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Babylon 5 Chronology
The Great War 1260-1261
The Shadows approach an alien world, wanting to set up a base of operations for their war. When they are refused, the Shadows retaliate by releasing their nanovirus, infecting the population with a biogenetic plague before they leave. The scientists on that world begin a desperate search for a cure.
Crusade:Racing The Night.
The Shadows launch offensives against many civilised worlds. The Minbari who have recently begun interstellar travel, form an alliance with other worlds including the Markab, to counter the Shadow attacks. The war effort is coordinated from a great starbase deep in space.
In The Shadow Of Z'ha'dum. Delenn describes the formation of the alliance. The Long Dark suggests the Markab were part of that alliance. To Dream In The City Of Sorrows establishes the Minbari had just begun interstellar travel when they came across the Shadows. War Without End shows the great starbase the war effort was coordinated from.
G'Quan suspects the Shadows are fighting a war offworld, from the movements of their vessels. The Shadows begin systematically wiping out Narn telepaths and their families. Narn pilots track the Shadow vessels and find their homeworld, Z’ha’dum at the galaxy’s rim.
Matters Of Honor, from the Book of G'Quan. The Gathering establishes that there are no Narn telepaths. The reason why is revealed in Ship Of Tears. Revelations,The Book of G’Quan reveals the Narn discovery of Z’ha’dum.
The clans of the Minbari Warrior Caste begin arguing among themselves on strategies and tactics and who is best to lead the fight against the Shadows, weakening the alliance. The tide of war turns in the Shadows favour and the alliance lose many battles. A Shadow offensive destroys the great starbase the war effort is being coordinated from.
To Dream In The City Of Sorrows details the Warrior Caste arguments. War Without End, Delenn reveals how badly the war was going for the alliance, and shows the destruction of the great starbase from surviving records of the war.
Babylon 4 arrives from the future and Jeffrey Sinclair sends a message to the Vorlon Empire. Using one of the three Triluminaries, created by the Great Machine on Epsilon 3 that Zathras brought with him, Sinclair enters a chrysalis and transforms himself into a Minbari. With the Vorlons aboard and calling himself Valen, Sinclair contacts the Minbari offering Babylon 4 as a new base of operations. Unknown to the Minbari, the souls of their dead begin reincarnating in human beings.
War Without End reveals the pivotal role Babylon 4 played in the Great War and Sinclair's transformation. Delenn says the Triluminaries were discovered 1000 years ago, Atonement reveals their true point of origin. Babylon Squared establishes there are three such devices. Minbari souls being reborn in humans is first discovered in And The Sky Full Of Stars during Sinclair's examination by the Grey Council, his transformation was the catalyst for this phenomenon.
Valen unites Minbari society by founding the Grey Council, giving the three Castes an equal say in running their affairs. Forbidding Minbari from killing each other, Valen outlaws denn-shah, the fight to the death.
Points Of Departure establishes Valen founded the Grey Council. Passing Through Gethsemane, Lennier establishes the Council was founded 1000 years ago. Grey 17 Is Missing, Neroon establishes no Minbari has killed another in 1000 years.
Creating the Anla'shok (Rangers) from each of the Warrior clans, unifying the military under one commander, Valen becomes Anla'shok Na (Ranger One). The Anla'shok swear allegiance to Valen alone, who also becomes Entil'zha.
Grey 17 Is Missing establishes the Rangers were operating in the Great War. To Dream In The City of Sorrows and The Summoning establish they were created by Valen.
To ensure the safety of some of their fleet, the Shadows hide their vessels on distant worlds. Two are hidden in the Earth solar system, one on Mars and one on Jupiter’s moon Ganymede.
Messages From Earth reveals the two vessel hidden in the Earth solar system. Morden establishes the Shadows hid the vessels to ensure their safety 1000 years ago in The Hour Of The Wolf.
The Tak’cha are ejected from the alliance when Valen learns they attacked the Yolu homeworld,in retaliation for them not joining the fight against the Shadows.
In Valen’s Name.
1261.
Enlisting the help of the remaining First Ones, and using Babylon 4 as a new base of operations, the war effort is re energised and the alliance led by Valen and the Anla’shok are able to defeat the Shadows driving them from Z’ha’dum.
