Anyone have any theories on the origins of the Flannae Tracking reckoning (1 FT = -2150 CY).
I have a theory that it may have originated with Vecna.
Note that the LGG states that Vecna "gained a foothold on godhood thousands of years ago" (186), meaning that this took place no later than -1410 CY (740 FT).
Vecna is certainly meglomaniacal enough to decree that the years be tracked according to his whim, and he is said to have held his lands "for a millenia or more" ("Vecna's Realm"). As his empire ended c. -358 CY (LGG, 64), his realm must have been formed no later than c. -1358 CY.
Given this, Vecna would certainly have the temporal power and longevity to influence the adoption of the Flannae Tracking by other Flan groups. What other Flan rulers or kingdoms would have as much influence?
The year 1 FT might represent any number of things: Vecna’s ascension to lichdom, his “foothold on godhood,” his birth year, his mother’s birth year (VHotR, 50), the formation of his empire, his first meeting with the Serpent (VHotR, 60), etc.
I follow Steve Wilson's idea in the Oerth Journal #1 that the year 1 FT signifies the founding of the city of Haradaragh in the Lortmils. I use Samwise's account of Vecna's origin, which places the beginning of the Arch-lich's rule about two thousand years ago (a thousand-year reign for Vecna is plenty long enough for me).
I wrote an article on my take on Haradaragh that I've been meaning to submit to Canonfire, probably when I finish the accompanying article on the nearby city-state of Erlacor.
Erlacor is from Dragon #51, the article on the "winged folk." Erlacor was supposed to have been destroyed about 2000 years ago during the time of an evil "High King" in the north. This dovetails nicely with the original rise of Vecna, with judicious interpretation; I've placed Erlacor on the site where Junre is today.
As I interpret it, Haradaragh is the first true city of the Flan and a place of great religious and cultural importance in its day, its priests knitting together the first unified "Flan pantheon." It's also likely the location of the Throne of the Gods.
Vecna's origins have been suitably kept mysterious all these years and is a very good candidate for the F.T. creation. Haradaragh seems new to me, or maybe I've forgotten it if you say its from Wilson's work of which I know I've read a long time ago. At any rate, without my consulting Wilson's timeline, how does one Haradaragh match up with old canon locations like Sulm, Itar, Veralos, Isles of Woe, etc.
Rasgon has submitted an article on Haradaragh which will post to the front page on April 9th(three articles are ahead of it). _________________ - Moderator/Admin (in some areas)/Member -
I have placed 1 F.T. as the year Vecna conquered the Sulm Empire with his goblinoid horde, slaughtering half the Flan people and driving the rest to flee across the Flaneass. It was perhaps the darkest time in all Flan history.
Outside of OJ #1, is there any other mention of Haradaragh?
Though it would not be unusual to date the first year of a calendar era to the founding of a city, the city should've had a significant degree of historical influence. After all, look at Rome: 1 AUC ("Anno Urbis Conditae") = 753 BCE, the date in which the city was said to have been founded. The Roman republic and empire wielded a great deal of influence in the Western world for several centuries, though it was far from the first settlement on the Italian peninsula.
Linking the Flannae Tracking to a Flan city or political state makes sense, but only if the entity has significance. Other candidates might be the Isles of Woe, Sulm, Itar, Tostenhca, or Ahlissa, but none of these, IMO, left the legacy that Vecna did. Besides, I like the idea of Vecna leaving behind something “constructive.”
The only other candidate I can think of that rivals or surpasses Vecna for influence among the Flan would be the Old Faith, but I suspect any such calendar would be much older that the Flannae Tracking.
Outside of OJ #1, is there any other mention of Haradaragh?
Oerth Journal #2, pages 14-18 (the Lortmils article).
And yes, I think it's pretty influential the way I handled it; it's the source of the first non-druidic (non-Old Faith) Flan priesthoods, which subsequently spread throughout the Flanaess after the city's fall.
Mind you, I'm not disputing that the millennia-long reign of a lich-king might be historically/culturally significant. It's certainly an option, especially if you're only going by pure canon, which provides us with precious little else that might have been going on with the Flan at that time.
However, I personally fear Vecna is a bit overused, and I like the idea that there were significant things going on in Flan culture other than him.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Canonfire! is a production of the Thursday Group in assocation with GREYtalk and Canonfire! Enterprises
