Dragonlance timeline

The timeline in the fictional universe of Dragonlance utilises a calendar centred around Cataclysm. The Cataclysm was an event that changed life across the surface of the planet Krynn. It occurred when a fiery mountain was launched from the heavens at a city called Istar on the continent called Ansalon. A Second Cataclysm occurred when one of the gods of Krynn stole the world and took it to another location.
The following abbreviations are used when documenting the dates of fictional events in the Dragonlance timeline:
*PC stands for Prae Cataclius (Pre-Cataclysm)
*AC stands for Alt Cataclius (After Cataclysm)
*SC stands for Secundus Cataclius (Second Cataclysm)
*IA stands for Istarian Age and was a dating system used in Istar before the Cataclysm. It is most notably used in the Kingpriest Trilogy by Chris Pierson, but originally appeared in the Legends Trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.
So far there have been five historical ages in the Dragonlance saga. Both cataclysms caused a transition from one historical age to another, but the timeline also has earlier transitional events.
Prae Cataclius
Age of Starbirth
Before the Beginning, there was Chaos. Then, out of the Chaos came thought and being - the High God. Paladine, the God of Good, and Takhisis, the Goddess of Evil, answered the High God's call, and Gilean served the Balance between Good and Evil. Among their companions was Reorx, who forged the world. The sparks that flew up from the hammer lit the heavens as stars.
Reorx then shaped the great globe of Krynn and a sun to light it. Paladine and Takhisis gave birth to the First Born Five dragons, but the Dark Queen corrupted them. Grief-stricken, Paladine breathed life into statues of precious metals to form metallic dragons.
Next, the deities of Good fashioned elves, those of Evil shaped ogres, and those of Neutrality created humans. The High God formed other children of Krynn. Finally, each family of gods produced one of the gods of magic, each taking as his/her symbol one of Krynn's three moons.
*8700 PC - Reorx chooses a group of humans to take to a northern land and teach his craft.
*6000 - 5000 PC - As ogres embrace cruelty, humans rise up to slay their masters. Ogre civilization falls.
*5000 - 3000 PC - Elves seek to build their own civilization in a wood already home to the chromatic dragons.
*4000 PC - Elves, under Silvanos, prepare for war against the dragons. Meanwhile, Reorx, the God of the Forge, curses his overly proud human followers; They shrink in stature and become the gnomes.
*3500 - 3350 PC - First Dragon War; the three gods of magic exiled for interfering; creation of the Graygem.
*3350 PC - Silvanesti is founded. Meanwhile, the gods of magic reenter the world through the Graygem.
*3100 PC - The Graygem releases wild magic. Gnomes chasing it are turned into Dwarves and Kender.
*3100 - 2900 PC - The chosen kill most Scions, then retreat to caves that dwarves will later call .
*3051 PC - Gargath captures the Graygem, which alters the forms of all present at the siege of his tower. Birth of minotaurs, dwarves, kender, goblins, and other races.
*2710 PC - Dwarves discover the dragon stones from the First Dragon War and return them to the surface.
*2690 - 2645 PC - The Second Dragon War; release of wild magic; formation of the Lost Citadel.
*2500-2200 PC - Ergoth expands; trade with elves leads to intermarriage and half-elves. Gully dwarves appear.
*2515 PC - Silvanos dies; border relations became strained among humans, half-elves, and elves.
*2150-2000 PC - Dwarves found Thorbardin; Thorin declines, becoming known as Thoradin.
*2308 PC - Twin elven princes, Sithas and Kith-Kanan, are born in Silvanesti.
*2192-2140 PC - The slaying of the elf Speaker leads to the Kinslayer War.
*2140-2100 PC - The elf faction loyal to Kith-Kanan declares independence from Silvanesti.
*2128-2073 PC - Disputes between Thorbardin and declining Ergoth result in the War of the Mountain.
*2073 PC - Kith-Kanan engineers the Swordsheath Scroll peace treaty between the elves, dwarves, and Ergoth.
*2072 PC - Thorbardin's dwarves forge a replica of the hammer of Reorx, presenting it to Ergoth as a peace offering. It later will be called the Hammer of Kharas.
