The Elfstones of Shannara Timeline
The following are timelines for The Elfstones of Shannara. The first timeline is in years and concerns events that happen to the characters before and after the actual events of the book (with the events of the book being Year 0), while the second timeline is day-by-day and follows in detail the characters' journeys. You can view the main timeline here. Also, don't take these timelines as 100% canon, as there have been some parts in the book where Brooks was rather vague about the dates, so I had to assume when something happened.
In addition, I do not want to see these timelines popping up anywhere else - whether it be your own personal Shannara site, Wikipedia, or wherever. I spent a very long time going through the books and painstakingly recording each incident and trying to figure out where everything went. Needless to say, if I find these at some other site, I will be angry. (Not to mention I could probably tell fairly easily if someone copied off of mine, since I doubt anyone will be making the same guesses as I did about what happened when Brooks was being vague.) If you want to point people in the direction of this timeline, just link directly to this page. (See the FAQ for more info.) And, of course, these timelines are no substitute for reading the books themselves; they're just detailed outlines. That said, enjoy. XP
General Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| ‑2050 | The Great Wars take place. |
| ‑1050 | The first Druid Council, led by Galaphile, is established. |
| ‑900 | The First War of the Races takes place. |
| ‑700 | The Ellcrys gives its most recent message to the Elves. |
| ‑550 | The Second War of the Races takes place. |
| ‑500 | The Ellcrys appoints a woman to be a Chosen. This is the last female to be Chosen before Amberle. |
| ‑60 | Hebel first comes to the Wilderun and meets Mallenroh. |
| ‑50 | The War of the Warlock Lord takes place. |
| ‑40 | The Federation, the first cohesive form of government the race of Man has known in over a thousand years, is formed. |
| ‑30 | The Free Corps is formed. |
| ‑11 | Aine Elessedil is killed in a hunting accident. |
| ‑10 | Stee Jans joins the Free Corps and quickly becomes a corporal. Seven months after joining, the massacre at Rybeck takes place. He becomes known as the Iron Man. Manx becomes Eventine's pet. |
| ‑2 | Wil is accepted as a student at Storlock. |
| ‑1 | Perk begins his Wing Rider training. |
| 0 | The events of The Elfstones of Shannara take place. |
Day-by-Day Timeline
| Day | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Ellcrys speaks to Lauren and the other Chosen about her death, which Lauren later relates to Ander and Eventine. The Dagda Mor, the Changeling, and the Reaper break free of the Forbidding and head for Arborlon. |
| 2 | Ander finds the six Chosen, slain in their beds by the Reaper, in the morning. Allanon appears later that evening after speaking to the Ellcrys and tells Eventine and Ander that he may be able to discover the location of Safehold and that one Chosen still lives - Amberle. Allanon then leaves with Artaq and heads for Paranor, entrusting Ander to the care of Eventine before he does. The Changeling kills Went, hides his body under a bush, and disguises itself as him. Later, it kills Manx and masquerades as him, thus enabling him to listen in during Allanon, Eventine, and Ander's conversation in Eventine's study. |
| 3 | Allanon continues for Paranor. |
| 4 | Allanon reaches Paranor at sunset. He reads through the Druid Histories and discovers the location of Safehold and also what is required for the rebirth of the Ellcrys. The Dagda Mor and several Furies attack him as he leaves, but he manages to escape, though he is severely wounded. |
| 5 | Wil and Flick talk about various things while Wil takes a break from his healing duties. Allanon arrives at Storlock and tells them about the Elves and the Forbidding, then asks Wil to accompany Amberle to the Bloodfire. Wil agrees. |
| 6 | Wil and Allanon leave, riding Spitter and Artaq, respectively. Allanon tells Wil about what the Elves were like before the Great Wars. |
| 7 | Wil and Allanon reach the Silver River, where Allanon sees a company of Dwarf Sappers and asks that they send aid to the Elves. They reach Havenstead later that day and seek out Amberle once night falls. Allanon attempts to persuade her to come to Arborlon but she tells them she will think about it. That night, Wil has a nightmare and is awakened by Allanon, who tells him that the demons have found them. With Wil and Amberle on Artaq and Allanon on Spitter, they flee to the Silver River. As they get closer, the King of the Silver River reveals himself to Wil and Amberle and allows them to sleep in his gardens. Both Wil and Amberle have dreams that prophesize the future. |
