Gundam SeeD Destiny: Lion of Heaven

Overview of History

Author's Note: This is, of course, not the actual history of the Gundam SeeD universe, but I made up one for the world I am building. It will help in answering questions regarding the certain terms the characters in this story refer to, and will serve as a basis in any other side-stories pertaining to my magnum opus. Take note, I will be updating this...timeline fairly regularly. And yes, guilty as charged, I am heavily inspired by WH40K, World of WarCraft, Conan the Barbarian, ERB (and Dynamite's) Warlord of Mars, LOTR and a plethora of other anime and games. Welding all of these together has been a MOST challenging endeavour, but it is one I find rewarding. I only wish Kouryuo Sabre were here still to aid me in it. It is hard to have to do it all alone.

Important: For you first-time readers, take it slow and easy. The Earth Sphere of the Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny you (and I) know and love is NOT the only planet (or region) in the Solar System that is inhabited. Underlying the whole story is a prize fought over by the mighty: the right to rule the entire Solar System.

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The Age of Ruin (-1010 C.E to -850 C.E.):

The War of Wrath / The Reclamation Crusade (-1010 C.E to -1005 C.E.) – The War of Wrath brought the rule of the Dracian Dynasty and the Solar Empire to a bloody end. Stories abound as to why the Holy Kingdom of Lordaeron declared war on the Empire. History would cite political differences as the reason why the two allies went to war, but the truth is far darker. The seven Legions* that the Holy Kingdom sent ahead of the main force learn of the pacts made between their masters and the rulers of the Empire. The Legion Masters realize in the sixth month of the war that the only way they could prevent the cancer from spreading was to commit an act that would see to them excommunicated – Exterminatus. By the time the Legion fleets reach Terra, no less than 17 worlds and its inhabitants had been put to the sword.

The Siege of Terra is one that lasts for a full month, with the Empire's elite fighting against Lordaeron's finest. It is a slaughter that ends with the arrival of the main Crusade armies, who sweep aside whatever forces the Empire could muster against them, and proceed to devastate the ships of their compatriots before visiting their wrath on their errant compatriots for the atrocities they have committed and on the servants of the Empire who have transgressed (against the laws of God). The survivors of the excommunicated Sword and Shield Legions flee the system, swearing vengeance. Their goal to punish the ruler of the Empire, however, was accomplished.

The surviving fleets of the Empire return to Terra and drive away the Holy Order fleets. Trapped between a hammer and an anvil, the Holy Order army withdraws. The High Lords of the Order give instructions to their fleets to make for Mars. They will raise a fortress there and consolidate their forces in preparation for a second assault on Terra.

Historical ref 1: The Siege of Castle Sangelman, by Imperial Historian Arnaud Sabre

Historical ref 2: The Massacre of Dannar Base, by Imperial Historian Lucian Nautre

Historical ref 3: The Razing of Rigel, by Silvana Thompson

Historical ref 4: The Siege of Terra, by Atticus of Dhoesone

Historical ref 5: The Long War,by Sir Marius Baxter of Lordaeron

Historical ref 6: Legacy of the Marduke: The Pandora Legions, by Belinda Marcus; Senior Pandora – 22nd Company, GENETICS Jupiter (retired).**

Occult Treatise: The Jihad of Ages,by Marlene Starfire of Atlantis

War Treatise: The Mercenary Guilds,by Marcel Hammer

*The seven Legions comprise of Four Sword Legions and Three Shield Legions. Of the first are Fiery, Bright, Black and Holy Sword Legions. Of the latter are Bright, Eternity and Divine Shield Legions. These are forever known as the Traitor Legions.

** The Pandora Legions have played a major role in many of humanity's wars against the various alien races in the galaxy. While created specifically to fight the Marduke, the abilities of the Pandora were soon turned to other purposes. The Galactic Police had the Pandora Assault Team work with the Bio-soldier Assault Divisions on numerous assignments, and the various human factions used them for various duties up and including assassination. At the end of the War of Wrath, many of the GENETICs Chapter Houses within the Solar System parted ways with the Golden Lion Throne and pledged their allegiance to the various powers that rose.


The Conquest of Mars / The Creation of the Rings of Power /The Grand Citadel is raised (-1006 C.E.) – The defeated Holy Order armies bring much of the Martian Dominion under its rule, defeating and driving out the Solar Empire forces there. They begin to rebuild their armies in preparation to bring the Earth Sphere under their rule. There are constant skirmishes between the Imperial Army and the Holy Order Legions throughout the Solar System. The Traitor Legions aid the beleaguered Martian forces as best they can, but cannot stop the Holy Order from bringing the region under their rule. By July the following year, much of the Martian region is under Lordaeron rule. The High Lords crown their finest general, Marcus Atkascha, as King of Lordaeron and install his clan as the Royal Family. In the years after, Lordaeron expands its territories so as to secure its grip on the Solar System. At the same time, the Supreme High Lord of the Church of Lordaeron forges numerous Rings of Power. These powerful artefacts were to be given as gifts to those enthroned, but the mightiest of it rests on the finger of the Supreme Lord, and he awaits the time when a worthy heir to his power is born.