*2050-2030 PC - Kith-Kanan and his elves migrate west to their new homeland, Qualinesti.
*2009 PC - Thoradin has vanished inexplicably.
*2000-1900 PC - Humans, dwarves, and elves erect the fortress of Pax Tharkas, a monument to peace.
*1801 PC - Solamnus marches east to crush a rebellion.
*1800 PC - Solamnus and his army join the rebels.
*1799-1791 PC - In the Rose Rebellion, Solamnus wins the rebels independence from Ergoth.
*1399-1010 PC - Takhisis seeds the mines of Thoradin with dragon eggs, returning her children to Krynn.
*1060-1018 PC - The Third Dragon War; mages create five Dragon Orbs, which call the dragons to their doom.
*1018 PC - Huma Dragonbane and his beloved Gwynneth- really the silver dragon, Heart- find the first dragonlances. Takhisis herself falls to a lance and swears to depart with her dragons.
Age of Might
*1000 PC - Dwarves reopen Thoradin, driving out occupying ogres.
*980 PC - Thorbardin opens Kayolin.
*967 PC - Dwarves begin work on the city of Hybardin also called the Tree of Life, in Thorbardin.
*963 PC - Under its first king, Karthay Pah, Istar begins a new calendar - Istarian Age (IA) .
*948 PC - Dwarves found Hillow, an outlying dwarf kingdom. (15 IA)
*940 PC - Silvanesti and even Qualinesti grow more isolationalist. (23 IA)
*910 PC - Ogre Wars begin. Dwarves call on Solamnic aid to drive them away. (53 IA)
*850 PC - Istar’s strict trade standards rile the kender of Balifor, who mount an aggressive trade war. (113 IA)
*825 PC - Ogre Wars end. (137 IA)
*727 PC - After years of fruitless military and legal action, Istar exempts kender from its taxes and standards. (236 IA)
*673 PC - Istar expansion threatens Silvanesti. Elven naval merchants blockade Istar. (290 IA)
*630 PC - Istar solves its dispute with Silvanesti and signs the Swordsheath Scroll. (333 IA)
*600 PC - Loralon Caradoc, future cleric of Paladine, is born around this time in Silvanesti. (363 IA)
*573 PC - The necromancer Salius Ruven creates an army of undead which he sends against Istar. The mages in the Tower of Istar do not aid the Istarian legions. The Emperor of Istar, Lannis the Blind, petitions the Solamnic Knights for help. The knights arrive and Istar is saved. (390 IA)
*530 PC - Ogres from the Khalkist Mountains threaten trade routes. Thoradin, Istar and Solamnia unite to drive them back. (433 IA)
*522 PC - Ogre skirmishes end. Thoradin signs the Swordsheath Scroll. (441 IA)
*490 PC - Solamnia becomes dependent on Istarian trade, currency and ideals. Barbarians in the Estwilde, resenting Istarian trade routes through their lands, raid caravans. Istar convinces Solamnia to attack them. (473 IA)
*476 PC - Barbarians of the Estwilde are defeated, and Solamnia re-signs the Swordsheath Scroll. (487 IA)
*460 PC - Peace in Ansalon. Istar reigns as a center of commerce, tax and art. Istarian expansion pens in the kingdoms of the minotaurs. (503 IA)
*280 PC - Istar installs its first Kingpriest, Symeon I, who overthrows the Istarian Emperor. (682 IA)
*260 PC - Construction begins on the Temple of the Kingpriest (702 IA)
*212 PC - Temple of the Kingpriest completed. (751 IA)
*140 PC - Kingpriest Giusecchio has slavery banned in Istar. Slave owners conspire to have him assassinated, but he is succeeded by Quenndorus, a pious man who lets his predecessor’s decision stand. (823 IA)
*134 PC - Kingpriest Quenndorus dies. (829 IA)
*120 PC - The Kingpriest Vasari, the Lion, dies without publicly naming an heir. (842 IA)
**Pradian is named the Kingpriest’s heir, but with no witnesses, the claim is contested. Vasari’s Miceram, the crown of power, is hidden by Pradian until he can legitimately obtain the throne.