| 8 | Wil and Amberle wake up at a spot near the Rainbow Lake and tell each other about their dreams, then continue for Arborlon. |
| 9 | Wil and Amberle continue for Arborlon. That evening, as they make camp, they see a band of Rovers. Amberle tells Wil a little about the Elven duty to the land. |
| 10 | Wil and Amberle wake up to find Artaq gone and begin tracking the Rover caravan. They catch up by evening, introduce themselves, and meet Cephelo and Eretria. Wil offers to stay with the Rovers for a longer period of time until they reach the Westland and to hope that in that time, Wil and Amberle can find a way to pay Cephelo for Artaq. That night, Wil drinks too much Rover wine and ends up passing out while dancing with Eretria. |
| 11 | Wil wakes up with a headache and panics over the Elfstones before Amberle tells him that she has them. She gives them back to him; he hides them in his boots. Wil instructs her on the Rover way of life and Amberle tells him that earlier that morning, they came across a man who said that a Devil was in the Tirfing. The rest of the day passes by without incident. Later, Eretria comes up to Wil and talks to him, then asks that he take her with him when he leaves. He refuses, she tells him, "I am for you, Wil Ohmsford," and goes away. That night, a Devil - or rather, Demon - appears and attacks the caravan, which tries to fight back in vain. Wil attempts to use the Elfstones, which refuse to work until Eretria's life is in danger. The Demon is turned into ash. Cephelo approaches Wil, they exchange angry words, and he allows Wil to leave with Amberle and Artaq. |
| 12 | Wil and Amberle continue for Arborlon. That night, Wil talks to Amberle about what he thinks using the magic of the Elfstones has done to him. |
| 13 | A few hours before dawn, the Demon-wolves catch up to them, and they are forced to flee. The Dagda Mor flies overhead as they approach Arborlon, but then Allanon appears, and the three of them, with Artaq, go into the city. |
| 14 | That evening, Ander, Arion, Emer Chios, Kael Pindanon, Crispin, and Eventine gather in the High Council to hear Allanon speak of the need for them to entrust the search of the Bloodfire to Amberle. Later that night, Amberle, Wil, and Allanon go to the Gardens of Life, and Amberle walks alone to the Ellcrys, who gives her a seed. Meanwhile, Wil and Allanon talk about the possibility of a spy within the Elven camp. Once Amberle returns, the three of them meet Eventine. Allanon reveals that the Bloodfire and Safehold are located in the Wilderun. Eventine tells them about the Reaper. Arrangements are made for Wil and Amberle to leave Arborlon at dawn. Wil speaks to Allanon about his difficulties with the Elfstones. |
| 15 | Wil, Amberle, Crispin, and six other Elven Hunters leave Arborlon at dawn. They board a barge at the Rill Song and sail downstream. Wil and Amberle talk. |
| 16 | The barge arrives at Drey Wood in the late afternoon. Wil, Kian, Rin, and Dilph head for an Elven outpost and find no one there, realizing too late that everyone had been killed. The Reaper catches Kian and Rin and kills both of them. Dilph and Wil flee, catching the barge just as it sets off again, with the Reaper following after. They sail to the Matted Brakes and stop for the night. Early in the morning, Allanon approaches the Ellcrys and speaks to her. She gives him a staff that will be able to make the Demons mortal. Later that day, Eventine, Ander, and Allanon meet. Allanon shows them the Ellcrys' staff and tells them that the Demons will break free at the Hoare Flats. The Legion Free Corps of Callahorn arrive at Arborlon with six hundred men. |
| 17 | The company releases the barge into the river and head into the Matted Brakes. When they stop that night, Wil tells Amberle about the spy in the Elven camp. The Elven army, accompanied by the Free Corps, leave Arborlon. |
| 18 | The company continues through the Matted Brakes. The Elven army continues for the Hoare Flats. |
| 19 | The company continues through the Matted Brakes. The Elven army continues for the Hoare Flats. |
