Talk:Timeline

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Legend
Red: Explicit Dates
Orange: Inferred Dates
Purple: Conflicting Info If there is conflicting info, we give first preference to official in-game sources and game manuals, then to Lost Lore (Lost Lore) and Horn of the Abyss (Horn of the Abyss) second.
Gray: Likely Errors These are ignored.
Teal: Current Best Guesses These are only recorded if we can narrow it down to a short possible span of years.

Summary of campaign timing[edit | hide | hide all]

This section is intended to have a summary with references of the key points in the Heroes 3 timeline. This is for ease of reference when updating the timeline. All dates are After the Silence (AS).

STATUS: This page should contain all timing references in homm3, lost lore, and the manuals from other games in the franchise. Still missing are any in-game timing references from other games in the franchise.

Restoration of Erathia (1165-1167)[edit | hide]

Armageddon's Blade (1165, 1169-1172)[edit | hide]

Shadow of Death (1156-1164)[edit | hide]

  • New Beginning (1156)
    • Clearing the Border: Prologue states that it has been a year since Archibald was defeated, thus ending the Succession Wars. This means New Beginning occurs in 1156.
  • Elixir of Life (1156-1157)
    • Unholy Alliance>Search for a Killer: Story mentions Lord Falorel has been killed. Gelu worked for Lord Falorel in Elixir of Life, so Elixir of Life occurs before Unholy Alliance.
    • In the SoD Manual, Yog's letter talks about the events of Unholy Alliance. It says "Gelu had barely graduated from the Forest Guard...", so Elixir of Life occurs shortly before Unholy Alliance.
    • Conflicting Info: Gelu's Age
      • NOTE: This logic assumes elves age at the same rate as humans.
      • Catherine#Queen Catherine Lost Lore states Catherine was "born less than one year after [her parents'] marriage in 1133 A.S" and "On her sixteenth birthday...Catherine enlisted in the Erathian military". It goes on to explain that she resigned from the military when her mother and sister were killed two years after June 1151. Therefore, Catherine's military service ran from (1150-1153 Lost Lore) (see next bullets for why this is relevant)
      • Gelu's birth (1147-1153 Lost Lore)
        • Gelu's biography: "Gelu was found and raised by General Morgan Kendal when he was serving under Catherine Ironfist". "Found and raised" is not very specific. It could mean Gelu was somewhere around age 0-13 when found sometime between 1150-1153.
        • Gelu's alternate biography: "History reports he was a baby found by Morgan Kendal during his military service as a lieutenant under the command of Captain Catherine Gryphonheart during her original tour of duty with the Talon brigade." Being found as a baby is much more specific (as is "original tour of duty"). Likely Gelu was age 0-3 when found in 1150.
      • Elixir of Life>Graduation Exercise is Gelu's graduation from training to become an official member of the Forest Guard. According to the SoD manual, "Gelu is the youngest individual to ever graduate from the Forest Guard." Again, not very specific, but even the youngest military graduate to an elite force is probably not younger than about 14. All of this taken together means that Elixir of Life>Graduation Exercise really shouldn't occur before 1161 at the absolute earliest.
  • Hack and Slash (1156)
  • Birth of a Barbarian (Sometime between 1141-1157)
    • Story: Yog is invited to Krewlod by Duke Boragus. Boragus ruled from ~1141-1171
    • Unholy Alliance>Agents of Vengeance: Day 25 mentions Gem once met Yog in Enroth (nation). Since Gem was in Enroth until ~1156, Yog must have been in Enroth some time before that.
    • Conflicting Info: Since Yog was a barbarian in homm1, this means Birth of a Barbarian must occur before homm1, i.e. before ~1110s.
      • I don't think Yog being a barbarian in H1 means Birth of a Barbarian must be before H1. For one thing, there is no wizard class in H1, plus the concept of a hero class itself is a bit more of a gameplay thing. Most importantly, we know that Yog's father is a barbarian chieftain and that Yog is a foreigner in Krewlod. So there is a good chance of his father being an Enrothian barbarian. Even if he isn't Enrothian, Yog is still a barbarian by blood, being son of a chieftain. It does make sense that he is represented as a barbarian in-game even before Birth of a Barbarian, especially given the absence of the wizard class in H1. - XEL
      • RESOLUTION: Yog is likely with his father's people during that time (either before he began studying in Bracada, or when he is taking a break from that). No conflict.
    • Rise of the Necromancer>Master: Story mentions Vidomina, an ex-wizard lover of Yog, now an apprentice to Sandro, so Birth of a Barbarian occurs before Rise of the Necromancer.
    • Unholy Alliance>Harvest: Event text describes Yog as a Barbarian, so Birth of a Barbarian occurs before Unholy Alliance.
  • Rise of the Necromancer (1157a)
  • Unholy Alliance (1157b)
  • Specter of Power (1164)

Horn of the Abyss (1162-1171)[edit | hide]

Heroes Chronicles (???-1176)[edit | hide]

Other games[edit | hide]

NOTE: January 1st as the start may be viewed as a simplification through game mechanics. However, it at least indicates that the games start somewhere in the early parts of those years.

Heroes of Might and Magic: A Strategic Quest (???-???)[edit | hide]

  • Morglin Ironfist#Letters to Ragnar: These letters run from Common Year 632-641, with the final entry occurring "five years since my last missive" (CY 646).
    • His fight against the other lords seems to start in the letter from Common Year 635.
    • Assuming the length of a year is the same on VARN-4 and Enroth, HoMM1 spans 11 years (CY 635-646).

Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars (???-1155)[edit | hide]

  • NOTE: Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars tells the story of the Second War of Enrothian Succession (Succession Wars)
  • 11 June 1165: In the Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor manual (The Diaries of Archibald, Entry 1), Archibald states that he was a stone statue for the last 10 years. As this event ended the Succession Wars, HoMM2 must have ended in 1155.
  • Conflicting Info: Lost Lore Queen Catherine: "in May of 1154 King Gryphonheart made arrangements for the marriage of Catherine to King Roland Ironfist of Enroth, who had earlier that year defeated his brother, Archibald...", so HoMM2 must have ended in 1154.

Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven (1165-1165)[edit | hide]

  • The game starts on January 1st, 1165.
  • Ethric the Mad was active as a Lich in the Tomb of Ethric the Mad on Enroth from before January 1st, 1165 until he was slain by the protagonists between January 5th and early July, 1165.
    • Dates are based on the earliest possible access to his tomb and the game's estimated conclusion.
  • Agar was active as a Lich in Agar's Laboratory from before January 1st, 1165 until he was defeated between January 11th and early July, 1165 by the protagonists, later reappearing human in Forged in Fire.
    • Dates are based on the earliest possible access to his lab and the game's estimated conclusion.
  • The Kreegan Hive's destruction and subsequent conclusion of the game happened between June 11th and early July, 1165.
    • Assumes Archibald wrote his first diary entry within the first few days after he was freed and that the protagonists immediately progressed to the Hive.
  • The Superior Temple of Baa in Kriegspire was constructed between late 1163 and early 1164, showing the Kreegan presence on Enroth was already established enough.
    • A npc in the game says the Superior Temple was constructed "about a year ago."

Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor (1168-1169)[edit | hide]

  • The game starts on January 1st, 1168.
  • Armageddon's Blade (campaign)>Return of the King: Day 33 mentions Roland was imprisoned for seven years. He was captured just after the Night of Shooting Stars and freed at the end of Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor. This means that MM7 likely concludes in 1169.
    • Freeing Roland was one of the last things the Lords of Harmondale did before opening the gateway to Webstation Beta-5. However, it is unknown how much time canonically passed before the lords found the final piece of the gate and activated it.

Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer (1172-???)[edit | hide]

  • The game starts on January 1st, 1172.

Other[edit | hide]

Important Events[edit | hide]

  • The Silence (0)
    • The Antagarich calendar uses BS (Before the Silence) and AS (After the Silence), so by definition, this occurs at 0
  • Night of Shooting Stars (1162 Horn of the Abyss)
    • The Night of Shooting Stars is the Kreegan invasion of Enroth.
    • Error (ignore): Roland's letters from the Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven manual describe events occurring some time after the Night of Shooting Stars (likely erroneously) as occurring in 1152.
    • Lost Lore Kreegan#Kreegan reference: August 6th, 1164: This letter states that about 3 years ago, the Kreegans invaded Eeofol, so this occurs in 1161.
    • Horn of the Abyss World on Fire features a newly-turned Xarfax. His bio states that he was captured by Kreegans in 1162, so the NoSS must have occurred in 1162.
    • The Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven protagonists were trained by Falagar for 3 years after the NoSS and before the game began on January 1st, 1165. This means that the NoSS occurs somewhere in late 1161 - early 1162.
  • The Reckoning (1177 Lost Lore)

Harmondale[edit | hide]

Event dates based on the logbook (see below):

  • Castle Harmondale has finished construction in 689.
  • The infamous Battle for Harmondale fought between Erathia and AvLee happened in 692.
  • The rebellion against, and death of Baron Danforth Octavio as well as the installation of Mayor Ty Vespin as King of an independent Harmondale happened in 817.
    • King Vespin reigned for six weeks until Harmondale was reconquered by Erathia and Vespin was executed by King Aaron Gryphonheart IV of Erathia, who was slain two weeks later by Elves. Both these events happened in either 817 or 818.
  • AvLee reconquered Harmondale in 818.
  • Harmondale was conquered by the cruel necromancer Lord Terrence Rockwin II in 1008.
  • The town was reconquered by either AvLee or Erathia in 1009.


Logbook Info: In Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor, the player’s party carries a history book that records the events of the game and provides background on related topics such as Erathia, AvLee, Harmondale, and more. This book is updated by the Court Historian of Harmondale as the story progresses and may contain valuable information.

  • After the Lords of Harmondale arrived, the "Date" always marks the beginning of an entry. I took the liberty of noting which story paths each entry depends on. If no path is named, the entry applies to all paths, though you would likely have noticed that anyway.
  • Normally, instead of DAY.MONTH.YEAR, an actual date would appear. These dates fully depend on when the player triggers the events that prompt the corresponding history entry to be written.
  • Zoltan, Roderick, Serena, and Alexis, as mentioned in the *History of Harmondale*, are the default party members if the player does not customize them. The names would logically change based on whatever the player chooses for their party members.
    • Zoltan is a male Goblin Knight, Roderick is a male Human Thief, Serena is a female Dwarf Cleric, and Alexis is a female Elf Sorcerer.
  • I'm unsure what "%30" refers to, as I have not progressed that far into the game, though it may be that not every entry starts with a date but rather some entries have the date in the text itself, which "%30" may refer to.
History of Harmondale

Lord Markham has asked me to prepare this history of Castle Harmondale and its owners so that future generations will not forget the great events that transpire here. I hope I can remain true to this task. As key events occur you can count on me to write them in this book as faithfully as possible, be they for good or for ill. It is not my place to judge what transpires here--merely to record.


May Providence smile upon us!

Wendell Tweed Court Historian


Castle Harmondale was completed in 689 as the first line of defense against Elvish forces led by King Lothoe IV during the Timber Wars. In a sign of things to come, It fell to an Elvish assault just three years later at the infamous Battle for Harmondale. Since then, the castle has changed hands 13 times in bloody conflicts with hundreds of deaths. In all but two of the cases, the castle has been controlled by either Erathia or Avlee, but those two cases are remarkable.

