History of the Old North
For as many ages as elves, dwarves, and humans have dwelled on Faerûn, the North has been a rich but forbidding land of cold, inhospitable terrain. Its dark and dangerous woods hide tribes of trolls, goblins, and hobgoblins inured to the cold. Orcs and giants struggle to survive in its frozen mountain ranges, and nomadic human barbarians prowl its frigid hills and plains, raiding towns for food and gold. A few civilized settlements occupy defensible positions by the sea, on hilltops, or along river valleys. Those who pass quietly through the ruins of the innumerable kingdoms, that have risen and fallen here can almost hear the voices of lost civilizations whispering their tales of glory and anguish.
The long history of the North begins with the ancient elven realm of Illefarn and its successors - Ardeep, Iliyanbruen, and Rilithar - and the shield dwarf kingdoms of Besilmer, Dardath, Gharraghaur, Haunghdannar, and Melairbode. The realms that succeeded these were shaped by four different waves of human migration. The seafaring Northmen settled Ruathym, Old Illusk, the other isles of the Trackless Sea, the northern Sword Coast, and the lower Delimbiyr valley, in roughly that order. Netherese refugees fled west, seeking new lands beyond the reach of the phaerimms and the hated archwizards. In like manner, the Tethyrian tribes migrated northward, fleeing the atrocities of Calimshan and the Shoon Dynasty. Finally, Chondathan traders spread language, commerce, and knowledge from the Heartlands into the Savage Frontier. Out of this mixture emerged such realms as Athalantar, Delimbiyran, Elembar, Illusk, Phalorm, Stornanter, Tavaray, Uthtower, and Yarlith, all of which have risen and fallen in turn, leaving only the independent towns and cities that dot the North today.
History
For the most part, the history of the North chronicles the halting spread of humankind in the face of relentless humanoid hordes and rampaging wyrms. When the Fair Folk retreated from Illefarn, humans claimed their lands and forged kingdoms of their own. From these evolved great city-states such as Waterdeep, Neverwinter, and Luskan.
Timeline |
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| Year | Event | |
| -23600 | Moon elves from Shantel Othreier found Ardeep. | |
| -22900 | elven kingdom of Illefarn is founded, and wood elves join their moon elf cousins in Ardeep. | |
| -10600 | Aryvandaar conquers Shantel Othreier. Only Ardeep, a vassal realm of Shantel Othreier, continues to resist the Vyshaan. | |
| -10500 | Aryvandaar finally conquers the elven realm of Ardeep. The Vyshaanti slay two of its rulers - Ilitharath and his grandson Tarosspur - in the hundred years it takes to bring Ardeep under their control. | |
| -9900 | Aryvandaar annexes Illefarn and Neverwinter Wood, its colony in the Llewyrrwood. Elves of both lands flee to the remnants of Shantel Othreier. | |
| -9000 | Illefarn emerges intact from the Crown Wars and joins with Ardeep, now that Shantel Othreier is no more. | |
| -8500 | Aelinthaldaar, capital of Illefarn, is founded on the future site of Waterdeep. | |
| -4974 | Haunghdannar is founded. | |
| -4819 | Gharraghar is founded near modern Mirabar. | |
| -4420 | Besilmer, a pale shadow of High Shanatar, is founded. | |
| -3611 | Gharraghaur falls. | |
| -3389 | Haunghdannar falls. | |
| -3100 | Human seafarers from the west settle Ruathym. | |
| -3000 | Humans of Ruathym found Illusk at the mouth of the River Mirar, displacing the local Ice Hunter tribes. | |
| -2103 | Illusk falls to orc hordes from the Spine of the World, despite aid from Netherese arcanists. | |
| -2100 | Survivors of Illusk travel to Icewind Dale, where their descendants become the Reghedmen. | |
| -1288 | Melairkyn dwarves discover mithral under Mount Waterdeep. They begin construction of Melairbode (Undermountain) with the permission of the elves of Aelinthaldaar. | |
| -1100 | Illefarn's last coronal, Syglaeth Audark, commands a Retreat to Evermeet. The remnants of the empire fragment into the independent elven realms of Ardeep, Iliyanbruen (in Neverwinter Wood) and Rilithar (in Westwood and Kryptgarden Forest). Aelinthaldaar, the capital of Illefarn, is razed by high magic. By year's end, human tribes are using the site because of its excellent deepwater harbor. | |
