The Gate and Beyond

by E J Gilmour

  288 BL – The Ortarians hold the Kaznorian invasion at the Iron Gate Pass, but they cannot regain control of the Edius Plateau. The Kaznorians invade Vastoria and meet little resistance. The Kaznorian army crosses the Deep Desert and attacks Darancra. Wymar Ecorian fights with the garrison at Darancra. The Kaznorians fall back to Sabulo.

  287 BL – Wymar Ecorian, leaving Princess Niarm and daughter in Darancra, rides east with an army of Vastorians. They attack the Kaznorian force that holds Sabulo. The Vastorians army is vanquished and Wymar Ecorian is captured by the enemy. Wymar Ecorian and the Sword of Midlight are taken back to Aldokan and then on to Zarkanor in Kaznor. Wymar is thrown into the Dungeons of Zarkanor and the Sword of Midlight is taken again by the Circle of Night.

  286 BL – The Kaznorians capture Darancra. Princess Niarm and Una Ecorian escape back to Faircastle. The Order of Zyran influences the Aterians to help in the struggle against the Circle of Night. The Aterians prevent the Kaznorians from capturing Kavacas, and they hold the southern regions of the Adira River against the Kaznorians.

  275 BL – The elderly Northern Sorcerer Fazmak helps Wymar Ecorian to escape the Dungeons of Zarkanor. Wymar and Fazmak flee south without the Sword of Midlight. Wymar Ecorian returns to Faircastle with Fazmak. Wymar Ecorian convinces King Erart to raise an army to liberate Vastoria.

  274 BL – The Irvarian army invades Vastoria and captures Darancra. Wymar and King Erart lead the Irvarians onward to Sabulo. They capture Sabulo and attack the Kaznorian positions in the Iron Gate Pass. Wymar Ecorian is killed by an arrow whilst fighting high in the Iron Gate Pass.

  271 BL – Una Ecorian travels north with Fazmak. Together they cross the Endora Mountains and enter the forests of Kaznor. Fazmak leads Una to Zarkanor. Una infiltrates the fortress and steals the Sword of Midlight. She escapes with Fazmak’s help. Fazmak is killed defending Una against the Circle of Night. He is remembered always as one of the few good Northern Sorcerers throughout history. Una hides out in the wilderness of southern Kaznor. She later lives in a small secluded Kaznorian village.

  269 BL – Una Ecorian returns to Irvaria. She marries an Irvarian knight and lives in Stonehaven with her husband.

  263 BL – A rebellion begins in Scaldonia. The people rise up against the Kaznorian oppressors. Orelin is liberated by the rebellion. The Zyranians send troops to support the rebellion, and the Kaznorians are forced back to Aldokan. The Ortarians, Zyranians, and Scaldonians push north to Aldokan. A mighty battle is fought south of Aldokan. The allied force is victorious. The Kaznorians are removed from Scaldonia.

  258 BL – The Ortarians send a small brigade of brave knights to vanquish the draug in the Northern Pass. None of the knights return.

  255 BL – A band of Vastorians from Sabulo dig a silver mine in the Vastorian Wasteland. They come across a massive colony of Blue Caps. The Blue Caps capture many of the miners. The Vastorians send a group of soldiers to recover the lost miners. The Blue Caps battle the soldiers in their tunnels deep beneath the desert. Many Blue Caps are killed.

  254 BL – A massive swarm of Blue Caps attack Sabulo. They smash down much of the wall that surrounds the city and capture over one thousand men of Sabulo. They take their captives deep beneath the ground to work as slaves in the Blue Cap mines. The Vastorians fear upsetting the Blue Caps and leave them alone.

  251 BL – Una Ecorian travels to the Blue Cap abode in the Deep Desert. The Blue Caps negotiate a deal with Una Ecorian. Una, also being of the mer people, gains the confidence of the Blue Caps who are traditionally opposed to men; however, they have no issue with the mer or women. The Blue Caps release the men of Sabulo on the condition that their home is left alone. Una of Stonehaven is revered by the Vastorian people after this event. The fact that she is an Ecorian is never revealed.

  247 BL – A group of Skatheans unexpectedly attack Emeril. Many Fiorian Knights are killed in the raid. The Fiorian Order manages to hold back the attack. The Skatheans retreat.

  244 BL – A group of Skatheans arrive in Coran. They quickly take power and assassinate all the ruling royal family.

  243 BL – Groups of farmers in Coran rise up against their Skathean overlords. The Skatheans quickly put down the Farmer’s Rebellion.