In 817, the long suffering citizens of Harmondale tore the cruel Baron Danforth Octavio to pieces in the streets over his enthusiastic tax collection methods. Seizing the moment, the mob elevated mayor Ty Vespin to King of Harmondale, and installed him in the castle. The glorious reign of King Vespin the First lasted exactly six weeks. Erathian King Aaron Gryphonheart IV marched on the town with two veteran legions, and put King Vespin and his loudest supporters to the sword. With this ""victory"" in hand, King Gryphonheart then marched upon the elves, who slew him in battle two weeks later. The castle returned to Elvish control in 818.

More recently, the Necromancer Lord Terrence Rockwin II seized the castle as part of his expansion plans in 1008. The few citizens who survived this conquest did so by hiding in the hills for the year he was in control of the castle. Witnesses reported signs of a frenzied excavation taking place at the castle, but when Harmondale was retaken in the fall of 1009, no evidence of digging or construction could be found. For that matter, no prisoners ever taken to the castle by the Necromancers were ever seen again.


DAY.MONTH.YEAR

The new lords arrived today at Castle Harmondale. Ruling jointly by Lord Markham's decree are Zoltan, Roderick, Serena, and Alexis. There was, I am sad to say, no ceremony or welcoming party. As a matter of fact, a small band of goblins have moved in the castle and refuse to leave without a fight. I, for one, am forced to stay in the town inn until they are evicted.

I must describe the townspeople's attitude toward their new lords as ""guardedly hostile"". There is no expectation that they will last longer than a few months, little hope they will be any better than the last lords, and a good deal of fear they will be much, much worse. Given the history of this place, I can' t blame them, but I do hope they will be proven wrong.

The traditional rulers of Harmondale--Erathia and Avlee, have not really noticed the change in ownership, but I'm sure that's just an oversight that will be corrected soon. Since Harmondale is currently under human rulership, I expect the Queen's tax collectors will be by shortly to inquire.


DAY.MONTH.YEAR

In gratitude for my Lords' heroic rescue of the dwarves from their old mine, Dwarf King Hothfarr IX has officially recognized them as the rightful lords of Harmondale. Emissaries were sent to the surrounding countries to herald this declaration, and in response, Erathia and Avlee have sent ambassadors to Castle Harmondale to officially represent their positions.

More importantly, King Hothfarr was so grateful for the aid at the mine that he has sent an engineer and construction crew to make long overdue repairs to the castle and the town. I have witnessed the work, and I must say I am impressed! Rubble that has been in the castle since the defeat of Lord Rockwin II more than 150 years ago has finally been removed, revealing several more rooms that haven't been used since then.

Even the usually pessimistic townspeople have begun to cheer up. Though most of the improvements to the town are cosmetic, the effect has been electrifying! Business is positively booming, morale is up, and there is a real feeling that the worst days are behind us. Providence willing, taxes will remain low, and good fortune will remain high. The population's consensus is that nothing can go wrong!


DAY.MONTH.YEAR

To my sorrow, the old rivalry between Erathia and Avlee has flared up again, and this time it is over us. My lords' effectiveness has made this territory a valuable resource, and both powers wish to claim Harmondale as theirs. Though currently under Erathian jurisdiction, Avlee has asserted its right to the territory under the treaty of Tularea (signed in 673). Erathia, of course, responded to that claim by pointing out Avlee's treaty abrogation in 811 under the Declarations and Annunciation's clause. The position of Avlee on THAT issue has been to deny abrogation under the doctrine of Traitors and Miscreants, established circa. 375 by the great warlord Sardowin One-Eye.

There is a response to that claim as well, and a response to the response, ad infinitum. The subject of international relations is worthy of many books, but isn't in the scope of this history. Suffice it to say that both sides believe there is sufficient reason to spill blood, and that spilling is likely to happen in and around Harmondale. I fear for the future.

The townspeople have taken the announcement of war in stride, but there is an undercurrent of worry. I am sure the pressure on my lords to choose a side is intense. I am not sure what I would do, and take comfort in knowing that the decision is not mine to make. Step carefully, my lords.


DAY.MONTH.YEAR

Good news! After some light skirmishes and plenty of spying and maneuvering, both sides of this silly war have decided to call a truce until a suitable arbitrator can be found. My lords have been chosen to select the arbitrator. The future of relations between Erathia and Avlee now rests squarely upon my Lords' (so far) capable shoulders. I am sure their decision will be a wise one.

In other developments, ambassadors from Deyja, land of the Necromancers, and Bracada, land of the Wizards, have arrived. They have come to announce their countries' recognition of my lords as rightful rulers in Harmondale, and no doubt to secure diplomatic favors. Politics such as they are, both sides detest one another. I wouldn't be surprised if one ambassador tried to murder the other in the middle of the night.

Everyone is holding their breath. Nothing can happen, it seems, until this decision is made.


DAY.MONTH.YEAR - Light Path - Erathia Path

My lords have chosen Sir Brandis Fairweather as the arbiter for the Treaty of Harmondale. His reputation as an evenhanded referee is second to none. On %30, Sir Fairweather presided over a tense negotiation to divide the contested lands of Harmondale and surrounds. Though discord threatened the peace, Sir Fairweather's quick diplomacy carried the day, and a formal peace treaty was signed between Erathia and Avlee. Erathia was assigned control of Harmondale, and the more outlying lands were left to Avlee.

While ambassador Wright of Bracada seemed pleased with the choice of arbiter, Ambassador Scale was furious. He has issued (in the name of his government) a warning to all travelers, including my lords, from Harmondale that their ""safety could not be assured"". I think his meaning is clear. He has, however, expressed hope that perhaps some day the interests of the nation of Deyja will coincide with those of Harmondale. (Author's note: I don't think the interests of Deyja and Harmondale will ever ""coincide"" until they conquer us...)


DAY.MONTH.YEAR - Light Path - AvLee Path

My lords have chosen Sir Brandis Fairweather as the arbiter for the Treaty of Harmondale. His reputation as an evenhanded referee is second to none. On %30, Sir Fairweather presided over a tense negotiation to divide the contested lands of Harmondale and surrounds. Though discord threatened the peace, Sir Fairweather's quick diplomacy carried the day, and a formal peace treaty was signed between Erathia and Avlee. Avlee was assigned control of Harmondale, and the more outlying areas were left to Erathia.