| -425 | Year of Ancestral Voices | Netherese refugees refound Illusk and establish a magocracy of arcanists called the Grand Cabal to govern it. |
| -395 | Year of Ashen Faces | Queen Laranla Fildaerae the Night Flame, ruler of Ardeep, is slain in orc raids. Her grandniece Imdalace succeeds her. |
| -354 | Year of Many Maws | arcanist Melathlar raises the Host Tower in Illusk to protect the settlement against pursuing phaerimms. |
| -335 | Year of Seven Spirits | arcanist Maerin of Illusk commissions the dwarves of Delzoun to construct the subterranean city of Gauntlgrym in the Crags, east of Illusk. |
| -321 | Year of Hollow Hills | Gauntlgrym is completed and settled by Illuskans, Netherese refugees, and dwarves from Delzoun. |
| -206 | Year of Elfsorrows | last Coronal of Illefarn is murdered by raiders from Jhachalkyn, a drow city deep beneath the southeastern Neverwinter Woods. |
| -111 | Year of Terrible Anger | Orc hordes from the Spine of the World and the Ice Mountains ravage Illusk and Gauntlgrym in a series of attacks known as the Orc Marches. Elf armies of Eaerlann, Iliyanbruen, and Rilithar finally halt the orc rampage. |
| -108 | Year of Wands | Humans displaced by the Orc Marches rebuild and resettle Illusk. The city again operates as a magocracy under the Grand Cabal. |
| -50 | Year of Phandar | Ruathen settlers found the city of Tavaray at the mouth of the River Delimbiyr. |
| -15 | Year of Embrace | Gripped by the imperial urge, the leaders of Illusk expand their nation southward and eastward. |
| -12 | Year of Laughing Lovers | elves of Iliyanbruen resist further Illuskan expansion in the south. |
| -10 | Year of Burning Glades | Led by Lord Halueth Never, the elves defeat Illusk, although skirmishing persists. |
| -4 | Year of Pacts | elves of Iliyanbruen and the humans of Illusk make peace, setting the River Mirar as the boundary between their kingdoms. |
| 4 | Year of Slaked Blade | Laranla Imdalace of Ardeep disappears. Rulership of the kingdom passes to her kinswoman Embrae Aloevan. |
| 64 | Year of Boisterous Orc | Northmen begin settling the Twilit Land - the coastal area between present-day Neverwinter and Waterdeep. |
| 75 | Year of Clinging Death | Rilithar is finally abandoned because of the encroachment of human settlers and the unceasing orc and troll raids from the Sword Mountains. |
| 87 | Year of Hoar Frost | Eigersstor (Neverwinter) is founded. |
| 95 | Year of Reluctant Hero | Ruathens led by Uthgar Gardolfsson sack Illusk. The Grand Cabal retreats to the Host Tower, abandoning the city to the raiders. The Illuskans eventually burn the invaders' ships and drive Uthgar and his followers into the interior. |
| 96 | Year of Mournful Harp | Stefan Blackspear becomes Highlord of Illusk and exiles wizards from his nation. |
| 127 | Year of Defiant Stone | Grath Erlkar, a Northman raider and explorer, founds Grath's Hold (later known as Port Llast). |
| 133 | Year of Arduous Journey | Barony of the Steeping Falls is founded by Artor Morlin, the Baron of Blood, an outlaw hailing from the lands of the Shoon. |
| 141 | Year of Impenetrable Mystery | Gauntlgrym is resettled with aid from Highlord Narandos of Illusk. |
| 146 | Year of Risen Towers | Elembar is founded by settlers from Tavaray, north of the River Delimhiyr and east of Ardeep. Uth Myrmoran, an exiled lord of Tavaray, erects the Uthtower west of the Sword Mountains and founds the realm of the same name. |
| 149 | Year of Dwarf | Dwarves of Ammarindar led by Iirikos Stoneshoulder build a stone bridge across the River Shining at the site of present-day Loudwater. |
| 152 | Year of Severed Hand | orcs of the Severed Hand tribe capture Illuskand rename it Argrock. |
| 153 | Year of Wolfstone | Illithids from the Underdark and their lycanthropic thralls conquer Gauntlgrym. A few survivors escape and are taken in by the Gray Wolf tribe. |
