Common Era

The term Common Era refers to the years dated by the Common Year calendar, beginning in 1 CY (645 OR) with the crowning of Overking Nasran of the Great Kingdom. The era is assumed to continue for at least a thousand years, during which the widely adopted Common Year calendar is still the dominant dating system.

The Common Era is marked by the dominance and growth of realms founded by the descendants of Suel and Oeridian migrants into the Flanaess, including Keoland and the Great Kingdom of Aerdy, as well as the development of major settlements such as the Free City of Greyhawk. Influence of the Great Kingdom led to widespread adoption of the Common language, the gold-silver-copper coinage standard, and the Common Year calendar system.

The Great Kingdom began its slow decline in 213 CY, known as the Age of Great Sorrow. This resulted in the Turmoil Between Crowns beginning in 437 CY, a period of civil war in the Great Kingdom in which (Ivid of House Naelax made a contested claim to the throne which was ultimately accepted in 450 CY. All subsequent rulers of the Great Kingdom were of the line of Ivid until the realm's collapse in 586 CY.

Other major events in this era include the establishment of Iuz the Old in 479 CY, the enslavement of Perrenland by the Witch-Queen Iggwilv in 481-491 CY, the establishment of Greyhawk as a free city in 498 CY, the fall of the Pomarj to orcs in 513 CY, the Battle of Emridy Meadows against the Horde of Elemental Evil in 569 CY, the imprisonment of the warlord Iuz in 505 CY and his return in 570 CY, and the Greyhawk Wars in 582-584 CY.

Notes

The term "Common Era" is only attested in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, p.65, in which it refers to the years of the Common Year calendar. All World of Greyhawk adventure modules and sourcebooks take place in this era, from the original Folio set in 576 CY to Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk in 597 CY. The Glossography is officially published centuries later in 998 CY, with the Greyhawk 2000 adventure (Dragon #277) describing events as far as 2000 CY. The Common Era can therefore be assumed to continue for at least around a thousand years, and perhaps two thousand if the possible future of Greyhawk 2000 is accepted.

In the real world, Common Era refers to the standard dating system also referred to as AD (Anno Domini).

References

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

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