Timeline of the Known World Setting
Below is a timeline outlining a chronology of the major events that have transpired within the history of The Known World. The timeline lists general dates of major events before the New Calendar (C), and after the New Calendar (NC), established after the The War of the Undying.
The New Calendar is used in academic circles as a standard, universal measurement of history. Other civilizations may use different calendars, such as the Imperial Calendar used by the Empire of the Celestial Dragon, or the Luciferian Calender as used by those of Demon-kind. These will be listed as such within the events themselves, but all dates are adjusted to the New Calendar.
The names of the various ages of creation and eras are credited to the historians of Demon-kind since they have the longest continual history of any intelligent race of the Known World. Whenever the date of an event is unknown, but it is understood to have happened after the given year, it will be listed as a subset of the given year.
The Primordial Era
C. -4Billion → C. -100,000
-
C. -250 Million (Estimated)
Primeval War
Era beginning/end -
C. -110,000 → C. -100,000 (Estimated)
Primordial War
Military action
The Ancient Era
C. -100,000 → C. -1,000
-
C. -60,000 → C. -50,000 (Estimated)
Divine Civil War
Revolution -
C. -25,000 → C. -9,950 (Estimated)
Ak'teshi Empire
Founding -
C. -20,000 (Estimated)
Dominion of Torment
Founding -
C. -15,000 → C. -10,000 (Estimated)Brood War
Military action -
C. -10,000 → C. -9,950 (Estimated)War of Broken Chains
Revolution -
C. -9,920 → C. -5,000 (Estimated)
Great Migratory Period
Population Migration / Travel• C. -8,000 (Estimated). Primitive Humans spread throughout the sub-continents of Tansia, Iotia, and other western regions of Mahdi.
• C. -7,000 (Estimated). Primitive Humans, Halflings, and Dwarves spread throughout the sub-continent of Meyland, using dwarven-built strongholds as bastions for some of the first ancient civilizations.
• C. -6000 (Estimated). Some of the first shamans—followers of Arator's teachings—first settle on the Kalkaross Peninsula.
• C. -5,800 (Estimated). Primitive Humans, Dwarves, and Halflings First Settle in the Common Realms.
• C. -5,500 (Estimated) The first primitive Orcs and Humans settle on the continent of Maitreya.
• C. -5,100 (Estimated) The first Orcs and Humans settle in the sub-continent of Khitang and the isle of Kin-Zhu.Location
The Known World -
C. -4,600 (Estimated)
Dominion of Doubt
Founding -
C. -4,000 (Estimated)
Rebirth
Geological / environmental event -
C. -3,700 (Estimated)
Kingdom of Ban'zol
Founding -
C. -3600 (Estimated)
Founding of Nidea & The Crimson Mages
Founding -
C. -3,600 (Estimated)
Kingdom of K'jatar
Founding -
C. -3,500 (Estimated)
Dominion of Indulgence
Founding -
C. -3,500 (Estimated)
Kingdom of Zicotl
Founding -
C. -3,450 (Estimated)Tec'Tahos
Construction beginning/end -
C. -3,450 → C. -3,400Saurask Wars
Military action -
C. -3,400Tahosian Dynasty
Founding -
C. -3,350Ascension of Tahos
Religious event -
C. -3,340 → C. -3,260Reign of Emperor A'latl
Political event -
C. -3,280 → C. -3,260
Tahosian Civil war
Military action -
C. -3,260
Ascension of A'latl & Xalaxos
Religious event -
C. -3,260
Vauldis flees to Kalkaross
Life, Relocation -
C. -3,250 → C. -3,050
Reign and Ascension of Takanda, and the Slumbering of Taurask
Military action -
C. -3,180 → C. -3,100
The Nidean Schism
Revolution -
C. -3,200 (Estimated)Nidean Magocracy's Corruption & The Great Purge
Political event -
C. -3,100
Tao-Shun Overthrows the Dark Shamans, and the Birth of Goblins
Revolution -
C. -3,100 (Estimated)Founding of Nioba & The Age of Dawn
FoundingRefugees of the Nidean Schism cross the unforgiving Gold Expanse, driven by hope and the promise of freedom. They endure thirst, loss, and despair until they discover the River Niobe, where they found the Kingdoms of Nioba. Here, they blend the wisdom of Nidea with Mitoni traditions, forging a vibrant civilization rooted in resilience. As the Age of Dawn begins, solar magic flourishes, sun worship unites the people, and Nioba rises—its ziggurats and obelisks standing as testaments to the enduring light born from the shadows of exile.