| 20 | The company runs into a creature of the Matted Brakes, which attacks them and takes Ped and Cormac. The remaining Elves flee for their lives. At nightfall, they catch sight of the Pykon and begin their ascent, reaching the abandoned Elven fortress shortly before midnight. Wil and Amberle settle in for the night while the other Elven Hunters explore the fortress. The Elven army continues for the Hoare Flats. |
| 21 | Several hours before dawn, Wil wakes up after having a nightmare. Wil goes outside and finds the bodies of Katsin and Dilph. He goes back to Amberle, and the two of them set off to find Crispin, who shows them a catwalk. They cross it and struggle to remove the pins that hold it there to prevent the Reaper from crossing as well, but they are too slow. The Reaper comes onto the catwalk and forces Crispin to fight; it throws him off the catwalk and into the chasm below. Wil tries to use the Elfstones and fails, but he and Amberle finish removing the pins just in time and watch the Reaper fall into the chasm. They find their way out of the fortress shortly before dawn, find a boat, and sail it down the Mermidon. They talk about Wil's inability to use the Elfstones, catch some sleep, and bank their skiff later in the afternoon, spending their night on land. In the late afternoon, the Elven army arrives at the Sarandanon. |
| 22 | [ Extra day added for Wil and Amberle to make timeline work ] The Elven army crosses the Sarandanon and makes its camp at Baen Draw. Allanon tells Eventine his suspicions about the Demons already knowing the Elven plan of attack. Ander enters the Free Corps camp looking for Stee Jans and is told by a captain about the massacre at Rybeck. |
| 23 | [ Extra day added for Wil and Amberle to make timeline work ] The Elven army marches out of the Sarandanon and into the Breakline. Arion and Pindanon go to secure Worl Run, while Jans, Eventine, and Ander march toward Halys Cut. That evening, Allanon reassures Ander that Amberle is not dead and tells him about Wil Ohmsford and the Elfstones. |
| 24 | [ Extra day added for Wil and Amberle to make timeline work ] The Forbidding breaks and the Demons escape and enter into combat with the Elves. Eventine is felled by a club during the battle and Ander is forced to command; he gives the order to pull back. Allanon does battle with and defeats a Dragon. The Elves withdraw from Halys Cut. Flyn appears and tells Ander and Allanon that Arion is dead and that Pindanon believes Worl Run can be retaken and requests more cavalry, but Ander refuses. When the army regroups, Pindanon speaks with Ander and requests that he be made Commander, but again, Ander refuses. Stee Jans suggests a "rabbit" tactic to defend the Sarandanon, which is accepted. |
| 25 | [ Extra day added for Wil and Amberle to make timeline work ] Ander, Pindanon, and four dozen of the Home Guard bury Arion at the first light of dawn. Less than an hour later, the Demons attack. Jans' plan is successfully implemented and the Elves are able to hold the pass, which results in a large-scale loss of Demon life. During the Demons' final attack, they are able to break past the lines of defense, but later turn back and flee. |
| 26 | [ Extra day added for Wil and Amberle to make timeline work ] Ander approaches Allanon at midday. Allanon suggests that Ander send trackers to make sure the Demons do not plan on flanking the Elves, which Ander does. Close to midnight, the Demons attack again. Pindanon is killed. Ander is attacked, but Stee Jans saves him. The Elven army and the Free Corps are able to force the Demons out of Baen Draw and keep the Sarandanon. As Ander's wounds are treated, Stee Jans arrives and Ander makes him Commander of the Elven army. Allanon appears and tells him that the trackers who went north found an army of Demons bigger than the one they had just faced. Ander realizes that the Sarandanon is lost and gives the order to retreat from the valley. |
| 27 | [ Extra day added for Wil and Amberle to make timeline work ] The Elven army and the Legion Free Corps fight their way back across the Westland to Arborlon. |
| 28 | [ Extra day added for Wil and Amberle to make timeline work ] Perk begins his seven-day outing. The Elven army and the Legion Free Corps fight their way back across the Westland to Arborlon. |
| 29 | Wil and Amberle head west toward the Rock Spur and reach it by sunset. The Elven army and the Legion Free Corps fight their way back across the Westland to Arborlon. |
