--- #### **The Primordial Age (Pre-Dalereckoning)** - **Before -35,000 DR: Formation of Gehenna** - Gehenna is created as a plane of balance between **lawful evil** and **neutral evil**, representing the harsh ambition and exploitation found in both alignments. - The **yugoloths**, created by unknown entities (or possibly the first fiends), settle in Gehenna as their home, shaping the plane with their hierarchies and schemes. - **The Dawn War:** - During the war between the **primordials** and the gods, Gehenna becomes a neutral ground where yugoloths offer their services to both sides. - The plane itself remains untouched by the larger conflict, as the yugoloths prioritize profit over allegiance. --- #### **The Rise of Yugoloth Power (-30,000 DR to -10,000 DR)** - **-30,000 DR: The Citadels of Gehenna** - The yugoloths establish their first great strongholds, including the infamous **Tower of the Arcanaloth** on Khalas. - These citadels become centers of trade, diplomacy, and war profiteering. - **-25,000 DR: The Blood War Begins** - As the eternal conflict between demons and devils erupts, the yugoloths position themselves as mercenaries, offering their services to both sides. - Gehenna becomes a critical logistical hub for the Blood War, with armies and resources passing through the plane. - **-20,000 DR: The Pact of Neutrality** - The yugoloths declare official neutrality in the Blood War, though they continue to sell their services to both demons and devils. - This neutrality cements Gehenna’s reputation as a place where even mortal warlords and planar powers can negotiate contracts. --- #### **The Age of Mortal Ambition (-10,000 DR to -1,000 DR)** - **-10,000 DR: The Betrayer’s Haven** - Gehenna becomes a refuge for mortal warlords, necromancers, and schemers who betray their allies and seek sanctuary from divine or planar retribution. - These exiles often end up as pawns in the yugoloths’ schemes. - **-7,000 DR: Summoning of the Yugoloths** - Mortal civilizations begin summoning yugoloths as mercenaries for their wars. - Yugoloth contracts become notorious for their precision and cruelty, with hidden clauses that often doom those who summon them. - **-5,000 DR: The Netherese Bargains** - Netherese archmages bargain with yugoloths for forbidden knowledge and powerful artifacts. - The yugoloths grant them destructive magic but ensure that the Netherese wizards ultimately destroy themselves through hubris. --- #### **The Age of Empires (-1,000 DR to 1358 DR)** - **-1,000 DR: The Rise of Mercenary Kings** - Mortal rulers and planar generals use Gehenna as a base for their mercenary operations. - The yugoloths exploit these warlords, profiting from their ambitions and betraying them when it suits their plans. - **500 DR: Construction of the Siege Palaces** - On Chamada, the second layer of Gehenna, massive citadels known as **Siege Palaces** are constructed. - These palaces serve as gathering points for yugoloth armies and as marketplaces for weapons and contracts. - **714 DR: The Fall of Myth Drannor** - Yugoloths are summoned to fight in the siege of Myth Drannor, turning the tide of battle against the defenders. - The plane absorbs several artifacts and powerful spirits from the fallen city, adding to its wealth and power. --- #### **The Time of Troubles and Gehenna’s Schemes (1358 DR)** - **1358 DR: The Time of Troubles** - During the chaos of the gods walking Faerûn, yugoloths seize the opportunity to expand their influence. - Several minor deities and powerful mortal souls are lured into Gehenna with promises of sanctuary, only to become prisoners or pawns. - **The Betrayal of the Fiendlords:** - Certain yugoloth generals, seeing the chaos as a chance to consolidate power, betray their masters and establish independent strongholds on Kanalos, the fourth layer. - These uprisings are quickly crushed, but the betrayal weakens yugoloth unity. --- #### **The Spellplague and Gehenna’s Unrest (1385 DR to 1487 DR)** - **1385 DR: The Spellplague** - The collapse of the Weave disrupts planar travel, reducing the number of contracts the yugoloths can broker. - Gehenna’s influence wanes slightly, though its role in the Blood War ensures its survival. - **1390 DR: The Rise of the Magmalords** - On Chamada, powerful elemental creatures known as **Magmalords** rise to prominence, challenging yugoloth authority over the plane. - The conflict ends with the yugoloths binding the Magmalords into servitude, further cementing their control. --- #### **The Second Sundering and Modern Era (1484 DR to Present)** - **1484–1487 DR: The Second Sundering** - The restoration of the **Tablets of Fate** reestablishes planar balance, allowing Gehenna to recover its lost influence. - The yugoloths strengthen their control over the Fourfold Furnaces, expelling rogue factions and reasserting their dominance. - **1492 DR: Baldur’s Gate 3 and Mercenary Deals** - Yugoloth agents manipulate events in Baldur’s Gate, offering their services to mortal factions in exchange for long-term contracts. - Adventurers uncover and thwart some of these schemes, though Gehenna’s influence in the Material Plane persists. - **Present Day:** - Gehenna remains a plane of greed, ambition, and exploitation. - Yugoloth power is unchallenged, and the plane continues to serve as a marketplace for mercenaries, weapons, and forbidden knowledge. --- ### **Themes of Gehenna’s Timeline** 1. **Greed and Exploitation:** - Gehenna thrives on ambition and self-interest, reflecting the worst aspects of greed and manipulation. 2. **Neutral Ground for Evil:** - The plane is a hub for mercenary activity, contracts, and diplomacy between the fiends of the Lower Planes. 3. **Mortal Hubris:** - Mortals often interact with Gehenna out of ambition, only to find themselves betrayed or destroyed by the yugoloths. 4. **Adventuring Opportunities:** - Gehenna offers challenges such as navigating its treacherous slopes, negotiating with yugoloths, and uncovering ancient secrets hidden in its fiery depths. ---