The Veredor Chronicles: Book 03 - The Gate and Beyond (20 page)

647 BL – The two Alber armies join together and invade Dravania. Anna Ecorian leads the Dravanian army against the larger Alber army. The Alber army is forced back to Ghrian. Anna Ecorian leads the Dravanians against the retreating Alber forces. The Alber retreat to the sea and Ghrian is freed. The Alber army returns to Coran and fortifies the kingdom against a Dravanian invasion. King Baznod places his brother Duke Almhock on the throne of Coran. Anna Ecorian completely liberates Iarthar.

640 BL – The Tabarian Knights revive their order.

638 BL – Two hundred Tabarian Knights, with the support of five thousand Iartharian soldiers, and ten Irilian wizards, invade Coran and capture Duke Almhock. The Coranese monarchy is restored.

631 BL – A group of twenty Skatheans travel south from Kaznor and enter Vastoria. They plan to rebuild the Skathean Empire. The gather a small army in the Sandy Lands of the south and convince several small tribes to follow their rule.

630 BL – The Skathean army attacks Darancra, but they are repelled and retreat into the Deep Desert. Sir Grecob, a knight of the Vastorian throne, gathers together a group of brave young men to go after the Skatheans. Grecob travels through the Deep Desert and is ambushed by a dozen Skatheans. Half his men are killed. Grecob escapes with a dozen men into the north. They are pursued by the Skatheans until the reach the Empyrian Hills. Grecob and his men hide in the Empyrian Hills. They meet an old man named Huchon the Mystic. Huchon teaches Grecob a new method of swordsmanship using a single edged curved sword. Sir Grecob becomes a master of Huchon’s method and teaches his men. Huchon’s method is the original method taught to Grecob; Grecob’s method is a simplified version of Huchon’s method.

628 BL – Grecob and his men travel south and search the desert for the Skatheans. A battle is fought between Grecob and his ten men and the ten Skatheans. Grecob and his men are victorious. Grecob returns to Darancra.

625 BL – Grecob is made Lord of the Deep Desert. Grecob forms a new order of Vastorian Knights based in Darancra. He calls his new knights the Desert Knights.

621 BL – Another group of Skatheans enter Vastoria with plans to avenge the Skatheans who were killed by Grecob and his men seven years earlier. The Skatheans assassinate most of the Desert Knights when they are off duty. Grecob attempts to hide the identity of his men by covering their faces so the Skatheans will not be able to recognise them when they are not bearing arms for the kingdom. From this time onward the Desert Knights always cover their faces with black cloth or a mask when they are in the role of knight.

615 BL – The Order of Zyran reopens the ancient academy. The order begins to grow strong again.

601 BL – Zyran begins to exert influence over the lands of the east. Scaldonia, Atera, and Silvor all fall under direct influence of Zyran; however, at this time the Zyranian intentions were not entirely evil.

598 BL – Zyran places wizards as advisors to the kings and queens of Scaldonia, Silvor, the Isles of Dawn, Ateria, and Vastoria. The Zyranian Order grows strong.

591 BL – A Fiorian Knight, Wyon the Gentle, visits Zyran to hold a council with the Gatekeeper of Zyran. The Zyranians fear the Fiorian Order and refuse to take counsel from the Fiorians. The Zyranians think of themselves as superior to all the other orders of wizards and knights in Veredor. Wyon leaves Zyran.

585 BL – The power of Zyran extends further. A Zyranian wizard becomes an advisor to the Irvarian throne. They directly influence all the lands of the east. The Fiorian Order begins to grow concerned about the extent of Zyranian power.

579 BL – A group of Zyranians cross the Great Mountains and seek to exert influence over the kingdoms in the Far West. Five Irilians come face to face with a dozen Zyranians in the court of King Conor of Iarthar. A feud begins between the two order as the Irilian see that the Zyranians seek power over all the monarchies of Veredor. King Conor accepts a Zyranian advisor.

578 BL – A second group of Zyranians arrive in Dravania. They enter the court of King Niall of Dravania and seek to influence King Niall. King Niall accepts a Zyranian as an advisor. The Zyranians begin to seek out a way of ridding Veredor of the Irilian Order.

576 BL – The Zyranians attempt to convince King Niall of Dravania to restrict the Irilian Order. King Niall passes a law that does not allow the Irilians to instruct any new apprentices. A group of twenty Irilian wizards face the ten Zyranians in Dravania. A battle is fought between the two orders. The Irilians are victorious. The Irilians then move to remove the Zyranians from Iarthar. The Zyranians resist at first and then flee into the east because they are outnumbered.

