First King of Shannara Timeline

The following are timelines for First King 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

YearEvent
‑1500The Great Wars take place.
‑500The first Druid Council, led by Galaphile, is established.
‑400Brona steals the Ildatch from Paranor and leaves the Keep with his followers.
‑350The First War of the Races takes place.
‑200The Druid Histories begin to be compiled.
‑70The Druids begin their non-involvement policy concerning the other Races of the Four Lands.
‑30Courtann Ballindarroch is crowned King of the Elves.
‑15Tay Trefenwyd arrives at Paranor and starts practicing the Druid arts.

Caerid Lock becomes Captain of the Druid Guard.
‑8Geften discovers a third pass leading out of the Wolfsktaag.
‑5Tay visits Arborlon for the last time before Paranor falls.

Rumors of the Warlock Lord begin to spread. Kinson Ravenlock is recruited by Bremen in Varfleet.
‑3Mareth supposedly begins training as a Healer at Storlock.
‑2Bremen is kicked out of Paranor for believing that Brona is still alive and for still studying magic.

Urprox Screl quits being a smith and takes up woodcarving.
‑10 monthsMareth arrives at Paranor as a Healer, bringing with her forged papers made with the help of Cogline.
‑6 monthsBremen goes north in search of Brona.
0The events of First King of Shannara take place.
1 monthBremen comes to Arborlon to retrieve the Black Elfstone.
3Allanon and Bremen go to the Valley of Shale, Allanon's lessons having ended four days earlier. Bremen gives Allanon the Black Elfstone, then goes to the Hadeshorn, where Galaphile's fourth vision comes to pass. Galaphile's shade lifts Bremen up and carries him into the waters of the Hadeshorn.

Day-by-Day Timeline

DayEvent
1Bremen arrives at the Streleheim, where Kinson is waiting. They talk. Bremen sleeps while Kinson keeps watch. A Skull Bearer arrives, and Kinson and Bremen begin walking to Paranor before it sees them.
2Bremen and Kinson arrive at Paranor and meet Caerid. By noon, Bremen is inside the Keep and meets with Risca and Athabasca. Bremen is denied the Council and goes to see Kahle, whom he gives magic powder to. He sees Risca again and Tay, then invokes the magic that guards Paranor. After Bremen leaves Paranor, he talks to Kinson about the stubbornness of the Druids.
3Mareth comes to ask Bremen if she can go with them. Risca and Tay arrive later and they begin their journey to the Hadeshorn.
4Bremen, Kinson, Mareth, Risca, and Tay continue their journey to the Hadeshorn. By dusk, they reach the foothills leading to the Valley of Shale.
5Before dawn, they walk to the Valley of Shale. Bremen goes to the Hadeshorn and talks to Galaphile. After seeing the four visions, they make plans to separate.

Paranor is invaded by the Warlock Lord after three Druids betray it. Caerid Lock tries to stop the invasion but fails. Kahle Rese seals away the Druid Histories and is killed. The Druids are herded into the Assembly, where they watch Brona rip out Athabasca's heart, then are locked away. The Warlock Lord mutates the three betrayers and keeps them in Paranor to attack anyone that comes.
6Risca separates from the company for the Eastland at midday. The rest of the company heads for Paranor.
7Tay separates from the company for Arborlon at sunrise. Bremen, Kinson, and Mareth continue heading for Paranor.

Risca continues for Culhaven, but then decides to head for the Dragon's Teeth to see the Northland Army.
8Bremen, Kinson, and Mareth reach Paranor before dawn. Caerid dies. Bremen finds the Eilt Druin and battles the three former Druids along the way. Mareth's magic is revealed.

Tay continues for Arborlon and finds Gnomes in Drey Wood along the way.

Risca reaches the Dragon's Teeth and sees the Northland Army. That night, he sneaks into the army and tries to kill Brona, but fails and is forced to flee.
9Tay continues for Arborlon and reaches the Valley of Rhenn by noon. He meets Jerle, and together they go into the city. Tay spends time with Kira and his parents. Jerle sends Preia to Paranor without Tay knowing.

Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen stay in the forests surrounding Paranor all day to let Mareth sleep. Bremen leaves.
10Tay goes on a picnic with Kira, her husband, and their two children.

Mareth and Kinson head toward Storlock.
11Tay meets with old friends and the like while waiting for news on Paranor's fate.

Preia Starle reaches Paranor and discovers that the Druids have indeed been eliminated and that the Keep has fallen.

Mareth and Kinson reach Storlock at dawn and stay there for the entire day; the Northland army is only twenty miles away from Storlock.
12Preia arrives at Arborlon and informs Tay that Paranor has fallen. That evening, Tay and Jerle meet with Courtann, then later with the entire High Council, which grants them permission to mount a quest for the Black Elfstone and promises to consider sending aid to the Dwarves. Later, two Skull Bearers and a party of Gnome Hunters massacre the Ballindarroch family.

A Troll raiding party arrives at Storlock at dawn, but Mareth, feigning a sickness, scares them away.

Risca reaches the Dwarves and Culhaven and talks to Raybur.
13Jerle and Tay talk and organize their trip to the Breakline. That afternoon, Tay talks to Vree and persuades him to come with them on their search. Vree agrees after seeing Galaphile's four visions.

The Northland army decamps and moves out.

The Dwarf army watches the progress of the Northland army.
14At dawn, Tay, Jerle, Preia, Vree, Retten, and ten Elven Hunters leave Arborlon for the Breakline. Tay and Preia talk that night about Jerle.

Bremen arrives at Storlock after visiting Paranor and the Hadeshorn.

The Dwarf army continues to watch the progress of the Northland army and plans a strike.
15Tay, Jerle, Preia, and the other twelve continue for the Breakline.

Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen leave for Darklin Reach at dawn.

At night, the Dwarves attack the Northland army and retreat to the Pass of Jade.
16At dawn, as the company reaches the Sarandanon, they find Preia's bow. That afternoon, Tay and Jerle find Retten Kipp; Tay gently takes Kipp's life. The Gnomes pursue them, but Preia comes with horses and they ride away.

Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen continue for Darklin Reach.

By dawn, the Northlanders are catching up to the Dwarves at the Pass of Jade. They attack at morning, midday, and nightfall in an attempt to get the Pass, but fail each time.
17After riding all night, Tay and the others make camp at dawn and sleep for a few hours, then continue for the Breakline.

Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen continue for Darklin Reach. That night, Mareth tells Bremen the truth about herself and the part Cogline had to play in it.

Before dawn, the Northlanders attack again, but Risca sends wraiths into the ranks, causing them to scatter, and by dawn the Pass of Jade belongs to the Dwarves once more.
18Tay and the others continue for the Breakline, avoiding Gnome Hunters along the way.

Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen continue for Darklin Reach. Bremen and Kinson talk about the specifications of the sword they need to forge.

The Northlanders attack again in the morning. The Dwarves withdraw at nightfall and march all night.
19Tay and the others arrive at Baen Draw by dusk and at midnight ride through a party of Gnome Hunters, losing six Elven Hunters along the way.

Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen continue for Darklin Reach. Bremen and Mareth talk about her magic.

A messenger tells the Dwarves that most of the Northland army is at the Pass of Noose, but the army from the Pass of Jade is catching up to them. The Dwarves hold their ground.
20Tay and the others continue for the Breakline and are deep into the mountains by nightfall.

At midday, Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen arrive at Darklin Reach and meet Shifter and Cogline and later, Smoke. Cogline tells Bremen the formula needed to forge the sword.

The Dwarves strike at and withdraw from the Pass of Jade Northland army multiple times.
21Tay and the others continue for the Breakline. At night, Vree looks into Jerle's mind to discover the location of the Pinchers.

Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen head for Dechtera in search of a master smith.

