Timeline
|
| Year |
Event |
| -3859 |
|
Several villages on the shore of the Narrow Sea combine for mutual protection, forming the Alliance of Seventon, which later becomes Netheril. |
| -3845 |
|
Eaerlanni elves begin discreetly observing Netheril. |
| First Age (-3859 to -3534) |
| -3839 |
|
elves of Eaerlann begin trading with outlying Netherese settlements. |
| -3830 |
|
Eaerlanni elves initiate a formal dialogue with humans of Netheril and begin instructing promising Netherese students in the Art. Netheril's first arcanist (wizard) is Therion of Gers. |
| -3655 |
|
Orcs pour forth from the Spine of the World, but the elves of Illefarn and Eaerlann turn them back with help from the fledgling Netherese Empire and the Rengarth barbarians. The tribal lands of the Rengarth are absorbed into Netheril, although the barbarians remain largely autonomous. |
| -3649 |
|
Netherese begin to enslave the rock gnomes living in the hills nearby. |
| -3552 |
|
Netherese found Runlatha, a port on the Narrow Sea. |
| -3533 |
|
nether scrolls are discovered amid the ruins of Aryvandaar. The Netherese abandon the magic they learned from the Eaerlanni in favor of the scrolls' greater power. |
| Nether Age (-3533 to -3316) |
| -3520 |
|
elves of the North begin helping gnome slaves escape from their Netherese captors and move south and east across Faerûn. |
| -3458 |
|
Netherese discover the shield dwarves of Deizoun. |
| -3419 |
|
Netherese set up a trade route known as the Lowroad that leads through the safest sections of the Underdark to connect with the dwarven port city of Ascore. |
| -3392 |
|
Netherese arcanists overrun Thaeravel, Land of Alabaster Towers. In the process, they rip many new spells from the minds of Thaeravelian sorcerers. |
| -3315 |
|
Ioulaum is born. |
| -3314 |
|
Mythallar Era (-3315 DR to -2759 DR) |
| -3150 |
|
Trail of Mists is established to speed the escape of gnome slaves from Netheril. |
| -3145 |
|
loulaum leads the Netherese against a horde of orcs gathering near the southern edge of the Plain of Standing Stones. The resulting extermination of the orcs allows Netheril to expand unchecked both south and west. |
| -3095 |
|
Fair Folk of Cormanthyr steal one set of the nether scrolls and hide it away in the depths of Windsong Tower. One of the thieves, a gnome elf-friend named Rilmohx Sha'Qijessir, steals a glance at one of the nether scrolls and is rewarded with a deep understanding of how to cast illusion spells. This knowledge spreads quickly through the gnome community. |
| -3014 |
|
Ioulaum creates the first mythallar. |
| -3011 |
|
Ioulaum creates the first mythallar-powered magic item. |
| c. -3000 |
|
Humans of Ruathym found the settlement of Illusk at the mouth of the River Mirar, displacing the local Ice Hunter tribes. |
| -2954 |
|
Ioulaum creates the enclave of Xinlenal, Netheril's first floating city. The empire splits into Low and High Netheril. |
| Silver Age (-2758 to -2208) |
| -2758 |
|
Netherese establish the mines of Dekanter. Netheril's government evolves into a council called the High Mages of Netheril, which includes the leading arcanists of Low and High Netheril. |
| -2436 |
|
An unknown thief returns seven of Netheril's remaining nether scrolls to the ancient ruins of the Iqua Tel-Quessir (Creator Races). Three of the nether scrolls are placed in the Hall of Mists beneath the Grandfather Tree of the High Forest, and two other scrolls are placed in the Crypt of Hssthak, which later becomes part of western Anauroch. The location of the other two scrolls remains unknown. |
| -2387 |
|
Netheril releases all its gnome slaves. |
| -2375 |
|
At the urging of Arthindol the Terraseer, Netherese scouts begin exploring the area that will later become the Sword Coast North. |
| -2368 |
|
Terraseer establishes Quesseer north of the Sword Mountains. The settlement becomes a trademeet for Netherese expatriates, the elves of Illefarn, the seafarers of Illusk, the nomadic Ice Hunters, and the dwarves of fallen Haunghdannar. |
| -2208 |
|
Golden Age (-2207 to -1206) |
| -2207 |
|
Jeriah the Chronomancer is born. |
| -2103 |
|
A vast orc horde from the Spine of the World attacks Illusk. Despite the efforts of a cadre of Netherese arcanists led by the Chronomancer, Illusk falls to the orcs. |
| -2095 |
|
Jeriah dies, and Quesseer is abandoned. |
| -1896 |
|
Twenty-four of the remaining nether scrolls are stolen. |
| c. -1770 |
|