  240 BL – The Skatheans rule Coran with an iron fist. The people suffer greatly. The Tabarian Knights with the help of the Fiorian Order prepare to invade Coran to challenge the rule of the Skatheans. The Tabarians build an army of ten thousand men who are mostly from Iarthar. The Tabarians invade Coran and meet the Skathean force close to the coast of the Merhome Sea. The Tabarians suffer heavy losses whilst taking victory over the Skatheans. Coran is liberated. Duchess Roisin of Iarthar becomes Queen Roisen of Coran.

  237 BL – The Star King leaves his cave and seeks out the Sun Stone of the Astarians. He discovers the Sun Stone has the power to open a gate to any place in the cosmos.

  234 BL – The Star King discovers that the Sun Stone is held by Casimir beneath the sea. He attempts to build a craft to take him beneath the ocean; however, he fails in his task.

  232 BL – The Star King asks Callidus to request the Sun Stone from Casimir. Callidus contacts Casimir beneath the sea for the first time in thousands of years. Casimir refuses to give the Sun Stone to the Star King because the power of the Sun Stone is used to light the mer cities in the deep. The Star King grows angry and thinks Callidus and Casimir are conspiring to stop him from returning home. He battles Callidus at the northern edge of the Great Mountains. The outcome of the battle is inconclusive, neither the Astarian nor the Star King are victorious. The Star King returns home to his cave high in the Great Mountains.

  226 BL – By this time the Zyranian Order fully control the southern kingdoms east of the Great Mountains. Irvaria is the only kingdom that is not entirely under the influence of Zyran. The Fiorian Order considers the kingdoms east of the Great Mountains to all be part of the Zyranian Empire.

  215 BL – An Irilian, Gael to Brave, crosses the Great Mountains to hold talks with the Zyranians. She hopes to build a bridge between the two orders. She is captured in Everdon and taken to Zyran in chains. The Zyranians attempt to extract the secrets of the Irilian Order from Gael. Gael sends a small black bird to Irvaria to tell her order of her imprisonment in the Dungeons of Zyran.

  214 BL – An Irilian, Sean the Great, with four other powerful Irilians cross the Great Mountains in secret. They travel across Vastoria and through Ateria. Eventually Sean and his company arrive in Zyran. Their presence is undetected by the Zyranians. Sean instigates a plan to rescue Gael. Three of the Irilians are killed, but Sean and Gael escape Zyran and sail back to Everdon. From Everdon they cross the Great Mountains and return to the Iril Fortress. The Zyranians are enraged by the Irilian incursion. They declare war on the Irilian Order.

  213 BL – Twenty Zyranian Enforcers cross the Great Mountains to attack the Iril Fortress. A group of fifty Irilians meet them in western Dravania near the Crystal Lake. The Zyranians are forced to retreat and several are slain in the battle. Zyran prepares for a full scale attack. The Irilians seek the assistance of the Fiorian Order. The Fiorian Knights do not want to get involved in the long running feud between the two orders.

  212 BL – The Zyranians send fifty wizards to destroy the Irilians once and for all. Most of the Irilian Order, about seventy wizards, leaves the Iril Fortress to meet the Zyranians high in the Great Mountains. A great battle is fought with neither side able to take an advantage. For months ongoing skirmishes between the two orders occur high in the Great Mountains. Eventually the Zyranians give up after having sustained great losses. The decision is made mostly because they cannot maintain their influence over the kingdoms of the east whilst maintaining a war with the Irilians. The Irilians consider it a victory over the Zyranian Order.

  207 BL – The Circle of Night send a fleet to attack Aldokan. The Kaznorian army is mostly destroyed by the Scaldonian garrisons protecting the city. The Scaldonians capture most of the ships of the Kaznorian fleet. The Zy
ranians see an opportunity to invade Kaznor. The idea of extending their influence into Kaznor grows over the course of the year.

  206 BL – The Order of Zyran begins to build an army with the help of all of the kingdoms of the east. By the end of the year their army has over one hundred thousand men. The army gathers at Aldokan.

  205 BL – The Zyranian fleet sails for Zarkanor. The fleet lands close to the city and captures all the surrounding territories. The Circle of Night sends an army to face the massive Zyranian force. Both armies suffer great losses but the Zyranians take victory. The Circle of Night retreats from Zarkanor. The Zyranians capture the city and the fortress.

  204 BL – The Circle of Night, based in Garovna, begin to gather troops from the west of Kaznor. Meanwhile Zyran brings more soldiers from the south to bolster their forces around Zarkanor. The Zyranians also begin to tax Kaznor and send the wealth back to Zyran.

