History of the Crown Wars
History
Much of the written history of the Crown Wars was lost in the terrible battles that occurred at the close of the Fifth Campaign. Elf sages in Evermeet, Evereska, and a few other bastions of elven lore have charge of the few chronicles that remain.
Because the Crown Wars took place so long ago, the following timeline represents only a rough estimate of the dates that certain events occurred.
Timeline |
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| Year | Event | |
| -30000 | War of the Seldarine begins. Araushnee is cast down into the Demonweb Pits, where she becomes the demon-goddess Lolth. The solar Malkizid is branded and thrown down into the Nine Hells. | |
| -18000 | Some Ilythiiri houses discover Ghaunadaur and begin venerating him in secret. In the centuries that follow, rival Ilythiiri houses turn to other dark deities, such as Lolth. | |
| -17600 | Sundering occurs, and Evermeet is created with elven high magic. The spell reaches both back and forward in the mists of time. | |
| -17100 | War of Three Leaves begins. Ilythiiri spies and assassins incite Syòrpiir, Thearnytaar, and Eiellur into a three-sided conflict to prevent them from unifying into a single state. | |
| -15300 | Vyshaan clan, under Coronal Ivósaar Vyshaan, takes power in Aryvandaar. | |
| -14700 | Citing familial connections between the ruling houses of Aryvandaar and Miyeritar, the Vyshaanti begin attempting to annex Miyeritar by peaceful means. Miyeritar resists. | |
| -13900 | Miyeritar reaches the height of its magical and cultural renaissance. | |
| -13200 | Aryvandaarans begin raiding along Miyeritar's borders and interfering with its trade routes. | |
| -12000 | First Crown War begins. Aryvandaar invades Miyeritar and pressures Shantel Othreier to accept Aryvandaaran occupation or suffer the same fate. | |
| -11800 | Aryvandaaran forces occupy Miyeritar, though a number of dark and sylvan elf clans continue to resist. Many elves of Illefarn provide secret safe havens for Miyeritari. | |
| -11700 | Second Crown War begins. Ilythiir launches surprise attacks against Orishaar, an ally of Aryvandaar. | |
| -11600 | Ilythiiri burn Syòrpiir to the ground. | |
| -11500 | Thearnytaar and Eielkir declare war on Ilythiir and attempt to prevent the Ilythiiri from advancing north. Lolth sends the balor lord Wendonai to seduce a high Ilythiiri clan into her service. The church of Lolth rises to prominence. | |
| -11450 | Thearnytaar and Eielkir invade Ilythiir. More than half of their forces are slain by the corrupt, demon-granted magic of the dark elves. | |
| -11400 | Eiellûr is razed by Ilythiiri dark elves and traitorous wild elves. | |
| -11300 | Miyeritar is conquered by Aryvandaar, thus ending the First Crown War. | |
| -11200 | Thearnytaar falls to Ilythiiri forces utilizing dominated monsters and undead creatures. Ilythiir begins to skirmish with Keltormir. | |
| -10900 | Malkizid, the fallen solar, becomes the secret patron of the Vyshaan lords. The Third Crown War begins. Aryvandaar, now known as the Vyshaantar Empire, invades Shantel Othreier. | |
| -10700 | An orc horde falls upon the embattled armies of Aryvandaar and Shantel Othreier at the Battle of the Gods' Theater. Almost seventy thousand elves perish before Aryvandaar wins the day and occupies northern Shantel Othreier. | |
| -10600 | Shantel Othreier is conquered by the Vyshaantar Empire, ending the Third Crown War. Resistance movements spring up in Miyeritar and Shantel Othreier. | |
| -10500 | Dark Disaster reduces Miyeritar to a dead waste-land. The Crown Wars halt for a time while the elves reassess what they have done. | |
| -10450 | Fourth Crown War begins. The Ilythiiri openly begin worshiping evil gods such as Ghaunadaur and Lolth. | |
| -10300 | Keltormir withdraws its forces from eastern Keltormir, holding its line at Highlands' Edge. | |
| -10270 | With Keltormir's withdrawal, the Vyshaanti and Ilythiiri come into direct conflict for the first time. | |
| -10110 | Elf clerics and high mages in Illefarn begin a decades-long prayer for salvation. | |
| -10100 | Ilythiir destroys Shantel Othreier. | |
| -10000 | Seldarine respond to the arcane and divine high magic of the elves by smiting the Ilythiiri. All dark elves are transformed into drow and driven underground, thus ending the Fourth Crown War. The Seldarine summon elves of all other clans and nations to the Elven Court to settle their differences and restore peace. | |
| -9900 | Vyshaantar Empire annexes Illefarn. Persecution of high mages and powerful clerics in Vyshaantar lands begins as the sun elves seek to eliminate any threats to their power. | |
| -9800 | Vyshaantar Empire occupies all the remaining elven realms on Faerûn and begins colonization of Evermeet. | |
| -9600 | first drow civilizations make their presence known by harassing their ancient enemies in the Vyshaantar Empire. | |
| -9200 | Fifth Crown War begins when the Vyshaantar Empire rebels against the proclamations of the Elven Court, which direct the elves of Aryvandaar to repudiate their Vyshaan rulers. Malkizid abandons House Vyshaan and retreats to the infernal planes. | |
| -9000 | Fifth Crown War ends with the utter defeat of the Vyshaantar Empire. The lands of Aryvandaar are largely abandoned for an age. | |