The Sealing of the Gates / The Raising of Hadrian's Wall (late -1005 C.E.) – The Quantum Gates throughout the former dominions of the Solar Empire are sabotaged by unknown parties, cutting the core worlds of the Solar Empire off from the rest of the galaxy. Any attempt to enter within a hundred parsecs of the Solar Empire's throne-worlds is a risky endeavour. Warp storms and gravitational distortions make any hope of accessing the core worlds of the Solar Empire an extremely dangerous endeavour. Even the technologically-advanced Marduke declare the region a death-trap and avoid it.

Historical Reference: The Grand Oubliette, by Arthur Maximus of Lordaeron.


The Reformation of the Empire (-1000 C.E.) – Archduke Maximilian Dracian, one of the last members of the Imperial Dynasty, reclaims the Golden Lion Throne of the Solar Empire and sets about restoring the kingdom. It is a difficult task, but the Archduke and his peers are determined to see it done. Many of the colonies that have declared independence nevertheless side with the Archduke; all desire to restore the Empire for reasons both noble and base. Maximilian crowns himself Emperor, and brands on the day of his coronation the High Lords of the Holy Kingdom of Lordaeron traitors and swears on the graves of his slaughtered kin that they will pay dearly for what they have done. Maximilian also sends his best killers as well as the best Galactic Police agents – whom the Emperor gathers to act as his Judges – on the heels of the one who had killed the last ruler of the Empire, the Legion Master of the Fiery Sword, Raiha Nanaya. None ever return.


The formation of the Principalities of Valendia / The Ruby Compact: Venus – Homeland of the Gears (C.E. -995 to C.E. -990) – The Principalities of Valendia are formed within the Mercurian planetary region. The Imperial Governors of Valendia name themselves the Sun Kings and declare their independence from the Empire, but they nevertheless align themselves with Emperor Maximilian. The planet Venus is taken over by the Gears. No one knows how it was done, but the Gears do in a decade what centuries of terra-forming cannot: they turn the resource-rich and hostile planet of Venus into a paradise world that will serve as the homeland of their race. The Night Elves raise the city of Darnassus, which is located under the shadow of Yggsdrasil, the World Tree and within the lush forests of Ashenvale. Their High and Blood Elven kindred would settle down on what would eventually become the Kingdoms of Ulthuan (which is located in the Carnelian Sea) and Quel'Thalas (which is located within the forests of the Sielwode).

The Dragonborn Gears (and many dragon-type Gears) would lay claim to a mountainous region on the main continent of Aphrodia that would eventually become the Thousand-Scale Principalities. The Angelic and Eladrin Gears would take control of several islands in the Carnelian Sea of Venus and construct numerous floating cities that would become their home. The sole earthbound city of the Angels, which is their seat of power, would become known as the White City, and their floating principalities as Edens. The Eladrin would raise numerous cities on the largest of said island chain, and name their kingdom Rashith-al-Gilgalim.

The Daemon-type Gears would scatter over much of the Solar System, each warlord and royal founding countries and strongholds of their own. Babel-Iblis, the gigantic metropolis located in a hostile, volcanic region of Venus, which they call the Gorgon's Crown, is the seat of their power. The Thrones of the Nine, each occupied by the most powerful of their race, stand here. Residing within the same region are the Shadow Elf gears, who reside in the Broken Lands, a mountainous region located north of Gorgon's Crown.

The Draenei Gears would reside on massive colonies in space and on colossal ships. The one sole city they have on Venus is Exodus City, which is located on the continent of Aphrodia. The Lycan Gears would build the cities of Asharim, close to their human counterparts who live on the coastal cities of the Ishtarian continent. The Dark Elves are one of the few Gear races that refuse to settle on Venus. These set up their kingdom beyond the periphery of the Solar System, which they name Anshar-Golgotha. In the same region are the Methuselah Gears, who rebuild the vast Empire they had lost millennia ago and which they rename as the Kingdoms of Midnight.

The Yuki-Onna Gears take up residence on the distant, icy-world of Sedna. Living in villages, their only sole city is Borealis City.


The Rising Sun (C.E. – 980 to C.E. – 950 C.E.) – Jin'mu Hantei the First, one of the few remaining Lord-Generals of the Solar Empire, gathers what remains of his armies and seizes control of an entire Mercurian sector and the colonies therein. He crowns himself Emperor and his newly-conquered realm as the Empire of the Rising Sun. Like the Sun Kings of Valendia, the First Emperor of the Empire of the Rising Sun declares himself beyond the rule of the Golden Lion Throne. He makes it perfectly clear to Archduke Maximilian that he sees the Dracian family as unworthy of the rule of the Solar Empire and that he – or his descendants – will one day take it from them. Nonetheless, Jin'mu makes a nonaggression pact with Maximilian. There will be time aplenty for them to decide who is a more worthy successor to the Golden Lion Throne on Terra when the stage is set for such a confrontation.

Historical Reference 1: The Warrior King, by Chiharu Hantei, Imperial Historian of the Empire.


The First Solar War (-955 C.E. to -950 C.E.) – The Holy Kingdom of Lordaeron mounts an invasion of the Earth Sphere. It is broken by the combined efforts of the Imperial Army and their allies. The Traitor Legions commit their forces to the field, their vicious guerrilla and crippling assaults causing the Holy Order armies no end of agony. They disappear after the war's end. Emperor Maximilian lives long enough to see the Holy Order defeated and their legions driven from the Earth Sphere. His son, Crown Prince Matthew, becomes Emperor.