  201 BL – The Circle of Night attacks the Zyranian positions around Zarkanor and completely obliterate the Zyranian force. The Zyranians pull back all their forces to Zarkanor and attempt to hold the fortress against the massive army of the Circle of Night. The Circle of Night army assails Zarkanor and not one soldier of the Zyranian force escapes Kaznor. The power of the Zyranian Order is much diminished by the loss.

  198 BL – King Barat of Irvaria calls for all the knights of Veredor to take part in a great tournament. He sends word to all the knights of all the orders and all the kingdoms to come to compete for the right to court his daughter, Princess Bethia of Irvaria.

  197 BL – The tournament takes place in Faircastle. Knights come from all over Veredor to take part in the tournament. The Takalian Knights, the Desert Knights, and the Muckron Bane Knights also send representatives. A Takalian knight from Scaldonia, Otis the Red, wins the tournament after defeating all other challenges. Princess Bethia falls in love with Otis and the two are married later in the year. Otis the Red becomes Duke Otis of Irvaria. The Takalian Knights gain a reputation as the most formidable fighters in Veredor after the tournament.

  192 BL – Duke Otis, thinking he is the greatest warrior in Veredor, publically challenges a Fiorian, Liam the Silent. Duke Otis believes he will be revered as the greatest warrior who ever lived if he can defeat a Fiorian Knight. The duel takes place in the Great Hall of Faircastle and many dignitaries come to watch. Liam the Silent defeats Duke Otis with ease, shocking the entire audience. Otis is greatly ashamed of his loss and never wields a sword again.

  187 BL – A draug appears in the forest south of the Crystal Lake. Many village folk are killed by the draug. The Irilians send a group of wizards to kill the draug. Five Irilians die fighting the draug, but they force the draug to flee into the Great Mountains. The draug escapes and crosses the Great Mountains into Everdon.

  185 BL – The draug appears in the Table Lands of Everdon. Many village folk and farmers suffer at the hands of the draug. King Galot of Everdon sends his knights to fight the draug. Most of his knights are killed by the draug. King Galot calls on the Fire Order for help but they refuse.

  184 BL – A young village women, Ismena of the Table Lands, takes up her dead father’s sword and challenges the draug in the forests of Table Lands. Ismena kills the draug because of her pure heart.

  182 BL – Ismena becomes the first female knight of the Kingdom of Everdon.

  179 BL – The Gerish Oracle warns of the return of the Prince of Shadows. The Fiorian Order heeds the warning.

  175 BL – A civil war breaks out in Kaznor between two factions of the Circle of Night. The Skatheans make up most of one faction and the Northern Sorcerers make up the other. The Skatheans are forced into subservience by the more numerous Northern Sorcerers.

  171 BL – Many Skatheans decide to leave the Circle of Night and flee to Alber. Some Skatheans enter the Southern Lands of Veredor.

  168 BL – A group of Ortarian miners accidently disturb a lindworm’s den in the Red Mountains. Many of the miners are killed by the Lindworm. Several Ortarian knights attempt to slay the lindworm. They are all killed by the beast. The Lindworm forces the closure of all the Ortarian silver mines in the Red Mountains. King Claren of Ortaria seeks a way of killing the beast. He calls on all the orders of knights to assist him in the task. Two Desert Knights attempt to slay the beast but they are both killed.

  165 BL – A knight of the Fiorian Order, Edolina the Wise, travels from Emeril to Ortaria to face the lindworm in the Red Mountains. Edolina battles the beast, but she is forced to retreat due to an injury. The Zyranians send three Enforcers to kill the dragon. All three wizards are killed in the battle.

  163 BL – Edolina seeks out the lindworm again. She slays the beast and later returns to Emeril.

  159 BL – Packs of muckrons appear in Alber. The people suffer greatly. Vesrak the Stern of Alber calls on the Muckron Bane Knights of the Far Western Lands to save his people from the muckron menace. A group of eighty Muckron Bane Knights travel by ship to Alber. They free the Alber people from the muckron menace. A small contingent of Muckron Bane Knights remains in Alber at the request of King Vesrak.

  154 BL – The Circle of Night prepare a fleet to sail east from Kaznor.

  152 BL – The Kaznorian fleet sails around Scaldonia and attacks Zyran directly. The Zyranians fall back to the Citadel of Zyran where they take a stand against twenty five thousand Kaznorians soldiers. The Kaznorian army begins a long siege of the Citadel of Zyran.