While ambassador Wright of Bracada seemed pleased with the choice of arbiter, Ambassador Scale was furious. He has issued (in the name of his government) a warning to all travelers, including my lords, from Harmondale that their ""safety could not be assured"". I think his meaning is clear. He has not withdrawn, however, expressing hope that perhaps some day the interests of the nation of Deyja will coincide with those of Harmondale. (Author's note: I don't think the interests of Deyja and Harmondale will ever ""coincide"" until they conquer us...)


DAY.MONTH.YEAR - Light Path - Harmondale Path

My lords have chosen Sir Brandis Fairweather as the arbiter for the Treaty of Harmondale. His reputation as an evenhanded referee is second to none. On %30, Sir Fairweather presided over a tense negotiation to divide the contested lands of Harmondale and surrounds. Though discord threatened the peace, Sir Fairweather's quick diplomacy carried the day, and a formal peace treaty was signed between Erathia and Avlee.

In an historic development, the treaty provided for the creation of the Kingdom of Harmondale, naming my lords as the rulers and leaving to them the entire responsibility of administering the kingdom. Since invasion is not imminent, as it was in the case of the ill-fated King Vespin, hopes are high that the Kingdom of Harmondale will last a very long time.

While ambassador Wright of Bracada seemed pleased with the choice of arbiter, Ambassador Scale was furious. He has issued (in the name of his government) a warning to all travelers, including my lords, from Harmondale that their ""safety could not be assured"". I think his meaning is clear. He has, however, expressed hope that perhaps some day the interests of the nation of Deyja will coincide with those of Harmondale. (Author's note: I don't think the interests of Deyja and Harmondale will ever ""coincide"" until they conquer us...)


DAY.MONTH.YEAR - Light Path

My lords have become involved in some sort of intrigue at the court of Grand Vizier Gavin Magnus. They have passed a recent wizard's test involving skill and restraint, and have embarked upon a plan to strike at our enemies with the aid of their new allies. I hope this is wise. I have no doubt that our enemies will surely react to any aggression on the part of Harmondale, including spying of any sort. Our allies are strong, but are they strong enough to defend us against an attack from Deyja, and can they be trusted to help when that attack comes?

The rumor mill churns, and it seems that the secret of the Grand Vizier's new boldness comes from four new advisors he's hired. They're always by his side, plotting and scheming for the benefit of Bracada. That's what my sources are saying, anyway. Who knows where these people really come from and what their true purpose is?


DAY.MONTH.YEAR - Light Path

Another blow against the forces of darkness! The soul jars of the Necromancers have been stolen! On %30, my lords delivered the Necromancer's entire cache of soul jars to the wizards of Bracada. Though the raid will not cost the Necromancers anything immediately, they will be unable to complete the Ritual of Eternity for any Necromancers who need to become Liches. Some may die of old age, while others will become increasingly desperate, and may try something rash. Either way, it isn't good for them. Now, more than ever, I expect reprisals from Deyja.

Evidence of the damage this raid did can be seen in the increasing number of rumors issuing from the badlands. There is talk of a split between the ""Military"" arm of the Necromancers, and the ""Science"" arm. There have been sorcerous duels in the lands above the Pit, even pitched battles between mobs of the revolting and unholy monsters the Necromancers create. With luck, these conflicts will evolve into a full scale civil war between our enemies. Or perhaps the wicked Archibald will fall in one of these duels. There's no telling what happy possibilities will become realities once our enemies begin to quarrel amongst themselves.


DAY.MONTH.YEAR - Light Path

The High Temple (or should I say low?) of Darkness, the heart of our enemies, has been sacked! On %30, my lords, at the behest of their allies in the court of Gavin Magnus, brought the temple's altar stone to the court, and presented it to Ressurectra, the chief advisor to Gavin Magnus himself. There, she combined the sister stone from the High Temple of Light and produced a...larger stone? Well, far be it from me to understand the strange ways of wizardry, but the important thing is that our enemies have been humiliated, and their enchanted altar stone taken. Hopefully, this will put a damper on any plans they had for using that stone.

Well, there still has been no reaction from Deyja on the theft of the stone, but I doubt they will just take it lying down. No, they are crafting some vengeful plan even now, or my historical experience is completely wrong. The question is not whether they will strike, but when. And where? Here? The town? Or perhaps Bracada itself. Perhaps my lords should hire a court astrologer, or some spies for advice.


DAY.MONTH.YEAR - Light Path

Now comes a more unusual story from this alliance between my lords and the wizards of Bracada. Apparently, each of Gavin Magnus' special advisors directed the recent missions as a test. They are leading up to some plan, but have not yet said what it is. I must say that while I detest such manipulation, I can't help but feel a certain admiration and trust toward these people.

This most recent test involved the location and destruction of a powerful vampire lord hiding somewhere in Erathia. Careful thought and sound reasoning narrowed the vampire's possible hiding places, which turned out to be a wine cellar underneath a completely ordinary home. On %30 the vampire lord was slain, and his minions swiftly followed him into permanent death.

Concerning our enemies in Deyja, a major development has appeared. Archibald Ironfist, former king of Enroth and now former leader of the Necromancer Guild, has left his home in the Pit, and taken with him the ""Science"" oriented Necromancers. No one knows where they have gone, but this is the best news since the peace treaty between Erathia and Avlee was signed. Never have our enemies been so weak, or so leaderless. Archibald's advisors may remain to guide the Military arm, but with half their strength missing, a determined and well organized force may well conquer Deyja and relegate the Black Guild to the dustbin of History!


