Dungeonosophy
Legend
Does the new Van Richten guide refer to a date/year? Is it 735 BC (Barovian Calendar)?
My understanding is that there are two distinct Official timelines:
The Ravenloft classic pre-5E timeline (2E/3E). Last product is dated 758 BC.
The 5E Curse of Strahd timeline, which is a different, rebooted version of Ravenloft. Set in 735 BC. Curse of Strahd includes iconic characters from various times, and is set in a time which contradicts the previous timeline.
References:
Fraternity of Shadows says: "758 was the year of the "latest" (in time) officially published products (Gaz V & Dark Tales & Distubing Legends) in the last year that Arthaus/WW published Ravenloft. (2004) Many fans have extended the timeline on a year-for-year basis, so it's now unofficially 772 (in 2018). Curse of Strahd exists in a separate timeline than the other Ravenloft products. The book says it takes place in 735, but that's the same year the original "Black Box" setting took place. But the original I6 adventure was placed in 528 by many later products, and Ireena Kolyana appears in both, at apparently the same age. So it's not really possible to reconcile them. CoS took characters from different points in the timeline and put them together in 735 as if they'd always been there." (See also the possibility of the events occurring in a dream sequence in 528 BC: .)
My understanding is that there are two distinct Official timelines:
The Ravenloft classic pre-5E timeline (2E/3E). Last product is dated 758 BC.
The 5E Curse of Strahd timeline, which is a different, rebooted version of Ravenloft. Set in 735 BC. Curse of Strahd includes iconic characters from various times, and is set in a time which contradicts the previous timeline.
References:
Fraternity of Shadows says: "758 was the year of the "latest" (in time) officially published products (Gaz V & Dark Tales & Distubing Legends) in the last year that Arthaus/WW published Ravenloft. (2004) Many fans have extended the timeline on a year-for-year basis, so it's now unofficially 772 (in 2018). Curse of Strahd exists in a separate timeline than the other Ravenloft products. The book says it takes place in 735, but that's the same year the original "Black Box" setting took place. But the original I6 adventure was placed in 528 by many later products, and Ireena Kolyana appears in both, at apparently the same age. So it's not really possible to reconcile them. CoS took characters from different points in the timeline and put them together in 735 as if they'd always been there." (See also the possibility of the events occurring in a dream sequence in 528 BC: .)