571 BL – The Zyranians prepare to return to the Far Western Lands to avenge themselves against the Irilians. Forty Zyranians assail the Iril Fortress. The Irilian Order holds back the onslaught, but many Irilians are slain in the battle, and their order is much reduced. The Zyranians force returns to Zyran. Carrig, the leader of the Irilians, plans a counterattack.

568 BL – Twenty Irilians secretly cross the Great Mountains. They enter Irvaria and remove the Zyranian counsellor to the King of Irvaria. They then do the same in Everdon. The Zyranians are outraged and declare war on the Irilian Order. One hundred Zyranians set out to fight to Irilians in Everdon. The Irilians cross the Vastorian Wastes and enter the Iron Gate Pass. The Zyranians arrive in Lucaria to find the Irilians are long gone. The twenty Irilians cross Ortaria and remove the Zyranians from Ortaria. They then sail to Zyran. The Irilians attack the unguarded Citadel of Zyran and ruin the academy of Zyran and damage the citadel significantly. The Zyranian Order returns to Zyran and are outraged by what they find.

567 BL – The Zyranians chase the Irilians across Ortaria and catch them in the Iron Gate Pass. A battle is fought at the Edius Plateau. Carrig holds back the Zyranians using the Irilian Star. The Irilians escape into Vastoria. For the first time the Zyranians fear the Irilians because they do not understand how one Irilian wizard could be so powerful. Ten more Irilians cross the Great Mountains to help in the fight against Zyran. Thirty Irilians battle seventy Zyranians just east of the Sunset Hills. The Irilians are forced to retreat over the Great Mountains. By this time only twenty five Irilians remain in the Irilian Order.

566 BL – The Zyranians gather one hundred wizards and prepare to completely destroy the Irilian Order. They cross the Great Mountains and attack the Iril Fortress in Dravania. Many Irilians die in the battle. The Tabarian Knights come to the aid of the last wizards of the Irilian Order and push the Zyranians back from the Iril Fortress. Many Tabarian Knights are killed in the battle. The Fiorian Order decides to intervene. The Gatekeeper of Emeril, Siobhan the Graced, holds talks with the Zyranians and the few remaining Irilians. An agreement is reached that prevents both orders from crossing the Great Mountains ever again. The Zyranians agree because they feel that they have all but destroyed the Irilian Order anyway. They also feel threatened by the Fiorian Order and do not want to battle the Fiorians. The Zyranians return to Zyran after the accord is signed.

560 BL – The Zyranians reinstitute their regime of advising and controlling the kingdoms in the east.

549 BL – The Zyranians attempt to influence the Fire Order in the Old Guardian Mountains. The Fire Order sends the Zyranians away from the Tower of Fire. Later in the year a group of twenty Zyranians attempt to assail the Tower of Fire. The Fire Order destroys the Zyranians and all twenty Zyranians die in the battle. The Zyranians decide not to interfere with the Fire Order again.

541 BL – Three Northern Sorcerers, the Northern Triad, come south to Dravania and cause havoc in the kingdom. The few Irilians who remain do not have the power to stop the sorcerers. The Muckron Bane Knights gather a small company to challenge the three sorcerers. The company of Muckron Bane Knights is destroyed. King Lollan of Dravania attempts to negotiate and is taken prisoner by the three Northern Sorcerers.

539 BL – A hero named Azer appears in Dravania. Azer is the Ecorian descendent. Azer seeks out the sorcerer’s stronghold in the Tabarian Mountains and singlehandedly defeats the three sorcerers with the Sword of Midlight. Azer rescues King Lollan. Azer returns King Lollan to his palace. Azer becomes known as a hero in Dravania.

534 BL – After spending several years in Dravania, Azer crosses the Great Mountains into Irvaria. He becomes a friend of King Farman of Irvaria. Azer influences King Farman against the Zyranians (Azer was mentored by the Irilian Order and knew of all the suffering the Zyranians had caused the Irilians). King Farman banishes the Zyranian Order from Irvaria. The Zyranians are angered and discover that Azer was behind the motion.

531 BL – Azer Ecorian confronts three Zyranians near Sabulo in Vastoria. Azer defeats the Zyranians. The Zyranians suspect that Azer is not an ordinary man as they know that no single man could defeat three powerful Zyranians without magic. Azer does not fear the Zyranians and makes his way to Ancora in Ortaria.

