Ambrosia Software Web Board: Cythera Timeline - Ambrosia Software Web Board

Hello everyone. I came across this on my computer just recently, and thought I'd post it. Perhaps people can add to it, and some one may find it useful at some stage . This timeline was created using all the available dates I could find in books and people in the game, as well as names from the graveyard in Catamarca. It seems that the game takes place in around the year 918, as Hadrian tells you that his mother passed away "recently" and she died in 917. There are some anomalies, however.

• If the Cult of Scylla was founded in 742, how is that its leader could be Tavara, when it was Tavara who destroyed Abydos in 192? Perhaps mages are incredibly long-lived?
  
  
• The Beggar in the inn in Kosha tells you that his "great grand-daddy" helped build the tomb for the Tyrant in Cademia. Even allowing for people to live for a very long time and have children late in life, there still seems to be an inconsistency of a few hundred years. Perhaps he was just making it up.

I have tried to include mutiple sources of the same information, but I've probably missed a few.


000: Settlers arrive from Thera after its destruction "by fire". -History of Kythera

005: Odemia is settled as a hunting village "5 years after our arrival from Thera". -Mage Anisa

113: Catamarca "founded in 113 as a retreat for the first Tyrant". -Mage Anisa, Spas of Catamarca

152: The First Tyrant “exiled the Mages in 152.” from Cademia. -Mage Anisa, History of Kythera

153: Pnyx "...founded in 153 by the exiled Mages...” -Mage Anisa

158: Chrysothemus born (Alaric’s mother). -Gravestone in Catamarca

174: “174 when the Second Tyrant built the Citadel.” -Spas of Catamarca

180: Cipher Manuscript discovered in "...the bottom of a chest in the library oh Pnyx." -Histroy of the Cipher Manuscript

184: Abydos founded “In 184... down the coast from Pnyx.” -Mage Anisa

192: Abydos destroyed "...when all communication from there was cut off. When an expedition was sent, they discovered everybody gone from the settlement, but no sign of violence.” -Mage Anisa

201: Chrysothemus dies (Alaric’s mother). -Gravestone in Catamarca

203: Diones the Elder personally begins investigations into the "Cult of Scylla" -Report on Hidden Chiefs and the Cult of Scylla

216: Alaric “...appeared in 216. He ended their rule.” -Mage Anisa

219: The "...current system of government was established" and the "...return of us Mages.” -Mage Anisa

303: Kosha is founded by “...House Comana in 303.” -Mage Anisa

663: First golem "...created...by a mage whose name is obscured in history." -Mage Anisa

700: Golems are "...still being created" despite known problems. -Mage Anisa

720: Golems "...had been outlawed," and "...an attempt to destroy existing 'wild' golems was begun." Mage Anisa

742: Unknown event. -Rings through-out Cythera bearing the inscription “742 - Will to Union”. Semius the golem hunter "...disappeared here in Cademia..." -Mage Anisa

870: Lyons born (Hadrian’s father). -Gravestone in Catamarca

873: Andra born (Hadrian’s mother). -Gravestone in Catamarca

878: Hapmondis born (unknown). -Gravestone in Catamarca

882: Andromache born (unknown). -Gravestone in Catamarca

910: Lyons dies (Hadrian’s father). -Gravestone in Catamarca

917: Andra dies (Hadrian’s mother). -Gravestone in Catamarca

918: Andromache dies (unknown). Hapmondis (unknown) dies. -Gravestones in Catamarca


Comments, anyone?

[edit] added date 203 from Diones the Elders bookcase. Changed date 742 in light of more complete evidence. Added date 180 in light of History of the Cipher Manuscript. Double checked and added dates of Golem related events. [/edit]

This post has been edited by dusk: 18 May 2006 - 11:40 PM

This is very cool. So is it from all the books and people? I am not sure if talking to the Seldane, UrSlyph, the fire spirit, Magpie or anyone else gives you any dates.

Yes, from as many books and people I could find, virtually no one gives you actual dates though.

Mages probably do live incredibly long, but I have a feeling Tavara isn't human at all.

I've always wondered who in the world Andromache and Hapmondis are. Proabably elements of an unfinished game, but still...

As for the beggar, A. he was making it up, as dusk said, B. He's insane, C. He means his great-great-great grandfather, or D. His great-grandfather maried his great-grandmother at a really late age, whille his great-grandmother was still young.

Is the scroll in Elder Diones' office below Pnyx (the one about the hidden chiefs of the Cult of Scylla) dated?

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I doubt the Cult was founded in 742; it wouldn't fit in with the other dates given. From the dates given, I'd say it was founded sometime between 192 (or 184) and 216, unless, of course, Tavara had founded it even before the construction or destruction of Abydos. It is also possible that Tavara wasn't its first leader (although this is not the view that I myself hold).

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It is also possible that he didn't want to say the exact number or "greats" and so shortened it. Although this would lead to the question of how his "grand daddy" was able to tell him about the tomb's entrance in person...perhaps it is an old family story? Given this, it seems more likely that it was just an error in the dates.


Very well done timeline by the way.

This post has been edited by Selax: 15 May 2006 - 06:47 PM

Roar. Click it and get to work, people!

You know, just today I was wondering who Hapmonides and Andromache were, but from the opposite end; asking Sardis about Andromache yields:

"Hapmonides and Andromache were servants of House Strymon.
"Unfortunately, they didn't survive the Plague."

I am under the impression that the Plague was still very recent when Bellerophon ended it, so it is likely that the game takes place in 918, or at latest, 919.