DAY.MONTH.YEAR - Dark Path - Erathia Path

My lords chose Lord Devon Sleen as the arbiter for the Treaty of Harmondale. Though he has a reputation as a skillful diplomat, his hands-off style has frequently led to unnecessary conflicts between parties seeking his aid. The %30 negotiations between Queen Catherine of Erathia and King Eldrich Parson of Avlee are a perfect example. Unable to agree to a proper division of land, the negotiations swiftly ended, and the war resumed. Many, many deaths later, the war officially ended with Erathia firmly in control of Harmondale. The elves were none too happy with the result, but there's nothing they can do about it right now. No doubt this incident will be the cause of another war sometime in the future.

While ambassador Scale of Deyja seemed pleased with the choice of arbiter, Ambassador Wright was furious. He has issued (in the name of his government) a warning to my lords never to set foot in Bracada on pain of death. He has, however, indicated a willingness continue the ""dialogue"" between our countries. Obviously, he hopes to extract some sort of concessions from us in the future.


DAY.MONTH.YEAR - Dark Path - AvLee Path

My lords chose Lord Devon Sleen as the arbiter for the Treaty of Harmondale. Though he has a reputation as a skillful diplomat, his hands-off style has frequently led to unnecessary conflicts between parties seeking his aid. The %30 negotiations between Queen Catherine of Erathia and King Eldrich Parson of Avlee are a perfect example. Unable to agree to a proper division of land, the negotiations swiftly ended, and the war resumed. Many, many deaths later, the war officially ended with Avlee firmly in control of Harmondale. The Humans were none too happy with the result, but there's nothing they can do about it right now. No doubt this incident will be the cause of another war sometime in the future.

While ambassador Scale of Deyja seemed pleased with the choice of arbiter, Ambassador Wright was furious. He has issued (in the name of his government) a warning to my lords never to set foot in Bracada on pain of death. He has not withdrawn from the castle, however, indicating a willingness continue the ""dialogue"" between our countries. Obviously, he hopes to extract some sort of concessions from us in the future.


DAY.MONTH.YEAR - Dark Path - Harmondale Path

My lords chose Lord Devon Sleen as the arbiter for the Treaty of Harmondale. Though he has a reputation as a skillful diplomat, his hands-off style has frequently led to unnecessary conflicts between parties seeking his aid. The %30 negotiations between Queen Catherine of Erathia and King Eldrich Parson of Avlee are a perfect example. Unable to agree to a proper division of land, the negotiations swiftly ended, and the war resumed. Many, many deaths later, the war officially ended in a stalemate.

In an historic development, the peace agreement provided for the creation of the Kingdom of Harmondale, naming my lords as the rulers and leaving to them the entire responsibility of administering the kingdom. Since invasion is not imminent, as it was in the case of the ill-fated King Vespin, hopes are high that the Kingdom of Harmondale will last a very long time.

While ambassador Scale of Deyja seemed pleased with the choice of arbiter, Ambassador Wright was furious. He has issued (in the name of his government) a warning to my lords never to set foot in Bracada on pain of death. He has, however, indicated a willingness continue the ""dialogue"" between our countries. Obviously, he hopes to extract some sort of concessions from us in the future.


DAY.MONTH.YEAR - Dark Path

My lords have become involved in some sort of intrigue at the court of Archibald Ironfist. They have passed a recent test involving skill and violence, and have embarked upon a plan to strike at our enemies with the aid of their new allies. I hope this is wise. I have no doubt that our enemies will surely react to any aggression on the part of Harmondale, including spying of any sort. Our allies are strong, but are they strong enough to defend us against an attack from Bracada, and can they be trusted to help when that attack comes?

The rumor mill churns, and it seems that the secret of Lord Ironfist's new boldness comes from four new advisors he's hired. They're always by his side, plotting and scheming for the benefit of Deyja. That's what my sources are saying, anyway. Who knows where these people really come from and what their true purpose is?


DAY.MONTH.YEAR - Dark Path

Acting at the behest of our new allies in Deyja, my lords have brought a set of the valuable soul jars necromancers need to complete the Ritual of Eternity to Kastore, chief advisor to Lord Ironfist. The Warlocks of Nighon are capable alchemists, but incompetent defenders. From the telling of it, taking the soul jars was so pathetically easy that I doubt our new enemies in Nighon can mount a credible counterstrike.

The ready availability of the soul jars will strengthen our allies tremendously. Overall, this is a fine thing, but I cannot help but detect a note of discord in Archibald's court. Reports coming from Deyja are saying that orders given by Archibald and his ""advisors"" frequently conflict, and Archibald doesn't always prevail when decisions need to be made. It's almost as though there were two factions vying for control of Deyja, and Archibald merely represents one of them. I hope this isn't true. Being linked with a strong ally protects us from attack, but when that strong ally begins to look weak, watch out!


DAY.MONTH.YEAR - Dark Path

Acting at the behest of our new allies in Deyja, my lords have brought a set of the valuable soul jars necromancers need to complete the Ritual of Eternity to Kastore, chief advisor to Lord Ironfist. The Warlocks of Nighon are capable alchemists, but poor defenders. Even still, engaging them in combat would be dangerous, so it is with relief that I can report my lords were able to make a deal with the Warlocks to obtain the soul jars without a fight.

The ready availability of the soul jars will strengthen our allies tremendously. Overall, this is a fine thing, but I cannot help but detect a note of discord in Archibald's court. Reports coming from Deyja are saying that orders given by Archibald and his ""advisors"" frequently conflict, and Archibald doesn't always prevail when decisions need to be made. It's almost as though there were two factions vying for control of Deyja, and Archibald merely represents one of them. I hope this isn't true. Being linked with a strong ally protects us from attack, but when that strong ally begins to look weak, watch out!


DAY.MONTH.YEAR - Dark Path

The High Temple of Light, the heart of our enemies, has been sacked! On %30, my lords, at the behest of their allies in the court of Archibald Ironfist, brought the temple's altar stone to the court, and presented it to Kastore, the chief advisor to Lord Ironfist himself. There, he combined the sister stone from the High Temple of Darkness and produced a...larger stone? Well, far be it from me to understand the strange ways of wizardry, but the important thing is that our enemies have been humiliated, and their enchanted altar stone taken. Hopefully, this will put a damper on any plans they had for using that stone.