| 30 | Wil and Amberle wake up to find Perk looking at them. They ask for his help in reaching the Wilderun; he accepts. Atop Genewen, the three of them fly to the edge of the Wilderun, where Perk gives them a whistle and tells them that if they can find their talisman in time, he would come for them. Wil and Amberle thank him and head for Grimpen Ward, reaching the Candle Light Inn later that day. Wil offers to stop the innkeeper's pain in exchange for a night's lodging; the innkeeper agrees. That night, Wil and Amberle are awakened by the sounds of several men trying to break into their room. The two escape, and, as they are being pursued, run into Eretria and the Rovers, who take them in. Eretria makes another attempt to come onto Wil, which he blocks. The Elven army and the Legion Free Corps fight their way back across the Westland to Arborlon. |
| 31 | Wil and Amberle wake up at dawn. Eretria brings them breakfast; after she leaves, Cephelo comes and asks Wil why they are in the Wilderun. Wil makes up a story about needing to find a certain plant to cure the granddaughter of the Elven King for a reward. Cephelo offers to help for a part of that reward, which Wil and Amberle agree to, although they are suspicious of his motives. That evening, Cephelo takes Wil, Amberle, and Eretria to Hebel, who tells them about Safehold and Mallenroh. Later, Eretria asks Wil for a second time to take her with him when they leave, but he once again refuses. Cephelo takes the Elfstones while Wil is sleeping. The Elven army and the Legion Free Corps fight their way back across the Westland to Arborlon. That afternoon, they reach the Elven capital. At dusk, Ander meets with the High Council and tells them what has happened. They then discuss defense. Ander meets Browork, who, with his Sappers, rigged the fifth ramp of the Elfitch to collapse, as well as Dayn, a Wing Rider. Later that night, while the Council is still in session, Gael appears and tells them that Eventine has woken up. Ander immediately goes to see him and tells him about Arion and the loss of the Sarandanon. |
| 32 | The Rovers and Wil and Amberle leave Hebel and later part ways; Wil and Amberle continue toward the Hollows. Hebel, still at home, senses the presence of the Reaper. It begins to rain. Amberle sprains her ankle and Wil comforts her. They talk about the Elfstones and realize that Wil doesn't have them anymore. Wil leaves Amberle hidden in some bushes and goes to find Cephelo. As he does so, he runs into Eretria, who offers to help him if he agrees to take her with him this time. He finally accepts and they make their way to Cephelo's wagon, where they find everyone dead. Wil retrieves the Elfstones and realizes the Reaper must have killed them. Amberle, meanwhile, knows the Reaper is nearby and makes her way down to the Hollows to hide. She falls asleep and is taken away by Mallenroh's stick men; consequently, when Wil and Eretria come back, they cannot find her. As they are searching for her, Hebel arrives with Drifter and leads them down into Mallenroh's end of the Hollows. The stick men appear and take them to her tower. Mallenroh reveals herself to them, turns Hebel and Drifter into wooden statues, and takes the Elfstones from Wil. Her stick men come and tell her that there is a Demon in the Hollows. She goes off to look for it, while Wil is rendered unconscious and taken to Amberle's cell along with Eretria. The Demons attack Arborlon at dawn. Eventine makes an appearance during the battle, though he knows there's something wrong with himself. The battle continues to rage back and forth along the runway of the Elfitch until the Demons retreat for no reason. Two hours after the conclusion of the battle, Eventine and Ander meet Amantar. Meanwhile, Allanon goes to visit the Ellcrys and realizes that at most, she only has three days left to live. |
| 33 | Wil wakes up and tells Amberle about everything that has happened. Wisp comes down with food, talks to Wil and Amberle for a while, reveals that he knows about Safehold, then talks to Eretria when she wakes up. He then leaves. When he is gone, Wil tells Eretria about Amberle and the Bloodfire. Eretria believes them and goes to work on picking the lock of their cell. Meanwhile, Amberle tells Wil a little more about her relationship with the Ellcrys. Eretria succeeds in opening the door and the three of them escape. They capture Wisp, who reluctantly leads them to the room with the Elfstones. On the way, they see Mallenroh and Morag arguing - first verbally, then with magic. They end up burning to death. Wil, Amberle, Eretria, and Wisp successfully retrieves the Elfstones. Hebel and Drifter appear, no longer wood, and all of them escape from the tower, which is burning down. Wil also senses the presence of the Reaper. Ander leads the Elves into battle and secures another victory for them. That night, however, the Demons attack again; some make their way into the city and kill several wounded Elves, although a patrol of Dwarf Sappers notice and defeat them. |