**Evestel, naming himself Vasari II, and Pradian split the Istarian Church. The Trosedil (The Three Throne’s War) begins.
*118 PC - The Kingpriest, Vasari II, makes the Proclamation of Manifest Virtue. Clergy of Istar start to lose favor with the gods. (845 IA)
*100 PC - After 20 years of fighting, Ardosean IV emerges from the southern city of Losarcum to fight for the throne. Pradian is cut down by an archer’s arrow. Ardosean, who beheads Vasari II, wins the title of Kingpriest. (863 IA)
**Only Ergothian priests now speak out against the Kingpriest. everyone else — even the majority of Ergothian citizens — believes the Istaran claims that the Kingpriest is the supreme agent of the gods in the mortal realms. (863 IA)
*94 PC - Extermination of Evil Races. The Kingpriest declares a number of races—including wizards—evil and orders their extermination. (869 IA)
*80-20 PC - Istar's Clergy Dominant. The Istarian priesthood becomes increasingly totalitarian.
*19 PC - A Siege on Sorcery. Mobs attack the Towers of High Sorcery; Daltigoth's tower and the Tower in the Ruins are destroyed. Istar's tower is given to the Kingpriest; the Tower in Palanthas is cursed by Andras Rannoch and the wizards withdraw to the Tower of Wayreth. (944 IA)
*6 PC - Edict of Thought Control. A reign of terror begins as the Kingpriest declares evil thoughts a crime. (957 IA)
*1 PC- The Kingpriest completes preparations for his ascent to godhood. On the Night of Doom, true clerics are taken from Krynn by their patron deities. (962)
*0 PC/1 AC - The Cataclysm. A fiery mountain is launched upon Istar, driving it to the depths of the newly-created Blood Sea. The Temple of Istar is transported to the Abyss. Ergoth is split from the main continent and into two islands; central Ansalon is flooded creating the New Sea; the seaport of Tarsis in the south is stranded in the center of what will become known as the Plains of Dust. Balifor is inundated with water, which recedes, creating a desert. (963 IA)
Alt Cataclius
Age of Despair
*1 AC - Shadow Years; Solamnic Knights fall from favor;
**A group of dwarves flee their destroyed homes after the Cataclysm struck and with a Reorx blessed artifact roam the vastness of Krynn's underworld to find the surface. The human known as "The Journeyman" travels with these Dwarfs under the false name of Perin to make an account of their journey. They find what they sought but the price was high and the surface holds new dangers.
**Famine, plagues and brigands begin to rise in number as harvests are destroyed or tainted and people try to just survive.
**Palanthas is flooded with refugees from the devastated lands. This city withstood the cataclysm without the great destruction that overcame the rest of the continent.
*3 AC - Former Knight of the Divine Hammer, Brom, is nearly lynched by a mob while trying to gauge the truth behind the tales of the Blood Sea of Istar. He is saved by Wentha MarSevrin. He offers to go with her to what remains of Taol, but she refuses. The pair never meet again.
*39 AC - The Dwarfgate Wars in Ansalon. The Army of Fistandantilus (Raistlin Majere in the alternate timeline), led by General Pheragas (Caramon Majere), joins with the Neidar dwarves led by Reghar Fireforge and the Plainsmen led by Darknight to assault Thorbardin. In the battle Fistandantilus unleashes two great spells, annihilating all the combatants, as Zhaman is transformed into Skullcap. In reality, Fistandantilus, aided by Denubis (or Crysania), last of the true clerics, attempted to open a portal to the Abyss. Xak Tsaroth abandoned. The dwarf Kharas disappears with the Hammer of Honor, which is renamed after him.
*141 AC - Takhisis opens a portal back into Krynn, creates a twisted temple in Neraka.
*152 AC - Takhisis returns to the Abyss to gather her forces.
*157 AC - Berem/The Everman finds the Foundation Stone. He pries a jewel loose, and finds it immediately embedded in his chest, granting him immortality. In the process of claiming the gemstone, he accidentally kills his sister.
