Timeline of Tirneach

This page provides a brief description of major historical events, together with events relevant to the band Cumhacht na Réig.

Time in Five Oaths is usually measured in years from the arrival of the first Réig to the shores of Tirneach (Teacht an Réig or TR)

Before Year 0 TR

Prior to the arrival of the Réig to Tirneach, the land was largely overrun by the Gwyllt. During this time:

• The people of Siabhal relied upon a host of great heroes to defend its people from the Gwyllt, though their society was not stable due to the influence of the Gwyllt causing traitors to emerge from their midst.
• Draíod kept to their underground caverns, sharing learning with Siabhal but otherwise not engaging with the surface world.
• The people of Baol relied upon the fell bargains made by the lady of the Amber Hall with the Gwyllt to survive, though the Amber Hall itself fell more than a hundred years before the arrival of the Réig.
• The people of Uasa harnessed water spirits for their protection
• The lands of Bruid were overrun by the great forest and impassable to all but the Gwyllt and their servants.

Year 0 TR - The arrival of the Réig

For more detail on this time, and what came before, please see the Réig

The Réig arrived in Tirneach from across the Shaper's Sea (or the Howling Sea as it was known) together with the first Gallóglaigh bands, traversing the sea upon a great land bridge - the remains of which are known as the Shaper's Steps.

The Siabhalaigh viewed the arrival of the Réig as an invasion and attacked, eager to defeat the invaders. The Gallóglaigh of the Réig were hard pressed, for the Réig had made clear the children of Tirneach were not their enemy. However, they received aid from an likely source, as the people of Uasa came to their aid.

The people of Uasa gave the Réig and their Gallóglaigh shelter and hospitality and soon they were the Réig's staunchest allies in Tirneach and gave the Réig their title.

Upon becoming aware of the Réig's arrival, the Saoi of Draíod posed a challenge to them and, upon its completion, they too swore allegiance to the Réig.

A short time after this, the Siabhalaigh marched to the borders of Uasa, opposed by the followers of the Réig. The Réig sought to bring peace between them, but their armies were assailed by the Gwyllt. In seeing the Réig's prowess and the skill of their cause, the Siabhalaigh joined forces, seeing in the Réig the characteristics of their hundred heroes of old. It was on that battlefield that the great forces of the Gwyllt were broken and the dark pall of their influence driven back.

The combined armies of Uasa, Siabhal and Draíod soon brought Baol into the fold, without much opposition as Baol did not have a unified leadership at that time.

Once the four realms had been united, the Réig declared that a new realm, Bruid, would be created from the wilderness and tasked the first Iarla of Bruid with reclaiming it with the aid of the Gallóglaigh.

Year 767 TR

Seocha Uí Chonchobhair was declared Réig.

Year 777 TR

Airt Ua Chonchobhair was declared Réig.

Year 790 TR - The Coronation of Maeláine Uí Chonchobhair

In the year 790, Maeláine Uí Chonchobhair was declared Réig following the death of their uncle Airt Ua Chonchobhair. Maeláine secured their claim to the throne by a duel to the death with their cousin.

Year 797 TR - A time of Loyalty and Seeking

The band Cumhact na Réig was formed.

Following the swearing of their oaths in Corroch, during the Season of Loyalty, they conducted their first missions as Gallóglaigh and upon the Réig's direction helped to put down an uprising by Riverborn heretics of Uasa.

The second mission that Cumhacht na Réig undertook was to protect the great cattle-mart of Baol during the Season of Seeking. There, they defeated the Bluehand Band, who had been hired to disrupt the running of the mart, and protected the reputation of the Rider Duardo Ortega Mera.

Year 798-799 TR - A time of Uncertainty

For more details on the period of 798 to 800 TR, please see Seasons of Uncertainty

During a trip to the Shaper's Steps, Maeláine Uí Chonchobhair was attacked and was killed. Without a named heir, or a clear successor, the lands of Tirneach were thrown into turmoil.

