A Timeline From Pre-History to the Silver Millennium
by C. Richard Davies
Much of what follows is based upon contemporary scientific theory, and
in a world of magic, is open to question. All dates are EXTREMELY
approximate.
Note that the only entities who may or may not know the truth of much
of this -- the Arisians, the Eddorians, Lady Tokimi, "the Almighty"
who is in charge of the Hierarchy of Heaven, the Defender, and the
Adversary -- aren't talking.
(And if you think Sailor Pluto's going to let anyone go back prior to
about 300,000 BCE, you're dead wrong. If she lets anyone past 5000
BCE, it may be cause for concern ...)
The Arisians were in existence around 5 Billion BCE, and the Eddorians
doubtless arrived in Lundmark's Nebula around that same time.
4.6 Billion The Earth and Solar System were formed by this point.
3.8 Billion Life on Earth begins when an Arisian life spiral (later
dubbed Lillith) impacts on the planet.
3.5 Billion Oxygen enters Earth's atmosphere.
2.0 Billion The probable beginning of the war between Arisia and
Eddore.
1.2 Billion Earth develops a year-round oxygen atmosphere and ozone
layer.
850 Million A large chunk of Earth is torn away in a catastrophe of
uncertain origin, creating the Moon. The most common
theories about the formation of the Moon suggests that it
was caused by the first great surge of magical energies on
the planet, or by a conflict between archetypical entities
(deities, in essence).
680 Million First known multicellular organisms.
590 Million Cambrian (trilobites).
500 Million Ordovician (mollusks, jawless fishes.)
Survivors of the Arisian/Eddorian war have developed into
the Precursors (Eddorian) and the Sentinels (Arisian). On a
pair of distant planets in the Milky Way galaxy, the first
of their proxies -- the Paranoids and the Solnoids -- begin
to develop.
450 Million The two supercontinents in the northern and southern
hemispheres begin to move towards each other.
438 Million Silurian (fishes with jaws.)
408 Million Devonian (insects, amphibians.)
395 Million The two supercontinents "collide". Coalescence begins
360 Million Missisipian (giant insects).
320 Million Pennsylvanian (reptiles, winged insects).
286 Million Permian (death knell of the trilobites).
275 Million An evolutionary mutation (read: something nobody
understands) creates several species of sentient reptiles,
which begin a climb towards civilization.
250 Million The two supercontinents have merged into Pangaea.
248 Million Triassic (dinosaurs, mammals).
213 Million Jurassic (birds, largest dinosaurs)
150 Million Pangaea begins to divide into two continents, one in the
north, and one in the south.
145 Million Cretaceous.
100 Million The "new" supercontinents continue to divide.
70 Million First primates.
The so-called "Serpent People", having achieved technology
roughly equivalent to that possessed by humanity in the
"Classical" period, and magical power which could have
equaled the Silver Millennium, begin to die out due to the
same climactic changes which are killing the dinosaurs. It
takes a long time ...
65 Million Tertiary. Most dinosaurs (and most lines of Serpent People)
have died out, but some survive in isolated locations all
over the world, due to Serpent sorcery. (One major location
is in what is now the South Pacific.)
First whales.
40 Million First cats.
26 Million The continents approach their current configuration.
15 Million Morocco collides with Spain, turning the Mediterranean into
a desert.
5 Million The Mediterranean is flooded again.
2 Million H. habilis fossils date from this period.
1.5 Million H. habilis is extinct. H. ergaster has begun to develop
into H. erectus.
1 Million The beginning of language.
800,000 Around the same time that H. erectus is "taming" fire, they
are also beginning to experiment with the forces of magic,
on a primitive level.
500,000 The Solnoid and the Paranoid develop space travel and an
inertialess warp drive. Their initial encounter begins
thousands of years of intermittent war.
300,000 The Solnoid/Paranoid war ends in mutual destruction at Sigma
Narses. However, a marooned Solnoid and a Solnoid/Paranoid
"hybrid" survive on Earth, along with their three children
-- one of whom becomes Pluto, at sometime after her 14th
year.
H. heidelbergensis, arising from the union of Solnoid and H.
Erectus, evolves as H. erectus dies out.
In a galaxy several million light years from the Milky Way,
Washuu is born to the last of a brotherhood of mystical
warriors and a woman who had been charged by his enemy to
destroy him, in the wake of a war to dim the stars.
