• -30500 DR

  • Rise of the Aearee Empires (avian creator races).

    Aearee Empire, circa -30,500 DR

    The Aearee seize opportunity by occupying the fallen Batrachi lands.

    In the west, the Aearee-Krocaa, followers of the All-Father Krocaa, establish the grand aerie of Viakoo on Mount Havraquoar, which becomes the capital of their great nation, which stretches from as far west as Maztica and as far south as the Lake of Steam. Mount Havroquoar stood far west of where the Sword Coast ends today (Mount Havroquoar and much of the lands of the Aearee-Krocaa is destroyed many centuries later in the Sundering). The great kokra aerie at Viakoo governed its lands fairly and forges lasting friendships with couatl, fey and other denizens of Anchorome.

    In the north, the Aearee-Syran establish their capital at the aerie of Phwiukree, in the peaks of the Star Mounts and nested in the forests all around those mountains. A strong and majestic folk, their features were reminiscent of eagles and hawks. They enjoyed the special favor of Korcaa's daughter, Syranita, who they praised as their patron.

    In the southeast, the Aearee-Quor carve out the domain of Shara from their rookery in the Orsraun Mountains. These aearees bore the features of crows and jays. The Aearee-Quor's patron was Quolinn, whose wits and cunning preserved their flocks through the worst times of the Batrachi domination and inspired in their hearts a fierce pride and determined self-reliance. Spreading out from the Shara rookery on the Orsraun Mountains, they grew into a loose affiliation of floating city-states that would eventually span the breadth of the continent. »

  • -11000 DR

  • Taark Shanat the Crusader and his eight sons, lead a great exodus of dwarves out of Bhaerynden to a new kingdom in the west. These emigrates eventually become known as shield dwarves and establish the great empire of Shanatar beneath the lands of Amn, Tethyr, Calimport, and the Lake of Steam. »

  • -5800 DR

  • The nation of Jhaamdath is born when human settlements north of the Chondalwood unit under the Dath Dynasty and its greatest psionic warrior, Jhaam Dath. Jhaamdath eventually meets Coramshan near the Lake of Steam, and the two empires struggle for centuries over control of this area. »

  • -5005 DR

  • Coramshan and Jhaamdath declare a truce, and both nations abandon their claims to the Lake of Steam. »

  • -1900 DR

  • The Caltazar Hills come under regular attack from the beholder nations around and beneath the Lake of Steam. »

  • -1428 DR

  • Calimport falls with the death of Syl-Pahsa Violir Cajaan IX, and beholders rule the ruined city of Calimport and its vassal empire. Qyraaptir the Bloodeye, a beholder-mage of frightening power, claims the Pasha's Throne. Beholders now rule all major settlements throughout Calimshan, Iltkazar and the Lake of Steam.

    Due to the disruption caused by the beholders, trade between Tzindylspar and Calimshan collapses almost overnight. »

  • -1402 DR

  • Qyraaptir the Bloodeye (a beholder mage) and its beholder forces fall or flee before the Drakhon priests and their allied human soldiers. Calimport is the first city freed of beholder domination, and Calimshan is free of beholder rulers within three years, thanks to the rule of the Drakhon pashas. The beholders retreat to their strongholds beneath the Alimir Mountains and along the Lake of Steam. »

  • -1400 DR

  • The attacks on the Caltazar Hills by the beholder nations of the Lake of Steam end. »

  • c. -1050 DR

  • The Lake of Steam beholders are slowly driven underground again by Calimshan's navy between this time and -680 DR. Infrequent, tentative trade begins with Chult and the Tashalar. »

  • -691 DR [Year of Stolen Fire]

  • Calimshan begins colonizing the coast of the Lake of Steam beyond the Alimir peninsula. The original plans were to take over the area as conquerors, but many are settled as places for refugees fleeing Calimshan proper and the irregular but terrifying Night Wars. »

  • -446 DR [Year of Treasured Moments]

  • Calimshan's dominance of the Lake of Steam and the Shining Sea comes to an end with the near total destruction of the Calimshite Armada in Calimport's harbor. The resulting fires destroy over 70 percent of the city as winds carry sparks and flames to the wooden domes of many buildings. »

  • c. -250 DR

  • Calimshan, under Syl-Pasha Faud yn Orun el Evyrtaan, reclaims some small areas and towns among the Arnaden lands of the Lake of Steam, now that Jhaamdath's control on these lands has fallen along with its primary cities. »

  • -182 DR [Year of Sleeping Giants]

  • Calimshan, in its attempts to reconquer its old territories around the Lake of Steam and the Shaar, discovers that the old threat of the beholders has risen again. Beholders and thier cultists control the majority of territory east of Ankhapur and are now pushing their forces west (or immediately up and out of the Alimir Mountains) in retribution against the Calishite invasion. »

  • 731 DR [Year of the Visions]

  • The Ring of Eyes, a group of beholders and beholder cultists originally from the Lake of Steam, destroys the ruling house of Cortryn and conquers its territories. The elves of Shilmista fight the Ring constantly from this year until the Ring's end in 757 DR. »

  • 848 DR [Year of the Vigilant Familiar]

  • Endreira Chathlass, High Temptress of Loviatar, dies of old age.

