Timeline
This timeline is for immortals to use to establish backstories with one another. It's also to keep track of active immortal characters in general, and will be updated on a regular basis. Players may edit this helpfile and put their characters in historic events that they were present during, but should only add their own 'timeline' entries if it was a significant supernatural event.
Prehistory – Supernatural forces have existed for as long as mankind, but they used to be fairly primitive. There were no monsters or gods, just tribal shamans and priests whose powers were rather limited except when they made human sacrifices. The other worlds were closer to earth however, and people often accidentally stumbled from one to another.
8500 BCE – Mesopotamia creates the first arcane circle. Sorcerers begin to develop in earnest, and the knowledge of magical forces increases. These sorcerers break into several dynastic lines, teaching their children their knowledge following an oral tradition.
6500 BCE – Experiments in fleshforming begin for the first time in recorded history.
6000 BCE – The first reports of vampires and werewolves occur. Several sorcerous dynasties combine with the rise of the Sumerians to form what's now known as the Council of Babylon, despite at the time it existing in Kish, some distance from where Babylon would be erected. The council exists on other worlds as well, having determined ways to walk between them and become the ruling power in most other earth-like planes. They are also spreading to the developing Egypt. The Council of Babylon are immortal.
2400 BCE – A member of the Council of Babylon becomes the first ever God. The council continues to grow in influence, and spread with civilization, many of the oldest and most powerful members become Gods while other remain simply immortal.
1800 BCE – In one of the other realms, known as Sirinia at the time, two of the more powerful members fall into a feud over a woman. The feud grows in fervor and the rest of the council in that plane eventually join sides. As the war rages, no longer really about a woman, each side turns to more and more dangerous fleshforming until they lose control over their fleshformed creatures. The council members in other planes work quickly to seal Sirinia away from themselves, so that what had been created can not break free, that world is now known colloquially as Hell. Shortly afterwards on the east coast of the Mediterranean sea rises the first group of anti-supernatural warriors, who are set on destroying any supernatural creation and severing the ties to other worlds under their leader Abraham, himself some kind of immortal although he was not a vampire or even a sorcerer.
- The Godchild Azrael becomes active, the first Reaper.
1700 BCE – Abraham makes good progress for a hundred years until he and his followers come into brutal conflict with the Council of Babylon and are sorely defeated, the people broken and scattered.
1400 BCE – The descendants of Abraham and his followers come together in Canaan as the first of the Israelites. This kingdom begins to grow again, quietly, keeping largely to itself although anti-supernatural sentiment still runs strong. Just when it has started to reach real power the Council of Babylon, remembering the war with Abraham, uses the Kingdom of Babylon to smash the Kingdom of Judah, destroying the First Temple and sending most of their people once more into exile, this time mostly in Babylon and Egypt. With their common enemy crushed the Council begins to drift apart and few new members are accepted. They each begin to work on separate projects and it is during this time that great empires began to develop in Greece, Persia, India, China, South America and eventually Rome. Alexander the Great is the son of one of the most powerful councilmembers and constitutes the last serious involvement in the affairs of men by the Council. He is eventually slain by another who is able to subvert his protections and the Council falls to bickering amongst themselves, until they settle upon an accord of non-interference with the world. An accord which they frequently break, but generally only in small or deniable ways. They accept no new members, and vigilantly protect the secrets of fleshforming.
300 BCE – The power vacuum left by the withdrawal is filled by several new groups. They are mostly made up of the descendants of those who served the council of Babylon in some way, priests, companions or servants. Those who have seen the use of magic and have some idea on how to go about it, or where to look for clues to go about it. Relatively weak councils form in South America, Western Europe, and Scandinavia, now typically called the Incan Council, the Druidic Council, and the Viking Council respectively. A significantly more powerful one forms in China, known as the Eastern Council, and by far the most powerful forms in Italy, known as the Council of Rome. The Roman Council has many advantages over the others, being close to the seat of Alexander's power, and the closest to Babylon and all the artifacts and knowledge of that area. Despite their relative power they have no access to the higher mystical arts or to fleshforming, and many turn to vampirism as a way to extend their lives and authority. Rome becomes the vampire capital of the world even as it grows much more powerful under the guiding hand of the Roman Council.
165 BCE – The Israelites slowly begin to pick themselves back up, leading eventually to the formation of the Hasmonean Dynasty.