280,000 The Riss Ice Age begins in Europe.
True spoken language and animistic beliefs begin to develop,
and magical techniques begin to be refined. Strangely
enough, it seems that the Solnoid ancestry of H. heidelberg-
ensis actually decreases the average individual's magical
power.
200,000 The theoretical life of "Eve", common female ancestor to
all humanity.
150,000 Homo neanderthalis and Homo sapiens arise in Europe and
Africa, respectively. Neanderthalis magicians develop magic
even further, and are the first hominid species to make use
of "gates".
130,000 The Riss Ice Age ends.
90,000 H. sapiens migrates into the Middle East, Asia, and
Australia.
75,000 The Wurm Ice Age begins in Europe.
45,000 H. Sapiens begins to migrate into Europe, and begin several
lengthy wars with H. Neanderthalis. Many groups of
Neandertals flee the planet using magic, beginning to
settle Mars, Venus, and the Jovian moons. Others fight, and
most of these end up dead. Still others interbreed with H.
Sapiens, being assimilated fairly quickly.
32,000 Neandertals have all either left the planet or died out,
leaving H. Sapiens the theoretical masters of the planet.
30,000 The "Age of Art", an explosion of artistic effort by H.
Sapiens, begins. It is accompanied by an "Age of Magic".
Neandertal gates are explored, and the techniques for making
them are rediscovered, as are the means of surviving what
lies on the other side of interplanetary gates. Humanity
begins to spread into the Solar System.
Not entirely coincidentally, humans finally make it to
Japan.
20,000 The conclusion of the War of the Ring.
15,000 Humans begin to cross the Bering landbridge to North
America.
Rheannion is born in what is now Russia, near the Black
Sea. She possesses natural magical power unequaled by any
Earth-human. (Only a handful of the elder wizards of the
Solar System equaled or surpassed her by the time she
reached physical maturity.)
On the other worlds of the Solar System, other so-called
"godlings" are born. Serenity is born on the Moon, Anhur is
born on Mars, and Astarte is born on Venus. In total, over
a thousand such beings, of varying levels of power, are born
within a century of Rheannion's birth.
12,000 Ourrannos makes his presence known to the godlings, and
claims to be one of them. His true origins are [censored].
Rheannion discovers the Silver Empyrian Crystal in Japan,
and takes it as her own. She uses it to enforce her
insistence that Earth be left alone by the other godlings of
the solar system.
11,000 The Wars of the Godlings. Much of the Solar System is laid
waste in a series of over a hundred conflicts. Sickened by
the slaughter, Serenity withdraws into the heart of the
moon. Rheannion expels all the other godlings of Earth by
deceit and treachery. Ourrannos, Pluto, and Rheannion
eventually meet to end the war, by performing a spell that
transfers much of the power of the other godlings into the
Silver Empyrian Crystal, enhancing its capabilities even
further. Many of the godlings (especially the second and
later generations) are stripped of all power. Others, such
as Anhur and Astarte, hold on to much of theirs.
Sometime thereafter, Serenity emerges from her hiding,
claiming to have undergone a revelation. This event, known
in Silver Millennium history/propaganda as "the Enlightenment
of Serenity", is sometimes viewed as the beginning of the
Silver Millennium.
10,000 BCE The Silver Millennium. The exact length of the period in
which the Moon Kingdom was pre-eminent among the realms of
the Solar System was approximately 955 years. Dates after
the Apocalypse are speculative.
Queen's
Year 1: Queen Serenity firmly establishes herself as the Supreme
Autocrat of the Moon Kingdom, and through diplomacy forges
the Silver Millennium Alliance between the governments of
Mercury, Venus, Mars, the Jovian and Saturnian
Confederations, and the tribes of Uranus and Neptune.
Earth's Queen Rheannion ignores the invitation to join the
alliance.
Q.Y.25: The wedding of Serenity and Ourrannos.
Q.Y.45: Birth of the first child of Serenity, Princess Vesta.
Q.Y.65: Vesta sent as the first ambassador to Earth, over Ourrannos'
objections.
Q.Y.85: Vesta announces that she will not return to the Moon, that
she has no intention of ever taking the throne, and that she
has no desire to further communicate with her father.
Q.Y.100: Birth of the second child of Serenity, Prince Psyche.