Well, there still has been no reaction from Bracada on the theft of the stone, but I doubt they will just take it lying down. No, they are crafting some vengeful plan even now, or my historical experience is completely wrong. The question is not whether they will strike, but when. And where? Here? The town? Or perhaps Deyja itself. Perhaps my lords should hire a court astrologer or some spies for advice.


DAY.MONTH.YEAR - Dark Path

Lord Ironfist ordered an attack upon alchemist Clive Clanker's laboratory, which my lords have carried out with skill and precision. Even now his Necromancers search the laboratory for traps and treasures left behind by alchemists.

Putting an even greater strain on court relations is a successful raid from the Wizards of Bracada against the soul jar treasury in the Pit. This disaster is sure to cause conflicts within the already tense court of Deyja. Without soul jars, necromancers will be unable to complete the Ritual to become Liches.

I think our allies are about to fall to fighting. Already, sorcerous duels are being fought on the surface above the Pit between members of the two factions. I hope my lords can figure out who will be on the winning side and join them before the dust settles. Because picking the wrong side is sure to have consequences.


DAY.MONTH.YEAR - Light Path

There is discord in Deyja, and a faction split amongst the necromancers has occured. Archibald Ironfist has turned up in Clive Clanker's old laboratory. Until recently, the laboratory had been happily chugging along, selling enchanted weapons and equipment to anyone who had enough money--including the pirate ""empire"" of Regna. Having employed the pirates as mercenaries during the Succession War in Enroth, Archibald knew of their wealthy alchemical suppliers. The fact that this wealth existed made for an excellent smoke screen covering the real reasons behind Archibald's assault.

The recent tensions between Archibald and his new advisors has been well documented. Factionism and discord have created an intolerable situation in Deyja, so bad that one side had to leave. Archibald's ""science"" necromancers attacked Clanker's laboratory not for the alchemical treasures, but for the living space. We have traded one strong enemy for two weaker ones. I hope this trade is for the better. Perhaps Archibald will be amenable to peace overtures?


DAY.MONTH.YEAR - Dark Path

Archibald Ironfist, former leader of our allies in Deyja, has moved to Clive Clanker's old laboratory. Until recently, the laboratory had been happily chugging along, selling enchanted weapons and equipment to anyone who had enough money--including the pirate ""empire"" of Regna. Having employed the pirates as mercenaries during the Succession War in Enroth, Archibald knew of their wealthy alchemical suppliers. The fact that this wealth existed made for an excellent smoke screen covering the real reasons behind Archibald's manipulation of my lords to further his ends.

The recent tension between Archibald and his new advisors has been well documented. Factionism and discord have created an intolerable situation in Deyja, so bad that one side had to leave. Archibald's ""science"" necromancers attacked Clanker's laboratory not for the alchemical treasures, but for the living space. Perhaps this is for the better. It is clear Kastore's faction is the stronger of the two, and he clearly intends further dealings with my lord. Something big is in the air, something that will surely show itself soon."


DAY.MONTH.YEAR

Good King Roland Ironfist, brother to Archibald Ironfist, has been rescued from the clutches of the Devils after many long years! To think of what he went through as a prisoner of those monsters for such a long time is beyond imagining. Everyone had given up hope that he was still alive. The find was almost accidental.

My lords had been sent on a mission to destroy the nest in the name of humanity. Archibald Ironfist, deposed lord of Deyja and one of the most hated men in history, offered aid for reasons of his own. During the mission, my lords found King Roland in an iron cage deep within the nest and released him. Further, Archibald volunteered to return Roland to Queen Catherine himself.

Archibald and his brother are reunited. Though their rivalry is bitter, they have never attempted fratricide. However, Roland's wife, Queen Catherine of Erathia, does have a history of slaying obnoxious relatives. She has sworn to execute Archibald should she ever be lucky enough to capture him. I wonder what she will do now?


DAY.MONTH.YEAR

It seems that Queen Catherine has made her decision. Rather that execute Archibald, she has decided that Clanker's Laboratory should become his permanent home. He is barred from leaving his island on pain of death. Archibald appears to have accepted these terms and set aside his ambitions forever...but forever is such a long time. I doubt that we've seen the last of him.

Our relations with Erathia have improved dramatically. Queen Catherine says she is eternally grateful for the return of Roland and the destruction of the Devils. With all the good will going around, war seems but a distant, bad dream. For his part, Roland has also expressed his profound gratitude, and says he will be returning to Enroth after he recovers physically from his long imprisonment.

Still, there is a tension in the air. All of these seemingly unconnected missions for the mysterious advisors, the collection of unusual artifacts, and the assassinations must be leading somewhere. I have a feeling things will become clear soon.


DAY.MONTH.YEAR - Light Path

Our special advisors in the Court of Bracada have turned out to be quite special indeed. They say they are from another world, and have crossed the space between the stars looking for signs of the Ancients and their servants. They say they came here because their magical devices detected the ruins of Ancient civilization, and the equipment to open the gate to the stars and walk amongst them as easily as you and I would cross a room. They say they intended to return the lost glory of the Ancient's civilization to our world.

But when they arrived, four members of their team renounced their long held dream of finding the Ancients. They chose instead to conquer our world with the help of our own ruined Ancient equipment. And they chose Archibald Ironfist and his Necromancers as their instrument and puppet.

They say they need but one more piece to repair the road to the stars, and that piece is in the vehicle they used to get to our world. Their enemies, the ""advisors"" to Archibald, also require this piece to finish their own project--the repair of the Heavenly Forge. If the enemy receives this artifact, they would use the forge to duplicate their powerful weapons and conquer our world. If Ressurectra and her team receives the artifact, they will use it to open the gate to the stars and bring the blessings of the Ancient's magic to all the people of our world.