*203 AC - Flint Fireforge, grandson of Reghar, is born in Hillhome.
*210 AC - Takhisis discovers the gate is barred; she discovers Berem's sister is to blame, and only the destruction of Berem will free her passage.
*241 AC - Gilthanas Kanan born in Qualinost.
*249 AC - born in Qualinesti lands.
*265 AC - Dalamar the Dark born in Silvanesti lands, to the House Servitor.
*271 AC - born in Qualinost.
*287 AC - Evil dragons raid the homes of their good cousins and steal their eggs.
*296 AC - Takhisis makes the Oath with the good dragons to keep them out of the upcoming war.
*300-320 AC - Minions of Takhisis search unsuccessfully for Berem.
*337 AC - Evil from the Foundation Stone draws evil creatures from nearby realms. Sanction becomes the base of operations.
*341 AC - An alliance is offered by the Dragonarmies to Kern, Khur, Blode and the Pirate Isles, who accept rather than be destroyed.
*342 AC - Priests of Takhisis and Black Robed mages corrupt the good dragon eggs and create the Draconians.
*343-347 AC - Evil gathers its forces. Armies are trained, and the weak are eliminated.
*343 AC - The companions undertake separate quests looking for signs of the true gods.
*348 AC - War of the Lance Begins. Dragonarmies invade Nordmaar and Balifor from Sanction. Silvanesti brokers a deal to escape invasion.
*349 AC - Silvanesti Betrayed. Dragonarmies attack the forest nation; the elves flee to Southern Ergoth. Speaker of the Stars, Lorac Caladon uses a Dragon Orb to stop the invasion, but corrupts the forest.
*350 AC - The Dragonarmies are strengthened by captured nations.
*351 AC - Invasion of the eastern border of Solamnia begins.
*352 AC - The Whitestone Council. Representatives of remaining nations gather on Sancrist and forge an alliance against the Dragonarmies. Dragonlances are rediscovered. The High Clerist's Tower survives an attack of the Blue Dragonarmy. Metallic dragons join the war. Highlord Ariakas is killed by Tanis Half-Elven.
*353 AC - The War of the Lance ends. The Dragonarmies are scattered across Ansalon. Dragons retreat.
**Draconians steal the good dragon eggs and flee south.
*353-357 AC - Whitestone forces eliminate remnants of the Dragonarmies.
*354 AC - Raistlin Majere enters the Tower of High Sorcery of Palanthas.
*355 AC - Gunthar Uth Wistan becomes Grand Master of the Knights of Solamnia; the Measure is revised. Raistlin begins preparations to battle Takhisis and recruits a Cleric of Paladine named Crysania.
*357 AC - Kitiara Uth Matar attacks Palanthas with the remainder of the Blue Dragonarmy. She is defeated, but destroys the city.
**Solamnic Knights release Lord Ariakan from captivity. He decides to found the Knights of Takhisis.
*360 AC - Goldmoon and Riverwind rebuild Que-Shu.
*362 AC - Porthios Kanan, ruler of Qualinesti, and Alhana Starbreeze, princess of Silvanesti, marry.
*370 AC - Knights of Takhisis born.
*378 AC - Tanis Half-Elven and Caramon Majere journey to Storm's Keep and meet Steel Brightblade. They report the existence of the Knights of Takhisis, but few take notice.
*380 AC - The plainsmen unite under Goldmoon and Riverwind.
*382 AC - Porthios Kanan ends the Nightmare of Silvanesti. Gilthas, son of Laurana Kanan and Tanis Half-Elven, is placed on Qualinesti's throne through a coup. Porthios and Alhana flee.
**Gunthar Uth Wistan retires. Sturm and Tanin Majere become knights.
**Mages from the Conclave attack Storm's Keep. Justarius, Master of the Conclave, and many others are lost.
*383 AC - The Summer of Chaos. The Irda break the Greygem of Gargath and release Chaos, who threatens the existence of the world. The Knights of Takhisis invade Ansalon, and capture much of the continent.