The Dwarves are trapped between the Pass of Noose Northland army and the Pass of Jade Northland army and fight to slow the Jade Northland army advance. By nightfall, the two halves of the Dwarven army (one guarding the Pass of Noose and the other fighting off the army from the Pass of Jade) combine and escape through the hidden third pass.
22Tay and the others continue for the Breakline, or, more specifically, Worl Run and the Pinchers.

Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen continue for Dechtera.
23Tay and the others reach the Pinchers by midday and begin climbing up, leaving Obann to tend after the horses.

Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen continue for Dechtera.
24Tay and the others continue their ascent and find the formation with the crushed fingers.

Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen continue for Dechtera.
25Tay and the others search for the entrance to the fortress that hides the Black Elfstone.

Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen continue for Dechtera.
26Tay and the others continue to search for the fortress entrance.

Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen continue for Dechtera.
27Tay and the others continue to search for the fortress entrance.

Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen continue for Dechtera.
28At dawn, Preia gets up early and notices a cleft where birds were roosting. By midmorning, Tay, Preia, and the others reach the cleft where the birds were and by noon, discover the entrance to the Chew Magna. Vree finds the garden where the Black Elfstone is. Tay goes into the garden as a wraith and barely escapes. At dusk, Tay subverts himself and retrieves the Black Elfstone, causing the garden to become enraged and to kill two Elven Hunters and also triggering a collapse of the Chew Magna. The remaining members of the company flee and run into a band of Gnome Hunters and two Skull Bearers. Tay uses the Black Elfstone on them, and feeling himself becoming subverted from the Skull Bearers' magic, ends his life.

Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen continue for Dechtera.
29Jerle, Preia, Vree, Obann, and Rusk head back for Arborlon.

Alyten Ballindarroch leaves Arborlon to find his father's killers.

Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen continue for Dechtera.
30Jerle, Preia, Vree, Obann, and Rusk continue for Arborlon.

Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen continue for Dechtera.
31Jerle, Preia, Vree, Obann, and Rusk continue for Arborlon.

Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen continue for Dechtera.
32Jerle, Preia, Vree, Obann, and Rusk continue for Arborlon.

Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen continue for Dechtera.
33Jerle, Preia, Vree, Obann, and Rusk arrive at Arborlon.

Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen reach Dechtera. Kinson goes into the city and finds out about Screl, the master smith, and buys a dagger made by him. Meanwhile, Mareth tells Bremen about her suspicions concerning her father - namely, that Bremen is her father - but Bremen tells her it isn't true and also that it is possible a Skull Bearer may have sired her.
34Mareth and Bremen continue to wait for Kinson. Kinson seeks out Urprox Screl.
35Kinson talks to Screl and returns to Mareth and Bremen at dusk. He listens to what Mareth and Bremen have to say about Mareth's father.
36Preia and Jerle talk about their love and what will happen in the future. Vree comes in later and tells Jerle that when he picked the lock on Tay's mind, he saw Galaphile's visions; in one of those visions it showed an Elf facing off against the Warlock Lord. That Elf is Jerle.

Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen pay a visit to Urprox and persuade him to forge one last sword. Bremen informs him of the things that will be required and begin preparing for the forging.
37Urprox talks about his decision with Mina, who understands why he is doing this even though he has sworn it off, and prepares to forge the sword.
38Urprox continues to prepare for the forging of the sword.
39That night, the sword is forged, using Screl's furnace and skills and Bremen's talisman and magic.

Wyrik, Raybur's oldest son, is killed by a stray arrow while the Dwarves are retreating across the Anar.
40Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen leave for the Hadeshorn.
41Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen continue for the Hadeshorn.
42Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen continue for the Hadeshorn.
43Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen continue for the Hadeshorn.

At dawn, Jerle Shannara is made King of the Elves.

