Cosmic Timeline

A complete ordering of major events in Ha'ther. For the most part, events in Ha'Ther are divided into (in decreasing temporal length) eons, epochs and ages. The six eons, Deep Time, Ancient Archaic, Middle Archaic, Late Archaic, Ancient History and Modern History encompass the entirety of the timeline,

Non-Temporal Events
With the of the one-dimensional plane of Time being woven through much of the Aether, most events occurring in Ha'ther can be ordered. However, a certain selection of events are known to be occurring outside the influence of Time, and can thus not appear in a chronological order.

Likely the most significance of the non-temporal events is the creation of the first planes (Bek-Ten-Hak, the major elemental planes, etc.) by the so-called "Elder Gods", Aaphobim and [renaming this god currently]. Though the planes themselves have been woven into Time, the moment of creation itself is timeless.

Deep Time
Main article: Deep Time

Deep Time (also known simply as "Prehistory") encompasses the ancient, formative epochs, in which the order of the universe was still being established. This is both the oldest and the longest-lasting time period.

The Primordial Epoch
Main article: Primordial Epoch

The Primordial Epoch began with the dawn of time and saw the creation of the major planes.

The Celestial Age
Main article: Celestial Age

The period of time in which the planar avatar celestials dominated the universe is known as the Celestial Age. Although several other species existed during this time, the only politically powerful nations known to exist were under celestial rule.

The Celestial Age spans the longest time of all ages. Traditionally, historians, archaeologists and geologists tend to divide the age into several smaller eras, each of which is long enough to rival the average age.

Beginning at the dawn of Time is the Early Formative Era, in which only a handful of planes had been constructed. No material planes existed at this time; the majority of the population of Ha'ther was concentrated on the early Aetherial planes (Bek-Ten-Hak, the Abyss, [others]) and the five original Elemental Planes.

The Early Formative Era gave rise to the Late Formative Era with the construction of the first material planes.

Throughout the Formative Era (early and late), the only lifeforms to inhabit Ha'ther are celestials and beings of celestial descent. Some constructs did appear, though mostly in the form of early elementals.

The Formative Era came to a definitive end with Djot-ten and Aaphobim's invention of modern APM. Though APM (in a more rudimentory form) had previously been used in the creation of elementals, the Early Crystalline Horizon saw the use of the crystal to build the first non-genie lifeforms, including the first planar and Aether-borne flora and fauna.

The Middle Crystalline Horizon came about with the invention of the first proto-humanoids. [expand]

The Late Crystalline Horizon saw the divergence of the proto-humanoids into the proto-dwarves, proto-humans and proto-giants, as well as some less-populated species. This time period is sometimes known as the "Giant Age", as the early giant species tended to be the dominant lifeforms across most elemental (and a few Aetherial) planes. Importantly, no known civilizations were formed from these giants, though a few were known to form loose groups for a handful of centuries at a time.

The Brass Age
Main Article: Brass Age

Beginning with the foundation of the first major non-celestial nation, Pasha ba-Heshta, the Brass Age saw the rise of a new dominant species in Ha'ther: genies. Though they existed for many millennia before the dawn of the Brass Age, the influence of Pasha ba-Heshta finally spurred the many sub-races of genie to unite in nations and cities of their own.

Though clearly an influential period in history, the Brass Age was largely confined to the genie populations on the elemental planes. Elsewhere, civilizations of proto-dwarves began to truly thrive; by the end of the Brass Age, nations of these dwarves would occupy several of the lesser material planes and three of the five elemental planes. A surge of technological development among these nations (which would continue throughout the Holy Age and the Golden Age) eventually gave rise to complex Aethership technology, possibly culminating with the invention of the first spatial-drive (though the technology would be lost in the Cataclysm.

The Holy Age
Main Article: Holy Age

Considered by some historians to be a sub-division of the Brass Age, the Holy Age is marked with a significant increase in religious following across Ha'ther. This began with the conversion of the Old Kingdom of Pasha ba-Heshta into the Holy Empire.

The Golden Age
Main Article: Golden Age

The Golden Age of Ha'ther saw the rise of a large, inter-planar nation.

Ancient Archaic
Main Article: Ancient Archaic Eon

Following the Dark Epoch is a period of prosperity almost rivaling the Golden Age. New nations began to appear across the inhabited planes, with non-genie and non-celestial nations finding positions of power for the first time.

The Stone Epoch
Main Article: Stone Epoch

Of the new nations of the Ancient Archaic, a series of dwarven groups (based out of the Elemental Plane of Earth) are notably the most influential.

The Age of Rebirth
Main Article: Age of Rebirth

The moment of the rekindling of the Divine Hearth is seen as the final end to the Dark Epoch. During this time, Ha'ther finally began to recover from the Cataclysm, with new nations forming among the previously-lesser species.

Though the newly emerging dwarvish nations did exist during the Age of Rebirth, they were not notably influential until the dawn of the Topaz Age. For this reason, some historians and archaeologists place the Age of Rebirth in an epoch all its own: the "Re-Emergent Epoch". This is not the accepted standard.

The Topaz Age
Main Article: Topaz Age

From the mildly chaotic assembly of nations seen in the Age of Rebirth rose a dwarvish nation: Jixal. Though the dwarves of Jixal have a very limited list of documented conquests, their geographic and technological position allowed them to become the first major trade authority to span multiple planes.

The Shale Age
Main Article: Shale Age

Originally forming in the shadow of its neighbor, the dwarven nation of Duer quickly became the dominant power in Ha'ther. Previously focusing on inter-planar technological development, the Duer are the first people to have confirmed access to spatial-drive technology.

The Aetherships of the Duer were unrivaled in power, efficiency and speed; in the span of only a few centuries, the Duer dwarves had populated and/or conquered several scores of material and Aetherial planes.