How long ago was the Bael Turath / Arkhosia war?

[Piratecat]

The implied fiction of 4e includes a brutal war between the tieflings and the dragonborn. Anyone know roughly how long ago that was supposed to have taken place?

For bonus points, anyone know if whatever details we know have been collected or referenced anywhere?

Thanks! It's factoring into one of my games, but I've been really fuzzy on the dates. I'd like to change that.

 

[Jack99]

Around 100-120 years ago, but that's in my campaign, so not that interesting, especially since I can't remember if I based this on actual numbers or just convenience.

I tried to access the PoL-wiki, which is probably your best bet, but I still just get logged out of ENworld

 

[Dire Bare]

I don't think a specific timeline exists. It was a looong time ago though, and the two empires rose and fell long before the more recent human empire rose and fell.

 

[Mr. Wilson]

I don't believe the PHB provides any timeline, nor have I seen anything of the sort that I recall from the other books I own (which is all of them but the adventures).

I was under the impressions we are talking about a thousand years ago, if not longer based on the fluff we do have.

 

[vagabundo]

The POL Wiki here on enworld is probably your best bet. But I'm afraid to go near the Wiki as it eats my cookies.

 

[lestat2099]

I thought the designers avoided a "campaign feel" on the core books to avoid any preconceived thing to new players. Even the Manual of the Planes is vague enough to work your own timeline of events.

I guess it's up to you how long ago the war was...

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

From the Tiefling entry in Races and Classes:
- "... tieflings are a race whose bloodline stems from an infernal bargain made nearly a millennia ago."
- "Flush in the power of its new-made pacts, ... Bael Turath recklessly expanded its lands."
- "Bael Turath's expansion eventually led it into direct contact with the dragonborn empire of Arkhosia."

So I'd reckon 900+ years ago, in the early days of Nerath.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I seem to remember that the fall of the Nerathi Empire is a century ago, but that might just be what I made up for my campaign.

Arkhosia and Bael Turath? No clue, I would guess at least a 1,000 years. Tieflings are kinda "established" in the PoL setting, so they must have been around for some time.

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

I seem to remember that the fall of the Nerathi Empire is a century ago...

Yes, that's correct.

 

[FireLance]

From the Tiefling entry in Races and Classes:
- "... tieflings are a race whose bloodline stems from an infernal bargain made nearly a millennia ago."
- "Flush in the power of its new-made pacts, ... Bael Turath recklessly expanded its lands."
- "Bael Turath's expansion eventually led it into direct contact with the dragonborn empire of Arkhosia."

So I'd reckon 900+ years ago, in the early days of Nerath.

Add to this one more nugget of information from the Ecology of the Dragonborn article in Dragon #365:

"Eventually, the expanding borders of the fiendish kingdom of Bael Turath, ruled by tieflings and devils, collided with those of Arkhosia. ... War was inescapable. It came swiftly and brutally, and it spanned hundreds of years."

So, it might have started about 900 years ago, but it ended centuries later, possibly 700-600 years ago.