63 BCE – Remembering the history of the Israelites as powerful anti-supernatural warriors the Council of Rome pushes Rome into invading and conquering Judaea.
50 BCE – By this time, the Incan council has fallen apart, and the Viking Council has fragmented into several warring sects. Meanwhile the Eastern Council grows in strength and forms into the group called the Dynasty, the most powerful society of modern times.
33 AD – The new religion of Christianity is formed out of that of Judaism, and although nobody notices much at first its influence starts to rapidly spread, almost as if it is being supernaturally aided.
- The Malakhim is founded and rises.
64 AD – The Council of Rome notices the disturbing upswing in the influence of the descendants of Israel and Emperor Nero blames Christians for the great Fire of Rome that year, creating a massive wave of persecution against Christians throughout the Empire. In spite of this however, the new religion continues to flourish and many of its supplicants in secret begin working against the supernatural. More and more ties to the other realms become broken and the Gods finally decide to leave Earth, to make their primary residence in another plane know today as the Godrealms. Christianity is finally adopted by the Roman Empire officially. It is considered a great victory against the Council of Rome and ever since the supernatural have been pushed into hiding. It is around this time when the Council of Rome started to be known as Manus, or The Hand. The anti-supernatural faction within Christianity and Judaism becomes the Temple.
150 AD – What's left of the Viking council falls to a growing faction of werewolves in Scandinavia.
300 AD – The last immortals of the Council of Babylon who hadn't attained full godhood break away into their own faction and found a Golden City in yet another realm in this period, a few remaining on Earth and instead heading north away from civilization. These lesser members are now known as the Fae. The Druidic Council, long forgotten to the northwest grow strong under the influence of the Fae who traveled there instead of to the Golden City. Far removed from the area in which the struggles between the supernatural and natural occur, from Babylon and the old gates to Hell, much greater trust exists between the Druids and their people, and they practice magic openly. While the Hand and Temple fight for control of Rome, the long forgotten and newly powerful Druidic Council, or as it comes to be known, the Order, and it's barbarian tribes began to push south, culminating in the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. At the same time, the Dynasty are being heavily punished by the Mongols and their shamans.
400 AD - 900 AD – During most of the Medieval period control of Europe is divided between the Hand, the Order and the Temple, called later the Big Three. The Temple have control of Spain and Russia, as well as influence in the Middle East, whereas the Hand still controls Italy and England, with the Order retaining control of most of the rest of Europe. The Temple's influence through Christianity however exerts a heavy hand, and they are the most powerful faction at this time, all supernaturals needing to exist in secret to avoid their power. The Viking lands to the north remain largely uncontrolled by the factions, instead being the home to several powerful packs of werewolves.
900 AD - 1770 – The factions and their agent empires continue to wage war throughout Europe, until the Industrial revolution. The rise of science diminishes the powers of the supernaturals comparatively, while the declining power of religion damages the Temple. The factions continue to compete, however, through attempts to out expand each other, with The Hand locking down territory in Australia, competing with the Order in North America, and the Temple claiming much of central and South America.
- Sebastian North is known as Owain Coluim the majority of this time, and works for the Hand.
- Takeshi Nakamura is born and dies in this time, then spends much of his undeath working for the Hand between skirmishes in Japan.
- Axel Maddock is born in this period, under a different name. He serves as a Reaper for a long time, then disappears.
- Somewhere in this time period Israfil is born and converted to the Malakhim by Azrael.
- Torsten Grimarsson is born near the end of this period.
- Remaketse? is born at the end of this period, in the Rozwi Empire, after a God Child enraptured her human mother.
1775 - 1783 – The Order sparks the American Revolutionary War to try and drive out the Hand from the United States, especially after the founding of Haven, which ends up being the last of the gates to the other realms.
- Sebastian North, under that name, fights for the Americans as a spy for the Hand.
- Takeshi Nakamura is involved, for the Hand, but most are not particularly certain of how he was involved.
- Axel Maddock, simply called Axel, fights for the Order.
- Torsten Grimarsson fights for the Hand at the direction of Grimar Thorsson.
1861 - 1865 – The Temple plants Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States. With careful supernatural manipulation, the Hand ignites the American Civil War in an effort to not only gain control of Haven but to also keep slavery legal so they can continue to feed off the slave population. When the war ends, the Temple takes control of the south in order to root out the Hand, but the Hand seizes control of the territories the Temple weaken with their vigilance.