The Founding of the Colony-Kingdoms of Qin (-946 C.E. to -940 C.E.) – Lord-General Qin Zhu-Huang of the Solar Empire brings the Lordaeron-ruled colonies under Imperial rule. Seeing the fierce infighting within the Empire, the Lord-General decides to emulate his peer, Jin'mu Hantei and founds his own country. But unlike Jin'mu, Lord-General Qin Zhu-Huang declares independence from the Golden Lion Throne. The Solar Empire, its military might still recuperating from the First Solar War, are unable to stop Lord-General Qin Zhu-Huang from doing so. Nonetheless, emissaries from the Empire manage to open trade routes and embassies within Qin, allowing much-needed resources and commerce to assist in the restoration of the Solar Empire.


The First Splintering (-932 C.E to -903 C.E.) – Several Imperial colonies secede from the Empire. These will eventually becoming the independent trading colonies of Neverwinter and Baldur's Gate. The colony-clusters which secede eventually form the Colony-Kingdoms of Amn and the Damascene Caliphate. All are autonomous, but nevertheless swear fealty to the Empire. The Solar Empire manages to strengthen its hold on its remaining colonies and restores much of its military strength. Planet-cracking and asteroid mining operations proceed apace, and the terra-formed planets of Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune soon sport massive artificial continents. Project Homeland, instituted some eight hundred years before the War of Wrath, is completed by mid -850 C.E.


The Black Rebellion (-928 C.E. to -926 C.E.) – Colonies in the outer periphery of the Solar System, annexed by Lordaeron in the decades after the War of Wrath, fight a vicious two-year war and drive their rulers from the region. The High Lords and the Royal Family of Lordaeron acknowledge their defeat and withdraw their legions from those sectors that have declared for the first Witch-King of Angmar, Satariel Ahriman. The latter makes a pact of non-aggression with Lordaeron before turning his attention to stabilizing the region that would later become his kingdom.


Vengeance in the Night (-901 C.E.) – Nanaya Raiha, Legion Master of the Fiery Sword Legion, assassinates several important Holy Kingdom delegates in the night before the investiture of Lady-Pope Charlotte D'Avenant. The strike is nothing less than a slaughter. No less than a dozen noble lords as well as their families, many of whom have blood-ties to the Arch-Paladin Darien Winters (who was elevated after the presumed death of the Fiery Sword Legion Master), were slaughtered in a night of terror. The Arch-Paladin himself is beheaded in the Grand Sistine Chapel and his body is crucified. That strike, more than the actions of the Traitor Legions in the decades prior, marks the beginning of the Long War.


Formation of the Deathwatch (-900 C.E.) – The Deathwatch is formed by the children of Emperor Matthew. The former Judges of the Empire are incorporated into its ranks, and it is granted a mandate by the Golden Lion Throne to do what their predecessors – the Galactic Police – had done: hunt down the wicked and deliver justice, no matter how far they run and where they would choose to hide. In the centuries that will pass, the Deathwatch becomes a force that law-enforcing agencies (and underworld cartels) throughout the Solar System both fear and respect.


The Founding of the Kingdom of Ivalice (-880 C.E. to – 800 C.E.) – The last remnants of resistance to Lordaeron rule within the Martian region is finally defeated after decades of fighting. The High Lords crown Lucien Atkascha I as King of the newly-conquered realm. The Traitor Legions are routed from the field, and many are captured and executed by the Inquisition.


The forming of the Rogue Trader Dynasts (-865 C.E. to -860 C.E.) – The first Rogue Trader Houses – formed from the intergalactic merchant clans that plied the star lanes – are formed. These hope to someday return to the glories of intergalactic commerce and exploration. Powerful and possessing technology that will one day be precious beyond price, they become the ruling elite of the various factions that will be born in the centuries to come.


The First Pirate Wars (-870 C.E. to -865 C.E.) – The First Pirate Wars are fought. The colony-cluster of Five Peaks is founded as a haven for society's dregs and outcasts. It is ruled by powerful pirate princes, warlords and crime cartels who lend their services to any faction in the Solar System for the right price. The Mercenary Guild takes control of an abandoned colony close to Baldur's Gate and restores it, turning it into the Court of Blades, the largest of several Guild-controlled colonies which many Junkers and the poorer mercenary companies call home.

The Reign of the Three Emperors (-700 C.E. to -500 C.E.)

The Formation of the Kingdom of Han (-690 C.E. to -675 C.E.): Colonies under the rule of the Dragon Throne of Qin rebel and form the Kingdom of Han. Qin sends an army to retake the Kingdom, but these are routed in a vicious, two-week long battle. When Qin suffers an attack by the Kingdom of Lordaeron, it abandons any attempt to retake the rebel colonies and focuses on driving back the Holy Kingdom's legions. Supreme Commander Shi Ma-Ren crowns himself as the first King of the Han colony-kingdoms.


The Second Solar War (-600 C.E. to -597 C.E.) – King Zahak Ahriman III, the 47th Witch-King of Angmar, mounts a sudden system-wide assault with the aid of allies his agents and ambassadors have spent long years bringing to their banner. King Zahak intends to bring the entire Solar System under his rule, and nearly succeeds in doing so. His ambitions are thwarted by a group of heroes known as the 19 Shining Blades. In the aftermath of that defeat, Lordaeron declares a Purity Crusade (mentioned below) and brings Angmar under its rule. A majority of the Legions sent to subdue Angmar hail from regions from the Holy Kingdom that would much later become Reyguard. Lordaeron's rule of Angmar would finally be broken by Dark Schneider during the Ragnarok Schism (or the Black Rebellion) in -472 C.E. The Supreme Commander of the Holy Order and hero of the War of Wrath, the High Lord Michael, is slain in battle by the Bloody Angel. The other High Lords learn too late that the entire War was orchestrated with but one goal: the death of one of their own and the decimation of their armies.