Netherese begin to explore the Inner Sea. They establish three crystal-domed, subsea colonies - Cuulmath, Werapan, and Quelauuvis - on the continental shelf off the land that will become Sembia. The colonies are collectively called Deep Netheril. |
| -1715 |
|
Tzindylspar, City of Rubies, is founded by the dwarves of Delzoun and some Netherese emigrants. |
| -1660 |
|
Because the Deep Netherese have enslaved all the Serôsians (primarily locathahs) who wandered near their holdings, the high mages of Aryselmalyr decide to destroy Deep Netheril. They transform the crystal domes into a substance that burns in water, and the subsequent explosions create Saerloon Bay and Selgaunt Bay. |
| -1658 |
|
mines of Dekanter play out and are abandoned. Within a few years, Netherese arcanists begin using them to test their latest workings of the Art. |
| -1657 |
|
enclave of Maunator (Sunrest) disintegrates in an accident caused by poorly executed spell research. |
| -1471 |
|
floating enclave of Thultanthar (the modern City of Shade) is created. |
| -1428 |
|
Cajaan Dynasty of Calimshan falls to the eye tyrants of the Alimir Hive. Trade between Tzindylspar and Calimshan collapses almost overnight. |
| -1427 |
|
Ynamalik Nadim and a small army of monsters from Calimshan invade Tzindylspar. The City of Rubies falls within a tenday. |
| -1382 |
|
Barbarian Schism occurs when the Angardt tribe learns sorcery. |
| -1375 |
|
Angardt barbarians splinter off from the magic-fearing Rengarth tribe. |
| Age of Discovery (-1205 DR to -697 Dl) |
| -1205 |
|
A chardalyn mine is discovered in the Plain of Standing Stones in central Low Netheril. |
| -1114 |
|
High Netherese begin experimenting with travel to other worlds. |
| -1064 |
|
Netherese make first contact with the illithids. |
| -1014 |
|
Netherese refocus their efforts on exploring Faerûn when travel to other worlds is found to be both dangerous and unprofitable. |
| -800 |
|
Netherese arcanists establish the Sargauth demesne in Undermountain. |
| -696 |
Year of Great Rains |
Karsus is born. |
| -681 |
Year of Nightmares |
Netherese arcanists emigrate to the Demiplane of Nightmares. The magical energies of that nightmarish realm transform their descendants into an assortment of horribly twisted creatures known as the Night Parade. |
| Shadowed Age (-696 DR to -340 DI) |
| -669 |
Year of Summer Frosts |
Karsus creates the enclave of Eileanar. |
| -665 |
Year of Crumbling Ruins |
A powerful earthquake rocks the Nether Mountains, causing the lost city of Tzindylspar to collapse. The City of Rubies vanishes into myth. |
| -664 |
Year of Turning Tides |
remaining nether scrolls are stolen en route to Eileanar. |
| -628 |
Year of Empty Crowns |
dwarves of Clan Ironshield abandon the settlement of Andalbruin for the higher, more defensible Settlestone. |
| -626 |
Year of Oaths Forsaken |
A group of outcast Netherese wizards known as the Selskar Order builds a school of wizardry called the Tower of the Star in the ruins of Andalbruin. |
| -585 |
Year of Rumbling Earth |
troll warlord Harska Thaug gathers a horde of trolls and orcs, which he leads south from the Spine of the World to assault the elven realm of Rilithar. The horde attacks the Tower of the Star. The defenders summon the slaad lord Bazim-Gorag, known as the Firebringer, who destroys the horde. |
| -584 |
Year of Pyramids |
Harska Thaug gathers another horde and overruns the Tower of the Star, bringing an end to the Selskar Order. |
| -553 |
Year of Plentiful Wine |
Netherese arcanists discover the Shadow Plane. |
| -461 |
Year of Bold Pioneers |
phaerimms begin casting the spells that eventually lead to the creation of the Anauroch Desert and abandonment of Low Netheril. |
| c. -450 |
|
Large-scale Netherese migration into the Savage Frontier begins when the effects of the lifedrain dweomers cast by the phaerimms become apparent. |
| -427 |
Year of Breaking Storms |
spells of the phaerimms bring down the floating cities of Lhaoda and Tith Tilendrothael. The other Netherese enclaves set up wards against this form of attack. |
| -425 |
Year of Ancestral Voices |
Netherese settlers refound Illusk as a magocracy. The ruling group of arcanists, known as the Grand Cabal, names Fynran the Flamelord as high arcanist and ruler. |
| -408 |
Year of Sleeping Dragons |
Karsus discovers heavy magic. In the process of experimenting with it, he slays Wulgreth of Netheril, a renegade arcanist, and transforms him into a lich. |
| -371 |
Year of Bruins |
Although he has already survived for centuries, Ioulaum embraces lichdom and establishes a heavily fortified lair in the Northdark. |