| 175 | Year of Black Boats | orcs of the Severed Hand sack Port. Liast (formerly Grath's Hold). Much of the city's population travels south to Eigersstor and safety. |
| 177 | Year of Troublesome Vixen | elves of Iliyanbruen destroy the orcs of the Severed Hand and Argrock, though the effort costs much of their strength. Within three years, Iliyanbruen is no more. Many of its moon elf inhabitants travel west to Evermeet or south to Ardeep, leaving only scattered wood elf settlements and the abandoned capital city of Sharandar. |
| 183 | Year of Murmuring Dead | Uthgrael Aumar, the Stag King, founds Athalantar. |
| 191 | Year of Broken Lands | realm of Yarlith is formed north of Uthtower and south of Eigersstor to prevent dynastic quabbling between the twin heirs to the throne of Uthtower. |
| c. 200 | Settlers from Elembar, Athalantar, Uthtower, and Yarlith establish a series of frontier holds known as the Mlembryn lands in the region straddling the River Dessarin. | |
| 205 | Year of Greengrass | Settlers from Uthtower, Yarlith, and the Mlembryn lands recolonize Illusk. Taman Steeldrake becomes Grand Prince of Illusk. |
| 216 | Year of Battle Horns | North erupts in battle as many orc bands vie for supremacy, and countless thousands of goblinkind perish. Upon the death of the Stag King, his five sons, known thereafter as the Warring Princes of Athalaniar, begin open battle for the throne. |
| 218 | Year of Dancing Lights | Prince Belaur proclaims himself King of Athalantar and takes the throne with the aid of hired wizards. The new king names all his wizard allies lords of the realm. These cruel, avaricious wizards soon become known as magelords. |
| 232 | Year of Leaping Centaur | Several rock gnome and deep gnome clans build the underground city of Dolblunde under the leadership of Olbrent Handstone. |
| 292 | Year of Frostfires | Aloevan, Laranla (ruler) of Ardeep, embraces the service of both Mystra and Selûne and is made a Chosen of Mystra. |
| 302 | Year of Deep Bay | Tavaray is abandoned as the surrounding marsh rapidly expands, prompting a wave of migration northward along the coast and eastward up the lower Delimibiyr Vale. |
| 306 | Year of Fanged Horde | forces of Illusk and Neverwinter (formerly Eigersstor) repel the Thousand Fangs orc horde with the aid of a mercenary army. |
| 308 | Year of Promise | Aloevan of Ardeep descends into madness and death as the silver fire of Mystra consumes her. Ruardh Lightshiver becomes Laranlor (ruler) of Ardeep. |
| 342 | Year of Cantobele Stalking | Athalantar falls to an orc horde from the High Moor. The orcs are in turn destroyed by an unlikely alliance of moon elves from Ardeep and dwarves from Dardath. The last Council of Illefarn is called, and the long-fragmented realm of Illefarn is officially dissolved. The remaining wood elves of Iliyanbruen and many wood elves from Rilithar finally join the Retreat. Ardeep and Dardath form an alliance also known as Illefarn. |
| 403 | Year of Black Dagger | Barony of the Steeping Falls crumbles. Tales tell of terrible beasts, undead, and other evil creatures that lurk in the ruins, causing the inhabitants of the nearby regions to avoid the site of Morlin Castle. |
| 511 | Year of Fortress Scoured | Elembar falls to an orc horde, but the capital city of Delimbiyran and the lands surrounding it survive because the horde founders on the House of Stone. |
| 514 | Year of Elk | aged Bellabar Huntinghorn leads many halflings of Mieritin to escape persecution at the hands of the Duke of Cortryn, ruler of the lands east of Amn. The refugees join others of their race. |
| 516 | Year of Haunting Hawk | Halflings from Delimbiyr Vale and humans from Delimbiyran establish Secomber on the ruins of Hastarl, the fallen capital of Athalantar. |
| 523 | Year of Trials Arcane | elves of Ardeep, the dwarves of Dardath, and several neighboring human, gnome, and halfling settlements unite to form the kingdom of Phalorm, also known as the Realm of Three Crowns. |
| 528 | Year of Burning Sky | Phalorm's armies slaughter the Howltusk orc horde at the House of Stone, but the human King Javilarhh "the Dark" Snowsword is slain. |
