• The Crown Wars

  • -12000 DR to -9000 DR
    The Crown Wars of the Elves erupted more than a dozen millennia ago, pitting nearly four generations of elf. The two greatest events of the Crown Wars that still have impact are the Dark Disaster and the Descent of the Drow. The Dark Disaster utterly destroyed the forest realm of Miyeritar, leaving the blasted plains that are now the High Moor. Perhaps due to the savagery of the Crown Wars or other factors long lost to time, the dark elves become corrupt during this era, broke away from their kinfolk, and after much warfare and cruelty they descended beneath the world's surface to become the deep elves, also known as the drow. »

  • -10000 DR

  • Descent of the Drow; End of the Forth Crown War
    Corellon's magic, as directed through his priests and High Mages, transforms the dark elves, whether the corrupt Ilythiiri or others, into the drow. Whether by magic or by the weaknesses that banish them from the sunlit lands, all drow retreat within two months' passing into the Underdark. »

  • Elves are summoned by the Seldarine to the site that becomes the Elven Court one month after the Descent of the Drow, to settle differences and restore peace among the elves. »

  • Like their kin elsewhere, the dark elves of Narathmault are transformed into drow by the will of the Seldarine, shattering their bindings over a host of fiends who swiftly turn on their former masters. Led by Undrek of Clan Sethomiir, the drow and their minotaur servants are forced to flee Narathmault, traveling south and east into the underground caverns beneath the present-day Plateau of Thay. »

  • c. -9600 DR

  • Rise of the first drow civilizations in the Underdark beneath southern Faerun and the founding of the drow cities of Telantiwar and Guallidurth. The constant harassment of the Vyshantaar forces over the next five centuries help prevent their annexing Keltormir or any other lands. »

  • Drow harassment of the Vyshantaar forces over the next five centuries help prevent their annexing Keltormir or any other lands. »

  • -9000 DR

  • The drow of Telantiwar overwhelm the dwarves of Bhaerynden (present-day Great Rift) and take their rift-city for their own. Surviving dwarves flee to other regions with one large group traveling to the Chultan penninsula before splintering into small tribal groupings, eventually becoming known as the wild dwarves. »

  • As part of the great migration caused by the loss of Bhaerynden to drow, one isolated branch of dwarves settles amid the isolated peaks of the Novularond, eventually becoming known as the arctic dwarves. »

  • The First Spider War

  • -8170 DR to -8150 DR
    The drow of Guallidurth take advantage of the dwarves civil war of Shanatar to attack the caverns of Alatorin, which were far removed from the front line of fighting. Brightaxe Hall is captured, and the kingdom of Alatorin falls. »

  • The Second Spider War

  • -8145 DR to -8137 DR
    Aghast at their folly, the eight reigning kings of Shanatar forge an armistice and turn their armies against the drow. The drow are overcome and retreat from the caverns of Alatorin. In triumph, the eight kings march their armies back into Brightaxe Hall and pledge never again to fight one another. »

  • c. -7600 DR

  • The drow empire of Telantiwar falls with the collapse of the great cavern Bhaerynden. Drow refugees claim lesser caverns to the north, south, east and west of the newly formed Great Rift, establishing cities such as Llurth Dreier, the City of Ooze. »

  • The Third Spider War

  • -6150 DR to -6120 DR
    The drow of Guallidurth once again attack the caverns of Alatorin. The Stout Folk are forced to abandon Brightaxe Hall, but they manage to take the Wyrmskull Throne with them. »

  • -4973 DR

  • The drow city of Sshamath, City of Dark Weaving, is founded deep beneath the Dark Hills by the Lolth-worshiping drow of House Sshamath. »

  • -4400 DR

  • Midwinter The Dark Court Slaugther:
    Drow and duergar, lead by the balor Wendonai, attack and destroy the Elven Court and Sarphil beginning on Midwinter Night. Within days, the Elven Court is in ruins and Sarphil is occupied by the drow and duergar. The Dark Court Slaughter claims the lives of many clan leaders of the Elven Court and the coronals of both Rystall Wood and Jhyrennstar. »

  • Start of the Eighth Rysar of Rystall Wood and the Sixth Rysar of Jhyrennstar with the ascension of the wizardess Enajharas and the prophet of Labelas Enoreth, Oacenth respectively. The call to arms against their now-revealed enemy, the drow, is ordered. »

  • -3917 DR

  • The drow city of Menzoberranzan is founded by Menzoberra the Kinless. »

  • c. -3843 DR

  • The drow city of Ched Nasad is founded, beginning centuries of strife between the drow and the dwarves of Ammarindar. »

  • -2872 DR

  • The faerzress around the drow city of Sshamath vanishes, leaving the drow of the city bereft of their magic. The city is on the brink of disaster.

    Fortunately, in the three centuries before the faerzress collapse, Sshamath's matron mothers gave birth to an unusually large number of males. This imbalance leads to the sizable expansion of the city's corps of skilled wizards and a corresponding decrease in the number of Lolth priestesses. Coupled with its relative geographic isolation from hostile rivals, the abundance of wizards leaves Sshamath uniquely positioned to survive.

    As the scope of the disaster became apparent, Sshamath's wizards initiated wave after wave of expeditions to plunder Netheril, Oghrann, and other lost realms. Lesser mages repaired or duplicated every artifact and fabrication, initiating a burst of creative output that leads to countless new magical creations and incantations. Over time, the role of the noble houses and the matron mothers fade (but never disappear), and the true power in the city shifts to those largely responsible for its continued existence - the archmages. »

  • -2600 DR

  • Drow begins work on the Twisted Tower in present-day Shadowdale. »

  • -2549 DR

  • Despite repeated attacks and attempts to stop them, the drow complete the Twisted Tower this year and build up their presence here. »

  • -2439 DR

  • The Spiderfires
    Drow inflict the greatest damage upon the forests since the Twelve Nights of Fire by setting the southern Rystall Woods aflame with a swarm of spiders made from arcane fire. After a long, dry sumer, the woods burn easily. This clear nearly one hundred miles of forest south of the River Tesh, severs the southernmost part of the woods around and to the west of the Twisted Tower from the greater Rystall Woods, and widens the cleared lands between them and Cormanthor. »