Historical Reference 1: The 19 Shining Blades, by Lady Liana of Atlantis

Historical Reference 2: The Second Solar War: Blitzkrieg and Banner, by General Dieter Beowulf of Ivalice

Historical Reference 3: Zahak: The Ambition of the King, by Akari Tsujimoto of Angmar

Historical Reference 4: The First Purity Crusade, by Gerald Marker of Lordaeron

Historical novel 1: Deathwatch – Wrath of Angels, by Talia Thompson of Earth

Occult Reference 1: Serpent War, by Father Eric Blanchet II of Lordaeron


The Warlord Era / The Hundred Kingdoms Era (-600 C.E. to -400 C.E.): The Warlord Era heralds a time when warlords leading great armies conquer vast swathes of the Solar System and establish their own fiefdoms. Chief among these are the countries and kingdoms of the Grans-Parmecia sub-sector (i.e.: the colony-kingdoms of Granseal, Galam, Bedoe, Ribble, Pacalon and Trisian). Such is the number of countries and kingdoms created that the period of the Second Solar War was also known as the Hundred Kingdoms Era.

The First Purity Crusade (-595 C.E. to -590 C.E.): The First Purity Crusade is launched by the newly-appointed Supreme Commander of the Holy Order to subdue Angmar. He is aided in his endeavour by the countries that had opposed Angmar during the three-year war. Though still puissant, the Legions of Angmar are forced back until Crown Prince Arislan of Angmar sues for peace. Much of Angmar is annexed by Lordaeron, and many of its satellite provinces are given over to Lordaeron's allies.

Historical Reference 1: The Wrath of the Righteous, by Sir Gary Samson of Lordaeron


The Second Splintering / The First Throne War (-555 C.E. to -530 C.E.): The three sons of Emperor Thomas Dracian IV – Reginald, Jonathan and Nicholas – vie against one another for the right to ascend the Golden Lion Throne. The ensuing civil war lasts for 25 years, with Crown Prince Nicholas emerging triumphant. The price of his victory, however, is the utter decimation of the Dracian bloodline. Grand Admiral Lucian Badgiruel II, Warmaster of the Empire, musters the Imperial host and secures the borders of the Earth Sphere, after which he leads his Legions to subdue those colonies who have sided with Emperor Nicholas's rivals. This buys the Empire much-needed time to recover from the First Throne War. Unfortunately, peace is short-lived, as other Dracian dynasts lead rebellions of their own.

Historical Reference 1: The First Throne War, by Alexander Marcus Cyrus of Lesalia, Ivalice

Historical Reference 2: The Temptress and the Three Princes, by Lady Estelle Badgiruel, Baroness of Canterbury.

Historical Reference 3: War in the Shadows, by Director-General (ret) Horace Carpenter, Solar Empire Intelligence

Historical novel: Badgiruel – Guardians of the Empire, by Conrad Vale of Angmar.

Paranormal romance novel (based on Historical reference 2): She Who Thirsts: The Jyhad of Ages series, by Jane Jackson, Earth.


The Traitor Legions strike / The First Black Crusade (-529 C.E. to -528 C.E.): The Traitor Legions strike the Holy Kingdom of Lordaeron in their first major attack since their defeat and exile over four centuries ago. The Legion Master of the Fiery Sword, Nanaya Raiha, gathers his forces and calls binding oaths to account before launching a massive assault easily the equal of that which King Zahak of Angmar had launched decades ago. Raiha strikes with the full intent of utterly breaking the hold Lordaeron has on many colony-states. The Alabaster Throne eventually manages to drive back the Traitor Legions from their holdings but at a terrible cost. The latter have managed to broadcast damning truths that, in the aftermath of the First Black Crusade, have various heads of state summoning the Holy Kingdom's ambassadors to explain the reasons behind their manipulation and omission of history.


The War of Assassins (-526 C.E. to 80 C.E.): The War of Assassins is the long and vicious shadow war that would be waged in the aftermath of the First Black Crusade between the servants and allies of the Traitor Legions and the Inquisition of the Holy Kingdom of Lordaeron. The former adheres to the ancient creed followed by the assassins of Old Earth, but their adversaries are not as restrained. It is a vicious war that will end only six centuries later, with thousands dead and the annals of the War penned in betrayal, courage, grief and rage. Neither faction is above using others as proxies in their feud.


War in the Damascene Caliphate (-519 C.E.): A bitter power struggle between the royal family and the powerful clergy finally comes to blows when one of its princes chooses to marry an infidel. Though the King approves of the marriage and sees it as a chance to bring one of the oldest Valendian families to the faith and flag, the purists are of a different opinion. These send assassins, who kill the Prince and his bride and frame the latter's family (whom they accuse of conspiring with the Kingdom's enemies to murder the royal family). King Faisal, knowing that further conflict would be to the detriment of his kingdom, sends an emissary to request the aid of the Traitor Legions. The reason for this is to prevent certain elements within the clergy from bringing the Holy Kingdom of Lordaeron into the conflict; the High Lords of the Church and the King of Lordaeron would be more than glad to annex the Caliphate if given the chance. No less than three dozen Dark Templar elite, joined by the Master of the Traitor Legions, enter the fray and wage a campaign of terror against the clergy that would be forever immortalized in the annals of Caliphate as 'Shaitan's Hunt'. The powerful purist leader of the clergy and his family are slaughtered and his body left hanging outside the Grand Mosque.


