reckonings are from two nearby parties and spread by a third (the merchants of Sembia), but it causes learned sages to slam their heads violently against their desks trying to figure things out. Northreckoning (NR): Used in the City of Waterdeep, Northreckoning dates from the year Ahghairon became the first Lord of Waterdeep. A more archaic system called Waterdeep Years (WY) dates from the supposed first use of Waterdeep as a trading post. This reckoning is now largely abandoned except in ancient texts. Mulhorand Calendar (MC): One of the oldest calendars in use in the Realms, this ancient scheme of record-keeping dates from the founding of Skuld, the City of Shadows, reputedly by a Mulhorandi god. Present Reckoning (PR): In an attempt to get a handle on the various number systems in use, a new type of reckoning has been implemented with the approval of such worthies as Khelben Arunsun of Waterdeep and Vangerdahast of Cormyr and carried abroad by the Harpers.