Recent Events in Ondileth

The year is 5736 FR ("Fall reckoning". The calendar is based by when the old regime of gods were cast out, marked as the beginning of Fall reckoning.)


For several millenia, up until about 51 years ago, Ondileth was ruled by a single monarchy, passed down through royal families generation after generation. For the most part the kings were benevolent, even if somewhat eccentric. Under each king is a series of lords and barons that have historically ruled the lands. It was only recently that a wealthy merchant class began to gain a foothold into the nobles' courts and Ondileth is starting to see some towns take their first steps toward a provincial aristocracy.

5291 - The first wizard tower is built. Over the next 28 years, a network of them is constructed, spanning the land. They were commissioned by King Thestik to provide communication and defense against the impending intrusion by Elves that he feared (and which never actually occured)

5319 - Last of the wizard towers are finished.

5443 - Darnok's tower is obliterated. Little is known about the cause. Remaining wizard towers are gradually abandoned.

5593 - A massive stone bridge is built to replace the aging and dangerous wooden one over the Rilrak river. Even with the assistance of half a dozen mages, and a score of dwarven stonecutters, it takes a workforce of nearly two hundred almost 4 years to complete.

5665 - The Dagger Wars: Hordes of Orcs move up from The Reach, seeking revenge for a assassin (presumed from Ondileth) who slew their King and High priest. Around same time, barbarians raiders from Tarnucha begin unrelated assaults by sea in swarms of longboats. King Almomar Rayel raises armies and taxes, and fought the war on both fronts.

5674 - War is finally ended by a bloody truce. Barbarians are repelled one last time by a motley navy of Tazzenport and the Illian Guard. The assassin was identified and found to be a nearly insane elf avenging sisters that been killed centuries earlier by some tribal orcs who had been exploring the coast. Rayel turns him over to the orc leaders for dealing with. The orcs are sworn to a pact promising one-and-one-hundred years of exile from the human lands.

5685 - After 11 years of relative peacetime, King Rayel continues to rule with an iron fist. Taxes are extreme and merchants and laborours begin to harbor resentment in Dresk, and the forces of Illincia are bled almost dry with the armies and patrols Rayel continues to mount. Each side claims it is being exploited. After repeated attempts to end the oppression diplomatically with almost unified appeals, King Rayel is killed in a angry coup. Sondash and Dresk decide to abandon the monarchy and split the territory, allowing two lords to rule the respective lands. The balance has worked well except for a few barons on the northern border that persist in frequent border disputes and minor skirmishes.

5713 - "Long Winter": one of the longest and worst recorded winters in Ondileth's history. Even the harbor of Tazzenport is frozen over, to the disbelief of many. Illincia suffers horrible blizzards that all but bury the city and kill thousands, mostly elderly and infirm. Lord Nedrick falls very ill to consumption. Rowandale fares a little better thanks to the foresight and hard work of a valiant group of the lumbermen in Greynor's Wood, but many homes are lost to fires that burned out of control and could not be faught in the snow.

5715 - Lord Tesendis assumes the throne in Illincia after Lord Nedrick passes away.

5729 - Lord Veskin assumes the throne in Tazzenport, the first person not born of nobility to rule in Ondileth.

5736 - Present day

©2002 Brian Bloom, All rights reserved.