First off: I don't expect anyone to ever memorise this or use it in game or anything. This is just something I've had sitting on my hard-drive for reference ever since the Keltik days--largely to give the impression I know of what I speak. But since there's a few people playing bards, it might not hurt to share the info just for general references. Feel free to adapt, misinterpret, or make shit up as necessary.

Secondly, I have NO IDEA how much of a timeline this would cover. The Official Excuse for this is that until fairly recently, the Tuatha had no concept of the zero and therefore could not make a functional dated calendar. The real excuse of course is that the mod never suspected that anyone else might need this information, and so I never bothered.

Thirdly: yes, they're all named Morgana.

====================================================================

IN THE FIRST DAYS:

- Birth of Morgana and Mabhe, the Sister-Queens. Mabhe was the eldest, the one born to reign; Morgana, the younger, proved to have prophetic powers. Morgana foresaw a coming destruction of the world by ice, and Mabhe convinced the other nomadic tribes of Tuatha to flee with them to a land "prepared for them by the gods" across the sea. Legend is not clear that Mabhe froze the sea for them to walk across or if the sea was frozen when they reached it, however, the tribes walked across the ice to what is now Erin Isle, settling in Oireachteigh (the "First Court").

- Seasons pass. It is now widely acknowledged by the transplanted Tuatha that the two sisters, jointly, are their rulers. They become known as the Sister-Queens, although Morgana was largely shy and retiring, allowing her sister the more active role. Mabhe eventually has a child and names her after her sister Morgana. Morgana herself has twin daughters and dies in childbed, after naming the girls . . . Morgana and Mabhe. To add to the confusion, Mabhe adopts her sister's children.

- The population has spread. The aging Mabhe I rules what amounts to a tribal council at Oireachteigh. Her daughter Morgana strikes south with a band of her own family and clan and establishes another colony. The adopted twins elect to explore the new-found island of Avalon. Mabhe II leads and essentially rules over the colonies in the new island, deferring always to her mother back home in Oireachteigh. The twin-Morgana stays with her, eventually giving birth to a son of her own, called Eamonn.

- Mabhe I dies. By agreement of all three siblings, it is decided that the adopted Morgana should take her seat at Oireachteigh. Yes, there was a time when these people agreed on shit. This Morgana finally breaks the confusing name cycle with her daughter Niabh. Niabh marries Eamonn. These two stay married for a long, long, long time.

- Mabhe II, with the aid of her new husband who apparently was a real up-and-comer, crushes an invasion of the native trul of Avalon and is given the moniker "Niall" ("the conquerer"). Can we see where this is going yet?

- Niabh remains childless, but adopts the son of a "beloved friend" who is rumoured to have been a human woman. The son, named Beron, is considered Niabh's heir. On Oireachteigh, the adopted Morgana gives birth to a daughter. Named Morgana. Oh, you nutty Tuatha.

- Niabh is de facto ruler of the name-isle of Erin. Mabhe II's daughter Deirdre, now known as Deirdre ni Niall (Deirdre, daughter of the conqueror), now rules at Avalon.

- The population spikes again, leaving some clans (the entire society at this time still follows the herds) to move westward. First settlement of Tir-Nan-Og. Beron is part of this migration. He eventually marries . . . you guessed it. Adopted!Morgana's daughter Morgana.

- Deirdre ni Niall gives birth to a daughter named Aednat.

- Aednat has a daughter rumoured to have been fathered by the Ganconner, a faerie creature living in the forests of Avalon. Aednat’s daughter, Mabhe the Fair, rules this line after her mother. Meanwhile, Niabh of Oireachteigh, ancient beyond belief, remains childless.

- Beron and Morgana have two children, Morgana of the Fates and Artorius. Beron dies before Artorius's birth, and his mother dies shortly after, leaving Morgana of the Fates to raise her brother and rule at Tir-Nan-Og.

- Mabhe the Fair lives for a very, very, very long time, leaving behind a daughter, Caoimhe, who will soon be known as Caoimhe of the Peace.

- Niabh of Oireachteigh dies. Morgana of the Fates makes plans to take her grandmother Niabh's place in Oireachteigh and gives command of Tir-Nan-Nog to her brother Artorius, a move that will come to be known as “Mistake #1”.