Dark Schneider rising (-483 C.E. to - 476 C.E.): Dark Schneider of Lordaeron is appointed Regent of Angmar by the High Lords. His father, the Supreme Lord Commander (also known as the Lord Archangel) of the Holy Order, Anduiras Schneider, is glad to be rid of his eldest son, whose predilections have cost him no end of grief and embarrassment. Nonetheless, Dark Schneider is a charismatic and puissant warrior-mage, the finest in a generation, and whose power is second only to the Supreme Lord of the Church. Dark Schneider takes his armies and leaves for Angmar. For the next seven years, Dark Schneider brings more and more of Angmar under Lordaeron rule, much to the discomfort of his many enemies in Lordaeron. He appoints several men and women into his inner circle, and amasses a large harem with which he sires numerous children with. Despite the scathing reports of his vices by the Lordaeron-appointed Archbishop, the people of Angmar adore their Regent. He is regarded by many as King Zahak reborn.


Seeds of Rebellion (-477 C.E. to -473 C.E.): The secessionists in Angmar have long-desired to break free of Lordaeron's rule, and see a chance in Dark Schneider. While a third of the leaders within the rebel armies do not mind having the son of Lordaeron's Supreme Commander on the Obsidian Throne, the remainder wish to put one of King Zahak's descendants on the throne – and rule the realm through him. The argument is heated, but eventually a compromise is reached. Should Dark Schneider prove worthy of their loyalty – and if the descendants of King Zahak are willing – then the Obsidian Throne of Angmar is his by right of fiat and conquest. Agents of the secessionist warlords approach Dark Schneider with an offer – or more appropriately, a test – that fans the fires of pride and ambition in his heart into a roaring inferno: Conquer Lordaeron and seize the Alabaster Throne.


The Ragnarok Schism / The Second Black Rebellion (-472 C.E. to -470 C.E.): With his allies and champions gathered, Dark Schneider launches a multi-pronged attack that all but shatters Lordaeron's hold on the Solar System's periphery. Aided by the Traitor Legions and their leaders, the bright, bastard son of the Lord Archangel sweeps aside all opposition and lays siege to Aden, the capital of Lordaeron itself. The High Lords and their champions meet Dark Schneider and his finest in person. It is an epic battle that would enter the pages of history. Lordaeron wins a pyrrhic victory; in the aftermath of the Ragnarok Schism, the entirety of northern Lordaeron would secede from the Holy Kingdom. The only survivor of penultimate battle of the Ragnarok Schism, Gares Glastheim, would found in that region the Empire of Reyguard.


The Second Purity Crusades – the Founding of the Kingdoms of Helkeginia (-445 C.E. to -435 C.E.): Brimir Schneider, the youngest son of the late Anduiras Schneider (who was slain by his eldest son in the Ragnarok Schism), is appointed Crusade Master by King Jerome Atkascha of Lordaeron to recover those kingdoms that have turned away from the Church. Brimir leads a Crusade army into north-western Lordaeron, which he learns to his horror have become a haven for heretics who refuse to acknowledge the authority of the Alabaster Throne and the High Lords of the Church. The Crusade lasts for almost a decade, after which the Kingdoms of Helkeginia are created. These are Gallia, Germania, Tristan, Romalia and Albion. His taste in the fairer sex and his libido the equal of his eldest brother, Brimir sires numerous children, all of whom will become the royal family and powerful Noble Houses of the five kingdoms. His doctrine of mage-craft being the mark of a noble and its distinguished right to rule is accepted by the ruling elite. Helkeginia's social system is neo-feudal and is similar to Ivalice in many ways.


The Age of Founding of the Earth Defence League (-401 C.E. to -250 C.E.)

The Castellan Revolution / The Founding of the Earth Defence League (-400 C.E. to -393 C.E.): After over six centuries, the Solar Empire finally passes away, the last Dracian dying of a heart attack. In the years after, several powerful noble Houses try to claim the Golden Lion Throne. The ensuing civil war lasts for six years, until the various warlords and nobles of the Empire decide to make an end of it by destroying the seat of the Solar Empire with a massive orbital barrage. The Regent of the Empire, Archduke Erik Nicodemus, grants this breakaway faction his blessings and his last command to build something better over the ashes of the past. Lord Marcellus Clyne and his peers abolish the neo-feudal social system of the Solar Empire and lay the foundations of the Earth Defence League (EDL). Those of the old Empire who choose not to be part of the EDL are permitted to secede. Many of these become independent states. The colony-kingdoms of Neo-Byzantium are the largest and the most powerful of these to become independent.

Countries born from this period: The Grand Duchy of Karameikos; the Colony-Kingdoms of Neo-Byzantium; the colony-kingdoms of Britannia; the Barony of Adon; the birth of the colony-kingdoms of the Emerald Periphery (located within the Neptunian planetary sector); the Severan Dominate; the Principalities of Nazza-Dari, the Hanseatic League and the Colony-Kingdoms of Rach.