The Dwarves make a stand at Stedden Keep that night and are forced to retreat.
44Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen continue for the Hadeshorn.
45Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen continue for the Hadeshorn.
46Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen reach the Battlemound Lowlands. Bremen has Kinson cut off a branch from a tree to form a staff and infuses the staff with his own magic. He then gives this staff to Mareth, telling her that it will aid in channeling her magic.
47Mareth, Kinson, and Bremen reach the Rabb Plains and see the Northland army. Kinson sneaks down to find out what he can. While Kinson is gone and Mareth is sleeping, the King of the Silver River approaches Bremen and tells him of the fate of the Ballindarrochs.
48Kinson returns. Bremen sends Kinson and Mareth to go to the Eastland to seek out the Dwarves, while he himself heads toward the Hadeshorn. By sunset, Mareth and Kinson reach Culhaven and run into a Skull Bearer, who claims that he is Mareth's father. She incinerates him with her magic, and they continue on.
49Bremen reaches the foothills to the Valley of Shale.

The Northland army attacks Varfleet.
50At dawn, Bremen goes to the Hadeshorn and calls the spirits of the dead, who endow Screl's sword with the power of truth, telling Bremen that this is what is needed to defeat Brona. After the encounter, he sleeps until sunset at the rim of the Valley of Shale, then walks to Varfleet.
51Bremen reaches Varfleet before dawn and encounters Allanon, who begins to follow him, but does not say a word.

Mareth and Kinson reach the Ravenshorn and there, find the Dwarven army.

The Northland army reaches the Streleheim.
52Allanon follows as Bremen heads for Arborlon.

Mareth and Kinson set out with the Dwarven army.
53Allanon continues to follow Bremen to Arborlon and finally reveals his name.
54Bremen and Allanon arrive at Arborlon. Bremen, realizing that Jerle Shannara was the man in his vision, tells him the secret of the sword.
55The Elven army marches out to meet the Northland threat. Jerle holds a council of war with Preia, Bremen, and his army commanders to plan out a midnight strike.
56Jerle carries out the midnight strike. During the ensuing battle, a netherworld monster attacks him. He tries to destroy it with his new sword, but fails, and Bremen has to rescue him.
57An hour before dawn, Bremen and Jerle talk more about the magic of the sword and what it does. The sword is then dubbed the Sword of Shannara. Later that day, Jerle tells Preia about the secret of the sword. Allanon comes up to Bremen and asks him to teach him magic. Bremen complies.
58The war rages on. Allanon continues to learn magic from Bremen.
59The war rages on. Allanon continues to learn magic from Bremen.
60The war rages on. Allanon continues to learn magic from Bremen.
61The war rages on. Allanon continues to learn magic from Bremen.
62The war rages on. Allanon continues to learn magic from Bremen.
63The war rages on. Allanon continues to learn magic from Bremen.
64The war rages on. Allanon continues to learn magic from Bremen.
65The war rages on. Allanon continues to learn magic from Bremen.
66At dawn, the Northland army attacks the Elves in the Valley of Rhenn. At sunset, they attack again.
67Netherworld creatures summoned by Brona attack the Elves in the morning, but because Bremen treats the Elven weapons with his magic, they are able to be killed with them. That afternoon, the regular Northland army attacks. Bremen and Allanon use their combined magics to destroy the Northland machinery and front ranks. At night, the Elves strike at the Northland army, which retreats. Arn Banda and Rustin Apt die during the battle.

A small band of Dwarves, led by Risca, arrive at Arborlon, and attack the Northland army from the rear.
68The main Dwarven army, led by Raybur, fight the retreating Northland army in the morning, cutting off their retreat. By midafternoon, the Elves catch up with them at the Streleheim. During the ensuing battle, Jerle Shannara faces off against the Warlock Lord. He first uses the Sword of Shannara's magic on himself, then on Brona, but Brona taunts him and Jerle, seeking a quick end to the confrontation, wields the Sword as an ordinary weapon and succeeds only in destroying Brona's physical form. However, this is enough to dissipate all of the Skull Bearers and to send the Trolls and Gnomes heading back to their homes in the Northland. Risca is found dead later, during the aftermath of the battle.

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