Location
Nioba -
C. -3,060→ C. -3,040
Age of the Tiger & The Cleansing
Revolution -
C. -3040
The Shaman's Mantle
Founding -
C. -3,030
Tao-Shun Becomes the First Emperor of the new Orcish Empire
Political event -
C. -3,000 (Estimated)Sinking of Sekkar & Vauldis Rises to Lichdom
Disaster / Destruction -
C. -2,900 (Estimated)
Hephsut Rises to Lichdom and Constructs the Bone Palace
Life, Supernatural -
C. -2,500 (Estimated)The Merchant Princes & the Age of Sun’s Rise
Era beginning/endNioba’s ambition ignites the Age of Sun’s Rise, expanding its influence through diplomacy, trade, and conquest. From this prosperity emerge the Merchant Princes, masters of commerce and politics, their wealth rivaling kings. They shape empires with whispered deals and wield armies born of coin. Yet, beneath Nioba’s golden veneer, the memory of exile endures—a solemn reminder of both the fragility of power and the enduring strength carved from struggle.
Location
Nioba -
C. -2,500→ C. -1,000
Age of the Dragon, and the Empire of the Celestial Dragon
Cultural event -
C. -2,460 → C. -2,440 (Estimated)
Imperial Magistry and the Celestial Library
Founding -
C. -2,018 (Estimated)Rise of Kitesh
Life, Achievement/ WinPrince Kitesh rises from the shadow of doubt, armed with proof of an undead threat festering beyond the Bonewall Mountains. Tasked by the Prophet-Kings to commune with Amnut, the Sun God, Kitesh embarks on a sacred pilgrimage to Mt. Duniaji. There, he receives the divine charge to unite the fractured kingdoms of Nioba. Returning with his spear ablaze with the sun’s essence, Kitesh stands not as a prince, but as the Sun’s Chosen, destined to forge an empire and face the darkness looming on the horizon.
-
C. -2,015 (Estimated)The Dawn Conquest
Military: WarPrince Kitesh returns from his sacred pilgrimage, his Sun Spear blazing with divine light. Declared the Sun’s Chosen, he unites the northern kingdoms beyond Nioba's borders through conquest and diplomacy. From the desert citadels of Kandara to the mountain strongholds of Vazirad, the war caravans of Targash, and the river temples of Panja, Kitesh’s banner rises. By campaign’s end, Nioba stands as a unified empire, forged in battle and blessed by the sun itself.
Location
Nioba -
C. -1,992 (Estimated)Hephsut's First Invasion of Nioba
Military: WarWhile Kitesh wages his Dawn Conquest, Hephsut, the Immortal Lich King, emerges from the Sulfur Sea. His undead legions ravage Nioba, desecrating the Valley of the Prophet-Kings and raising an army of ancestors bound to his will. Cities fall, the Niobe River runs red, and Imbali becomes the last bastion of resistance. But as Hephsut marches north to expand his dominion, Kitesh returns, leading an army forged in conquest to face the undead tide at the fateful Battle of Kaf’nia Bay.
Location
Nioba -
C. -1,990 (Estimated)Battle of Kaf'nia Bay & Birth of the Kiteshi Empire
Military: BattleThe Battle of Kaf’nia Bay becomes the crucible where Nioba’s fate is decided. Kitesh, wielding the radiant Sun Spear, leads an army of the living against Hephsut’s relentless undead hordes. Amidst an apocalyptic clash, Kitesh’s divine fury shatters the Lich King, scattering his essence into ash. In the aftermath, the Prophet Kings declare the birth of the Kiteshi Empire, crowning Kitesh as the Sun’s Chosen and forging a legacy that will echo through eternity.
Location
Kaf'nia Bay -
C. -1,988 (Estimated)Imprisonment of Hephsut & Formation of the Sun Ward
Civil actionThe defeated lich Hephsut is captured by Naga traders and delivered to Kitesh. Recognizing that death cannot contain such a foe, Kitesh orders the construction of an eternal tomb deep within the Bonewall Mountains, sealing Hephsut in stasis with divine and arcane wards. In the aftermath, Kitesh forms the Sun Ward, a sacred order of one hundred warriors wielding blades blessed with Amnut’s light. Their eternal charge is to guard Hephsut’s prison, protect Nioba, and stand as living symbols of the empire’s vigilance against the ever-present threat of darkness.
Location
Bonewall Mountains -
C. -1,987 (Estimated)The Golden Age of Kitesh
Era beginning/endDuring the Golden Age of Kitesh, the Kiteshi Empire flourished, its influence stretching from the fertile banks of the River Niobe to distant frontiers. Trade thrived, grand cities rose with sun-bathed ziggurats, and temples to Amnut crowned every major settlement. Kitesh, crowned King of Kings and immortalized in golden statues, ruled with wisdom and justice, guiding the empire into an era of unparalleled prosperity. Yet, as centuries of peace dulled vigilance, the memory of ancient evils faded—until the long shadows of history began to stir once more beneath Nioba’s radiant light.