The Regent, Cian Treebreaker, head of House Roaring Thunder, called all Gallóglaigh to return to Corroch to act as a peacekeeping force to allow for the appointment of a new Réig. Cian Treebreaker was assassinated by the Riverborn. The post of Regent, and head of House Roaring Thunder, was taken up by Tiergan took up the leadership of House Roaring Thunder. Tiergan, together with those Gallóglaigh who had answered the call of the Regent, managed to stave off an attempt by adherents of the Breaker Heresy to kill the Prelates of the Church of the Shaper and the remaining members of House Roaring Thunder.

At this time, Mairi of Clann Niamha, claimed that they were the new Réig and that the Lowlands of Baol belonged to the highlands, causing a civil war to break out. A number of Gallóglaigh supported Iarla Dalles of Baol in opposing Mairi's claim. Rider Tiernan Mac Aonghusa rallied opposition against Mairi and cornered them at the battle of the Scarlet Heather. During the battle Tiernan Mac Aonghusa killed Mairi, and a number of her key supporters were also killed, the remainder surrendering soon after.

Meanwhile, a large host of Gwyllt assailed Ardbealach in Draíod - in particular the ritual circle outside of Ardbealach. The assault turned into a protracted siege, which was only alleviated when the Gwyllt relented in their assault following a minor shift in the leylines which caused a temporary disempowerment of the ritual circles near Ardbealach. During the siege, a Weeping Fathach by the name of Amhlaoibh was rescued by a number of Weeping members of Cumhacht na Réig from a secluded laboratory of a Linebreaker Vartach. Amhlaoibh was found by the Saoi of Draíod to bear a mark of Destiny.

The Regent and the Iarlas of the five realms issued an edict for Gallóglaigh of all bands to travel to a capital of one of the realms to ensure safety and stability while a new Réig was appointed.

During the Summer of 799, there was a resurgence of Gwyllt activity, resulting in major attacks upon each of Tirneach's five realms:

• In Uasa, a group called Lobhan's Legacy murdered several Uasaigh Riders and there was significant unrest following exposure to a newly discovered type of Gwyllt, a one-eyed fish. Notably, the one-eyed Gwyllt fish caused paranoia and were capable of merging into larger amalgams - a gigantic version of which assaulted Corroch and was only turned back by the Gallóglaigh stationed there.
• In Siabhal, severe Gwyllt attacks were experienced and this caused several ridings to become isolated and cut off from the realm as a whole. A Major Assault on Barr by a Gwyllt resembling a large tower almost resulted in the death of the Iarla of Siabhal, and candidate for Réig, Éaltna Ní Órfhaiche. Meanwhile, an assault by the Gwyllt upon Iomra caused the destruction of one of its three towers. The attacks caused shortages of supplies, although this did not rise to the level of famine in Siabhal.
• In Baol, the presence of a Gwyllt imposter caused significant unrest after it facilitated an attack upon Uaircinn which included an assassination attempt upon Tiernan MacAonghusa. The heirs of the highlands of Baol's courtly Clanns began to receive visions of the Amber Hall promising a lost power to help defeat the Gwyllt, only to meet their deaths and become undead abominations.
• In Draíod, Cragg Oscionn experienced severe flooding after water was found to be leaking into several tunnels near the Arcane College. Gallóglaigh present there assisted with the recue and recovery efforts and helped to root out and defeat both Undead and Gwyllt who were discovered in the surrounding areas.
• In Bruid, the increase of Gwyllt activity (most notably Knochenbriseadh and Wenigadaí) required the aid of a significant number of Gallóglaigh to repel, together with the assistance of a pilgrimage to Bruid from Shlachtfeld. The borders of the great forest advanced northward to within sight of the south walls of Caraoic.

Year 800 TR - A time of Renewal

Tiergan, Head of House Roaring Thunder, declared that the Réig would be the winner of a duel between Éaltna Ní Órfhaiche and Tiernan MacAonghusa. At the appointed hour for the duel, Éaltna conceded the duel to Tiernan, declaring they had received a vision from the Shaper the night before and they believed that Tiernan was the rightful Réig of Tirneach. With that, Tiernan MacAonghusa was crowned Réig.

The Thane of Cumhact na Réig, Declan Ó Ceallaigh, retired, replaced by Thane Ualgarg Corcra on the Réig's orders, a Drakeblooded Torchbearer who had been the Cinnire-at-Arms of White Eye’s Band. Orders were given for Cumhacht na Réig to assemble under their Thane in Barr.