Q.Y.120: The Saturnian Confederation breaks the terms of the Silver
Millennium Alliance, and disintegrates into several
squabbling factions. Titan, the most powerful of the
factions, comes under the direct rule of Dame Saturn, the
most powerful of the "lesser godlings" -- all those other
than Serenity, Rheannion, Ourrannos, and Pluto.
Q.Y.160: Prince Psyche asks for and receives an embassy to Titan,
again over Ourrannos' objections.
Q.Y 165: Prince Psyche is murdered, apparently by agents of Dame
Saturn. The Silver Millennium Alliance converges on Titan,
beginning more than two centuries of bitter struggle.
Q.Y.370: The Saturnian War is resolved in a magical duel between
Serenity and Saturn. Serenity is able to defeat Saturn,
casting her into an eternal sleep.
The Biowizards of Ganymede (Jovian moon) create the first
and greatest of their living spaceships -- Tsunami and
Riana.
Q.Y.375: Several observers report a debate/battle between Pluto and a
mysterious red-haired godling just inside Jupiter's orbit.
(This is almost CERTAINLY Hakubi Washuu.) Pluto's answer to
any questions about this event is succinct: "None of your
business."
Oyuki, first among the Merchant Princes of Neptune (and a
third generation godling) discovers the first generation
godling Benten living in a slum in Poseidonis. A
relationship develops quickly, and Oyuki takes Benten as her
consort.
Anhur Khan attempts to invade the Jovian Confederation, and
is repelled. The war which follows costs the life of
Riana. The Khan is forced to sue for peace.
Ourrannos is given the task of voyaging to the near stars to
determine what conditions prevail thereon. It is a voyage
that is estimated will take 500 years at least.
Q.Y.400: Serenity and Vesta achieve a tentative reconciliation.
Q.Y.500: First reports surface of the Cult of the Death Phantom, on
the Moon Kingdom.
QY. 600: The Jovian Confederation's Prime Minister Zeus steps down in
favor of his eldest daughter, Leda. His fourth daughter,
Artemis, is born in this year as well.
Q.Y.630: Artemis becomes the partner of the Lunar warrior Orion.
Q.Y.720: Orion and Artemis sneak into Earthspace in search of
adventure, and come under fire from a group of Rheannion's
mages for their violation of Rheannion's ban. Artemis is
slain because of a mistake Orion makes. In grief, he takes
her name as his own.
Q.Y.800: Kunzite, Zoisite, Nephrite, and Cern are all born in this
century.
Q.Y.900: Ourrannos returns to court, apparently humbled by his
experiences.
Q.Y.920: Jadeite is born.
Luna is born.
Q.Y.925: Aenya is born to Rheannion and her consort, Cern.
Q.Y.929: Endymion is born to Rheannion and her consort.
Q.Y.930: Ourrannos descends to Earth seeking pleasure. He rapes an
Earther girl. Beryl is conceived of this.
Melusine is born via magic to Benten and Oyuki.
Alesca is also born this year. Her father is "martyred"
shortly thereafter.
Q.Y.931: Ourrannos is warned by Pluto that the child he has gotten
will bring about the downfall of the Silver Millennium.
Ourrannos forces her to assist him in preventing this,
teleporting his trained hunters to eliminate all children
born within a year. Pluto sabotages this effort by saving
Beryl.
Cern and Aenya are accidentally killed by the hunters.
Rheannion discovers Ourrannos' complicity, as does Serenity.
Q.Y.932: The rulers of Mercury, Venus, Mars, and the Jovian
Confederation find themselves pregnant, as does Serenity.
There are no such things as coincidences.
Q.Y.933: At this year's meeting of the Silver Millennium Alliance,
Serenity proposes that the Heirs (as the previous years'
children are now called) be sworn as the sacred guardians of
the life of her Heir, Princess Serenity, and uses each and
every bit of her political influence to have this done. To
symbolize this, the children are renamed after their
planets.
Q.Y.936: Rheannion kidnaps the Heirs of Mercury, Venus, Mars,
Jupiter, and the young Princess Serenity. A rescue mission
by the Senshi Inanna (secretly Queen Astarte of Venus),
aided by the Lunars Artemis and Luna, causes Rheannion to
use the full power of the Silver Empyrian Crystal, to
annihilate Inanna. The doing kills her, but not before she
pronounces the Curse -- that the Silver Millennium will end,
and all that rests upon it shall fall, down through the
ages, until her vengeance is achieved. Luna and Artemis are
trapped in feline form, possibly as an unexpected side-
effect of the Curse.