530 BL – Azer convinces King Ennius of Ortaria to break his alliance with the Zyranians. The Order of Zyran forms the Zyranians Enforcers to deal with Azer. Azer confronts a group of Zyranian Enforcers on the banks of the Merus River. Azer is forced to retreat and flees the Zyranian Enforcers. The Zyranians chase Azer and attempt to cut him off at the Northern Pass; Azer escapes into Scaldonia. Azer finds the Scaldonian Oracle and discovers many secrets.

526 BL – Azer seeks out the Fortress of Shidon in the north.

520 BL – Azer appears again in Irvaria. He discovers that the Zyranians are again influencing the Kingdom of Irvaria. Azer again convinces King Farman to rid his kingdom of the manipulative Zyranians.

515 BL – Azer Ecorian builds the house of Stonehaven. He marries a noble Irvarian woman and settles in the beautiful house he built in the Sunset Hills.

511 BL – Stonehaven is attacked by Zyranian Enforcers. Azer is killed. Azer’s wife and daughter, Alia Ecorian, escape and take sanctuary at Emeril in the Great Mountains. The Sword of Midlight is taken by the Zyranian Enforcers to the Citadel of Zyran. The Zyranians realise that they have taken one of the three swords of the Astarians. They never knew that Azer was an Ecorian.

507 BL – The Irilian Order slowly recovers in the west. By this year the Irilian Order has nearly thirty wizards.

501 BL – The Tabarian Knights grow in numbers. The Muckron Bane Knights also recover.

497 BL – Alia Ecorian studies swordsmanship with Fiorian Knights as a teenager. She becomes a brilliant warrior.

492 BL – Alia Ecorian travels into the Far Western Lands and befriends the Tabarian Knights. She studies swordplay with the Tabarians Order.

490 BL – Alia Ecorian speaks with the Oran Oracle. Alia learns that the Zyranians are holding her father’s sword, the Sword of Midlight, in the Citadel of Zyran. She also learns that the Zyranian Enforcers hunted down her father and murdered him when she was an infant. Alia swears to avenge her father and reclaim the Sword of Midlight for the Ecorian line.

487 BL – Alia travels to the Tower of Fire and seeks the help of the Fire Order. The Fire Order is reluctant to help Alia as she does not reveal that she is the Ecorian. Anchier the Magnificent, a wizard of the Fire Order, agrees to help Alia Ecorian.

486 BL – Anchier helps Alia infiltrate the Citadel of Zyran. Alia, in disguise, gains the trust of several Zyranians. Alia steals the Sword of Midlight from the Gatekeeper of Zyran. She slays the Gatekeeper of Zyran and battles her way out of the Citadel. Alia escapes Zyran with the help of Anchier. They flee across Ortaria. The Zyranians Enforcers are sent after Alia and Anchier.

485 BL – The Zyranian Enforcers ambush Alia and Anchier at Eaglemere in Everdon. Anchier faces the Zyranians and dies fighting them. Alia escapes after the battle and flees back to Emeril in the Great Mountains. The Zyranian Enforcers follow Alia to the gates of Emeril and threaten the Fiorian Order as they see the Sword of Midlight as a great prize worth fighting for. The Fiorians face the Zyranians. A fierce battle is fought on the doorstep of Emeril. The Fiorians and Alia Ecorian are victorious. The Zyranian Enforcers flee back to Zyran. Alia rests in Emeril and falls in love with a Fiorian Knight named Thim the Strong. They marry in Emeril.

473 BL – Dravania falls under the rule of General Ultuck, who is an advisor to King Fergus. Ultuck becomes the ruler of Dravania through his control over the King. The people of Dravania suffer greatly.

471 BL – Takal, the son of the Duke of Marraw in Everdon, leaves his home to travel the lands of Veredor. Takal sails the Southern Sea and learns swordplay from the sailors. He then enters the Vastorian deserts and learns Grecob’s Sword Method which heavily influences Takalian methodology.

470 BL – Takal furthers his studies in Irvaria and becomes known as a great swordsman. He crosses the Great Mountains and enters Dravania. Takal see all the horror of the rule of Ultuck. Takal joins the resistance to Ultuck and battles Ultuck’s henchmen. Within a year Takal faces Ultuck and defeats him in a duel. Dravania is freed from the evil influence of General Ultuck. Takal travels south to Iarthar.

468 BL – Takal travels to Glenia and remains there for some time. He teaches his method of swordsmanship to a group of young Glenians. His followers build a small fort on the shore of the Merhome Sea. The Takalian Knights are formed.

466 BL – Takal is challenged by Sir Darragh of Roven. Darragh is said the be the greatest swordsman in all the Far Western Lands. Takal faces Darragh. The battle is fierce and Takal takes victory over his opponent. Takal’s fame spreads across the lands of the Far West.