Difference between revisions of "Category:Timeline"

Revision as of 02:58, 9 November 2008

A brief outline of relevant events.

1791

Lord Macartney's embassy to China. His ship, the Lion, becomes the first Western vessel to chart the Bay of Zhitao. Macartney refuses to perform the ritual obesiance, the kow tow, to the Emperor of China and the British expedition is forced to leave.

William Laurence is promoted to lieutenant in the Royal Navy. He serves under Capt. Barstowe on the HMS Shorewise.

1798

August 1-2: British victory under Nelson at the Battle of the Nile ends French ambitions of conquering Egypt. William Laurence and Jane Roland present.

1805

January: The French frigate Amitie and a dragon egg are captured by William Laurence and the HMS Reliant. One week later, Temeraire hatches and is harnessed and named by Laurence. Laurence appoints Lt. Tom Riley as Reliant's captain.

February: Three weeks after Temeraire's hatching, Reliant arrives at Funchal, Madeira. After spending two weeks on a transport from the vicinity of Madeira to Britain, Laurence reports to Aerial Command in London. After spending a night at his family's home in Nottinghamshire, he reports to the Loch Laggan covert, where he and Temeraire begin training with Berkley and Maximus under Celeritas's supervision.

July: Lily's formation moves to the Dover covert and is attacked by French dragons en route (approximate).

September 29-30: Excidium leaves Dover for Cadiz. He arrives two weeks later, and the British begin their attack on the Spanish.

October 14: Jean-Paul Choiseul attempts to kidnap Catherine Harcourt and Lily (approximate).

October 21: The British defeat the French and Spanish at the Battle of Trafalgar. Excidium, Mortiferus, Laetificat, and Volly all present. Admiral Nelson is wounded during the Battle.

November 5: Jeremy Rankin spies Bonaparte's plans for Dover. Levitas dies (approximate).

November 6: An attempted French invasion of Britain is prevented by British victory at The Battle of Dover. Temeraire discovers the Divine Wind (approximate).

November 20: A Dakota is transferred from Greenland to Britain, introducing the Dragon Plague to the Aerial Corps.

December 2: Napoleon defeats Russia and Austria at the Battle of Austerlitz.

December 25: Christmas. Sun Kai recites poetry by Lung Li Po, initiating Temeraire's Chinese education.

1806

January 31: The Allegiance crosses the equator en route to China.

February 18: Chinese New Year. Feng Li attempts to murder William Laurence.

June 17: The Allegiance arrives in Macao.

October 14: Prussia defeated at the Battle of Jena-Auerstadt. These battles are notable for the innovative uses that the French put their arieal corps to. Many of these innovation can be attributed to Lung Tien Lien's influence over the French at this time.

November 4: In a series of surprise attacks on the road, Napoleon defeats the Russian army before it reaches Warsaw. Laurence leaves the Prussian army and heads for home.

November 6 - 20: The Siege of Danzig. In comparison to the other towns sieged during the winter of 1806 by the French, Danzig is exceptional in that a large proportion of the garrison were able to escape the city and were not forced to give their parole to the French. Temeraire, and a group of around 20 feral dragons ferried approximately 15,000 men to a British Fleet stationed in the Baltic Sea.

December 28: Temeraire, Iskierka and a group of twenty feral dragons are attacked by a French patrol off the coast of Scotland as they arrive in Britain.

1807

January: By this time every British dragon has contracted the Dragon Plague. The British air defence against Napoleon's attacks is now little more than a show screen. The defenses are bolstered by the return of Temeraire and the fit dragons accompanying him.

March: The French begin to suspect the British weakness, Sauvignon a small courier dragon is brought down attempting to spy on the British coverts. The incident exposes Temeraire and Sauvignon to infected dragons. Believing that Temeraire has been infected and may die, he is bred with Felicita in an attempt to retain some Celestial genes within the British dragon population. As Temeraire does not fall ill after this meeting the Aerial Corps come to believe that Temeraire contracted and recovered the Dragon Plague on his trip to China.

May: Believing that something Temeraire encountered in South Africa cured him of his illness he is dispatched with his formation leader, Lily and their entire formation to Cape Town in an attempt to duplicate his recovery.

June: The British discover a cure for the Dragon Plague in the form of a fungus found growing in Africa. A large number of samples are returned to Britain. During the harvesting of the fungus the crews of several British dragons are captured by warriors of the Tswana Kingdom, ruled by Mokhachane I (d).

July: Mokhachane I (d) begins his crusade to expel slave traders from Africa. His forces including large numbers of dragons attack European settlements across Africa. These strikes are entirely successful and every target is destroyed with massive loss of life and territory.

August: Marriage of captains Riley and Harcourt.

September: British Admiralty release Sauvignon in an effort to spread the Dragon Plague to the continent. Temeraire and Laurence steal samples of the fungus from the Loch Laggan covert and bring them to France. Laurence insists on returning to Britain, where he is subsequently convicted of treason and condemned to execution. This sentence is immediately stayed on the condition of Temeraire's good behaviour. Temeraire is sent to the Pen Y Fan Breeding Grounds.

December: Napoleon's troops successfully invade Britain. Laurence reaches Dover after the sinking of the HMS Goliath, on which he was being transported as a prisoner. Temeraire receives word through Moncey that the Goliath has been lost with all hands. Believing Laurence to be dead, he organizes a regiment of unharnessed dragons and leads them from the breeding grounds to fight the French.

1808

February: Harcourt's and Riley's son born.

March (sometime between 3rd and 13th): Napoleon and his troops are expelled from Britain at the Battle of Shoeburyness. Admiral Nelson is killed and almost all of his fleet destroyed in a tidal wave raised by Lien to cover the French retreat.

April: Nelson's funeral. The HMS Allegiance sails for Australia as a prison ship, carrying Temeraire and Laurence along with other prisoners. Laurence's death sentence has been commuted to transportation and labour in return for his cooperation in getting Temeraire - and Temeraire's political organizing - out of Britain.