The historical timeline of the entire known world is an attempt to provide an overview of the major events that co-created the present-day Qurand. Naturally, dates are always somewhat uncertain, especially the further we delve into the past. Myths and legends are sometimes presented as history, and unless another source exists to refute our conclusions, we must rely solely on what we have and trust that the scribes did not simply invent it.

On these pages, you will not find a comprehensive historical narrative that would fill many volumes, but rather a timeline highlighting the most significant events of the known world. To gain a better perspective, we recommend that the reader first visit the Narrative of the Ages of Qurand.

A fundamental issue in creating a “timeline” for the ancient history of Qurand is the very nature of time itself. It is only in the most recent age, the Age of Heroes, that time flows in the manner we know and can be meaningfully measured in years.

In previous Ages, time existed in a different state of matter and functioned differently. Changes and processes that are a matter of years in the Age of Heroes were a matter of centuries or millennia in preceding Ages. Instead of the frantic and turbulent flow of causalities and wills that characterizes the final Age, previous Ages were often solid and rigid in a single arrangement—until the moment everything suddenly changed and rearranged itself in one dramatic gesture. Therefore, some scholars suggest that while time in the Age of Heroes is a volatile gas, in previous periods, it was more of a liquid or a solid with occasional cracks and fractures.

A. Zero Age, The Age of Creation – Standing at the ultimate “beginning,” it cannot be described at all within the intentions of historical time. It may just as well be called the “Beginning,” the “Center,” or the “End.”

B. The Constant Ages (1–5), i.e., the Ages of Silence, Slavery, War, the Elements, and the Azharians – Although these ages followed one another in the process of cosmic development in this specific order (reflecting a deep, timeless causality), they are also eternal dimensions. They have never truly passed away; they remain hidden “just around the corner of reality”—a reality that rests upon their concealed presence as if upon stone foundations. Occasionally, they may return to the here and now; during holy days, rituals, at sites of power, or amidst revolutions and great upheavals, they suddenly emerge and burst into reality for a fleeting moment.

C. The Solid Ages (6–7), i.e. the Ages of the Maghavans and the Pilgrims – These represent the “solid state” of time. While time already existed, it still possessed a powerful element of the “extra-temporal”; thus, it tended to resonate, bend, and recrystallize—perhaps even fray or shatter—rather than flow.

D. The Liquid Ages (8–9), i.e. the Ages of Elves and Gods – These are the ages of the “liquid state” of time, in which time was already similar to its current functioning in many ways. Nevertheless, it flowed significantly slower and more languidly, moving more collectively and with greater inertia.

E. The Volatile Ages – The Age of Heroes and perhaps the Coming Age – These are the ages of “gaseous” time, in which events arrive in rapid succession and shift constantly, much like the weather on windy spring days.

F. Future Speculations – There are, of course, scholars who project these developments further into the future. They believe that one day, the ages of “burning” time will arrive, where the measurement of time in years will no longer make sense—either because time will be counted in fractions of a second, or because it will be tossed about in such wild revolutions that a linear axis will become utterly unusable.

From the perspective of how time flows, the Ages can thus be roughly categorized as follows:

The age of the Maghavans (80,000-50,000 B. SE)

• Foundation of the Orders of the Maghavans, the Architects, and the Hermeneutics.
• The founding of Gandharnagara as the seat of the Adimaghavan.
• The founding of the Eternal City; an era of immense wealth and the dense population of Qurand.

The age of Pilgrims (50,000-30,000 B. SE)

• The Order of Pilgrims; many become Pilgrims and depart from the world.
• The Great Depopulation, a mass exodus onto the Path, only a fraction of conscious beings remains behind.

• The raising of the Tower with Crystal at the site of Sairis, the nexus of a network of paths and milestones, serving as a reminder and a monument to the departed Pilgrims.
• Empty, abandoned cities, tribes of hunters and gatherers, the slow repopulation of the world and the fading memory of those who left.
• The Founding of Valarkagas, established by Suvarna as a watch against the secrets of Kaal Charmath. The igniting of Auran as a sacred flame, though as of yet without the awakened sacrificial mystery.

The Age of the Elves (30,000-10,200 B. SE)

• The Era of Elven Construction; Elves become the new teachers of humanity; occasional wars break out between Elven high lords.
• The emergence of the Order of the White Stone, the Sons of the Yearring, and the Order of the Beastnights.
• The Sons of the Yearring become the dominant order; the founding of tree-cities and the sending of embassies to the Antipodeans.
• The Arrival of the Antipodeans: The appearance of the Mykarchs and Dendrarchs; while the Elves welcome them, humans dissent.
• Humans turn to their sorcerers for protection against the newcomers. Human mages emerge victorious, discovering untold magical possibilities during the conflict.
• The Era of the “Tyranny of Mages”: Sorcerers rule humanity with despotic power, enforcing obedience through the constant abuse of their arcane might.