| 557 | Year of Melding | An army of hobgoblins devastates the dwarven Duchy of Hunnabar, which is centered above the underground city of K'anaglym near present-day Dragonspear Castle. Phalorm's armies destroy the hobgoblins, but the elf king, Ruardh Lightshiver, is slain. |
| 568 | Year of Pernicious Hauberk | armies of Phalorm defend the neighboring realm of Yarlith from attacks by orcs led by the frost giant Horthgar. |
| 579 | Year of Cultured Rake | Torghatar, Phalorm's dwarf king, falls to duergar assassins near present-day Ironford. |
| 592 | Year of Supreme Duelist | Troll forces attack south western Phalorm. The dwarves abandon the Duchy of Hunnabar and relocate to the northern Duchy of Dardath. |
| 604 | Year of Immured Imp | armies of Phalorm drive off an orc horde that is besieging Secomber. Ellatharion, Phalorm's elf king, leads an army of elves and halflings into the High Forest in pursuit of the orcs, and neither king nor army returns. |
| 611 | Year of Normiir | rampaging orcs of the Everhorde erupt from the Spine of the Worlds engulfing the North in war. Illusk and Yarlith are left in ruins, but the Host Tower survives. Neverwinter survives, thanks to the aid of Palarandusk the Sun Dragon. |
| 612 | Year of Jester's Smile | armies of Phalorm and their allies in the North crush the Everhorde south of Triboar, but their victory comes at the cost of many lives. The casualties include Lathlaeril "Leafspear," the elf king. |
| 614 | Year of Shattered Scepter | Two orc hordes attack Phalorm, a realm that has already been gravely weakened by the Everhorde. The dwarf king Oskilar of Phalorm dies in battle with the second horde, and Dolblunde is sacked and pillaged. Phalorm's northern armies, still mopping up the remnants of the Everhorde, move south to defend the realm but are driven into Uthtower. |
| 615 | Year of Lamia's Kiss | In response to Uthtower's call for aid, the lich Iniarv floods the land, drowning the armies of Uthtower, Phalorm, and the orcs to form the Mere of Dead Men. The orcs flee into the Sword. Mountains, and Phalorm collapses when its Fair Folk abandon Faeriin for Evermeet. Ardeep remains an elven realm in name only. |
| 616 | Year of Ensorceled Kings | Delimbiyran, the human kingdom of Phalorm, claims all the lands of that realm and establishes a new alliance with gnomes and halflings of the area. The new realm is called the Kingdom of Man. |
| 626 | Year of Eagle and Falcon | Prince Ereskas of Amn founds the settlement of Mirabar over the ancient dwarven capital of Gharraghaur. |
| 631 | Year of Lone Lark | An old black dragon named Chardansearavitriol seizes the crumbling ruins of the Uthtower for his lair. He soon holds sway over the Mere of Dead Men and much of the surrounding environs. |
| 673 | Year of Covenant | An alliance of mages called the Covenant is founded to promote peace among the human kingdoms of the North and prepare them for future conflicts with the orcs. |
| 697 | Year of Triton's Horn | Worshipers of Shar riot throughout the Sword Coast as the machinations of Lalondra, the Dark Mother, sweep away the power of the Dark Goddess clergy overnight. King Davyd of the Kingdom of Man dies in the tumult without an heir, and several kingdoms - including Calandor, Scathril, and Loravatha - break away. |
| 699 | Year of Rampaging Raaserpents | gnome city of Dolblunde is finally abandoned after a bloody assault by priests and followers of Urdlen. |
| 702 | Year of Clutching Death | Orc raiders from the High Forest inflict heavy losses on the splinter kingdoms of Delimbiyran that were formerly part of the Kingdom of Man. Many of these lesser realms are destroyed before the armies of the Duke of Calandor finally defeat the orcs. |
| 705 | Year of Watchful Eyes | mages of the Covenant begin to secretly manipulate and influence the Uthgardt tribes of the North through their Art. By season's end, the tribes stand united against the goblinkind of the Savage Frontier. |
| 714 | Year of Doom | During the Battle of Two Gates' Fall in the Weeping War, the city of Delimbiyran and much of the southern Delimbiyr are devastated by a magical explosion resulting from the destruction of the Warrior's Gate - a portal in Myth Drannor. Many of Delimbiyran's remaining splinter kingdoms sink into decline. |