    Endreira in her past had founded the Black Falcons of Fury, an elite band of female adventurers. The Black Falcons quickly made names for themselves through their daring ruthlessness, raiding various Mulhorand families. Endreira soon demands the use of a cragtop castle from a petty ruler, the Jahorgan of Jahorga (a realm that lay between the Nagawater, the Nagaflow, and the Golden Road). The Hahorgan haughtily refused her. She responded by taking him hostage, slaying all of his citizen, seizing the realm for her own and publicly inviting rebels and outlaws from the lands of the Vilhon, the Old Empires, and around the Lake of Steam to become citizens of her new "pirates' realm", Endrara.

    Even as armies were lined against her, Endreira turned to Loviatar for the first time in her bloody life and made a hold pact: She would slay Jahorgan slowly by torture. In return, Loviatar would aid her with spells, priestesses hastily gathered from all over Faerun, and "torturer-gargoyles" (margoyles). Spells from the sky sent by Loviatar destroys the armies arrayed against Endreira.

    Enraged by his perception that Loviatar was encroaching on his domain, Talos destroys the realm of Endrara. Endriera escapes by the will of Loviatar. Endriera travels the realms, spreading the words of Loviatar.

    Her successor, the ambitious but careless Chalice of the Faith, Imshrara Vlengaun and claims the Lash of Loviatar. »

  • 1018 DR [Year of the Dracorage]

  • Iryklathagra emerges from her lair and joins the massive flight of dragons ravaging Faerun. In a series of conflicts that lasted for nearly a month, Sharpfangs battled the defenders of Mintarn along the shores of the Lake of Steam, devastating that city and sinking many local ships in the process. When Iryklathagra finally retreated to her lair, she left Mintar largely in ruins. A few surviving magelords, who for years had labored to acquire power in the shadows of Mintar's government, emerges as the new leaders of the city by promising to protect the populace from future wyrm attacks. »

  • 1101 DR [Year of the Maelstrom]

  • The city of Treshla, north of Saelmur and the Lake of Steam, is destroyed by a group of beholders from the nearby Thornwood.

    The Balance of Belaros (an artifact of Tyr) installed in the High Hall of Justice, remains where it was floating, even though the building around it has fallen.

    It next comes to the attention of some followers of Tyr in the Masked Marilith, a shop that solid rare and unique treasures in Saerloon, in Sembia. The proprietor of that establishment admitted to Tyrran inquisitors that he purchased the Balance from an anonymous mage who said he had given up on trying to discover the true powers of the thing. The Masked Marilith and its owner are destroyed by meteor swarms shortly thereafter, probably sent by the same mage. The buyer of the Balance is a notorious merchant rogue named Luuthateel Dree who is driven by a hunger for immortality and sought to buy any magic that might help him achieve his goal. Tyrran priests offered him a choice between magical longevity (the most their powers could grant) and death, but Luuthateel escaped them, reputedly into the Underdark, and the Balance vanished again.

    It has been seen twice at market fairs in Silverymoon and Berdusk since then, but has never fallen into the hands of the faithful of Tyr. The Tyrrans have gone so far as to accuse the Harpers of keeping it from them. This accusation has been vigorously denied, and even Lady Cylyria Dragonbreast offered to undergo questioning under detect lie spells cast by Holy Justices. »

  • 1362 DR [Year of the Helm]

  • The Knights of the Black Gauntlet, an arm of the church of Bane and led by Teldorn Darkhope, seize power in the city-state of Mintar on the Lake of Steam. »

  • 1367 DR [Year of the Shield]

  • Uktar Chessenta experiences an especially bountiful harvest. Chessentan merchants ply the entire Sea of Fallen Stars and even attempt a dangerous trek to the Lake of Steam to sell their crops at bargain prices before they spoil. A small army accompanies this latter group across the Sharr to repel repeated brigand attacks. »

  • 1373 DR [Year of Rogue Dragons]

  • Balagos "The Flying Flame", male great wyrm red dragon (who has two lairs, the Smokespire, the most westerly peak of the arm of the Troll Mountains that shelters the upland forests of Amn north of Eshpurta, and the Wyrmwell, in Mount Thargil, easternmost of the Starspire Mountains), flies east to the Lake of Steam, where he unleashes a firestorm in the warring cities of Saelmur and Mintarn that leaves a new detente, with neither city able to muster the troop strength to mount a credible attack on the other. »

  • 1374 DR [Year of Lightning Storms]

  • Tarsakh 23 In a series of ground-shaking explosions along its forty mile length, Innarlith’s Great Canal connecting the Lake of Steam to The Nagaflow is destroyed. »