--- #### **The Primordial Age (Pre-Dalereckoning)** - **Before -35,000 DR: Formation of Acheron** - Acheron is created during the multiverse's formation as a place of perfect order where war is constant but rules are always followed. - Initially a neutral plane, Acheron begins to attract deities, spirits, and mortals who value structure and conquest. - **The Dawn War:** - During the war between the **primordials** and the gods, Acheron serves as a battleground. - Deities aligned with law, such as **Bane** and **Maglubiyet**, use Acheron as a staging ground for their armies. - The primordial remnants left scars across Acheron’s iron cubes, with some regions becoming dormant and devoid of war. --- #### **The Rise of Militaristic Deities (-30,000 DR to -10,000 DR)** - **-30,000 DR: The Arrival of Maglubiyet** - **Maglubiyet**, the god of goblinoids, claims parts of Acheron for his domain. - He creates vast goblinoid armies that wage eternal war across the plane. - The first goblinoid warlords emerge, each controlling smaller iron cubes as strategic strongholds. - **-25,000 DR: Expansion of Orcish Presence** - **Gruumsh**, the god of orcs, uses Acheron to train and deploy his divine forces. - The goblinoid and orcish deities establish Acheron as their primary battlefield, perpetuating their endless rivalry. - **-20,000 DR: Creation of the War Engines** - Early mortals and planar engineers design massive war machines powered by Acheron’s energy. - These engines, abandoned or destroyed, litter the cubes, creating hazards and relics for future armies. --- #### **The Age of Mortal Interaction (-10,000 DR to -1,000 DR)** - **-10,000 DR: The Crown Wars** - During the **Crown Wars** on Toril, certain elven factions summon forces from Acheron to aid in their conflicts. - These summoned soldiers often return to Acheron after their tasks, bringing knowledge of mortal magic and tactics. - **-5,000 DR: Involvement of Bane** - The god **Bane**, representing tyranny and order, stakes his claim on Acheron, establishing fortresses where his armies train for domination. - Bane’s influence attracts mortal warlords and planar beings who seek power through militaristic means. - **-2,000 DR: Rise of the Goblinoid Kingdoms** - Goblinoid kingdoms in the Material Plane align themselves with Maglubiyet’s forces in Acheron, forging planar alliances. - These alliances fuel large-scale invasions on the Material Plane, with goblinoid warlords drawing upon Acheron’s armies. --- #### **The Time of Empires (-1,000 DR to 1358 DR)** - **-1,000 DR: The Rise of Mortal Generals** - Mortal generals and rulers begin to use planar magic to access Acheron, summoning its soldiers for their conquests. - These generals often fail to control the soldiers, who return to Acheron with tales of mortal arrogance. - **500 DR: The Fortresses of Iron** - Acheron’s iron cubes are transformed into sprawling fortresses by planar warlords. - Each fortress becomes a hub of strategy, its commander vying for dominance over nearby cubes. - **714 DR: The Fall of Myth Drannor** - During the siege of Myth Drannor, portals to Acheron are briefly opened, unleashing battalions of goblinoids and war spirits. - The summoned forces return to Acheron after the fall, bringing stolen artifacts and magical knowledge. --- #### **The Time of Troubles and Acheron’s Influence (1358 DR)** - **1358 DR: The Time of Troubles** - During the chaos of the gods walking Faerûn, Maglubiyet, Gruumsh, and Bane temporarily lose control over their forces in Acheron. - Warlords and planar beings rise in rebellion, seeking to carve their own empires out of the plane’s chaos. - The balance is restored when the gods regain their divine powers, crushing the rebellions. --- #### **The Spellplague and Acheron’s Disruptions (1385 DR to 1487 DR)** - **1385 DR: The Spellplague** - The collapse of the Weave destabilizes portals to and from Acheron, isolating some of its warlords from outside forces. - Mortals summoning armies from Acheron face unpredictable results, with soldiers often appearing fragmented or incorporeal. - **1390 DR: Bane’s Ascendancy** - Bane consolidates his influence over portions of Acheron, using it to train his mortal followers and expand his tyranny on the Material Plane. - His planar fortresses become rallying points for his legions of tyranny. - **1479 DR: Maglubiyet’s Reclamation** - Maglubiyet wages a campaign against rebellious goblinoid warlords in Acheron, reasserting his dominance. - The defeated warlords’ souls are reforged into weapons, fueling future battles. --- #### **The Second Sundering and Modern Era (1484 DR to Present)** - **1484–1487 DR: The Second Sundering** - The restoration of the **Tablets of Fate** stabilizes the planar structure of Acheron. - Maglubiyet, Gruumsh, and Bane strengthen their footholds, solidifying their positions as key players in the plane’s conflicts. - Mortal incursions into Acheron increase as adventurers seek to exploit the plane’s resources and knowledge. - **1492 DR: Baldur’s Gate 3 and Planar Wars** - Cults of Bane and Maglubiyet work together to summon Acheron’s war spirits to the Material Plane. - Adventurers thwart these plans, preserving the balance between Acheron and other planes. - **Present Day:** - Acheron remains a realm of ceaseless war, its iron cubes constantly colliding and resounding with the echoes of battle. - Adventurers explore the plane to recover ancient war engines, form alliances with planar generals, or oppose the tyrannical gods who dominate its conflicts. --- ### **Themes of Acheron’s Timeline** 1. **Eternal War:** - Acheron’s history is defined by constant conflict, both among its inhabitants and in its interactions with other planes. 2. **Lawful Structure and Tyranny:** - The plane reflects the extremes of law and order, where hierarchy is absolute, and war is the only means of resolving disputes. 3. **Interplanar Influence:** - Acheron’s armies and warlords have repeatedly shaped events on the Material Plane, whether through direct invasions or alliances with mortal powers. 4. **Adventuring Opportunities:** - Acheron offers adventurers the chance to battle legendary warlords, recover powerful relics, and navigate the dangers of its colliding iron cubes. ---