  151 BL – King Marc of Ortaria sends a fleet from Ancora to Zyran. The Ortarians battle the Zyranians in the Bay of Zyran and on the beaches surrounding the Citadel of Zyran. The battle is fierce and the Kaznorians retreat to the north side of the island. The Silvorians send a small army to assist. The two armies attack the Kaznorian positions in the north of Zyran. The remaining Kaznorians retreat back to Zarkanor. Zyran is liberated.

  146 BL – The Oran Oracle warns of the return of the Prince of Shadows.

  143 BL – Garin Ecorian travels to Emeril to study with the Fiorians.

  140 BL – A powerful Northern Sorcerer, Fizzakar the Tyrant, appears in Roven. He quickly destroys all resistance and takes the throne of Roven. The Irilians send ten wizards to remove Fizzakar. Fizzakar destroys the ten Irilians and rules Roven unchallenged. Fizzakar divides the nobles of Roven and conquers the entire kingdom.

  137 BL – Garin Ecorian travels to Ghrian. He gathers a group of young warriors and prepares to take on Fizzakar. He attempts to gain the support of Queen Branna of Iarthar. Queen Branna refuses to help. Garin Ecorian travels to the stronghold of the Tabarian Knights to seek their assistance. The Tabarian Knights refuse the request. Garin Ecorian then goes on to request the help of the Muckron Bane Knights. They agree to help to liberate Roven by sending fifty knights with Garin Ecorian. Garin Ecorian at this time has one hundred and fifty men under his command.

  136 BL – Garin Ecorian requests the help of the Takalian Knights. A small group of Takalians join his small force. Three Irilians join Garin Ecorian’s army. Fizzakar raises an army of eight thousand men in Roven and moves to attack Iarthar. Queen Branna prepares to defend her kingdom. Fizzakar leads his army across the border. Queen Branna’s army is forced to retreat back to Ghrian. Garin Ecorian arrives at Ghrian and saves the city from Fizzakar’s army. Fizzakar retreats back to Roven. Queen Branna helps Garin Ecorian to build an army to challenge Fizzakar.

  135 BL – Garin Ecorian invades Roven. He quickly reclaims the conquered territory. Garin Ecorian liberates Roven and captures Fizzakar. Fizzakar is taken back to the Iril Fortress in chains. He is placed in the dungeons of the Iril Fortress and is never released.

  131 BL – The Northern Sorcerers of the Circle of Night face turmoil within their own ranks. The Circle of Night is greatly weakened.

  127 BL – The Eranai Oracle predicts the return of the Prince of Shadows in the age to come.

  123 BL – Garin Ecorian enters Irvaria and marries Countess Orella of Elcalee.

  119 BL – The Zyranians begin a feud with King
Huggett of the Isles of Dawn. King Huggett refuses to allow any of the Zyranians to enter the Isles of Dawn as he sees that they are manipulating the monarchies of the east. He also prevents Zyranian ships from passing his islands on their way to Ateria.

  117 BL – The Zyranians threaten King Huggett and attempt to influence King Vin of Silvor to send a fleet to conquer the Isles of Dawn. King Vin refuses to get involved in the feud.

  115 BL – King Huggett is assassinated by an unknown assailant. Prince Hector commands the powerful fleet of the Isles of Dawn to attack any ship owned by the Zyranian Order. Many Zyranian ships and destroyed on the high seas. The Zyranians are outraged by the actions and claim to have had nothing to do with the assassination of King Huggett. Prince Hector is made King of the Ilses of Dawn.

  112 BL – The Order of Zyran persuades King Vin of Silvor to send his fleet to challenge the fleet of the Isles of Dawn. A great war on water is fought between the Silvorians and the Isles of Dawn with neither side taking an advantage. The war is ongoing.

  110 BL – The Aterians decide to side with the Isles of Dawn. Ortaria and Scaldonia side with Zyran and Silvor. Ateria sends ships to reinforce the fleet of the Isles of Dawn.

  109 BL – A fleet of Ortarian and Zyranian ships meet with the main fleet of the Ilses of Dawn in the seas off the coast of Silvor. The Zyranian fleet is victorious and most of the ships of the Ilses of Dawn are destroyed in the battle.

  108 BL – The Ilses of Dawn fall to the Zyranians with the help of the Silvorians and Ortarians. King Vin places his brother Prince Lucen on the throne of the Ilses of Dawn. Prince Lucen becomes the King of the Ilses of Dawn. Prince Hector is taken to the Dungeons of Zyran. Ateria remains defiant.

  107 BL – Queen Avis of Ateria threatens to continue the war if King Hector is not restored to the throne of the Isles of Dawn. The Zyranian Order rejects the demands of the Aterians. The Aterians begin building a massive fleet and training a great army.