For a history of the proceeding period see; The Realm of the Mists: the Arentan Period

A Flame in the Dark

510 – 346

506 BCI: News of the great war with the Bar makes it clear that the legions will not be returning.  The local aristocracy have become almost completely dependent on the Empire and with its withdrawal, the government of the Realm quickly breaks down.

506 – 461: Emboldened by the departure of the legions and their dragons, Druidic raiders return to the Inner Realm. Local chieftains and the Caladian legates who elected to remain behind hold on as well they can, but many smaller settlements are sacked.

460: At the Conclave of Mandor, the surviving Caladian and Realmish aristocrats meet to decide on the nation’s future. The situation is clearly dire and in desperation they swear fealty to Eleanor of House Radouvae as Queen. In return for their loyalty, the Caladian’s are awarded fiefs and titles.

459 – 437: Queen Eleanor embarks on an immense project of castle building. Enormous bastions are constructed at Farron, Northwatch, Sunburry and Mandor. While these great fortresses and their garrisons cannot completely stop the raids, they make them radically more difficult and secure large areas of surrounding lands.

410: Limited trade with the continent recommences.

392: A ship tax is raised and the proceeds used to build an ocean going navy. The nascent navy is directly controlled by the crown and is used to hunt down raiders.

377: The University of Drania is founded. While the University is initially a purely ecclesiastical school, it soon expands into history, alchemy and philosophy. Over the next century more universities spring up around the Realm.

358 – 353: The Long Winter. For five long years the world seems to grow cold and the sun hangs dim in a grey sky. Winter lengthens into spring and autumn and heavy frosts fall even in summer. Crops fail and tens of thousands perish in famines.

355 – 346: The growth of the Ancient Heresy. Interpreting the famine as a punishment from the Old Gods, the Ancient Heresy returns to their worship (alongside the worship of Samaryan). The peasant leaders of the heresy also attack the nobles and the clergy for their excesses. Originally limited to the wild south of the Realm, the heresy gathers pace and is soon present in Mandor and other large southern towns.

Before the Storm

346 – 27

346: Under pressure from the Caladian Church, weak King Thomas declares a crusade against the Ancient Heresy. Hundreds of foreign zealots, mercenaries and adventurers answer the call and journey to the Realm.

345 – 311: The three Mandorian Crusades tear the south of the Realm apart. By the time the heresy has been suppressed, countless towns have been destroyed and tens of thousands killed. The brutality of the Crusades leaves a lasting ill feeling against the Caladian Church and creates a divide between native and Caladian noble families.

Concurrent with the Crusades, a series of ‘Great Hunts’ are undertaken across the Realm and the tainted, who have come to be associated with paganism and heresy, are ruthlessly slaughtered.

274 – 269: The Realm sends an expeditionary force of knights to participate in the Third Caladian Civil War. This is the first time Realmsmen have fought on the continent.

261: The Duchy of Andiel is founded. This is the Realm’s first possession on the eastern side of the Mountains of Morn.

243: Whitby’s Gift. John Whitby, a minor vassal of the Duke of Mandor, presents his stable of twenty pegasi to Queen Freya. While pegasi had long been known as pets and mascots in the Realm, their small size had limited their usefulness. Now, after almost a century of selective breeding, the Whitby family has created a breed of pegasi large enough to carry a man. Large flyers had been extremely rare in the Realm since the Caladian dragons departed and the large pegasi revolutionise communication. Messages can now pass to and from the capital in mere days and the power of the throne is greatly strengthened.

Whitby is made a baron and commander of the Royal Stud.

221: Coronation of Sandor the Mad. The new King immediately begins an enormous building project, with dozens of palaces, churches, theatres, follies and other public buildings springing up around Drania. The city walls are also enlarged and modernised.

213: Frustrated that Drania is landlocked, Sandor resolves to construct a series of canals linking his capital to the sea. Although his engineers tell him the project is impossible, he brushes their complaints aside.

213 – 210: In order to provide a workforce for his mammoth canal building project, Sandor sends the navy north to raid the Druidic lands. The population of entire Druidic villages and towns are captured and returned to Drania as slaves. Sandor also forces prisoners, his political enemies and many of the nation’s poor to work on the project.

199: The Canals of Sand and Skulls are completed. Although more than 10,000 workers have died and the Realm is almost bankrupt, Sandor the Mad has done the impossible and linked his capital to the ocean.

199: At the grand gala for the opening of the canals, Sandor is assassinated by Anne Sutton, the daughter of one of the noblemen who died during the construction.

176 – 171: Gregor’s Wake. King Henry III supports the Duke of Hugenbald’s claim to the imperial throne of Barraine. He personally leads the Royal Army in Barraine to support the Duke.

171: At the disastrous Battle of Ansbach, King Henry, both his sons, and many of the Realm’s nobles perish.

171 – 103: With the succession unclear a war over the throne breaks out. This period has come to be known as ‘The Disorder’.  For almost seventy years a series of civil wars between the great families tear the Realm apart.

103: Queen Matilda wins a decisive victory at the Battle of Houghton. She extends clemency to those who swear fealty to her and she crushes any who rebel. The period of disorder is over.

78: The Realm aids Dercia in their long war against the Druids. At the Battle of Stormhaven the Druidic host is destroyed and Dercia saved.

27: Prince Isaladar is born.

For a history of subsequent events see; The Realm of the Mists: the Deluge