*0 - The Second Cataclysm.
**Chaos's minions attack. Thorbardin is attacked from within; elves and ogres stand together to protect and Silvanesti. The Vingaard Mountains erupt. A rift opens in the Turbidus Ocean; minions of Chaos attack Nordmaar, Estwilde, the Northern Wastes and Solamnia.
**The ocean boils.
**The High Clerist's Tower is attacked; Knights of Takhisis astride Blue Dragons and Knights of Solamnia on Silver Dragons attack Chaos himself. Tasslehoff Burrfoot uses a magical time-travelling device to go to the future to avoid being stepped on by Chaos after he slightly injures him. Chaos is defeated by Tasslehoff Burrfoot.
**Chaos departs the world.
**Takhisis steals the world from the other gods. In the guise of Fizban, she tells Palin Majere about wild magic.
**Islands named the Teeth of Chaos have formed at the site of the Rift.
Secundus Cataclysm
Age of Mortals
*1 SC (384 AC) - The is constructed out of black and white marble. It contains the bodies lost in the battle with Chaos.
**A robed figure seemingly destroys the Tower of High Sorcery, though in reality it has been magically moved to Nightlund. The contents of the Great Library of Ages also disappears.
*2 SC (385 AC) - The red dragon Malystryx (Malys) arrives at the Misty Isle.
**Riverwind and his two daughters travel to the Misty Isle to verify the truth about Malys.
**Ulin Majere, son of Palin and Usha Majere, is born in Solace.
*3 SC (386 AC) - Malys destroys the area around the Bay of Balifor. Riverwind leads a kender army against Malys, but is slain in the attack. Moonsong leads the remaining kender west.
**A bard with only memories of Krynn appears.
*4 SC (387 AC) - The Dragon Purge Begins. Malys uses a ritual to absorb the spirits of dragons on Ansalon. Other dragons also learn the ritual and claim lands. The metallic dragons withdraw to the Dragon Isles. Khellendros the Blue claims territory near Palanthas.
**Remaining Knights of Takhisis rebuild their order near Neraka.
**Sara Dunstan founds the Legion of Steel, a knighthood based on the concept of neutral justice.
**Linsha Majere, daughter of Palin and Usha Majere, is born in Solace.
**Jaymes Markham, future Emperor of Solamnia is born.
*5 SC (388 AC) - Goldmoon receives a vision from a sage telling her to look within for healing power. A battle of dragons destroys Solace, and she cures an injured dwarf with her own power.
*6 SC (389 AC) - The Knights of Takhisis spread outward from Neraka. Draconians found the city of Teyr.
**Onysablet the Black turns New Coast and Blödehelm into a swamp.
*7 SC (390 AC) - With help from the Sage, Goldmoon develops the power of Heart.
**Palin Majere Leads the White Robes. Mages disagree about the role of magic. Some abandon the Art.
*8 SC (391 AC) - Goldmoon and Jasper Fireforge found the Citadel of Light on the Isle of Schallsea.
**Another red dragon, Pyrothraxus, captures Mt. Nevermind.
*9 SC (392 AC) - Lord Gunthar dies. Liam Erhling becomes the new Grand Master and unveils the revised Measure.
*11 SC (394 AC) - Dragons continue to fight over territory. Silvanesti is enclosed within a magical barrier.
**Caramon and Tika Majere rebuild the Inn of the Last Home.
*12 SC (395 AC) - Gellidus the White captures Southern Ergoth; the island becomes a glacier.
*13 SC (396 AC) - Billee Juniper, or Belladonna, claims ruler ship of Hylo.
*14 SC (397 AC) - A blue dragon (Thunder) and a brass (Splendor) carve out two realms in the eastern portion of the Plains of Dust.
*15 SC (398 AC) - The Vision returns to the Knights of Takhisis.
**Sara Dunstan dies.
*16 SC (399 AC) - A red called Fenalysten takes a portion of the Estwilde and Throtl, while a green, Lorrinar takes the northeastern forest and a black, Mohrlex, takes southern Nordmaar.