Now it is up to my lords to retrieve this artifact from their vehicle and return it to one of the two factions of outsiders. I think Ressurectra means well, but my judgement has been wrong in the past.


DAY.MONTH.YEAR - Dark Path

Our special advisors in the Court of Deyja have turned out to be quite special indeed. They say they are from another world, and have crossed the space between the stars looking for signs of the Ancients and their servants. They say they came here because their magical devices detected the ruins of Ancient civilization, and the equipment to open the gate to the stars and walk amongst them as easily as you and I would cross a room. They say they intended to return the lost glory of the Ancient's civilization to our world.

But when they arrived, Kastore and his faction had tired of their search, and renounced their long held dream of finding the Ancients. They preferred instead to take command of our world and lead it to greatness with the benefit of their superior wisdom and science. The others, obsessed with their original mission, refused to see reason and continued their pointless quest.

Their enemies say they need but one more piece to repair the road to the stars, and that piece is in the vehicle they used to get to our world. Kastore's faction also requires this piece to finish their own project--the repair of the Heavenly Forge. If Kastore's faction receives this artifact, they would use the forge to duplicate their powerful weapons and assume command of our world. If Ressurectra and her team receives the artifact, they will use it to open the gate to the stars with unknown consequences, possibly opening a hole into the void or offering monsters from other stars like the Devils a way to invade our world.

Now it is up to my lords to retrieve this artifact from their vehicle and return it to one of the two factions of outsiders. I think Kastore means well, but my judgement has been wrong in the past.


DAY.MONTH.YEAR - Dark Path

The citizens of Harmondale have begun to perceive my lords' justice as…a bit harsh. As of %30 100 citizens have been summarily executed for their crimes against my lords in the streets.

Useful unsorted data[edit | hide]

Comments[edit | hide]

Very nice and thorough deep dive! A few clarifications/corrections:

I don't think Yog being a barbarian in H1 means Birth of a Barbarian must be before H1. For one thing, there is no wizard class in H1, plus the concept of a hero class itself is a bit more of a gameplay thing. Most importantly, we know that Yog's father is a barbarian chieftain and that Yog is a foreigner in Krewlod. So there is a good chance of his father being an Enrothian barbarian, with Yog being with him during that time (either before he began studying in Bracada, or taking a break from that).

Even if he wasn't in Enroth due to his father, Yog is still a barbarian by blood, being son of a chieftain. It does make sense that he is represented as a barbarian in-game even before Birth of a Barbarian, especially given the absense of the wizard class in H1.

There is little to no real conflict there with Adrienne. First of all, she certainly doesn't fight Haart from 1167 to 1171. Playing with Fire starts in 1170 at the earliest. Plenty of time for Tarnum and Adrienne to hook up even before that campaign, and some time after as well. Kendal's diary does muck up things a little bit, but it generally doesn't mesh all that well with Clash of the Dragons. Still, even if we take those diary entries that mention her as canon, a diplomat as canon, she could have visited both Erathia and AvLee around 1172-73.

Frankly, Elixir being around 1156-57 doesn't make sense. That way Gelu would be far too young during the campaign. He was a baby, "essentially born into the Erathian military", in 1150. So he could have been born no earlier than 1146, and even that is stretching it. Elixir does mention him being the youngest member of the Forest Guard, but he obviously isn't 9-10 years old.

I've talked about Shalongrarg (as well as Gelu's age) in Talk:Underworld. Summing up, there is more than enough reason to think that Shalongarg and Jared are from after the Night of Shooting Stars (which is 1162).

Also, the aforementioned Gelu's age thing points to New Beginning being essentially the longest campaign. The main time skip happens during or after Clearing the Border. The Succession Wars ended in the first half of 1154. Gem could have arrived in Antagarich no more than about 1 year and 8 months after that. So Clearing the Border starts in 1155-56. The New Beginning campaign ends not long before Unholy Alliance. Given the estimated Gelu's age, that means that New Beginning took place from 1155/56 to around 1161/63. This means that Clearing the Border either took several years for Gem to complete (not unreasonable, since she commanded a fringe militia in a border conflict) and/or there were several years between it and After the Amulet. We should also factor in than other scenarios also took time to happen, and there could be some considerable time skips between them.

  • In Driving for the Boots, Gem mentions that it is her 61st year as a Sorceress and that she encountered the Black Grip 5 years ago. Are either of these events referenced in Homm2? --Legate (talk) 14:20, 11 August 2025 (UTC)
    • No, they're not. --XEL (talk) 23:04, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

All in all, New Beginning apparently does take place over a period of about 6-7 years. One can also assume that Target takes place aorund 1160-61, with Gelu being around 14, but I do feel like that's stretching it a little bit, plus there's no real reason for it to be that way unless we specifically want to assume that Jared/Shalongrarg are separate from the Kreegan Eeofol. I do personally see its own interesting implications in there, though.

I'll comment on the HotA campaigns sometime in the nearest future. --XEL (talk) 02:38, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

Like I mentioned a while back, the Night of Shooting Stars takes place in 1162. Talk:Night of Shooting Stars Kreegan Reference says "approximately" three years, so it isn't the exact number from the get go. There is some rather small room for interpreting it as the end of 1161, but that falls more into the realm of fanon.

Side note: HotA puts it in 1162 even more firmly than NWC does, since it features a newly captured Xarfax, and that happened in 1162.