| 34 | Wil, Amberle, Eretria, Wisp, Hebel, and Drifter emerge from Mallenroh's tower. Wisp leads the others into Safehold, where Amberle discovers the Bloodfire and submerges herself in it. Wisp runs away but is caught by the Reaper, who kills him and enters the chamber. Wil tries to use the Elfstones against it but fails; Eretria uses herself as a distraction to buy him time. Wil realizes he is afraid of the Elfstones, forces himself to get past that fear, and finally brings the magic to bear, turning the Reaper into ash. Amberle, still within the Bloodfire, realizes that she must become the Ellcrys. She emerges and Wil leads them out, using the Elfstones to guide him. The five of them emerge at sunset. Eretria blows on the whistle and Perk appears with Genewen and takes Wil, Amberle, and Eretria to Arborlon. By dawn, the heights have been cleared and the Demons thrown back once more. The Demons mass again, however, and are able to take the fourth ramp. At noon, two Ogres come and take the fifth ramp as well. Eventine's horse is killed; Stee Jans is able to save the king before the Demons reach him. Meanwhile, Ander faces the Demon rush alone but is saved by Allanon, who mounts Dancer and flies out to attack them. The Elves retreat and Browork collapses the fifth ramp. Eventine is taken to the manor house, where he thinks about Amberle and then falls asleep. That night, he wakes up again and gets out of bed to find the bodies of Dardan and Rhoe. He realizes that Manx is the Changeling and the spy. They fight each other until Eventine is able to plunge his knife into its throat, killing it. Just as the Changeling dies, Eventine's rescuers reach him, but Eventine passes out. |
| 35 | Several hours before dawn, Allanon visits the Ellcrys, who passes away. An hour after daybreak, the Demons attack again. The Elves lose the sixth ramp and Kerrin is killed; Ehlron Tay dies later from his wounds. The seventh ramp is also lost and the Demons swarm onto the Carolan. Atop Dancer, Allanon flies out to fight the Dagda Mor, who is riding a giant bat. They kill each other's creatures and continue their battle on the ground. Allanon seizes the Staff of Power and destroys it, killing the Demon lord as well. As Allanon retreats, Dayn sees Genewen, who lands in the Gardens of Life. Amberle disembarks; the Demons converge and Perk, Genewen, Wil, and Eretria try to fight them off. Amberle changes into the Ellcrys and the Demons are sent back into the Forbidding. Wil, devastated, is taken to Arborlon, where he sleeps and dreams about Amberle. He wakes up that evening to find Allanon there. Allanon tells Wil that he knew what was going to happen to Amberle. Wil discovers that the Druid has aged. Allanon then goes to Eventine's room, where Eventine asks Ander about Amberle. Ander replies that she is now safe and Eventine passes away. Allanon then reveals himself and tells Ander that he knew he would become King, then leaves the city and the Westland. |
| 36 | Ander Elessedil is crowned King of the Elves. Perk wakes Wil up at dawn. They talk briefly about Amberle before Perk leaves along with the other Wing Riders. At midday, the Trolls leave as well. Wil spends the rest of the day asleep in the Elessedil manor. |
| 37 | Wil spends most of the day asleep in the Elessedil manor. |
| 38 | Wil spends most of the day asleep in the Elessedil manor. |
| 39 | Wil spends most of the day outside on the grounds surrounding the manor, thinking about Amberle. |
| 40 | The Dwarves leave after helping the Elves draft up plans to rebuild the Elfitch. Wil spends most of the day outside on the grounds surrounding the manor, thinking about Amberle. |
| 41 | Stee Jans approaches Ander in the morning. Ander asks him to become Commander; Jans says he is already considering it. The remaining soldiers of the Free Corps leave Arborlon. Wil battles with the idea of visiting Amberle. |
| 42 | Wil battles with the idea of visiting Amberle. |
| 43 | Wil enters the Garden of Life and spends a few moments gazing at Amberle, now the Ellcrys. After leaving, he runs into Eretria. They talk about their future plans and Wil finally asks her to come to Shady Vale with him. She agrees. |
© 2002-2009 by Minnie Gong
Shannara is © Terry Brooks
Main | FAQ | Contact Me | Disclaimer/Credits
This page is valid XHTML 1.0 Strict and is labelled with ICRA.
