The Common Timeline

There exists three timelines between the three primary races of the Last Lands (Elves, Dwarves and Humans).

As such, three different calendars exist. With that said, the Last Lands Campaign Guide presents information from the Human point of view when it comes to timelines and events. The Human calendar begins at the year 0 which corresponds with an event called “The Arrival”. This was essentially the moment they first set foot in the Last Lands.

With that in mind, what follows is a brief history of the Last Lands that covers just the basics. References to more detailed events will remain simply references for now and may or may not be filled in at a later date.

I call it the historical foundation for future work.

Long before The Arrival

Before Man came to the Last Lands, there existed two civilized peoples; the Elves and the Dwarves. The story of their creation is one that both races share belief in.

3000 B.A.

This common belief is that these lands were void of life until some 3,000 years ago when the Star of Creation took hold of a passing celestial body and surrounded it with other stars like itself, so that they may marvel at it’s unique form.

So enthralled with this celestial body some of them became that many stars descended to the surface. There, they made contact with the earth and became one with it, coming into the form of tall slender beings with the skin of the forest and eyes of the stars who represented at once the beauty of the stars as well as the desire to protect the celestial body, manifested into a living sentient creature.

At the same time, almost as a reflection of each of those beings, from the stone of the earth rose shorter, and stouter figures with eyes of crystal and skin of gemstones. They represented the earth given a voice, one that could communicate with the others. These two beings were related – one from the stars of the sky and the other from the stone of the earth, but both with a new-found sense of self and the desire to explore this new world through their new eyes.

These two beings considered themselves no different from one another. Aside from appearances; there was no other difference to be found and they traveled the world together taking in everything they saw.

But with time, they began to change. The desire to explore this world that was shared by all began to fade within some of them, both those from the stars and those from the earth. This desire in some was replaced with raw emotions never felt before then. Some became lost in these emotions and became twisted versions of their former selves, eventually becoming what are now known as animals and even monsters in some cases, and worse.

Over time, these two forms began to change – to conform to the world around them. The tall slender figures from the stars became what are now known as Elves. The others becoming Dwarves.

The Lost Connection

2000 B.A.

Much later, these two beings found themselves parting ways. Something was calling to each of them – a need to reconnect with their origins.

To the Dwarves, this calling was a strong desire to be one with the stone of the earth again and it is said that’s when they eventually found their way to a great set of mountains unmatched by anything they had seen before. There, they decided they would explore no further and would instead make this new place their home.

To the Elves, this pulling in their hearts stirred within them a desire to return once again to the stars above. Eventually, it is said they came to a great tree in a deep woods. This tree shimmered with a white glow, as they once had in the sky, and indeed it even seemed to be reaching for the heavens. They knew when they set their eyes upon it that they would never again be one with the stars, but the tree filled them with peace, and none could leave its presence. This tree was called the White Elm and it is the current location of the (Forest) Elven Capital.

It was also at this time, that these beings first began to record the events of their existence – their history. Already, so much had been lost and forgotten and neither wanted to forget where they had came from.

The Grummikar

1800 B.A.

The Elves had established a small realm of influence and now had their very first Elven King appointed to head an Elder Council made up of other family heads. They also kept in touch with their Dwarven cousins to the North who were also doing well establishing their new home in the depths of the mountains.

It was during this time that a great beast entered the Elven kingdom. It was described as a bear, though many times larger than the bears seen at the time, and it spoke to the Elves, wishing to speak with their leader. The request was granted and so it stood before the Elder Council, explaining to them that it represented a being called The Grummikar who wished to speak with them. They agreed and the beast left, returning one week later with The Grummikar, who rode upon its back. He was tall and slender, with eyes that shimmered like the stars of old. His head continued up and back, farther than theirs and splintered off into various branches, though darkened as if burned. His skin was pale, and textured like that of tree bark. To them, this being represented a vision of what their people had once been, but at the same time something different.

The Elves, still very innocent in their youth, awaited his words but instead of speaking, he moved to the king and seized him by the throat, dragging him off into the darkness of the woods. It is said the Elves were powerless to stop the being as it marched through many of them. At that moment, their lands were attacked by many beasts, including bears being lead by the one who brought The Grummikar as well as wolves, lead by a massive wolf themselves, who was said to be shouting commands in the language the Elves had developed.

This event would last one month, until one day all beasts and other creatures of the forest involved fled at once.

Weeks later, a great Bear and Wolf came to the land of the Elves and told them that the Grummikar had gone. That it was he who controlled them but that he was gone now, and the others of their kind wished only to live in peace with the Elves. The Elves, compassionate to all living creatures of the forest, accepted their claim and a treaty was accepted between them.

