The Chronicle of Secret Times

The Chronicle of Secret Times is a book describing the little-known ancient history of the Flanaess. Its author is the blind Suloise sage Uhas of Neheli.

Appearance

The Chronicle of Secret Times is a massive book bound in purple leather. It may itself have been recopied multiple times from a more ancient untitled manuscript.

Although Greyhawk Adventures (1988), p.96, does not explicitly name the book described there, the book's author, topic, tone and content match the Chronicle of Secret Times. This article assumes that manscript to be the Chronicle or an fraction thereof.

Contents

The Chronicle contains a great deal on history of the Flanaess. It is written in the Suloise language, and is so huge that it would take two full weeks for a learned individual to read.

It contains a great deal of history, including scandals, crimes and corruption which were not included in the approved history. Its content is occasionally lurid, and decried by some as the ravings of a madman. It is noted for its somewhat lyrical prose, and begins with the Rain of Colorless Fire which destroyed the Suel Imperium.

The work's early chapters describes conflict between Vecna and the Neheli clan, during the period when the Neheli came from the Suel lands shortly after to occupy part of the Empire of Vecna, in what is now Keoland. It also describes Vecna's origins, his fall, and the Hand and Eye of Vecna. A secret pact between the Neheli and the forces of Vecna to the north is described, in which both sides traded mutual aid and information.

The history of Vecna during his despotic rule is described in this text. It describes his siege of the walled city of Fleeth, in which he fired trebuchet and war magic into the city for for five hours before simply knocking down the walls with a wave of his hand.

The Neheli are described as fleeing eastward after the Rain of Colorless Fire which destroyed the Suel Imperium, along the northern coast of the Azure Sea, with the goal of establishing a new nation. Their slaughter of innocent Flan tribesmen in the Suenha Hills was said to have brought a curse upon the Neheli from Flan tribal gods, turning the perpetrators into figures of twisted stone.

The Chronicle describes some of the early exploits of the Silent Ones of Keoland, an ancient and highly secretive order dedicated to the preservation of ancient Sulose magic. Their headquarters, the Silent Tower, is detailed by Uhas, giving historic proof that the Suel did not build this tower.

The Chronicle is notable for its omission of any reference to Vecna's Ineffable Variorum, a spellbook attributed to Vecna himself and bound in bone. Some historians have taken this as evidence that the book was destroyed prior to the Great Migrations.

History

Creation

The Chronicle of Secret Times was created by Uhas of Neheli, official dynastic historian of the Neheli Suel family who settled in what is now Keoland following the Great Migrations which began around one thousand years ago.

Numerous copies of this work have been made.

Recent history

Copies of this work appear at the Great Library of Greyhawk and in the records of the Keoish court at Niole Dra. Mordenkainen of Greyhawk once requested this book from the Great Library of Greyhawk.

The Chronicle is banned by the Keoish crown, who denies that the book exists.

Publication history

AD&D 1st edition

The Chronicle's author, historian Uhas of Neheli, is first mentioned in Greyhawk Adventures (1988), p.96.

AD&D 2nd edition

The Chronicle of Secret Times was first mentioned in WGA4 Vecna Lives! (1990), pages 3, 18, 20, and 22.

It was mentioned again in Campaign Classics: Three Greyhawk Grimoires, Dragon #225 (Jan 1996), p.49-51.

D&D 3rd edition

The Chronicle of Secret Times was mentioned in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (2000), p.64,162.

Living Greyhawk Journal #4 (2001), considered an apocryphal publication by some in the Greyhawk community, also made reference to this text.