| 715 | Year of Hungry Jaws | Uthgardt begin hunting down and slaying orc chieftains, killing a score of them over the next five years. Their action prevents the formation of another orc horde. |
| 729 | Year of Twisted Horn | Several Uthgardt tribes destroy the Twisted Horn orc horde when it masses at the headwaters of the Surbrin. |
| 734 | Year of Splendid Stag | Raulbaera, the Maiden King, a descendant of Ulbaerag Bloodhand, claims the lands near present-day Amphail and establishes a settlement there, which she names Rowan Hold. |
| 753 | Year of Strife | Goblin Wars begin when goblin hordes streaming out of the Valley of Khedrun overrun and plunder Mirabar. The goblins are eventually defeated by the might of several Uthgardt tribes and the efforts of the Covenant. |
| 775 | Year of Bloody Stone | Uthgardt alliance defeats an ogre-led army of orcs and goblins that emerges from the Evermoors. The warriors of the Elk Tribe fall almost to a man in the defense of Flintrock. On the verge of extinction, these once-proud people become little better than bandits. |
| 797 | Year of Hearthstone | Uthgardt Alliance, backed by the hidden hand of the Covenant, fades away as the tribes begin to feel the loss of their warriors. |
| 806 | Year of Warrior's Rest | realm of Stornanter is established with Laeral the Witch-Queen as its ruler. Laeral casts spells upon the Host Tower, trapping many liches of the Grand Cabal within it. |
| 812 | Year of Gem Dragons | Illusk and its defenses are rebuilt. Trade from the mines of Mirabar brings prosperity to Illusk and Stornanter. |
| 841 | Year of Hunted Elk | Stornanter collapses after Laeral abandons it. |
| 842 | Year of Maverick | Duke Daragos Wolfstar of Stornanter becomes Lord of Illusk. |
| 882 | Year of Curse | Moon elf refugees from Eaerlann resettle Ardeep and rebuild the realm. A brief alliance with the humans dwelling along the Delimbiyr and the dwarves of the Forlorn Hills founders because of lingering suspicions about the role of humans in the fall of Ascalhorn. Like Phalorm, this alliance is dubbed the Fallen Kingdom, much to the confusion of later historians. |
| 922 | Year of Spouting Fish | great black wyrm Chardansearavitriol becomes a dracolich. |
| 927 | Year of Red Rain | wrath of the orc god Yurtrus falls upon the Sword Mountains, causing the Blood Plagues. An orc shaman named Wund unites the tribes under the leadership of the chieftain Uruth, establishing the orc realm of Uruth Ukrypt. |
| 928 | Year of Hurled Axe | Lord of Calandor attempts to reestablish the Kingdom of Man and have himself crowned King of Delimbiyran, but he fails. |
| 931 | Year of Penitent Rogue | While traveling north with a merchant caravan hailing from Baldur's Gate, Tyndal, the son of a merchant commoner, slays a group of lizardfolk near the site of ruined Morlin Castle. |
| 934 | Year of Fell Wizardry | orcs of Uruth Ukrypt eradicate the gnome settlements in the Sword Mountains and the surrounding foothills. |
| 936 | Year of Sky Riders | Led by Wund, the orcs of Uruth Ukrypt stream out of the Sword Mountains and attack Nimoar's Hold, bringing an end to several small human realms clustered in the Dessarin Valley. Many refugees flee to the safety of Nimoar's Hold. The orcs are defeated by Nimoar's followers in the Orcfastings' War. |
| 940 | Year of Cold Claws | King Rauragh of Uruth Ukrypt plans to bring orc bands through the subterranean routes of the Underdark and then sweep on to Waterdeep. But Palarandusk the Sun Dragon destroys the orc horde before it can properly form. |
| 942 | Year of Circling Vulture | Drow raiders plunder cities along the Sword Coast, enslaving many humans of the Dessarin Valley. The small realms of Harpshield and Talmost, which border the Ardeep Forest west of the ruins of Delimbiyran, are ravaged and burned. |
| 945 | Year of Foolish Bridegroom | Tyndal, now a rich merchant and a hero among the people, marries the Duke of Calandor's only child and heir, Eleesa. |