*17 SC (400 AC) - Cryonisis and Frisindia capture Icewall.
*18 SC (401 AC) - By order of Solamnic High Command, people explore the Desolation.
*20 SC (403 AC) - A mysterious figure, the Shadow Sorcerer, emerges from the Desolation with magical powers.
*21 SC (404 AC) - Coryn Brinewater, future Head of the White Robes, is born.
*22 SC (405 AC) - Qualinesti elves begin disappearing.
*24 SC (407 AC) - Wizards of High Sorcery battle for power.
*25 SC (408 AC) - Beryllinthranox the Green (Beryl) takes Qualinesti by demonstrating her power to steal the elves' life force.
*28 SC (411 AC) - The Last Conclave. Palin Majere (head of the Conclave), the Shadow Sorcerer, and the Master of the Tower at Wayreth discuss the future of magic. The Shadow Sorcerer demonstrates magic that is felt rather than memorized. Palin holds the Last Conclave and dissolves the Orders of High Sorcery.
*29 SC (412 AC) - Beryllinthranox tries to conquer Thorbardin. The dwarves seal their fortress. Some dwarves oppose the decision, and follow Severus Stonehand, a daewar, out of the mountain.
**Palin and Ulin Majere found the Academy of Sorcery near Solace.
*30 SC (413 AC) - The Dragon Purge Ends. Malystyrx finalizes the borders and forbids further combat.
**Stonehand retakes Zhakar and cures the mold plague. Thoradin is reborn.
*31 SC (414 AC) - The Heroes of the Heart openly challenge the great dragons for dominance of Ansalon.
*33 SC (416 AC) - Brine dies and Malys fails in her attempt to become a god.
*37 SC (420 AC) - Beryl destroys the Academy of Sorcery.
*38 SC (421 AC) - The War of Souls. A strange storm covers Krynn, bringing with it the prophet of the One God, Mina. Mina leads a revolt within the Knights of Neraka and takes control of the organization. She enters the shield of Silvanesti with her troops, and assists the elves in defeating Cyan Bloodbane and destroying the shield. The Knights take control of Silvanesti.
**The dragon overlord Gellidius captures Silvara, lover of Gilthanas Kanan. Gilthanas is blackmailed into becoming Gellidius' servant.
**Leaving a small occupying force in Silvanost, Mina marches her forces to Solanthus where the heavily fortified Solamnic city falls to the magic of the One God.
**Iyesta and Stenndunuus are both killed - Iyesta by an army of brutes led by an enigmatic figure working with Thunder and Thunder by the Rose Knight, Linsha Majere.
**The green dragon Beryl launches an assault on Qualinost, but Gilthas —no longer the puppet king—has orchestrated an escape route for his people, with the help of some Knights of Neraka stationed in the city and the dwarves of Thorbardin. In the ensuing battle, the city is destroyed and Beryl is slain.
**Krynn is returned to its proper orbit, and the remaining gods return to the world.
**Captain Samuval, a former captain of Mina's armies, Travels to former Qualinesti with a host of former "Knights of Neraka", mercenaries, and conscripts and claims the territory as his own. Samuval terrorizes the surviving resident Elves and names himself "Baron Samuval" All regions are opened for Human settlement exept for the region near "The lake of Death" the resting place of Beryl and Qualinost.
*40 SC (423 AC) - The Wizards of High Sorcery reclaim the Tower of Wayreth from the sorcerer Kalrakin. Jenna of Palanthas becomes Head of the Conclave, while Coryn is made Head of the White Robes and Dalamar the Dark leads the black.
*45 SC (428 AC) - Markham defeats Ankhar, unites Solamnia, and names himself Emperor.
*46 SC (429 AC) - In the Battle of Vingard Keep, Vingard Keep is destroyed during a melee between Emperor Jaymes Markham and Lord Kerrigan.<ref name="measureandtruth"/> Also the start of Ankhar's second campaign. The newly appointed emperor defeats the horde and Ankhar is killed.
*47 SC (430 AC) - Kalaman and Nightlund petition to join the Empire of Solamnia.<ref name="measureandtruth"/>

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