In The Shadow Of Z'ha'dum, War Without End and In Valen’s Name details the enlistment of the First Ones and the revival in fortunes for the alliance in the war, with Babylon 4's arrival.
G'Quan and the few remaining "mind walkers" drive the Shadows from Narn.
Ship Of Tears.
With the war now over, the remaining First Ones disappear, all except the Vorlons.
In The Shadow Of Z'ha'dum. Delenn reveals this fact to Sheridan.
The Anla'shok are charged with the task of watching for the return of the Shadows.
Conflicts Of Interest.
The battered Babylon 4 is to be taken to a resting place where it will become a monument, but the station is moved secretly to Sector 730 by 12 by 9. The crew who move it never return and noone ever finds out where the station finally rests.
In Valen's Name.
Civilisation dawns on Androm, the homeworld of the Hurr.
The Official Guide To Babylon 5. Hurr civilisation began 1000 years ago.
The Hyach gain interstellar flight.
The Official Guide To Babylon 5. The Hyach have had starflight capability for 1000 years.
Valen becomes a revered figure in Minbari society. He makes a prophecy about a Great War against the forces of darkness, and an alien race many members of which had a destiny the Minbari could not interfere with. In order to defeat the forces of darkness, Minbari would have to join with this alien race. Valen also foretells the breaking of the Grey Council, and the raising of the Anla'shok to fight the darkness.
Passing Through Gethsemane, Lennier describes Valen as the greatest of their kind. Babylon Squared, Points of Departure, Severed Dreams and In The Beginning reveal Valen's prophecies.
1262.
Before their convocation, Wierden meets with a Drakh and hands over DNA samples so they can create training chrysalises and implants ready for the new techno-mages.
The Passing Of The Techno-mages:Summoning Light.
1263-1336.
After 3 years trying to find a cure for the Shadow plague, the inhabitants of the alien world with few ships capable of starflight to look for a cure outside, go into cryogenic suspension. A huge machine controls the sleepers and is programmed to do biological tests on anyone who lands on the planet, vivisecting them and analysing their remains in the hope that they have encountered the plague and found a cure themselves. One of their kind stays behind to tend the machinery and monitor the tests. Before dying of the plague a replacement is taken out of suspension to replace the guardian.
Crusade:Racing The Night.
Finding Catherine Sakai, Sinclair/Valen marries and has children, who leave Minbar to escape those who would persecute them.
Atonement and In Valen’s Name.
An alien race develop a device to control prisoners while they are being transported. Consisting of a control unit and a seamless metal band fitted around a prisoners neck, the guard sets the perimeter with the control unit. If a prisoner comes within the perimeter distance the band will explode. The control unit can also be used to detonate the bands manually by entering a four digit code.
Crusade:The Rules Of The Game. Max says the device he found is about 1000 years old.
The Taratimude who survived the Great War wipe themselves out fighting each other. Wierden and the other members of the Circle begin recruiting techno-mage apprentices from other races.
Conjecture, from The Passing Of The Techno-mages:Casting Shadows and Summoning Light.
On the Markab home world, the island of Drafa is struck by a virulent plague. Noted for it's excesses and immorality, the plague is seen as a judgement from the gods when the island's population is wiped out. The plague is named after the island and passes into legend. Markab children were warned if they were immoral, the Dark Angel of Drafa would bring them disease and death.
Conjecture, from Confessions And Lamentations.
1337-1453.
Fears of French intervention in Scotland where the English were trying to subdue the population, and the claim to the French throne made by Edward the Third (through his mother Isobel, the daughter of Charles the Fourth), spark a series of conflicts that collectively become known as the Hundred Years War.
Historical account and A Tragedy Of Telepaths.
1346-1350.
The first cases of the Black Death are reported in central Asia. By 1347 the Black Death reaches Europe devastating nearly three quarters of the population before the pandemic ends in 1350.
Historical account and Confessions And Lamentations.
1360.
Valen (Jeffrey Sinclair) writes letters to himself and Delenn, to be opened at a particular time and date 900 years into the future. Both are sealed in boxes and kept on Minbar. The letters outline the events surrounding the recent war with the Shadows, the theft of Babylon 4 for use as a base of operations and Sinclair's transformation into Valen.
