Continuity/Ages of the Empyrean Versus The History of Auberean
When it comes to constructing a timeline, there are two very important documents: Ages of the Empyrean and The History of Auberean. Unfortunately, these two pieces seem to be at odds.
Ages of the Empyrean
This document was released in late 2001 with Dark Majesty. It quite clearly lays out several important facts about the timeline:
- The Arelis Eipoth (Golden Age) lasted approximately 20,000 years.
- The Dericoi Eipoth (Age of Dericost) lasted approximately 6,000 years.
- The Vacari Eipoth – (Age of Contentment) lasted 6,102 years.
- The Rhethis Eipoth (First Age of Lore) lasted 895 years.
- The Torethis Eipoth (Second Age of Lore) lasted 761 years.
- The Hyrethis Eipoth (Third Age of Lore) lasted 647 years.
- The Moriqui Eipoth (Age of Shifting) Had lasted 591 years at the point this was released.
- The Yalaini ages never have a year zero.
- Humans started to arrive on dereth on ME 564.
- Portal year 0 occurred on ME 579.
- Marae Lassel opened in 12 PY.
Given the fact that portal years and the yalaini years are measuring the same amount of time, the length of the year on Auberean, we can assume the years in the two systems are equal. This is confirmed by the fact that if you subtract 15 from ME 579 (0 PY), you arrive at ME 564 (-15 PY).
Prior to Dark Majesty, the Scrawled Note was released which states that:
- The family of Talaagran Sarian was awarded a patent of nobility for service to the Ice Throne in the year DE 4,709.
- The family of Talaagran Sarian served as the lords and ladies of Antaoc for 1,465 years, until the Throne was overturned.
With those two bits of information, we can assume the Dericoi Eipoth ended in DE 6174.
Armed with these facts, one can easy construct a table of every portal year and its equivalent year in the Yalaini calendar, all the way back to the beginning of the Dericoi Eipoth.
As an example, here are start and end dates of the Yalaini ages:
| Portal Year | Yalaini Epothi |
| -15,157 PY | DE 1 |
| -8,984 PY | DE 6174 |
| -8,983 PY | VE 1 |
| -2,882 PY | VE 6102 |
| -2,881 PY | RE 1 |
| -1,987 PY | RE 895 |
| -1,986 PY | TE 1 |
| -1,226 PY | TE 761 |
| -1,225 PY | HE 1 |
| -579 PY | HE 647 |
| -578 PY | ME 1 |
Using this table, we can quickly discover the portal year of events that only have a Yalaini date. A few important dates are:
- -2,546 PY (RE 336) - Asheron is born.
- -2,511 PY (RE 371) - Atlan dies.
- -2,196 PY (RE 686) - Council of Five is convened.
- -1,084 PY (HE 142) - Nali Athanas reforms the northern church.
- -767 PY (HE 459) - Olthoi arrive on Auberean.
The History of Auberean
The History of Auberean uses only one system of measurement: the Portal Year. However, one simply needs to compare the dates above with the dates given in this new piece to see things aren't matching up:
- -2,562 PY - Asheron is born.
- -2,527 PY - Atlan dies.
- -2,212 PY - Council of Five is convened.
- -1,195 PY - Nali Athanas reforms the northern church.
- -780 PY - Olthoi arrive on Auberean.
It is beginning to look like, as The History of Auberean did with the timeline of Ispar, the timeline of Auberean has been drastically changed.
However, not all hope of salvaging the pre-History of Auberean timeline is lost. The History of Auberean states exactly when each age begins and ends. Those dates are as follows:
- -30,000 PY - Beginning of AE.
- -15,000 PY - Beginning of DE.
- -9,000 PY - Beginning of VE.
- -2,898 PY - Beginning of RE.
- -2,003 PY - Beginning of TE.
- -1,242 PY - Beginning of HE.
- -579 PY - Beginning of ME.
If you use these numbers, you will find that:
- AE lasted approximately 15,000 years.
- DE lasted approximately 6,000 years.
- VE lasted 6102 years.
- RE lasted 895 years.
- TE lasted 761 years.
- HE lasted 663 years.
Conclusion
There are only two changes to the timeline:
- The Arelis Eipoth (Golden Age) is now said to have lasted approximately 15,000 years rather that 20,000.
- The Hyrethis Eipoth (Third Age of Lore) lasted 663 years, rather than 647 years.