• The founding of Asvittára, the Great Forest, and Carmillun; Elves begin their slow retreat into seclusion.
• The firstborn son of Adimaghavan Indar is born.
• Sairis is created through the “Converging of the Towers.” The establishment of formal magical orders marks the end of the Tyranny of Mages.
• The construction of the first temples dedicated to the Gods.
• The First Falascian Empire: Following the defeat of the Antipodeans, a southern maritime superpower rises, stretching from Argolin to Sirania.
• The Founding of Garion: The first human city, established with the aid of the Elves.
• The Founding of Qasalgon: The City of Heroes; the time of legendary figures such as Qasamikil, Valmos, Ocelot, Carisvand, and Uthaen.
• The Vezanian Empire: A union of two cities: North Vezan (technologically and magically advanced) and South Vezan (wealthy and fertile). This becomes the first purely human empire (excluding Gandhara).
• The Birth of Amaras: The second-born son of Adimaghavan Indar is born.
• The Racial Wars: A series of conflicts leading to the departure of most Elves into protected realms. The Asvittárian Elven Kingdom (in modern-day Sirania) remains the only “unprotected” realm.

The Age of the Gods (10 200-0 B. SE)

• The Peak of Vezanian Power: The entire known world—save for Gandhara and Qasalgon—falls under the direct or indirect hegemony of Vezan. The first open worshippers of the Zilaths appear.
• The Birth of Alaithas (Savitar): The third son of Adimaghavan Indar is born.
• The Founding of Ordazin: A sanctuary established to preserve the sum of all Vezanian knowledge.
• The Sacrifice of Suvarna: Suvarna sacrifices himself for Savitar/Alaithas, leading to the creation of Auran. Savitar ignites it in Valarkagas, and the first “swarms” of colonies are dispatched.
• The Creation of Xalgon: Xalgon emerges from the transformation of Qasalgon.
• The Fall of Vezan.

• The World Deluge and the Changing of Lands: The Great Deluge reshapes the world. All of North Vezan sinks into the mist. Vaktar, once a mountain peak, becomes an island. Cracks, abysses, and chasms tear across Qurand. The extent of the destruction among the Antipodeans remains unknown.
• The Falascians transform their sunken metropolises into underwater cities.
• Valmos arrives in Sairis, gathers seven other Architects, and transforms the city into a living stronghold protected by a magical barrier.
• The Dark Centuries: Humanity struggles to recover from the Deluge, battling deluvial entities. Horrors unleashed by Vezan roam the world, and new hosts of monsters continue to crawl from the earth’s fissures.
• The Order of Paladins: Founded upon an oath to protect the “Good World” from injustice, evil, and monsters. A watch is established around the Seal in the heart of the Monster Lands later known as the Free Lands.
• The Knights of Xalgon: Founded upon an oath to protect the “Good World” of the Creator’s servants against lack of freedom, evil, and the Paladins.
• The Dualistic Period: A direct and proxy conflict between the Paladin and Xalgon Orders. The North and West are regularly devastated by war. Elves still rule in Sirania, and the Falascians hold the South (though they remain near the coasts, tied to the water). The South continues to battle the aftermath of the Deluge and its monsters.
• The Rise of Marggothius: The prophet and reformer Marggothius preaches against the duality of good and evil. He declares a social and mental polytheism and pluralism as the only way to heal the fractured world. However, he also asserts the superiority of Men over Elves, claiming Elves suffer from innate melancholy and are unable to aid the world.
• The Golden Age of Temples: The known human world turns to the Gods. The deities provide effective aid against the remnants of the Deluge. Xalgon and the Paladins temporarily decline as global powers. The ancient human kingdoms of the past age are established.
• Old Havdaur: An empire obsessed with piety, ritual, temples, and sacrifice. At its height, it controls the West from Xalgon to the Saifates, and from the Free Land to Carmillun. Its culture draws heavily from Vezan, particularly in its cult of masks and human sacrifice.
• The Ascendance of Garion: The glorious “City of All Gods” rises. Its secular tolerance makes it acceptable to many nations. Garion defeats Old Havdaur, the Saifates, the prairie tribes, and the Northern kingdoms as far as Valarkagas, creating a Millennial Empire. The Asvittárian Empire becomes a tributary but retains self-governance.
• Uldar begins as a wooden hillfort as the northern tribes unite.
• The Founding of Arkagas: Established as a colony of Valarkagas.
• The Decline of the Garion Empire: Weakened by internal strife and corruption, the empire fractures. Havdaur, the Saifates, and the Northern kingdoms win their independence. Asvittára regains full sovereignty.
• The Age of Petty States: An era of small principalities, castles, knights, and minor wars. This fragmented state persists in the North to this day, but was also the reality in Havdaur, Sirania, and the Southern Kingdoms before their later unification.
• Stone Uldar: Uldar is rebuilt in stone; the Order of Uldar Knights is founded to defend the North.
• The Arrival of the Siranians: Siranian tribes arrive from a mysterious location in the far north.
• Siranians defeat the Falascians in alliance with the Elves and the Archaeans.
• The Founding of Sirgon: Originally a wooden port settlement.
• The Divine Strike: The Gods strike Sirania, resulting in the death of the First Emperor. This marks the beginning of the schism between the Black and White Siranians.