The Elves would come to learn that while not all beasts of the forest could speak as the Elves did, those who could were capable of communicating to the rest. These “Speakers” were the leaders of their clans and acted as emissaries between The Elves and the other beasts of the forest.

The First Falling

1600 B.A.

During the reign of the 3rd Elven King, the Elves experienced a very rough period filled with internal squabbling over a number of issues, which in a few occasions had nearly led to civil war. Primary among these issues was the desire by a large minority to leave these lands – to find a way to return to the stars. They believed that the destiny of the Elves was not to stay upon this world, fighting off creatures from the dark.

And so it was that this large minority (some few thousand it is estimated), left their realm and headed North intending on leaving the woods. At their lead was an Elf named S’vaiden (suh-vay-den), the head of his family and now a former member of the Elven Elder Council.

During their journey North, this group of what would later become the Eladrin came across an area where the forest pushed into the mountains for a mile, surrounding the wooded area on three sides. From these mountains fell various waterfalls and the sky was clear above it. The stars and moon above all seemed to be watching this place. It is said S’vaiden told his people he could go no further. That he could see this is where they belonged.

No one disagreed, and so it is there that the Eladrin kingdom was born, and the construction of what is now the Star Spire began.

Elves of the Desert

1500 B.A.

Some 100 years after founding their new home at the Star Spire, The Eladrin King S’vaiden sends an expeditionary force into the mountains to the South West to see what can be found on the other side. The woods to the North had already been explored, and trade through it and the grasslands to the Dwarven kingdom had already been established.

This first group eventually came into what is now the Zayn Desert.

Many remained while some returned with various stones and gems from the area. At the return of such treasures, the King sent out more expeditions. Eventually a settlement sprung up as a launching point for further expeditions into and through the Desert.

It would only be 50 more years before they would discover the furtile jungles and lands at the South Western foot of the Desert, where it ended at the ocean. It was there that another settlement was constructed that would later come to be called Izz Al’Dinn, after the first ruler of the Desert Elves.

In this coastal area were also found gnomes living in various locations up and down the coast, near the shore.

1200 B.A.

By 1200 B.A. these Elves had established their own rules of the Desert and their own leadership. The new Eladrin King Surahan did not like what was happening and attempted to send troops through the mountains to establish control in the Desert, but never succeeded. Eventually a treaty was signed and thus began the era of the Desert Elves after establishing their first Exarch, Izz Al’Dinn.

The Arrival

Year 0

The Arrival event is the second most significant point in the timeline of the Last Lands (the first being the creation of what would be Elves and Dwarves). This is the point in time when Humans first arrived in the Last Lands.

According to man, their world was dying when the One God came to them and offered them a chance at survival. Their people accepted and were brought to these lands, though according to them only 347 arrived. They claimed the One God gave these lands to them and that he would return to them when the skies rained with fire – a phrase used by them on the old world to describe an intense meteor shower.

88 A.A.

Humans establish the town of Havenshore, located on the Southern shore of the island they had arrived on (now called the Island of Ways), and near what they called the Calling Stone – a large black obelisk that was here when they first arrived.

First Contact

96 A.A.

Elves see human inhabitants on the Island of Ways on their way across to meet with the Dwarves, but are not spotted themselves. They decide to hold off on making contact and instead speak to the Dwarves.

Months later, a small delegation of Elves and Dwarves make their way to the island and introduce themselves. Despite the communication gap, much progress is made over the next year, but there is also a sharp divide among the Elves about what should be done with them. This division would lead to the second Falling.

The Second Falling

103 A.A.

As the humans began to build a second town on the shores south of Havenshore (what would be “Landfall”). The Forest Elves began to worry. These beings did not know how to survive properly off the land. They had to continue to expand their territories in order to sustain their growth.

The Eladrin, who lived closest to these humans, found themselves compelled to help for the most part. They immediately sympathized with them and considered them friends.

However the Forest Elves, despite their distance from the humans, were strongly divided. A large minority wanted to march out and kill every human before they grew to be a large threat, which they were sure would be the case. But the majority felt, as did the Eladrin, that the humans should be helped.

The decision to continue helping them nearly lead to civil war until finally, for the second time in their history, there was a mass exodus. Those who felt they could not stand by and watch as the humans spread like a disease left together for a great woods in the west, said to have been visited long ago by one of their first kings.

There they would lose themselves in the shadows of the ancient woods and eventually become the Lost Elves.