| -354 |
Year of Many Maws |
arcanist Melathlar flees Netheril and travels to Illusk. Fearing phaerimm assaults, he sacrifices his life to power a mighty work of the Art that raises a great stone tower, walls, and powerful spellwards around this fledgling settlement. The first recorded clash between the sharns and the phaerimms occurs. |
| -351 |
Year of Dark Roads |
As the life-draining spells of the phaerimms rapidly despoil central Netheril, several Netherese arcanists abandon their demesnes and begin searching for a place to build a city in the Underdark, beneath the western wilderness. Civil unrest rises in many of Low Netheril's cities. |
| c. -350 |
|
Netherese migration to Illusk reaches its peak as settlers from many towns in Low Netheril travel west to escape the depredations of the phaerimms. |
| -349 |
Year of Bold Poachers |
Netherese wizard Saldrinar destroys Kisonraathiisar, the topaz dragon ruler of Westgate, and becomes the city's first human king. |
| -345 |
Year of Good Courage |
Arthindol the Terraseer appears for the final time. Upon arriving in the enclave of Karsus, he warns that the goddess Mystryl is about to face her greatest challenge - one that could alter the Netherese perception of magic for all time. |
| Diaspora (-339 to 1371) |
| -339 |
Year of Sundered Webs |
Ioulaum abandons his floating city for his lair in the depths of the Northdark. Civil unrest peaks in Low and High Netheril. Karsus casts Karsus's avatar, and floating cities plummet to the ground across Faerûn. The Sargauth demesne collapses. Mystryl sacrifices herself to save magic on Faerûn and is reincarnated as the first Mystra. She saves three of the floating cities - Anauria, Asram, and Hlondath - from destruction. The survivors found three Netherese survivor states of the same names. Refugees found Philock in the middle Underdark beneath the Wood of Sharp Teeth. Meanwhile, the archwizard Raumark leads a flight of Netherese skyships south to settle the Halruaan basin. |
| -338 |
Year of Guttering Torches |
Bey of Runlatha and the dwarves of Ascore lead Netherese refugees from Runlatha to safety through the underground passage known as the Lowroad. The refugees migrate farther westward, hoping to found a new realm to the west of Delzoun. |
| -335 |
Year of Seven Spirits |
arcanist Maerin of Illusk commissions Immar Fardelver and many other artisans of Delzoun to begin construction of the great subterranean city of Gauntlgrym in the Crags, to the east of Illusk. |
| -334 |
Year of Three Seas' Rage |
A group of Netherese arcanists establishes the city of Helbrester in the Nelanthar Isles. |
| -333 |
Year of Humbling Havens |
dwarves of Citadel Sundbarr give the human survivors of Netheril temporary refuge. The elves of Eaerlann allow other Netherese refugees to settle in Ascalhorn. |
| -330 |
Year of Empty Quests |
Bey of Runlatha dies near Delzoun's western border while battling the nalfeshnee Zukothoth. The Runlathan refugees fragment into loosely allied family groups and revert to a primitive way of life. These groups become the precursors of the Uthgardt tribes of the modern era. |
| -325 |
Year of Crown Hatred |
Netherese wanderers found the settlement of Hartsvale in the Ice Mountains to the east of the Coldwood. |
| -321 |
Year of Hollow Hills |
dwarves of Delzoun complete construction of Gauntlgrym. The arcanist Maerin of Illusk welcomes a diverse new citizenry that includes humans from Illusk, Netherese refugees from Northreach and Sundabar, and dwarves of Clan Goldspire from Delzoun. |
| -298 |
Year of Nine Watchers |
Cult of Karsus founds Karse in the depths of the High Forest. |
| -286 |
Year of Foul Awakenings |
Bitter disputes among the inhabitants of Karse eventually lead to the destruction and abandonment of the city. Wulgreth of Netheril, a Netherese lich arcanist, takes up residence in the ruins. |
| -267 |
Year of Crumbling Caverns |
A powerful earthquake severs the link between Tzindylspar and the surface and opens new passages into the Fardrimm. |
| -111 |
Year of Terrible Anger |
entire North erupts as great orc hordes stream south from the Spine of the World and the Ice Mountains in an event known as the Orc Marches. The marauding orcs lay waste to all in their path, including Illusk and Gauntlgrym. Most of Illusk's population escapes by sea or by magic. The elves of Iliyanbruen, Rilithar, Siluvanede, and Eaerlann unite to shatter the strength of the orcs. |