The Age of Heroes (0-1080 SE)

• The Founding of Sir: The forging of the Siranian Scepter and the Seven Rings.
• Empress Siranna I: Sirgon is chosen as the seat of government. At this time, Sirania comprises only the fertile lowlands stretching from Sirgon north toward Sairis.
• Empress Siva: Through masterful diplomacy and successful campaigns, she expands Sirania westward to the Ma Sarit River (where she establishes the Fortress) and eastward to the Simanas Mountains. Construction of the palace in Sirgon begins, transforming the city into a white-stone metropolis.
• Empress Aitanna the Wise: Her diplomacy incorporates the free cities of Asvittára, Arkagas, and Sir into the Empire. Sairis confirms its status as a neutral city. Aitanna forms an alliance with the Archaeans; in exchange for formal incorporation into the Empire, their territorial integrity is guaranteed.
• Empress Ruanna the Proud: The Empire reaches a peak of prosperity and wealth, but tensions rise between the Black and White Siranians. Ruanna seeks to conquer the southern peninsulas and Mantrin, declaring war on Gandhara. Mid-war, she is assassinated by pro-Gandharan conspirators. Sirania immediately sues for peace.
• Empress Siranna II the Great: She establishes an “eternal brotherhood” with Gandhara and a firm alliance with the Paladins. She integrates Adamas and the southern peninsulas into the Empire, reforms the state administration and laws, establishes the Institution of Viziers, and settles the disputes between Black and White Siranians to general satisfaction. Mantrin and the coastal Saifates become tributary territories.
• Maghavan Adamas: He defeats the Divider, claims one of the Seven Rings, and settles in northern Sirania. The land of Adamas is formed and integrated into the Empire.
• The Rise of Altamoar: Founded as a trading post for Garion.
• The Seer Fillardus: He arrives on Mantrin, marking the beginning of the rapid and “wild” development of Mantrinian science.
• King Achirun ascends the throne in Valarkagas.
• Agni fathers three daughters: Scintilla, Ignis, and Favilla (though he refuses to acknowledge Favilla as his own).
• The Battle of Fanigar Field: A massive clash between Valarkagas and Xalgon.
• The first Mantrinian steel ships appear. Mantrin becomes the hegemon of the southern seas, trading globally and warring with the Antipodeans, while maintaining a fragile peace with Sirania and Gandhara.
• Sirania and Gandhara declare war on Mantrin. Initially, Mantrin holds the advantage.
• The Order of Maghavans enters the war on the side of Sirania and Gandhara. Mantrin is defeated and placed under a century-long Gandharan Protectorate. Fillardus flees to Xalgon.
• Founding of Taulark.
• Ivaren-Punar is crowned as a king in Arkagas.
• The Struggle for Taulark: Lundir, the future architect of the Horologium, is active in Xalgon.
• The Reign of Empress Siranna III.
• The Destruction of the Horologium in Xalgon.
• Fillardus returns to Mantrin.
• Ignis and Scintilla are sent to the imperial court in Sirgon.
• Siranna III dies; the Seekers vanish, and the Black Emperor emerges.
• Two empresses, Siva and the Grey Empress, ascend the throne.
• The revolt of the Black Emperor.
• Suvarna is murdered by Saurahan; Alvar, son of Adamas, enters the Scepter.
• An inversion occurs across all of Qurand; the protectorate over Mantrin ends.
• The Second Mantrinian War.
• Destruction of the Network; the beginning of the Age of Barbarism.

Chronological Overview of Major Empires and Epochs:

• Hegemony of the Sons of the Annual Ring.
• The Era of the “Tyranny of Mages”.
• The Vezanian Empire.
• The Dark Centuries
• The Dualistic Era.
• The Havdaurian Empire.
• The Garion Empire.
• The Age of Petty Kingdoms.
• The Siranian Empire