The Avalon Compact: The Pandora Chapter Houses within the Earth Sphere leave the region, their service to the Golden Lion Throne done. Many EDL senators try to retain the services of the Pandora, but the Chapter Masters of the Pandora turn down every offer, no matter how generous. The reasons for their refusal are not known. Many of the Pandora and their partners opt to become part of the Deathwatch.


After the Empire (-390 C.E. to -320 C.E.): The Earth Defence League consolidates its power and strengthens its holdings. It concludes trade agreements with the Mercurian Dukedoms, the Reyguard Empire and the Principalities of Uranus. It is a time of peace and prosperity for the Solar System. For over a generation, the guns of war lie silent and sons bury thankful fathers who are glad to see the birth of their grandchildren.

The War of a Thousand Burning Petals (-300 C.E. to -290 C.E.): The 87th ruler of the Empire of the Rising Sun, Emperor Takumi Hantei III, launches an invasion of the Earth Sphere and ends decades of peace. He wishes to fulfil his ancestor's promise of ruling over the Solar System. A ten-year war ensues with the countries within the Earth Sphere and the Mercurian Dukedoms taking part. The Shogunate is eventually defeated at the Battle of Solomon Sea. Its victory is proof to the rest of the Solar System, many of whom view the young EDL as an upstart, that it is capable of holding its own.

The Second Pirate War (-289 C.E. to -288 C.E.): In the aftermath of the first EDL-Shogunate War, the pirate fleets and clans of the Five Peaks launch massive raids on the Earth Sphere. With the EDL armies and fleets mauled in the war against the Shogunate, they are unable to respond in any meaningful way against the pirates. The Deathwatch responds to numerous calls for aid but its forces are stretched thin over a region still recovering from a long war. Hundreds are sold as slaves on the auction blocks, and the pirates abscond with trillions of firebirds' worth of booty back to their lairs. The Traitor Legions take action, and launch punitive assaults on the pirates. The manner in which the Traitor Legions conduct their operations fans the simmering rivalries between the pirate lords into open war.


The Auschwitz Accord (C.E. -280 to – C.E. 260): Religious hardliners and racial purists, with the aid of their political allies, bring about the Auschwitz Accord. The document states that any and all with Gear blood or ancestry are to leave the region, never to return on pain of death. EDL strike teams and religious militia groups enforce this edict, and the natural abilities of the Gears and their hybrid children are suppressed by unknown means. There were numerous battles between the authorities, the Gears and many of those who oppose the purge. The method in which the Auschwitz Accord is enacted sets the stage for the Destiny Plan over two hundred years later.

The Rogue Trader Clan Wars / The rise of the al-Ba'ri Rogue Trader clan (-270 C.E. to -203 C.E.): The Rogue Trader Houses are among the most powerful entities in the Solar System. No country is without this powerful group buttressing their respective economies, and many are given the largesse to act as agents in the name of their respective states. As much Princes of the realm they call home as they are businessmen, their decisions often affect the way a country is run. As it is, when they cross swords, things get messy. And the Rogue Trader Clan Wars – the first in the seven centuries since their founding – is the first major conflict between them. The al-Ba'ri Rogue Trader clan from the Caliphate brokers a peace treaty ending the conflict. It is not one that will last, they know, but peace for a generation is better than ten years of war which will ignite another Solar War.

The Third Solar War (-120 C.E. to -118 C.E.): The Earth Defence League (EDL), the predecessor of the Earth Alliance (EA), fights a war with the Reyguard Empire when an incident that leads to the death of several high-ranking Imperial officials and into open war. It is an accident, but it is one that gives Kaiser Frederick III of Reyguard the pretext he needs to invade the Earth Sphere – a prize much coveted by those who wish to resurrect the Solar Empire. Kaiser Frederick is slain in the final hours of the war by an EDL AS pilot. In the aftermath of the war and because of the actions of the EDL Senate, many countries and colonies that had once been part of the Earth Defence League secede from it.

Historical Reference 1: The Third Solar War, by Professor Mark Emerson, Earth, University of London.

Historical Reference 2: The Second Siege of Terra, by Chief Historian Lily Clyne of Reyguard.

Historical Reference 3: The Spark that Lit the Inferno, by Sir Bernard Lim of Lordaeron

Historical Reference 4: Duty and Honour: Against the Legions, by Professor Lucas Creed of Albion.

Historical Reference 5: Treason amongst Kings, by Chan Liu, Professor Emeritus, Singapore.


The War of Roses (late C.E. -110 to early –C.E. 109): The Valendian Kingdom of Mol-Mol and the Kingdom of Callor-Maralin go to war over a matter of honour. The war, though lasting for only eight months, claims the lives of over forty thousand Valendians. Both kingdoms declare themselves the victor, though the truth of the matter was that both had lost more than gained in the battle.

The Convention of Steel (C.E. -65 to Present): The Convention of Steel is signed by all the countries and kingdoms in the Solar System. Akin to an Arms Control Act, its purpose is to ensure that the flow of technology and arms is kept under close scrutiny. To a certain degree, the Convention is redundant; every arms manufacturer within the Solar System has circumvented it by calling upon middlemen who do business on their behalf. The promise of profit and the desire to strengthen national/colonial/regional security is too great a temptation for any to adhere to the Convention.