As for Archibald, he is rounding up, simple as that. People tend to round up years like that. So I wouldn't even call it caonflicting info. Yes, Archibald was a statue not for 10, but for 11 years, but it's still around a decade. --XEL (talk) 04:20, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

Lore Timing Discussions[edit | hide]

Dargem[edit | hide]

  • I agree that Terror of the Seas and Horn of the Abyss should be moved - they confuse people as to the order of the HotA campaigns themselves (Horn fo the Abyss obviously occurs later). It would also be great to replace the image for an interactive map, such as the one used for the Main Menu, with links to appropriate campaigns.
  • There's another issue of placement of the Cove campaigns - in Terror of the Seas Dargem is alive and well, while he is killed in Dead or Alive. I think this suggests a rather obvious timeline for the two. - Csaros (talk) 10:15, 21 February 2024 (UTC)
  • Epilogue of Terror of the Seas (Dargem feasibly lives through this):
Unnamed narrator: The defenders of the Regnan fortress shivered, and Casmetra and Jeremy hurried in. Dargem let the captive be and grabbed the Horn. He ran to the highest tower. While Jeremy was helping his brother untie the ropes, Casmetra yelled powerfully:

"Give the Horn back immediately!"

With a scared face, Dargem yelled back:

"Never! You betrayed me and left me alone! Now I know what to do!"

Taking the artifact in both hands, Dargem was just about to blow the Horn, when with a piercing "STOP!!!" Casmetra threw a magical spell at him. A huge magical explosion followed, and the shock wave destroyed half of a fortress, creating something like a whirlpool underneath it.

The only thing that Jeremy remembered was how he tried to get to higher ground desperately, and how Casmetra yelled:

"Idiot! We will be dragged into another plane of existence because of you!"

Hours, or maybe weeks after that, Jeremy found himself on a sea shore. Where is Bidley? And what happened to the Horn? May this be the end of the legend of the Horn of the Abyss?
  • Epilogue of Dead or Alive (Quite obviously Boyd killed him, and if you look at the cinematic it seems almost ridiculous to think otherwise): - Csaros (talk)
Henrietta: The chase… Sword in my hand… and the barely visible path between the lifeless hills ahead. I’m racing on, barely ever getting a glimpse of the map, and the silent skeleton rides by my side. Suddenly, I wake up, shaking off the nightmare that kept tormenting me for days, in the dreams and beyond. When we pinned down that worm, Dargem, I left Boyd and him to set their scores alone. Should I expect for a second restless dead man to come to my dreams tonight? Well, just two is not that bad. After fleeing from Eeofol, I was seeing thousands of them…
  • See also the "diary pages" from In Search of the Horn, Dargem has been stuck in a labyrinth for a while, at the behest of his "mistress", before his appearance in the Terror of the Seas campaign.
  • By the way, one more piece of evidence for chronology: the Day 12 message in Treachery:
More troubling news: war has broken out again between Erathia and Eeofol. Also, strange cities with golden-domed castles have begun appearing out of thin air all across the continent. Casmetra thinks it is an invasion by elemental lords. One of these cities appeared in the northern region of the archipelago. They've probably been attracted by the power of the Horn of the Abyss and hope to acquire it.
    • This places this mission, the last of the Terror of the Seas campaign, to be synchronous with Armageddon's Blade. So the Horn of the Abyss campaign must be synchronous with Armageddon's Blade too. Note that if we accept Dead or Alive to be the end of Dargem, that puts this mission to be after AB; considerably widening the time gap between missions 2 and 3 of the Forged in Fire campaign.
  • So a quick Dargem timeline would be like this: navigator mage working for one of the Regnan pirate lords. Tasked with getting the Horn of the Abyss, gets stuck in the labyrinth, loses all his troops to traps and illusion, gets imprisoned by another pirate band, is freed by Bidley and co., makes a grab for the Horn, and is blasted off away. Tries to seize it by force with an combined pirate/warlock army, fails again. After these repeated failures at grabbing the Horn, resort to extorting and harassing refugees stuck in the Jadame wasteland, but fails at this as well.
  • Alternatively, if Dargem somehow survives Boyd, then he harasses the refugees, gets his ass kicked, and is sent to a new assignment of hunting for the Horn. Where he also fails. This one might be actually easier to reconcile with the timeline as drawn so far.
    • The second option is easier to reconcile with other issues, sure, but there's no way Boyd doesn't kill Dargem. This is the entire characterization of that campaign chapter - Boyd wanting to take revenge on Dargem. Dead or Alive. That's why it's called this way. The AB{-ab} message in the Terror of the Seas does suggest its mostly correct placement (although slightly to the left of AB), so the only thing we can presume is that Dead or Alive occurs far, far after Beyond the Horizon. - Csaros (talk)
  • Maybe we should ask the HotA team for clarification, since they wrote the stories of both campaigns. - Kastore (talk) gave us some info a while back... --Legate (talk) 16:49, 21 February 2024 (UTC)
  • CONCLUSION: Treachery mentions "...strange cities with golden-domed castles have begun appearing out of thin air all across the continent." That puts Terror of the Seas concurrent with Armageddon's Blade (campaign). As Homecoming (HotA)'s story text is obviously concurrent with the end of Armageddon's Blade (campaign), I think we have to conclude that Dargem somehow survived his encounter with Boyd. --Legate (talk) 17:11, 26 March 2024 (UTC)
  • In Might & Magic RPG games characters could be easily ressurected, if sent to a temple. Who knows that scoundrel Dargem. I though that at one point Jeremy would have to find and free him for a help and Dargem would complain how bad they treated him.--Archer (talk) 17:24, 15 April 2024 (UTC)

Tavin[edit | hide]

Tavin appears in Armageddon's Blade (campaign), where his guerillas help Gelu so that he may free their homeland. This suggests that AB happens before Homecoming (HotA)?

Lore up to the Reckoning[edit | hide]

We should probably make a page with this info...it is linked in several locations on this wiki.

  • Jennifer Bullard - Lost manuscript files (Celestial Heavens)
    • This states that Mutare was killed on 07-17-1175.
    • Tarnum the Overlord day 1 event says that he took over the Nighon forces in the power vacuum left by Mutare's death.
    • So...Sword of Frost campaign happens from 1175 or 1176 to the early part of 1177? There is probably another clue nailing this down further in either the text of Sword of Frost or the lost manuscripts.
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