(Meanwhile, Melusine and Alesca meet for the first time.)
Serenity quickly seizes the Silver Empyrian Crystal, and
uses it to pronounce a Curse of her own on Ourrannos, whom
she (more or less accurately) blames for all this.
Ourrannos <censored>, and is exiled from the Solar System.
Endymion is brought to the Moon Kingdom for his own
protection after civil war breaks out on Earth. He becomes
a playmate of Princess Serenity.
Q.Y.946: Endymion's first love affair, with <censored>. It does not
work out.
Beryl's first attempt to lead an army of revolt. It does
not work out either.
Princess Serenity travels to Mars to meet the Heir-Defender
who fascinates her the most, the Unnamed Heir, called Mars.
Swiftly but surely, they fall in love. Serenity gradually
begins to gather the other Heirs. Melusine and Alesca are
dispatched by Pluto to assist in their training.
Q.Y.948: Mars declares that she will not wed the Earther Jadeite, as
her mother demands that she do. Jadeite becomes convinced,
apparently due to malign influence, that Endymion has stolen
her heart from him.
Q.Y.949: Anhur Khan, ruler of Mars, mother of Mars, gives her life in
the Eternal Flame to restore to life an innocent slain by
her soldiers. Lady Mars is not confirmed as heir by the
khans, and she enters into permanent exile on the Moon.
Q.Y.950: Princess Serenity makes the decision to end her relationship
with Mars, in order to wed Endymion, whom she rightly
realizes needs love desperately.
Endymion forms a secret alliance with Beryl, who has become
a potent mage.
Q.Y.951: Beryl "summons" Metallia, with Jadeite's assistance.
Q.Y.952: Kunzite, Zoisite, and Nephrite join the rebellion at their
lord's request, as does Vesta.
Q.Y.953: Vesta is killed in an argument with Beryl, alienating
Endymion. Beryl "corrupts" Kunzite, Zoisite, and Nephrite
-- she allows them to tap into a small fraction of
Metallia's power, causing them to lose their minds.
[Point of Divergence for "The Infinite Future".]
Q.Y.954: Endymion, in his first use of the Tuxedo Mask identity,
leads "loyalist" forces against the rebellion, driving it
underground. Beryl does not make the connection between
Endymion and Tuxedo Mask in this age either.
Endymion is exiled from the Moon Kingdom.
Q.Y.955: The Apocalypse. Beryl leads an army of "corrupted" humans
against the Moon Kingdom, overrunning it. The Defenders,
Princess Serenity, and Endymion all die before Queen
Serenity uses the Silver Empyrian Crystal to seal Metallia
and all those drawing power from her/it into another
dimension. With her final breath, she bestows a Blessing --
the people of the Moon Kingdom will reincarnate repeatedly
through the ages, until such time as Metallia begins to
break out of its prison -- which will be the sign of the
dawning of the Next Age. The Crystal shatters on her death,
dividing into the seven Rainbow Crystals, which attach
themselves to the astral bodies of seven of Beryl's troops
which had been "purified" of demonic influence in the
battle.
(Q.Y.956): The Great Ship Tsunami leads much of the population of the
Jovian Confederation out of the Solar System, to the Jurai
(Pleiades 5) star system, as the magics that sustained
Earth-like habitats on other worlds begin to fail, as a
result of the Curse and the sundering of the Silver Crystal.
(Q.Y.975): Populations from Mercury, Venus, and Mars return to Earth if
possible, dying if they don't. The fate of the Jovian,
Saturnian, Neptunian, Uranian, and Plutonian civilizations
is a mystery.
(Q.Y.1000): By this point the only life in the Solar System is on Earth.
The last great Martian wizard creates a mechanism by which
he thinks the Martian climate can be restored, but dies
before the Cydonia Experiment can take place. His theories
prove useful to Tsunami when she terraforms several
non-inhabitable planets in the Pleiades cluster.
[Appreciation owed to: E.E. "Doc" Smith, J.R.R. Tolkein, H.P. Lovecraft,
Robert E. Howard, George Lucas, Hideki Kakinuma, Masaki Kajishima, Rumiko
Takahashi, Hideaki Anno, Benjamin Wright, Chris McCubbin, and of course,
Naoko Takeuchi.]