The Century of Fire (-17 C.E. to 80 C.E.):

The Reconstruction Wars / The birth of the Earth Alliance (-7 C.E. to 2 C.E.) – Countries merge or are annexed to form the federated states that are listed in the GS/GSD series. Countries like Egypt, for example, annexes Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia during this chaotic period. The Republic of China sees countries like Vietnam, Xinjiang and Nepal seceding, even as Korea and Japan join it to become the Republic of East Asia. North and South America are united for the first time in centuries, and its respective governments become part of a greater whole, a dream that President Luther Markham has worked long decades to make real. It is a time of strife and conflict, but what emerged out of the fire is perhaps the foremost superpower in the entire Solar System: the Earth Alliance.

The Genesis of the Coordinator race (-10 C.E.): The First Coordinator, George Glenn, is born. Superior to humanity in every respect, he was the crowning achievement of the Searrs Institute. His creation was a seed sown in hope, only to flower in tragedy.

To Sail the Star Ocean (C.E. 25 to C.E 32): George Glenn, prior to his leaving on an interstellar star-ship he had constructed with the assistance of his peers and the Junkers Guild, reveals the secret of his birth. His hope had been that humanity would be ready to retake and rebuild that which they had lost in the long centuries after the fall of the Solar Empire. George is horrified when he and his crew return to the Solar System; the baser instincts of humanity had taken over. Coordinators had been born – or rather, created – in great numbers, but their superior attributes arouse jealousy and envy among their Natural cousins.

The Third Purity Crusades (C.E. 37 to Present): The Third Purity Crusades was declared not by the High Lords of Lordaeron, but by extremist groups on Earth. Powerful and organized, these desire to purge the human race of that which it deems undesirable: the Gears, the Coordinators and those who have tainted the purity of the human genome. These find many allies across the Solar System, causing the Deathwatch and law-enforcing agencies no small amount of problems.

George Glenn is killed (C.E. 55): The First Coordinator, George Glenn, is killed by a Blue Cosmos assassin. Hate crimes throughout the Earth Sphere and beyond against the Coordinators escalate. Law-enforcing agencies outside the Earth Sphere have an easier time dealing with the unrest than their counterparts within it.


The War of Princes / The Albion Armistice (C.E. 47 to C.E 57): A ten-year war of succession sees to Prince Bernhardt Glastheim becoming Kaiser. The young Coordinator captain – the leader of an eight-thousand strong mercenary army and the 15th in line to the throne – defeats his relatives and claims the prize they have fought, bled and betrayed one another for. Weary of the internecine conflict that has engulfed the Empire, many nobles and generals side with Bernhardt and are startled by how different he is from those they thought worthy of the throne. He is accompanied by numerous men and women whom he hopes will help him accomplish his dream of uniting the Solar System. Among them is Siegel Clyne, the man who will later return to the PLANTs to help General Patrick Zala in his efforts to have the colonies they call home become an independent state, and Andrew Waltfeld, who would later become the Desert Tiger of ZAFT.

Shadows of the Long War (C.E 50 to C.E. 51): In the fifth decade of the Cosmic Era, there is every indication that the armies of the Traitor Legions are massing for a huge strike against the Holy Kingdom of Lordaeron and its allies. Both the Holy Kingdom and the Deathwatch sends its teams and agents to thwart an attack...which never comes. Even so, the fact remains that the Dark Templar are preparing for something is undeniable. What that is, no one knows.

The Seven-Year War (C.E. 55 to C.E. 62): A war breaks out between the Kingdom of Ivalice and the Sultanate of Ordallia. The feud between the Royal Family of Ivalice and the Caliph of Ordallia stems from the fact that the latter believes the former responsible for the death of its King and the theft of several relics sacred to them, chief among which is the ancient sword once wielded by the most revered saint of the Shiite branch of Islam, Zulfiqar. Balbanes Beowulf of the Order of the Northern Sky and Cidolfus Orlandu of the Southern Sky rally the armies of Ivalice and drive the armies of Ordallia from Ivalice. The Caliph of Ordallia sues for peace after the Supreme Lord of the Church of Lordaeron persuades him to end the war.


The Death of Empress Theodora Glastheim / The Albion Armistice is dissolved / The Conqueror War begins (C.E. 65 – C.E 67): Empress Theodora Glastheim of Reyguard, wife of Kaiser Bernhardt, is assassinated by agents of the separatist Imperial Kingdom of Arnor. The Brotherhood of Nod confirms that the plot was years in the making and was orchestrated and sanctioned by the current King of Arnor, Arvaleg Glastheim. Two weeks after the discovery, Kaiser Bernhardt has the Arnorian ambassador expelled from the Empire and declares war on the Kingdom. The masterstroke of King Arvaleg soon becomes evident; he has aligned his country with the anti-Imperial Coalition in the years after end of the War of Princes. By declaring war on Arnor, Reyguard has effectively declared war on the entire Coalition. It does not faze the Kaiser of Reyguard or his people in the least.

In the first year of the war, the Coalition-aligned Kingdoms of Baldea, Kazlath and Salrath fall to the Empire. King Ledin Blazecrown, Queen Khris and Lady Nahmu Dragonheart are slain in battle and the youngest of his children, Erwin Glastheim, is sent to the Empire as a hostage. Crown Prince Tyrion Blazecrown, oldest of King Ledin's children, takes up the mantle of Regent of Baldea. The Royal Family of Kazlath is captured by the Imperial Army. King Roland and Queen Larielle of Kazlath surrender. Salrath, the third colony-kingdom, fights hard, but is unable to withstand the might of the Imperial host. After seven weeks of heavy fighting, Lord Scott submits to the Empire.