| 947 | Year of Advancing Wind | realm of Calandor is ravaged by the battle between the silver dragon Teskulladar "Manytalons" and the white dragon Cortulorrulagalargath. In his death throes, the great white wyrm falls from the sky onto the remnants of Delimbiyran, slaying the Duke of Calandor and his retinue. Tyndal, his son-in-law, is proclaimed duke and relocates the ducal seat to the site of the old Barony of the Steeping Falls. Construction of Castle Daggerford atop the ruined remnants of Morlin Castle begins immediately. |
| 951 | Year of Empty Hourglass | Phandalin, an important farming center located southwest of Old Owl Well, falls to the orcs of Uruth Ukrypt. |
| 955 | Year of Telltale Candle | mages of the Covenant gather a great, armed host from the human settlements of the North to confront an orc horde massing in the Spine of the World. In a move known as the Orcgates Affair, the Red Wizards of Thay magically transport the horde far to the south by means of great portals. While the North is spared much devastation, the failure of the orcs to appear deals a significant blow to the influence and prestige of the Covenant. |
| 957 | Year of Entombed Poet | Illusk repels attacks by Uthgardt barbarians. |
| 976 | Year of Slaying Spells | Upon discovering that the Red Wizards of Thay are responsible for the Orcgates Affair, the Covenant begins to work subtly against the evil mages. |
| 1018 | Year of Dracorage | green dragon Claugiyliamatar and the black dragon Shammagar plunder the orcs' amassed wealth at Uruth Ukrypt and destroy their food sources. |
| 1023 | Year of Pirates' Trove | Grand Prince Galnorn of Illusk fails to conquer Mirabar. |
| 1024 | Year of Lathander's Light | Uruth Ukrypt releases the Broken Bone orc horde, which emerges from the Sword Mountains bent on destroying Waterdeep. The attacks of the dragon Lhammaruntosz, known as the Claws of the Coast, substantially weaken the horde, allowing the armies of Waterdeep to prevail. |
| 1026 | Year of Crimson Magics | Lauroun, Warlord of Waterdeep, dies when the orcs besiege the city. After the siege is broken, her successor Raurlor destroys the Black Claw orc horde at Stump Bog, shattering the strength of Uruth Ukrypt and sending it into its final decline. |
| 1042 | Year of Reaching Beacon | Longsaddle is founded by the fiercely independent Shardra Harpell, an escaped Calishite slave turned mage. |
| 1046 | Year of Twilight Campaign | An Illuskan garrison sent to the Ice Lakes to rid the area of kobolds but is forced to retreat. |
| 1063 | Year of Deluded Tyrant | Ilyykur, one of the Four Founders of the Covenant, is slain in a great, spell-battle with the archlich Ruelve, a senior Covenant member who has gone insane. |
| 1064 | Year of Stranger | wizard Melaeth Ashstaff of Neverwinter slays a doppelganger posing as Grand Prince Galnorn, the age-old ruler of Illusk. Corigan Aveldon of the fallen realm of Stornanter becomes Lord of Illusk. |
| 1081 | Year of Disastrous Bauble | Red Wizards of Thay slay Aganazzar, another one of the Four Founders of the Covenant, in their assault on the School of Wizardry in Neverwinter. By year's end, the two groups are engaged in a titanic wizardwar. |
| 1100 | Year of Bloodrose | moon elves of Loudwater and the surrounding environs withdraw to Evereska to escape the increasing human presence. |
| 1101 | Year of Maelstrom | Fresper and Grimwald, the surviving members of the Four Founders of the Covenant, leave Faertin through a series of portals, drawing as many Red Wizards as possible after them into a series of magic traps and ambushes. The remaining Covenant members go underground, and the arrogant Red Wizards believe they have shattered the cabal of mages. |
| 1150 | Year of Scourge | Ibun Rensha of Calimshan and a group of family members lead a force of mercenary warriors and take control of Loudwater, laying claim to much of Delimbiyr Vale. |
| 1202 | Year of Dragon Altar | dracolich Chardansearavitriol's physical form crumbles into dust from the baleful influence of the god Myrkul. Followers of Myrkul travel to the Mere of Dead Men to see this supposed miracle of their god, and the Ebondeath Sect slowly forms. |