- Artorius marries/hooks up with some chick outta nowhere named Gwynyfyr. It is widely rumoured that Gwynyfyr is Beron's illegitimate daughter, and thus mostly human.

- Clan Niall is not interested in seeing Tir-Nan-Og ruled by what appears to be a pair of humans and declare a coup. Morgana of the Fates rushes to intervene. Artorius is mortally wounded, and Gwynyfyr flees for her life to the newly settled island of Knockma.

- Morgana of the Fates, grief-stricken, withdraws with her infant daughter Leabharcham and her son Beron II.

NOW ENTERING REALM OF PEOPLE YOU MAY ACTUALLY RECOGNISE:

- Caoimhe ni Niall rules the entire torn nation through what is now known as the Long Peace. There are some who already refer to Caiomhe as the Queen of the Erins.

- During the Long Peace, in a seaside village on Erin, a girl named Ninnoc ni Dowd is born to a shepherdess.

- During the Long Peace, mysteriously, Morgana of the Fates reconciles with Gwynyfyr and goes to Knockma. This is considered the beginning of the Unseelie Courts. Her daughter Leabharcham likewise reconciles with Queen Caoimhe, who grants her the title of Queen and allows Beron II to return to Oireachteigh, where he marries and eventually has three sons: Auberon, Seamus, and Aengus.

- Up on Knockma, Gwynyfyr has a son named Finbheara, who becomes the first King of the Unseelie. After some knocking-around on Finbheara's part, he establishes the Court of Barons.

- Leabharcham rules from Tir-Nan-Nog in the city that will be named for her. Queen Leabharcham, called the Prophetess, is totally the Queen Elizabeth of the Erins: she continues the Long Peace, establishes the Bard’s College, and makes inroads for the Erins to begin a working relationship with Aquitaine, the greatest power on the Mainland.

- Caiomhe of the Peace dies. Well prior to Caiomhe’s death, her eldest daughter Nance agrees to abdicate her title to her sister Mabhe. Nance later leaves the Erins and establishes herself as the Sea Witch.

- Leabharcham gives birth to a daughter named Titania.

- In an effort to cement peace between the three clashing factions, Auberon is promised to Titania and Mabhe marries Seamus.

- Ninnoc ni Dowd takes the title of Sea-Witch from Nance.

- From out of absolutely nowhere, the unmarried, unattached King Finbheara produces a daughter named Fiona. Rumour has it that she's half-demon.

- Mabhe ni Niall gives birth to a son, who dies in infancy. Within a space of ten years, she has yet another child, Nialli-Seamus, who survives to wreck havoc on history.

- Leabharcham dies, and Titania is Queen of the Erins. In Oireachteigh, Aengus's wife Bride is forced to take the title when her father-in-law goes mad (possibly from inbreeding and about damn time if it was). Bride is rather bitterly known as Bride the Barren until much later in life.

- Mabhe ni Niall, her husband, and most of their household is murdered. Nialli-Seamus survives and is taken in by Titania, where he (much later) becomes her Queensman.

- Nialli-Seamus O’Niall makes a play for the throne by attempting to assassinate Titania and Auberon. Civil war breaks out. Nialli-Seamus negotiates with the Unseelie King Finbheara in order to establish an army. Unfortunately, Finbheara dies of natural causes, leaving his totally unprepared daughter to handle things. Fiona wants nothing to do with her father's war and withdraws Unseelie support.

- When the war ends, O'Niall’s army is defeated and O’Niall himself flees north to the Unseelie. In the aftermath, none other than the Sea-Witch herself comes forth with the last female heir of the Nialls, a daughter named Nialla. A second, briefer war is declared as this claim is contested by Titania. Auberon, however, accepts Nialla’s claim and eventually quells the fighting.

- Nialla ni Dowd, better known as Niabheara, Lady Niall, is at last accepted as the Niall heir and rightful successor. Bride of Oireachteigh makes the peace-bargain of offering her newborn son, Tristan, in marriage.

====================================================================

SO. FOR THOSE OF YOU KEEPING SCORE. Niabheara is Auberon’s great-niece. Auberon is also Tristan’s uncle, since Tristan is the son of his youngest brother. This makes Niabheara Tristan’s first cousin. However, Tuatha only acknowledge those of direct female lineage as blood-kin, therefore, in Niabheara’s mind, her marriage to Tristan was not incestuous.