Location
Nioba -
C. -1,800
The Solar Society & The Sunlight Sanctum
Founding -
C. -1,170
Emperor Kanai Soulseeker & Suto Bloodfang
Political event -
C. -1160
Suto Saves Kanai's Life
Life, Achievement/ Win -
C. -1,140
Suto Bloodfang Saves Kanai's Son
Life, Achievement/ Win -
C. -1,130
Suto Hears Whispers from Vauldis
Life, Supernatural -
C. -1,100 (Estimated)
The Jade Storm
Disaster / Destruction -
C. -1,100 → C. -1,050
Overpopulation of Xuin Lu
Population Migration / Travel -
C. -1,090The Infinus Maledus is Given to the Sun-Ward
Diplomatic actionThe Empire of the Celestial Dragon entrusted the cursed tome, Infinus Maledus, to Nioba’s Sun Ward. Sealed within sunstone vaults beneath Imbali City and bound by divine wards, the book’s dark legacy was placed under the vigilant watch of Nioba’s sacred guardians. Though intended as a safeguard, the tome’s malevolent influence remained—a shadow destined to one day awaken.
Location
Imperial Palace
The Old Era
C. -1,000 → NC. 0
-
C. -1,000 → C. -980
Angels Approach Humanity, Angelicism, and the High Chalice
Religious event -
C. -980 → C. -900
Dawnlight Cathedral
Construction beginning/end -
C. -200 (Estimated)
The Awakened
Founding -
C. -10 (Estimated)The Theft of the Infinus Maledus
Civil actionVauldis, the First Lich, infiltrated Nioba’s sacred vaults, orchestrating a masterstroke of espionage and betrayal. Through a network of spies, cultists, and corrupted officials, he sowed discord within the Sun Ward, weakening their defenses. Cloaked in dark magic, Vauldis bypassed the sacred wards, stole the Infinus Maledus, and vanished—leaving behind only the corpses of Nioba’s finest and the first crack in an empire soon to crumble.
Location
Nioba
The New Era
0 C. and beyond
-
NC. 0 → NC. 100The War of the Undying
Disaster / Destruction -
NC. 90Hephsut's Deal
Diplomatic actionIn the depths of desperation, the Sun Ward strikes a fateful bargain with Hephsut, the very lich they once imprisoned. Driven by jealousy and ancient grudges against Vauldis, Hephsut agrees to aid them in exchange for his freedom and the Infinus Maledus. Armed with his dark knowledge, they defeat Vauldis at Ruin's Peak—only to watch Hephsut claim the cursed tome, setting the stage for a new, grave threat.
Location
Nioba -
NC. 110 → NC. 120The Green-Skin Wars
Military action -
NC. 120Fall of the Sun Ward
Military actionTwenty years after the War of the Undying, Hephsut unleashes his vengeance. Using the Infinus Maledus, he casts a grand curse upon the Sun Ward, fracturing their unity with sickness, paranoia, and corruption. As they crumble from within, Hephsut strikes. Clad in shadowed regalia, he storms their sanctum, shattering the sacred Sun Blades with necromantic fury. The once-mighty Sun Ward falls, their legacy reduced to ash, their names lost to the echoes of history.
Location
Nioba -
NC. 130 → NC. 190The War for the Silver Crown
Military action -
NC. 150Hephsut's Second Invasion of Nioba
Military: WarHephsut’s second invasion of Nioba unfolds like a nightmare etched in blood and shadow. Drawing on the Infinus Maledus, he unleashes the Scarab Plague—swarms of blighted beetles devouring flesh, spreading sickness, and reanimating the dead. The Prophet-Kings’ bloodlines are severed, temples defiled, and cities reduced to ash. Betrayed by opportunistic Merchant Princes, Nioba crumbles under the weight of necromantic domination. In a final, desperate stand at Imbali City, the Sun Ward Commander severs Hephsut’s control over the scarabs but succumbs to a devastating curse. Her death marks the empire’s fall, the sacred Sun Spear shattered, and Nioba’s golden age extinguished under the eternal shadow of the Immortal Lich.
Location
Nioba -
NC. 155End of the Nioban Kingdoms & The Age of Dusk
Era beginning/endNioba stands broken under Hephsut’s eternal shadow, its once-glorious empire reduced to ash and bone. The Eternal Domain thrives where life withers—temples of Amnut defiled, histories rewritten, and the living enslaved to the will of the dead. The Merchant Princes rule as hollow puppets, while necromancer lords enforce Hephsut’s dominion with iron and blood. The Risen Legion marches, led by the cursed remnants of the Sun Ward, their sacred oaths twisted into chains. Above all, Hephsut sits upon his Eternal Throne, the shattered Sun Spear mounted as a cruel testament that even the brightest light can be extinguished.
Location
Nioba -
NC. 400 → NC. 450
Malinis, Bride of the Frozen Ruin & Frost Kobolds
Disaster / Destruction -
NC. 552
Battle for the Cinder Den
Military action -
NC. 552
Siege of Druvenholme
Military action