| 1235 | Year of Black Horde | largest orc horde in history masses in the North and besieges countless settlements, including Illusk, Waterdeep, and Silverymoon. |
| 1244 | Year of Defiant Keep | After a nine-year siege, Illusk falls to the orcs of the Bloody Tusks Tribe. |
| 1253 | Year of Beckoning Death | dracolich Daurgothoth, also called the Creeping Doom, claims the abandoned subterranean city of Dolblunde for his lair. |
| 1269 | Year of Moat | half-orc bandit lord Thaurog builds Thaurog's Keep on the site of what is now Nesmé. |
| 1276 | Year of Crumbling Keep | Duergar from Gracklstugh establish an outpost beneath Illusk to probe the underground defenses of Mirabar. |
| 1290 | Year of Whelm | famed warrior Elfrin builds and fortifies a small keep along the High Road west of present-day Kheldell. He then proclaims himself ruler and "king" of all lands within a day's ride of his holding. |
| 1294 | Year of Deep Moon | Throgh, son of Thaurog, is slain by human adventurers out of Waterdeep. They in turn are attacked by wyverns, which thereafter claim Thaurog's Keep for their lair. |
| 1301 | Year of Trumpet | Sponsored by merchant interests in Waterdeep and Neverwinter, a mercenary army rides against orc-ridden Illusk. |
| 1302 | Year of Broken Helm | Illusk is retaken and rebuilt with aid from Neverwinter, then renamed Luskan. Duergar under Illusk retreat to the Underdark. |
| 1303 | Year of Evening Sun | green dragon Claugiyliamatar establishes her lair in the Deeping Cave in the depths of the Kryptgarden Forest. |
| 1305 | Year of Creeping Fang | Claugiyliamatar destroys the small realm of Elfrin after its king and namesake dies of fever. |
| 1307 | Year of Mace | Algraetha the Enchantress slaughters the resident wyverns of Thaurog's Keep and rebuilds the settlement, which becomes known as Nesmé. |
| 1310 | Year of Storms | A vast pirate fleet from the Nelanther attacks and conquers Luskan. The leaders of the pirate fleet (Taerl, Baram, Kurth, Suljack, and Rethnor) declare themselves the new rulers of the city, each taking the title of high captain. |
| 1311 | Year of Fist | mage Arklem Greeth comes to Luskan and bypasses the ancient magical wards that Laeral Silverhand placed around the Host Tower of the Arcane. He forms the Brotherhood of the Arcane with the aid of the Old Ones - powerful liches who were once members of the legendary Grand Cabal of Illusk. Arklem names himself Archmage Arcane of the Brotherhood. |
| 1315 | Year of Spilled Blood | Nanathlor Greysword, a native of Nimbral, becomes the green regent. He attempts to overthrow the rule of Pasuuk Rensha and free Loudwater, thus beginning the War of the Returned Regent. |
| 1317 | Year of Wandering Wyrm | Nanathlor Greysword becomes ruler of Loudwater after defeating Pasuuk Rensha and his followers at the battle of Tanglefork. |
| 1325 | Year of Great Harvests | Lord's Alliance is established. |
| 1344 | Year of Moonfall | last moon elves of Ardeep abandon their forest home to heed the call of the Retreat. |
| 1354 | Year of Bow | High Captains of Luskan come fully under the sway of the Arcane Brotherhood, cementing its secret rule over the city. |
| 1357 | Year of Prince | Gauntlgrym is rediscovered. Luskan's ships attack Ruathym, plundering much of the island and sinking its fleet. Luskan's forces establish a presence there, subjugate the local population, and take control of Ruathym's shipping. |
| 1358 | Year of Shadows | Time of Troubles begins. The Lords' Alliance expels Luskan's forces from Ruathym by applying combined diplomatic and military pressure. Luskan and the allied island realms of the Trackless Sea join to form the Captain's Confederation. The Ebondeath Sect in the Mere of Dead Men collapses when Myrkul is destroyed. |
Keepers of the Past
Much of the North's written history has been destroyed in war or burnt in fires set by plundering orcs. Much of the information in the libraries of recordkeepers and loremasters today is secondhand knowledge, since few documents written by historians of the earlier kingdoms still exist. This scarcity of firsthand accounts means that any original documents found by adventurers are highly-prized indeed.