In the second year of the Conqueror War, the Empire manages to take control of the nearby Quantum Gate. Kaiser Bernhardt has the region fortified and gives it administration over to the Imperial Champion: the fearsome Lu Bu. Arnor loses three of its frontier provinces south of the Noctis Labyrinthus region to the Empire. The Fire Dragon Army erects numerous fortresses to make any Coalition incursion to retake the regions harder.

By the fourth year of the war, the Empire deadlocks the larger Coalition on numerous battlefields. Where the Coalition has the advantage of numbers, the Empire has the advantage of quality and terrain. The Earth Alliance, seeking to check the Empire's expansion, sides with the Coalition. It provides logistical and intelligence support to the Coalition and as many soldiers as it can spare. Independent countries within the Earth Sphere, however, side with the Empire, and do the same. It is a game of political brinksmanship that will have severe repercussions over a decade later.

The Treaty of Olympus (C.E. 70): The High Lords and the Royal Family of Lordaeron sign a pact with the Kaiser of Reyguard, binding the Iron and Alabaster Thrones for the first time since their separation in the wake of the Ragnarok Schism over three hundred years ago. The Legions of Lordaeron and Reyguard march against the Coalition, whose members are determined that their people do not feel the jackboot of the Empire or the Holy Kingdom on their throats. During this time, a celestial phenomenon, one that can be seen once in a thousand years takes place as Kaiser Bernhardt signs the document. Called the Eye of God by the citizens of Atlantis and Valendia, it is a sign that an ambitious man has come and that a promised thousand-year old shadow war will begin in earnest.

The Copernicus Tragedy/ The Junius-7 Massacre / The Bloody Valentine War (C.E. 69 – C.E. 71): Tensions between Coordinators and Naturals finally hit a breaking point in the aftermath of the Copernicus Tragedy, when extremists derail talks between Earth Alliance and PLANT representatives. Before investigations could be conducted, the outraged Earth Alliance mounts an assault on Junius-7, which ends with the destruction of the colony and ignites the Bloody Valentine War. In the midst of the War, heroes are born and a world is made to bear witness to the bloody harvest that their hatred and intolerance had sown. The Battle of the Solomon Sea is regarded by many to be a re-enactment of the War of Wrath at its bloodiest height, and the death-toll is staggering. The price paid for returning peace to the Earth Sphere is astronomical, and the shadow players withdraw their pawns from the field for the moment. The Earth Sphere has earned itself a reprieve.


The Aleutian Affair (C.E. 72): Eurasian Federation officers and politicians discover that ZAFT's Operation Spit-Break and the Fall of Joshua Base was orchestrated by hardliners within the Atlantic Federation for the dual purpose of weakening the EF politically and militarily while fanning the flames of anti-Coordinator sentiment sector-wide into an unstoppable inferno. EF politicians and generals bring it up before the EA Senate, but their investigations are seen, despite the damning evidence presented, by many as nothing more than a conspiracy theory. This leads to a mutiny which is swiftly suppressed, but the damage is done. Many within the EF's armed forces view their AF counterparts with suspicion, a rift which would cost the Earth Sphere dearly in the years to come.

The Black Hound War / The Black Crusade of Queen Moraga (C.E. 73): A powerful warlord, Volt of the Black Hounds, sought to conquer the colony-kingdoms of the Emerald Periphery (located within the Neptunian Federation) with the aid of Aribeth de Tylmarande, who had once been a high-ranking Paladin of the Deathwatch, Desther Lourdes, an Apostate Cardinal of Lordaeron, and the Arch-Sorceress Moraga of Angmar. The coalition is broken and routed in numerous vicious battles by the Deathwatch and their allies. Volt is slain by the Death Knight Apollyon, while Aribeth is slain by her former student, Yuusuke Sakamoto of the Divine Dragon's Peerage. Moraga is killed by the Deathwatch Force Commander Sigismund Glastheim. Desther and his peers find themselves facing the fury of the Divine Dragon and the remaining members of her Peerage, neither of whom are pleased with what the he and his accomplices have done. In the wake of the Black Hound War, the seven colony-kingdoms become part of the Reyguard Empire and the power that Moraga, Volt and Desther had hoped to harness is stolen away by an unknown faction. The Inquisition of Lordaeron mounts a search for the stolen relic, but to no avail, and can only assume that one of Volt's lieutenants might have absconded with it.

Operation Frostcrown / The Break the World Event / The Second Bloody Valentine War (mid- to late-C.E. 73): Operation Frostcrown is launched. A massive anti-terrorist operation that involves the best that the Earth Sphere's military and law-enforcing agencies is sent to break the numerous terrorist groups who want to reignite hostilities between Earth and the PLANTs. The EA sends in its elite Einherjar (from the Eurasian Federation) and the Sabretooth (from the Atlantic Federation) teams. Interpol sends in its elite Cerberus kill-teams. The PLANTs sends in Constellation Team Leo. Orb and the Sentinel Peacekeepers commit several ships and several teams to the effort. The other countries in the region do likewise. But the Operation is derailed by the theft of several newly-built, ZAFT-built Gundams by a covert EA-LOGOS commando team as well as the extremists' successful hijacking of the ruined Junius-7 colony, which they send hurtling into the Earth. Billions watch in horror as the Second Bloody Valentine War erupts.