War Without End.
Mystery surrounds Valen's death as his body is never found. From this time on it becomes custom to leave a space at a meal with a portion of food offered in anticipation of Valen's return. After his death, Valen's children return to Minbar, introducing human DNA into the Minbari gene pool.
Atonement and Confessions And Lamentations.
Author's note: Is it possible that far from being dead, Valen was taken by the Vorlons to their home world and kept in suspended animation?
1412.
Birth of Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc) in the village of Domremy in the Meuse River valley, France. She is the daughter of a wealthy tenant farmer.
Historical account and Crusade:Ruling From The Tomb.
circa 1420.
A Hyach-doh wanders into a Drazi camp where they are collecting a shipment of Kyley grain for the Dark Moon ceremony back on Zhabar. The Hyach-doh asks to go with them, but in accordance with their trade contract, the Drazi turn him over to the authority in charge of their collection unaware he will be exterminated.
Conjecture, from Secrets Of The Soul.
1425.
Joan of Arc has a religious vison of St Michael who instructs her to be a good girl, obey her mother and go to church often. She tells no one of her experiences.
Historical account and Crusade:Ruling From The Tomb.
Instructed by the voices of St Catherine and St Margaret to go to the Dauphin’s court and inspire the French Army to drive the English from Reims, Joan of Arc disguises herself as a boy, and with some of her friends makes the long journey to Chinon. The Dauphin and his councillors are not entirely convinced about Joan’s mission and months of questioning follow.
Historical account and Crusade:Ruling From The Tomb.
1429.
Convinced of her mission, an army is gathered and Joan is given armour, horses, attendants and a special banner to carry into battle by the Dauphin. As the army marches on Orleans, Joan is unhappy with the plans made to enter the city and puts forward her own which are adopted. Joan leads a series of sallies against the English, forcing them to withdraw. On May 8th, the victory is celebrated with the first festival of Orleans. On July 16th, the French enter Reims and on July 17th, Joan stands by the Dauphin’s side as he is crowned King Charles VII.
Historical account and Crusade:Ruling From The Tomb.
1430.
May 23rd. On a sortie behind Burgundian lines in the beseiged town of Compiegne, Joan of Arc is seperated from her soldiers and captured by the Duke of Burgundy’s forces. Held prisoner at Beaurevoir she is sold to the English and taken to Rouen to be tried by an ecclesiastical court. The Burgundian controlled University of Paris provide the charges of heresy and witchcraft and some members of the trail court, the rest come from English occupied areas. Chief of the court is the Bishop of Beauvais.
Historical account and Crusade:Ruling From The Tomb.
A lone Drakh called Drak'hul comes to Earth making his base in Wallachia, Eastern Europe. His arrival coincides with the rise to power of Vlad the First. Drak'hul’s experiments on the local population and stories of Prince Vlad’s brutal treatment of his enemies merge over the coming centuries giving rise in part to the Vampire legend.
Historical account and Legions Of Fire:The Long Night Of Centauri Prime. Assumes Drak'hul came to Earth at the time Vlad the First rose to power.
1431.
January 3rd. Joan of Arc is handed to the Bishop of Beauvais and on February 21st, her hearing begins. Held in chains Joan still claims St Catherine and St Margaret counsel her and after months of being asked numerous questions and threatened with torture, on May 23rd Joan is condemned to be burned unless she recants. Faced with death by burning, she recants and her death sentence is commuted to life imprisonment. The English are enraged by this decision and not long after, she is accused of relapsing from her submission. Joan is turned over to the civil authorities, and on May 30th, she is burned at the stake.
Historical account and Crusade:Ruling From The Tomb.
1442.
After centuries of being hunted down on their home world, the last of forty million Hyach-doh are executed, pyres burn night and day to dispose of their bodies. Eliminating their existence from Hyach history, all the medical records relating to the Hyach-doh are hidden. Years later, the Hyach discover their population is shrinking because a genetic element the Hyach-doh possessed is now missing from the gene pool. They realise too late that the genocide of the Hyach-doh has sentenced them to a slow extinction.
