Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 10 The Timeline of Another World

What was said unintentionally was taken to heart by the listener. The moment the phrase "year of turmoil" left Tailong's lips, it captured Zhang Yuan's full attention.

As a long-time D&D player, I also enjoy reading D&D background novels. I have specifically learned about and studied some of the historical background of the Forgotten Realms, so it is impossible for me not to know what this word represents.

The turbulent year began when the supreme god AO commanded the gods to descend upon Toril in saint form, and ended when the gods returned to the outer plane.

This event occurred in 1358 DR, the Year of Shadows, which is the year of the Valley Cultivation Era. Later, when people established the new calendar "Current Century Era", they designated this year as the first year of the Current Century Era, or 1PR.

The three gods of death (Bane, the god of conflict; Melkor, the god of the dead; and Baal, the god of murder) desired power surpassing that of the other gods, so they stole the Tablets of Fate from the supreme god AO, attempting to uncover the secrets of these three tablets.

Upon discovering the theft of the Tablets, the Order of Awakening (AO) was furious. Heim, the guardian god of the Tablets, was punished, and the AO banished all the gods to the Prime Material Plane, leaving only Heim, the neutral guardian god, to guard the passage from the Prime Material Plane back to the outer planes. AO decreed that each god could only possess one Saint, "a mortal body, a human life," and ordered them to retrieve the Tablets of Destiny—an era known as the Year of Turmoil. (The above information is from Baidu.)

The most famous events that occurred that year were the fall of the three gods of death, including Baal, the protagonist of Baldur's Gate, who was also Baal's adoptive father; the murder of Mystra, the goddess of magic; and the meteoric rise of the lucky Cyric.

The turbulent years refer not only to the descent or fall of gods. What is more terrifying is the series of reactions and consequences that follow when the entire order is fundamentally overturned and overthrown.

Countless ambitious figures emerged, countless conspiracies began to unfold, and what followed was endless strife and turmoil, bloodshed and lamentation. This was a feast for the powerful, but a calamity for the common people.

It's no wonder that Tyrone felt anxious and pained when he mentioned this word. For someone who experienced that disaster, five years is far too short, too short to heal the wounds in their heart.

Zhang Yuan had no interest in learning about his personal experiences and emotions, but the fact that five years had passed since the turbulent years allowed him to find a landmark in the timeline of this other world.

Thus, the final piece of the worldview puzzle was found.

Zhang Yuan had wanted to know the exact date for a long time, but he couldn't find an opportunity to ask.

Not knowing the specific date can be explained away as being too busy, but not even knowing the year? How can that be explained away?
He vaguely remembered that Baal's son, the game's protagonist Aberdel Adris, was born ten years before the turbulent year, in 1348 DR.

The killer, Alexandre Dumas Barr, truly had lofty ambitions, embarking on his grand plan to spread his seed across the world ten years before his own demise.

According to the official setting, Baal's son began his epic adventure as the protagonist of the era when he was twenty years old, namely 1368DR, ten years after Baal's fall.

It's alright, at least we have five years to prepare for the various events and upheavals to come. Now we can only hope that the actual timeline doesn't deviate too far from the mark.

However, given the five-year discrepancy, it remains to be seen whether some events and items that occurred in the original game world can still be found using the map.

But thinking about these things now is useless. Zhang Yuan, who doesn't even have a place to stay, needs a stable place to live, a small house of his own.

Watching Maz and Tyrone help the Mediterranean man away, Zhang Yuan slowly stood up, walked to the bar, laid out fifteen copper coins, and said, "Give me a jug of Seren Jade Wine."

Surprised by the customer's generosity, the bartender didn't accept the money immediately. Instead, he asked seriously, "Are you sure you want it? This is our second most expensive wine after Avemy, but of course, you'll definitely feel it's worth the price." "Yes, please give me a pot of Jade Wine," Zhang Yuan confirmed again.

The bartender put the copper coins on the table into the cash register, then turned around and carefully took a small barrel from the liquor rack behind the bar.

Then, he took out what appeared to be a silver wine jug from a cabinet under the bar and slowly poured the wine from the barrel into it.

"Your jade wine, please enjoy." The bartender placed the wine pot and a matching small cup on a round plate and handed it to you.

"Thank you." Zhang Yuan took the plate and asked the question he had prepared in advance: "I only arrived in this city two days ago. Apart from the half-true and half-false rumors of the wandering poets in the streets and alleys and the drunken boasts of the mercenaries, I know almost nothing about it."

Upon hearing this, the bartender said in a seemingly friendly manner, "Why don't you stay at our tavern for a while? I'm not bragging, but you won't find a more comfortable inn than ours in Baldur's Gate."

"Oh?" Zhang Yuan smiled knowingly. "What about the Song of the Elves?"

The bartender's words were cut off, and he could no longer boast that his tavern was more popular than the most luxurious and comfortable Elf Song in Bodø.

“Since you know so much, sir, there’s no need to joke about Old Nan Qu.” Realizing that the stranger opposite him was not the clueless Baloenix he claimed to be, the bartender smiled apologetically and became much more serious.

Zhang Yuan, who had given the other party a small jab, did not press the matter further. He said in a serious tone, "I have been staying at your tavern for the past few days and have no complaints about your inn. However, I believe you can understand that everyone needs some personal space."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "I plan to live in this city, and I need a place of my own. Could you give me some advice?"

After saying that, Zhang Yuan tried his best to put on a sincere and earnest expression as he looked at the bartender, Nan Qu.

Unexpectedly, the bartender's flirtatious glances were directed at the blind man. Upon hearing Zhang Yuan's request, the bartender pondered something while wiping the glasses on the bar counter.

The person, whose eyes were sore from staring, could only blink their innocent eyes and lower their head to admire and play with the wine pot on the plate.

If you really get what you pay for, this beer jug ​​is a work of art compared to the old wooden beer mugs.

The slender, elongated neck of the teapot resembles the waist of a dancer, gradually tapering downwards from the top until it suddenly bulges out in a rounded, unobstructed manner at about two-thirds of its length, making the entire teapot resemble a graceful woman.

The silver pot is covered with exquisite and delicate raised carvings, and the patterns of waves and tridents seem to be a eulogy to the lowly queen.

Just as Zhang Yuan was about to appreciate it further, he heard the bartender's deep voice, "Baldur's Gate has never lacked beautiful and comfortable residences, but they are not for everyone."

"Two thousand gold coins! That's the bare minimum. You need at least that much to own a house in the inner city." The bartender uttered a number that sent chills down the spine of the stingy man.

(End of this chapter)