The Birthright Merchant
The Birthright Merchant is an entrepreneurial, outspoken woman known to her customers simply as Kayt (NG female aasimar diviner 9). Kayt operates her business out of Mirabar, employing a team of historically minded spellcasters who are dedicated to unearthing the secrets of the past. She charges her diviners and investigative scouts to identify recovered heirlooms, trace bloodlines, ascertain land rights, and track down heirs. Through their efforts, they have been able to resolve many discrepancies and reunite countless heirs with lost lands and property. The aasimar also employs a conjurer who can summon the outsider and elemental ancestors of her planetouched clients from their home planes. Kayt's fees are high, but so are the stakes - her clients can learn whether they come from royalty or are related to heroes of olden days.
The Herald's Holdfast
About 30 miles west of Silverymoon, along the River Rauvin, is an ancient, spellguarded citadel called the Herald's Holdfast. This squat, moss-covered tower of gray stone is one of five mysterious offices operated by the Heralds. Inside the place is a massive library of heraldry in which the lineage of prominent humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, gnomes, giants, and even orcs and goblinkind has been recorded for the past eight hundred years. Its most notable section is the Chamber of Man, a library in which the histories of dozens of human kingdoms are recorded.
Old Night Shalara Swordshigh (CG female human bard 7/ranger 4) is currently in charge of the Holdfast. Her assistant, Ollarent Hillgreen (LG male halfling diviner 7/loremaster 2) is thr senior sage and keeper of the Library of Man. The great sage protects his library the way a dragon guards its hoard, refusing to part with secrets for any amount of coin. Only at the direction of Shalara does Ollorinth trade information, and then only in return for a much-desired relic or historic tome.
Songs and Stories
The epic tales of the old North are filled with warring dragons, orc invasions, heroic defenders, and legends of fantastic treasures. The sheer volume of tales involving the North's heroes, villains, and kingdoms helps to explain why bards are more numerous here than nearly anywhere else in Faerûn.
Mintiper Moonsilver
Ballads and poems composed by the legendary bard Mintiper Moonsilver (CN moon half-elf male fighter 5/rogue 5/bard 9), about his adventures can be enjoyed anywhere from Luskan to Myratma. The Lonely Harpist is still active in Faerûn and can be heard singing in drinking halls and taverns along the entire length of the Sword Coast. His collected works are kept in a chapbook in the Vault of the Sages in Silverymoon. This small tome is a compilation of Mintiper's odes, poems, and tales, many of which contain references to lost ruins and magic treasures scattered across western Faerûn.
The Reghed Saga
The barbaric Reghedmen of Icewind Dale, descended from ancient Illuskans, perform the history of their proud people as an eerie chant and dance known as the Reghed Saga. Tribal leaders claim that this saga is the truth as told by their forefathers since the first warrior. The great majority of the Reghed Saga speaks of tribal wars and dead heroes, but the oldest parts describe the founding of Old Illusk, its great kings, and how its own civilized arrogance brought it to an end. Because custom dictates that only tribal leaders can perform the saga and only members of the tribe can witness it, few strangers have ever seen it.