Conjecture, from Secrets Of The Soul. Based on the records search by Franklin, assumes the last Hyach-doh died out 820 years ago.
1461.
The Abbai gain interstellar flight.
The Official Guide To Babylon 5. The Abbai have had starflight capability for 800 years.
1470.
Sir Thomas Malory writes Le Morte D'Arthur, on the legends of King Arthur. In the 23rd century, David Mackintyre adopts the persona of the legendary King to help him cope with his depression on the 15th anniversary of the attack that started the Earth-Minbari war.
Historical account and A Late Delivery From Avalon.
circa 1560.
On Minbar, a denn-bok is crafted that in the future will be destined for Ranger Marcus Cole.
Whatever Happened To Mr Garibaldi?. Marcus says his denn-bok is several hundred years old.
1758.
The Third Fane of Chudomo enter the service of the Grey Council.
The Parliament of Dreams. Lennier says the Third Fane have served with honour for 500 years, presumably for the Council.
The humanoid inhabitants of planet Epsilon 3 are dying out. Their passing leaves behind one of their kin, Varn as custodian of the Great Machine, a highly advanced piece of their technology buried deep within the planet.
A Voice In The Wilderness. Varn describes his history.
1762.
The Centauri Republic halt attacks on civilian targets during their military campaigns.
And All My Dreams,Torn Asunder. Londo says the attacks stopped 500 years ago.
1767.
Inspired by a religious vision, those Lorkans considered to be without sin and corruption leave their own world for a planet in a nearby system. Renaming it Lorka 7 when they arrive, they find the population has disappeared but all their technology and buildings intact.
Crusade:The Rules Of The Game. The Lorkans moved 500 years ago.
1812-1814.
The United States object to their ships being searched for British deserters during the blockade of Europe by the British Navy. Britain announce they would lift the blockade for American vessels but 2 days later, before the announcement reaches them America declares war. British troops burn Washington D.C. damaging the President’s official residence. The conflict ends in December 1814 with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent in Belgium.
Historical account and A Tragedy Of Telepaths.
1833.
Sunday October 20th. After the death of his critic friend Arthur Hallam, Alfred, Lord Tennyson writes the poem Ulysses.
Historical account.
1842.
The poem Ulysses by Alfred, Lord Tennyson is published. It becomes a favourite of Jeffrey Sinclair's while he is at the academy.
Historical account.The Gathering and The Parliament Of Dreams establish Sinclair's liking of the poem.
1861.
The refusal of the American southern states to abolish slavery, and their attempt to secede from the Union, leads to civil war between them and the northern states. Phillip Henry Sheridan, a Colonel in the Union Army is an ancestor of future Babylon 5 governor Captain John Sheridan.
Historical account and data from J.Michael Straczynski reveals Sheridan’s lineage.
1862.
December. President Abraham Lincoln gives his annual message to Congress. In the 23rd century, Captain John Sheridan adapts some of that address to form part of his good luck speech he makes when taking on a new command.
Historical account and Points of Departure.
1865.
The civil war ends in May when the last of the Confederate Army surrenders. Over six hundred thousand lives are lost in the conflict.
Historical account.
1888.
Friday August 31st, Mary Ann Nicholls is found murdered at Buck's Row in Whitechapel, East London. Saturday September 8th, Annie Chapman is found murdered in Hanbury Street, Spitalfields. Sunday September 30th, Elizabeth Stride is found murdered in Berner Street, St George-in-the East and Caterine Eddows is found murdered in Milne Square. Friday November 9th, Mary Jane Kelly is found murdered in Dorset Street, Spitalfields. These serial killings become known as the Whitechapel Murders, the victims were all horribly mutilated by an individual the press label Jack the Ripper. The man responsible for these crimes was a Mr Sebastian of 14B Heresford Lane, who believed he was on a holy crusade to stop London sinking into immorality and decay. He was found on Sunday November 11th by the Vorlons and taken to their homeworld where he was shown the "terrible depth" of his mistakes. He is employed by the Vorlons as an Inquisitor to test people, and when he isn't needed, he is kept in suspended animation.
Historical account and Comes The Inquisitor. Sebastian is revealed to be Jack the Ripper, he describes his abduction by the Vorlons.
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