- Sebastian North fights under the employ of Grimar Thorsson for the South.
- Takeshi Nakamura fights for the Hand, from the South, from the shadows as usual.
- Axel Maddock fights for the Temple.
- Torsten Grimarsson fights for the South alongside Sebastian North under the employ of Grimar Thorsson.
- Ebele? claims herself a goddess, and reigns in western Africa as an immortal until the spread of Christianity in the Igbo people.
1900 – The power structure is as follows: The Order control most of Canada, and southeastern US. They also control most of Central Europe, and Ireland. The Hand control the economic centers of the US, Italy, Egypt, England and Australasia. The Temple control Mexico, Peru and Brazil, Russia and some parts of the US, particularly the central and southern states. They also have a fair hand in the Middle East. The Dynasty hold most of Asia. South America and Africa are controlled by regional shamans, with little progress being made by the factions into those areas. Scandinavia continues to be werewolf territory.
1914 - 1918 – The Hand manages to take control of France from the Order, and this kicks off World War One, beginning with a coup in Italy organized by the Order and then their backing of the powers of Germany to try to reclaim France and then England, pushing the Hand entirely out of Europe. The Temple initially stay out of the conflict, but then eventually join on the side of The Hand when it seems like the Order may be too successful. The Order is eventually defeated and goes into a period of remission, with the Hand reclaiming Italy.
- Sebastian North fights for the Hand.
- Takeshi Nakamura fights for the Hand.
- Axel Maddock fights for the Temple.
- Torsten Grimarsson fights at the beckon of the Hand and the Order in a couple of separate skirmishes -- apparently a mercenary by that point.
- Vakhtang Lazarashvili abstains from the conflict, focusing instead on the Russian Revolution on the side of the Bolsheviks and the machinations of the Hand and Order behind it.
1937 – Azrael tries to open a gate to Hell to do battle with an archdemon. An earthquake strikes Haven, sealing Azrael in Arkwright cemetery.
1939 - 1945 – The supernatural group responsible for World War Two is unclear, but the effect upon the supernatural world was massive. The Hand, the Temple and the Order are broken, most of their members dead or disappearing as they splinter into hundreds of different groups.
- Sebastian North fights for the Hand.
- Takeshi Nakamura fights for the Hand then disappears shortly after the bombs are dropped on Japan.
- Axel Maddock fights for the Temple.
- Torsten Grimarsson fights for the Hand.
- Vakhtang Lazarashvili fights for the Hand, spending the majority of the war in Stalingrad.
- Silver-eyed Anisah? emigrates from Morocco to the United States following the death of her spouse.
1945 - 1991 – The cold war between Russia and the United States exacerbates affairs with numerous secretive groups forming and dissolving every few years as supernaturals fight for influence in the shadows. This pattern continues even after the cold war ends with supernaturally aware societies fighting for influence in increasingly complicated and sophisticated ways.
- Vakhtang Lazarashvili becomes an agent of Stalin and COMINTERN, then later a shadowy cabal of Stalinist pro-supernatural powers.
- Beckah Vries? aides in the fight against segregation in the United States. Following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and later Malcolm X, she becomes a member of the Black Panthers political party, opposing racially based police brutality.
2016 - 2017 – A powerful demon lord somehow is able to make his way to Earth and a great supernatural war breaks out between his followers and the rest of the supernatural world. Taking the form of a small child and initially based out of the Philippines Et-Aral is able to wreak devastation on the supernatural world before his army is defeated in the battle of Karnali in Nepal in the Spring of 2017. However the body of Et-Aral himself is never found after the conflict ended. The war inflicts serious psychic damage upon the world, driving people and governments to make irrational decisions as well as ravaging the societies.
2018 – The Hand, Order and Temple have returned, after an extraordinary Venetian Council meeting. Not at all a coincidence, the Malakhim returns to Haven.
Active Immortals (Characters who are older than 100 and have wiki pages)
Adelheid Littman?
Axel Maddock?
Isabella Cooper?
Odette Sweet?
Sebastian North?
Takeshi Nakamura?
Torsten Grimarsson?
Vakhtang Lazarashvili?
Virginia Nightingale?