Alternate World Timelines

The speaker meant nothing, but the listener took it to heart. The phrase "Time of Troubles" escaping Talon's lips immediately captured Zhang Yuan's full attention.

As an old player of DND games and a lover of reading related background novels, he had also made a point to understand and research the historical background of the Faerûn setting. Naturally, he would know what this term signified.

The Time of Troubles began when Ao, the Overgod, commanded the gods to descend to Toril in the form of Chosen, and ended when the gods returned to the Outer Planes.

This event occurred in 1358 DR, the Year of Shadows, which was the 1358th year of the Greenfield Reckoning. Later, when people established the new calendar, the "Current Age," this year was designated as the first year of the Current Age, or 1 PR.

The Trio of Death—Bane, God of Strife; Myrkul, God of Death; and Bhaal, God of Murder—desired power exceeding that of other gods. Thus, they stole Ao, the Overgod's, Tablets of Fate, attempting to uncover their secrets.

Ao was extremely enraged upon discovering the theft of the tablets. He punished Helm, who was guarding the tablets, and Ao also banished the gods to the Prime Material Plane, leaving only Helm, the Lawful Neutral god of protection, to guard the passage from the Prime Material Plane back to the Outer Planes. Ao decreed that each god could only have one Chosen, "one mortal body, one human life," ordering them to retrieve the Tablets of Fate. This period is historically known as the Time of Troubles. (Above information from Baidu)

The most famous events that occurred during this year were arguably the fall of the Trio of Death, including Bhaal, the cheap father of the protagonist of Baldur's Gate; the murder of Mystra, Goddess of Magic; and the meteoric rise of Cyric the Lucky.

The Time of Troubles was not merely about the descent or fall of gods. What was more terrifying was the series of reactions and consequences brought about by the fundamental subversion and overthrow of the entire order.

Countless ambitious individuals emerged, countless conspiracies began to surface, and with them came endless strife and chaos, bloodshed and wails. It was a feast for warlords and a disaster for commoners.

Little wonder Talon's anxiety and pain when he mentioned this term. For those who had experienced that catastrophe, five years was far too short, too short to truly heal the scars in their hearts.

Zhang Yuan had no interest in understanding his personal experiences and emotions, but the information that the Time of Troubles had passed five years ago allowed him to find a temporal marker for this otherworld timeline.

Thus, the final piece of the worldview puzzle was found.

Earlier, Zhang Yuan had wanted to know the specific date, but he couldn't find an opportunity to ask.

Not knowing the specific date could be explained away as being too busy, but not even knowing the year? How could he possibly explain that?

He vaguely recalled that Bhaal's Son, the game's protagonist Abdel Adrian, was born ten years before the Time of Troubles, which would be 1348 DR.

Bhaal the Murderer, the Great Lover, truly had high aspirations, beginning his grand ambition of sowing his seeds across the land ten years before his own fall.

And according to official lore, Bhaal's Son began his epic adventure as the protagonist of the era at the age of twenty, which was 1368 DR, ten years after Bhaal's fall.

Well, at least there were five years to prepare for the upcoming events and major changes. Now, all he could do was hope that the timeline of reality wouldn't deviate too much.

However, given the five-year discrepancy, it was still uncertain whether events or items that occurred in the original game world could still be found as expected.

But there was no use thinking about that now. Zhang Yuan, without even a place to stay, needed a stable residence, a place of his own.

Watching Maz and Talon help the balding man leave, Zhang Yuan slowly stood up and walked to the bar, placing fifteen copper coins on the counter. "A pot of Seren Jade Wine."

Surprised by the customer's generosity, the bartender didn't immediately take the money. Instead, he asked seriously, "Are you sure? That's our second most expensive wine, only surpassed by Evermist Wine. Of course, it will definitely be worth every coin."

"Yes, please give me a pot of Jade Wine," Zhang Yuan confirmed again.

The bartender collected the copper coins on the table and put them into the cash drawer. Then, he turned around and carefully took a small keg from the wine rack behind the bar.

Next, he retrieved a silver-like wine pot from a cabinet beneath the bar and slowly poured the wine from the keg into it.

"Your Jade Wine, please enjoy," the bartender said, placing the wine pot and a matching small cup on a round plate and handing it over.

"Thank you." Taking the plate, Zhang Yuan asked the question he had already prepared, "I only arrived in this city two days ago. Besides the half-true rumors from the minstrels on the streets and the drunken boasts of mercenaries, I know almost nothing about it."

Hearing this, the bartender said, as if with good intentions, "Why don't you stay at our tavern for a while? I'm not bragging, Nan Qu, but you won't find a more comfortable inn than ours in Baldur's Gate."

"Oh?" Zhang Yuan smiled playfully (and facetiously). "What about the Elven Song?"

The bartender's intended words were immediately cut off. He couldn't continue boasting that his tavern was more popular than Baldur's Gate's most luxurious and comfortable establishment, the Elven Song.

"Esteemed guest, since you know so much, there's no need to tease old Nan Qu anymore." Realizing that the outsider wasn't as ignorant as he claimed to be, the bartender gave a wry smile and spoke more earnestly.

Having subtly teased the other party, Zhang Yuan didn't push further. He also said solemnly, "I'll be staying at your tavern for the next few days. I have no complaints about your inn, but I believe you can understand that everyone needs their own space."

He paused and then continued, "I plan to reside in this city. I also need a house of my own. Can you give me some advice?"

After speaking, Zhang Yuan did his best to put on a sincere and earnest expression as he looked at the bartender, Nan Qu.

Unexpectedly, his efforts were like casting pearls before swine. The bartender, deep in thought, lowered his head and wiped the wine glasses on the bar.

Someone whose eyes were getting strained blinked his innocent eyes and also lowered his head to admire and fiddle with the wine pot on the plate.

It could be said that you get what you pay for. Compared to the old wooden cups used for beer, this wine pot was simply a work of art.

The slender, long neck was like a dancer's slender waist, gradually tapering downwards from the top until two-thirds of the way down, where it flared out in a smooth, unhindered curve, making the entire pot resemble a gracefully proportioned woman.

The silver body was covered with exquisite and delicate raised carvings. The patterns of surging waves and tridents seemed to be a tribute to that wretched queen.

Just as Zhang Yuan was about to further admire it, the bartender's low voice reached his ears, "Baldur's Gate has never lacked beautiful and comfortable residences, but they are not for everyone."

"Two thousand gold coins! That's the minimum. To own a house in the inner city, you'll need at least that much." The number that escaped the bartender's lips made the stingy Zhang Yuan's heart skip a beat.