Regarding Tavara, UrSylph's comment:

"We know how that traitor attempted to subvert the humans, worshipping false gods.
"That one still thinks that he might some day have revenge on Seldane who used him as a puppet.
"Instead, he just sits in his mountain strongholds, awaiting a death that will never truly come."

was I thought referring to Tavara, and the quote would mean he is in one of the strongholds, probably as a lich.

I guess it's time to break out OS9; my library is still incomplete.

Well.... Would Tavara just be... Tavara? Would he be an Undine or Seldane, or human? Or just a spirit balancing the scale?

[EDIT] Can someone tell me what Tavara's journal says? I don't think I have ever read it [/EDIT]

This post has been edited by Percinator: 17 May 2006 - 08:14 PM

Pallas Athene, on May 18 2006, 10:44 AM, said:

But it has one more book available to it! I journeyed down to Elder Diones's bookcase below the Pynx and transcribed Report on Hidden Chiefs and the Cult of Scylla. Is there somewhere you would like us to send transcribed books, Pallas, or would posting them in a topic be easier for you?

Percinator, on May 18 2006, 11:12 AM, said:

Sleep comes first, but I will probably find this tomorrow, Percinator.

This post has been edited by dusk: 18 May 2006 - 08:44 AM

You left out all the golem dates :P
This is a copy from my notes, some of these dates might not be exact, so you might want to double-check:
663: First golem created.
680s: Golem problem discovered.
700: Golems *still* being created.
720: Golems outlawed.
742: Semius disappears in Cademia.

Unrelated to golems, you've left out this too:
186: Cipher Manuscript found in Pnyx.

Anywhere - new topic, this topic, PM, email, IM - is fine. I've collected several more books on my own now, though, so I'll update the page some time today.

BreadWorldMercy, I'll double check those dates, where did you find them?

And this topic seems as good as any. The title of the book I've left, with the text quoted below it. It would be handy for Pallas Athene to have a consistent format, so if everyone would be able to follow this, it would be good .
Here's the first book transcribed:

Report on Hidden Chiefs and the Cult of Scylla

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BreadWorldMercy453, on May 18 2006, 09:28 AM, said:

Where did you find this? For some reason I am thinking either under Pynx or under... the place where the ghosts are underground you fight the demon... I dunno what I am saying.

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I'd guess from talking to Anisa (or one of the other mages) and perhaps from the Account of Semius book.

Selax, on May 19 2006, 12:24 PM, said:

You were correct. While she does reveal that "some 20 years" after the first Golem was created problems were discovered, I decided not to include as the date is not exact. She also reveals that Machaon lived in Cademia "some 200 years ago" again, not included in the timeline because the date is not exact.

It is interesting that the date on the Will To Union rings coincide with Semius the golem hunter's disappearance. Perhaps the Will to Union rings were a call to arms against the Golems? Perhaps the golems on that date were activated with extra power, coinciding with the Cult of Scylla? Theories, anyone?

I swear I remember a book or a conversation talking about demons. How they were created and then turned against their masters. I think it was under Abydos where a bookcase was in the demon's room.

Really? I don't recall that book. It would have to be one of the few left.

Though it's occurred to me that I don't have the Sapphire Books of Wisdom, either - it seems most people (including myself) don't really think of them as books, but as a quest item, even though they have text in them.

I got my Cythera and am ready to gather information. I will check back with any info.

I also heard something about demons, but I don't think it was in Abydos.

Buzzzzy, on May 20 2006, 06:41 PM, said:

You're right. It wasn't in Abydos, I just checked.

[EDIT] It is just in one of the bestiary books. [/EDIT]

This post has been edited by Percinator: 21 May 2006 - 08:02 PM

Sorry for the late reply, my second phone line has been having problems -_-

Yes, the golem dates were from Anisa ^_^

Wow, kudos to all involved here! I've always meant to put together a timeline of Cythera's backstory/etc.

I haven't played Cythera in waaayy too long, but two things:

1) What is the Cipher Manuscript, again?

2) Perhaps the Will to Union rings were sort of a "brotherhood" thing for the Cult of the Scylla? The "will" in it might be something like the will to dominate or whatnot, I dunno. It may even be that the disappearance of the golem hunter that same year might have been due to the Cult of the Scylla, or Tavara as their leader?, increasing the power of the golems to cause more disruption amongst the Tyrant's people? *cues conspiracy music*

Koth

PS - And as for Tavara destroying Abydos, then a few centuries later founding the Cult of the Scylla, it could very well be that mages are very long lived . . . or it could be something to do with Tavara's association with the undine? (theoretical association?) Abydos may have been like a failed experiment for Tavara while working with the undine, and they used their power to keep him alive till he could be of use again? A bit far-fetched, I know, but still

Look at how long Alaric has been around.

The Cult of Scylla was destroyed just prior to the rise of Alaric. This is specifically mentioned in "The Lost Cult of Scylla":

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and is cross-referenced by the First Prophesy of Neleneus the Savant:

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It is generally accepted that Tavara survives to present-day in Cythera, as a Lich in the Northern Strongholds. Athough the rings are set in the wrong time period to be related to the Cult, Tavara was involved with it, as revealed in his journal:

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Percinator, on Jun 7 2006, 03:27 AM, said:

Alaric isn't exactly human, though, is he?

Gah, I was definitely posting too late last night. I read through the thread, and somehow missed the fact that the Cult of the Scylla was around in 203 for Diones the Elder to investigate it. I'd also forgotten that the cult was destroyed not long thereafter (what, 13 years?)

So yes, pretty much ignore my last post

This *does* leave the question of the rings unanswered, though . . .

This post has been edited by Kothliim: 07 June 2006 - 04:17 PM