| -108 |
Year of Wands |
Illusk attracts many humans displaced by the Orc Marches and is swiftly rebuilt. Its ruling magocracy, the Grand Cabal, returns to power. |
| -54 |
Year of Tomes |
Tethyrian pirates under the command of Black Alaric of Clan Fyrson attempt to seize Helbrester but are driven off. The Sunset Towers area becomes a neutral meeting ground for pirates and merchants alike. |
| -33 |
Year of Harpist's Delight |
Asram is devastated by a plague sent by Talona to gain more worshipers. |
| -8 |
Year of Wraths |
liches Thakloamur and Mingaudorr destroy Helbrester with arcane magic. The ruins are sacked by the outlawed Tethyrian Clan Fyrson and pirates based elsewhere in the Nelanther. |
| 10 |
Year of Dreams |
Netheril region becomes known as the Great Desert of Anauroch. |
| 95 |
Year of Reluctant Hero |
Uthgar, a Ruathym Northman, leads a reaver fleet against Illusk and sacks the city. The Grand Cabal takes refuge in the Host Tower of the Arcane. Most of its members are slain by the berserker assaults of Uthgar's troops, who ignore heavy losses to put all the wizards to the sword. Other cabal members flee to magical safeholds or seal themselves in impenetrable chambers. The Illuskans burn the raiders' ships and eventually drive the weakened reavers from the city. |
| 96 |
Year of Mournful Harp |
warrior Stefan Blackspear proclaims himself Highlord of Illusk and takes control of the leaderless city. Fearful that the Grand Cabal might return to challenge his tenuous authority, Highlord Blackspear exiles all wizards from Illusk and forbids any citizen to approach the "evil" Host Tower of the Arcane. Subsequent generations shun this tower, believing it to be inhabited by fell and terrible creatures. |
| c. 100 |
|
followers of Uthgar join with other nomadic humans who are descended from the group of Netherese who followed the Bey of Runlatha and scattered across the North after his death. |
| 111 |
Year of Fallen Guards |
Anauria falls to an orc horde; though its forces destroy the horde in the process. Orc numbers are reduced for centuries in this area. |
| 173 |
Year of Screaming Sharn |
Several Halruaan wizard lords who follow Leira grow dissatisfied with the stranglehold that worshipers of Mystra and Azuth have over the Council of Elders. They depart Halruaa in skyships and eventually settle the isle of Nimbral. |
| 199 |
Year of Cold Enchanter |
Hlondath initiates the Crown against the Scepter Wars against Cormanthyr. |
| 308 |
Year of Promise |
Crown against the Scepter Wars end in victory for Cormanthyr. |
| 329 |
Year of Closed Scroll |
Hlondath is abandoned when the encroachment of Anauroch begins to destroy its fields. Its inhabitants migrate east to the Moonsea and south into the Dalelands. The Anauroch Desert ceases to spread when the sharns finally defeat the phaerimms. Ioulaum is apparently slain by a cabal of illithiliches. In revenge, his apprentice Tabra slaughters the illithids of Ellyn'taal. |
| 620 |
Year of Mountain Crypts |
A third earthquake rocks the ruins of Tzindylspar, killing most of its monstrous inhabitants. |
| 806 |
Year of Warrior's Rest |
Laeral, Witch-Queen of the North, establishes the realm of Stornanter. Realizing the strategic importance of ruined Illusk, she oversees the rebuilding and resettling of this city. After exploring the Host Tower of the Arcane and encountering the lich survivors of the Grand Cabal, Laeral erects magical barriers around the structure to bar entry. |
| 882 |
Year of Curse |
Ascalhorn falls after wizards summon demons to battle' devils. |
| 883 |
Year of Giant's Oath |
Wulgreth of Ascalhorn flees Hellgate Keep and takes refuge in the ruined city of Karse. While attempting to tap the immortal power of the dead god Karsus, he is slain by his servant Jhingleshod. The magical energies unleashed upon his death create the Dire Wood and transform Wulgreth of Ascalhorn into a lich. |
| 1311 |
Year of Fist |
mage Arklem Greeth comes to Luskan and bypasses the magical wards that Laeral Silverhand placed around the Host Tower of the Arcane. With the aid of the Old Ones, a group of powerful liches who were once members of Illusk's legendary Grand Cabal, he forms the Brotherhood of the Arcane. |
| 1344 |
Year of Moonfall |
Mintiper Moonsilver reportedly scatters the three nether scrolls from the Hall of Mists to other locations. |
| 1372 |
Year of Wild Magic |
Thultanthar, the City of Shade, returns to the skies of Faerûn. |
| Rise of Netheril Anew (1372 onward) |