When did the Reckoning of Hell happen???

thane6000 · February 2015

Does anyone know when the Reckoning of Hell actually took place? After hours of searching and after reading a lot of information on various sites and forums, I still haven't found an exact date of the event. ''Neverwinter'' is supposed to take place in 1739 DR. This timeline stuff is pretty confusing and there is a ton of lore behind each the eras.

I thought that the Reckoning took place 1000 years ago (as in 1000 years before the events of the game) but it seems that is not the case because there are eras like -6000 DR. I was shocked to find that. So when did the Reckoning of Hell happen? There is this Campaign I am working on in the Foundry. It's been a while since I finished the first quest and I've been working on the second, but I plan to make 5 more and I really must know the date of the event. I like to be precise; to leave no gaps in the story. Call it a flaw of mine if you wish (although I don't think it is). So if anyone knows the date of the Reckoning of Hell or roughly the years passed since then, I would appreciate it greatly if they told me.

melinden · February 2015

It appears there is a lot of debate on that very question. You can read a rather old thread on the Candlekeep forums here:

http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8713

I think you may be overshooting the "current" year. As far as I understand we are in the 1480s. If you go by the general theory around here that every module is a year then we'd be in about 1486 now.

For MUCH more detail provided by Old Zeb you can look here: http://nw-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?18641-The-quot-Grimoire-of-Time-quot&p=297791&viewfull=1#post297791

zebular · February 2015

The actual date of 4th edition timeline, which Neverwinter is based on, is 1479 DR. As for what the actual date for in-game current timeline is, we don't know as they've never told us.

You can learn more about the Three Sunderings here in my Grimoire, the third of which is when Neverwinter takes places in, at the very end of the final act of the Third Sundering, called the Spellplague.

thane6000 · February 2015

Wow, I can't believe that I actually messed with the numbers of the year. I meant to write 1479 but the hands don't always write what you want... Should have checked again. Thanks to both of you for pointing that out. As for the Candlekeep forums, I already checked and it seems that others think it was somewhere around 1370, while others think it happened thousands of years ago, as I initially thought. One even goes as far as to say that the Reckoning may have never happened in the Forgotten Realms version of the Nine Hells. However, I don't think that's the case (or at least hope so).

Well it seems that I am still in the dark about this, but I must say that 1370 is the most convenient date for my story as it's the nearest one to the ''present'' date. I still don't know if I'll use this date so if anyone finds anything, please tell me.

melinden · February 2015

Well, if anything, I think this indicates that no one would have a foot to stand on if they wanted to claim you had the "wrong date". So I would recommend fearlessly moving ahead with your Foundry campaign.

zebular · February 2015

Oh, I am so sorry. I didn't realize exactly what event you were talking about. I mistook what you said for being the an event in this most recent time of the Sundering, taking your typo'd date as though you though it happened in the future of the known timeline.

I know what event you're talking about and may have information on this. I'll research it for you in my PnP notes and source material but I may not have time to do that for a couple days.

thane6000 · February 2015

Melinden - You're probably right. I haven't thought about it that way. It's kind of funny if you think about it!

Zebular - You are awesome! It means much to even relpy to me here; if you also took the time to do research I'd be much obliged! And by all means there's no need to rush, do it whenever you feel like it and if you feel like it. Thanks!!!

zebular · February 2015

Just wanted to let you know that I haven't forgot and should have time to pour through my source material, notes and stuff later tonight. Hopefully I'll be able to find some data for you.

zebular · March 2015

After pouring through my stuff; sourcebooks, magazines, timelines, candlekeep, and other material:

The Reckoning of Hell was a Core D&D Event, not one of any specific campaign. It was designed to be able to be placed in any campaign a DM wishes, whenever they wished. However, going by Forgotten Realms Canon events that loosely correlate to the Reckoning of Hell, it would put the events having started sometime from 1369 DR and no later than 1372 DR, and have ended no later than 1373 DR.

My reasoning for this is the events that took place upon Toril (starting in 1368 DR with the destruction of Hellgate Keep) and ending with the Elminster in Hell novel (took place throughout 1372 DR), were all somehow related to influences of the Reckoning of Hell. "Guide to Hell" was a 2nd edition sourcebook and "Elminster in Hell" was a 3rd edition novel. The official start date of 3rd Edition was 1372 DR.

So depending on your backstory for your character, you'd have a five year period to play with in writing that up, 1368, 1369, 1370, 1371, and 1372 to make a canon-fitting biography that no one could dispute with any empirical evidence.

Here are some related events that took place during that time period:

1368 DR (Year of the Banner)

Hellgate Keep is destroyed

1369 DR (Year of the Gauntlet)

The Trades Conflagration: This blaze engulfs over 60% of Emerald Ward and 50% of Grand Ward. Marekh Sabban is destroyed by the fires, along with numerous areas in the Muzad beneath it.

The cambion (half tanar'ri/half human) Vheod Runechild, escapes from the Abyss to Toril. Soon after he embarks on a quest to rid the dalelands of a powerful demon lord, the tanar'ri balor Chare'en.

Surviving daemonfey of House Dlardrageth, from the destruction of Hellgate Keep, are freed after millennia of imprisonment.

1372 DR (Year of Wild Magic)

The Elminster in Hell novel's events unfold.

thane6000 · March 2015

Thank you so much Zebular, for taking the time to research that subject and for answering. That was the most precise answer I've seen so far concerning the Reckoning's date. It makes much sense, taking on account the events you mentioned. So, it started somewhere around 1369. Now I know exactly where I'm stepping on and where to base the events of the story. Thanks again!

When did the Reckoning of Hell happen???

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