New to series...want some history info

[sluggs]

I have recently started reading the WOT series. I just finished reading The Dragon Reborn. Not only have I just begun this series but these are the first fantasy novels I have ever read. I really want to know some of the history of The war of a hundred years, the breaking of the world...etc. are there any websites for this or does more history come the further into the series i get???? Thanks for the help

[Balefire to da face!]

The Breaking gets fleshed out a bit more. I would suggest reading The Shadow Rising before looking online at stuff. While it's not extremely in depth, I'll tell you that you will get a glimpse at the Breaking in book 4 that will be a lot more interesting if you haven't looked online for the details.

[Samuel]

Balefire to da face! is right, The Shadow Rising does flesh out quite a bit of history.

 

There is the Guide (World Of Robert Jordan's The Wheel Of Time) which is EXACTLY what you are looking for-it outlines all the history from the Age of Legends to the present day and has in-depth info on all the countries, the Forsaken, the Whitecloaks, etc-but it contains spoilers up to book six. So I don't reccomend reading it until after you have read Lord Of Chaos

 

But if you plow through The Shadow Rising, The Fires Of Heaven and Lord Of Chaos; you will be fine to read the Guide which is pretty much just what you are looking for. Those three books also flesh out a lot more history too (like the Breaking and the Trolloc Wars to an extent).

[dokfeelg00d]

I think the world of the wheel of time was written after Crown of Swords and the statuses of the Forsaken and whatnot all make a little more sense if you wait that far to read it.  You will have already made up your mind about most of the stuff by then and the guide just fills in the gaps.

[Kadere]

You'll get more as you read, especially in TSR. But a basic timeline goes like this:

 

End of the Second Age was approximately 3,000 years ago. This ended with the Breaking of the World where men were all tainted after Lews Therin sealed the Bore. Eye of the World's Prologue with the death of Lews Therin is from this time. The men, who were insane, tore up the world and made it look like it does today. Some of those men stayed in the Steddings where they weren't effected by the Taint, but eventually they too left and created the Ways. Some blame the Ogier for extending the Breaking because of this.

 

1000 years after the Breaking is the Trolloc Wars. This is where Ishamael, being spun out of the Bore like he is periodically, loosed thousands of shadowspawn and Dreadlords on the land. This is when Manetheren was torn apart by Trollocs. Many nations ceased to exist after the destruction caused by the war. The Wars lasted over 300 years.

 

At the end of the Trolloc Wars begins what is known as the Free Years. About 939 years after the Wars is the War of the Second Dragon. This was when the False Dragon Guaire Amalasan conquered nearly half the Westlands. Finally in 943 he was captured by Artur Hawkwing, taken to the White Tower and gentled.

 

At this point Artur Hawkwing begins his reign. He succeeds in uniting the nations from the Sea of Storms to the Blight, and from the Aryth Ocean to the Aiel Waste. At about this time Ishamael is spun out again and persuades Hawkwing to send his son Luthair Paendrag across the Aryth Ocean to conquer what lies there. Luthair of course finds Seanchan. Hawkwing also comes to despise Aes Sedai, probably through Ishamael's influence, and hates Bonwhin the Amrylin Seat, the last Red Ajah sister to hold the position, as he believes she's attempting to manipulate him. Hawkwing lays siege to the White Tower, and decides to build his capital in a stedding. Bonwhin is deposed and stilled around the same time Hawkwing dies. At Hawkwing's death his children fight over his empire and the resulting wars are known as the War of the Hundred Years. The nations of today were formed from this.

 

After the War of the Hundred Years the Westlands began the New Era, which is the Era the story takes place in. In about 945, so 945 years after the War of the Hundred Years, Malkier begins it's descent. Lan is born in 953, and by 955 Malkier is no more. In 957 the Whitecloak War began. Pedron Niall sought to widen his boarders into Altara, but was defeated by a union of Altara, Illian, and Murandy.

 

In 971 Luc Mantear, the brother of Tigraine and Prince of Andor, disappears into the Blight. The next year Tigraine vanishes. In 976 the Aiel War begins because King Laman of Cairhien cut down Avendoraldera. When King Laman is killed in 978 during the Blood Snow at Dragonmount, the Aiel go back to the Waste. This is also when Rand is born, and Moiraine, Suian, and Lan go looking for him. Mat and Perrin are also born around the same time.

 

Twenty years later in 998 our story begins.

[Hunter]

Do a search the strike at shayol ghul. That's got some good history in it regarding events during the war of the shadow.

[sluggs]

thanks a lot guys. this has helped a bunch.