Timeline

This article lists the chronology of the main events in the Red Rising Trilogy. It is still incomplete and is a Work-in-progress.

Basis

There are only approximate clues as to the time relationship between the era portrayed in the novel and the current Anno Domini era in real time. Due to the number of inhabitable planets and planet moons, it is clear that there is likely an established common time scale used across all of the Solar System. Based on Darrow's own narration in Chapter 40 of Red Rising, Earth reckoning is used for all dates noted across all novels. This is also supported by the use of Earth-time terminologies (a "day" instead of a Martian "sol"), as well as the fact that the highest government of the Society (the Sovereign) is based on Luna (Earth's moon).

According to Darrow and many of the other characters, Mankind began colonizing planets and enslaving Reds about 700 years prior to his era. There are also references made by several characters to wars before and during this period.

Based on Pierce Brown's own discretion, the first novel takes place at around 736 P.C.E (Post Conquering Era) in the Society. With no other precise dating system available, this shall be taken as the anchor for the timeline in this article.

In Morning Star, while mentioning the Roman era and its fashion for Togas, Cassius and Darrow describe Roque as being born "3000 years too late". Based on your interpretation of the Roman era, this gives a timeline between 2500 and 3500AD, with the latter being more in tune with other clues left throughout the book.

Forenotes

• Events in Red Rising occur between 736 and 738 PCE; Darrow is sixteen when he joined the Sons of Ares ^RRc08, and seventeen when he is drafted into The Institute. Events in the Institute take place for months.
  • A two-year interval occurs between these novels. ^GSc07
• Events in Golden Son occur between 740 and 741 PCE.
  • A one-year interval occurs between these novels. ^MSc02
• Events in Morning Star occur approximately between 742 and 743 PCE.

Legend

• PCE - Post Conquering Era
• ^AAcXX - System of referencing for information in the timeline; AA may be either RR (Red Rising), GS (Golden Son) or MS (Morning Star). XX refers to the chapter number of that novel.

Anno Domini (Pre-Conquering) Era

• Trojan War
• Napoleonic Wars
• World War I
• World War II
• World War III ^MSc53

Conquering Era

• The Society vs Earth
• The Society vs other planets

3rd Century PCE

Late 3rd Century PCE

• The Obsidians instigate the Dark Revolt against the Golds, which failed and resulted in the massacre of 90% of their race. ^{GSc34; MSc60}

7th Century PCE

651 PCE

• Births:
  • Nero au Augustus ^{GSc28; MSc63}

c. mid 670s PCE

• Events:
  • Lorn au Arcos is appointed by the Sovereign as the Rage Knight.^GSc06

678 PCE

• Events:
  • Nero au Augustus murders his newly-wedded wife, Iona au Bellona, and succeeds in a coup against Martian ArchGovernor Cylus. ^GSc28
    • Nero becomes the new ArchGovernor.
    • Nero's actions reignites the enmity between the Houses of Augustus and Bellona.

• Deaths:
  • Iona au Bellona: murdered by Nero au Augustus
  • Cylus, ArchGovernor of Mars: murdered by Nero au Augustus

683 PCE

• Events:
  • Octavia au Lune murders her father, the reigning Sovereign, with the help of Nero au Augustus. She proceeds to crown herself as the new Sovereign. ^MSc63
  • The First Moon Lord Rebellion occurs.
    • The Sovereign sends the Ash Lord to destroy Rhea with nuclear weapons after its lord refused to declare allegiance to her. ^MSc40

696 PCE

• Births:
  • Dancer ^RRc16

698 PCE

• Births:
  • Bryn, Sevro's mother ^GSc46

8th Century PCE

701 PCE

• Births:
  • Dale, Darrow's father ^{RRc04; MSc50}
  • Narol, Dale's brother ^RRc06

c. 707 PCE

• Events:
  • Lorn au Arcos, the incumbent Rage Knight, begins training Aja au Grimmus as an Olympic Knight. ^GSc12

713 PCE

• Births:
  • Victra au Julii ^GSc01

717 PCE

• Births:
  • Kieran ^RRc01

718 PCE

• Events:
  • Fitchner au Barca was seriously injured in a terraforming incident on Triton.^GSc46
    • Fitchner falls in love with Bryn, a Red and fellow patient at the hospital.

719 PCE

• Events:
  • Fitchner and Bryn recover and settle on New Thebes, Mars.
  • Fitchner arranges for a Carver to adjust Bryn's DNA to allow her to have children with him.

720 PCE

• Births:
  • Darrow, Eo, Sevro au Barca^MSc22, Mustang, The Jackal^GSc07

722 PCE

• Births:
  • Dio ^MSc08
• Deaths:
  • Bryn: "disposed" for illegally marrying a Gold ^GSc46

726 PCE

• Deaths:
  • Dale: executed for ... ^MSc50

733 PCE

• Events:
  • Darrow begins to work in the mines of Lykos. ^RRc01
  • Matteo becomes the lover of Quicksilver. ^MSc21

• Births:
  • Lysander au Lune ^MSc60

736 PCE

• Events:
  • Darrow marries Eo. ^RRc01
  • Darrow's mining clan, Lambda, loses the Laurel to rival clan Gamma.
  • Darrow and Eo are caught in the garden of the Tinpots without authorization, and are publicly punished with lashes by Ugly Dan in the presence of Martian ArchGovernor Nero au Augustus.
    • Eo sings the Song of the Reaper during her punishment, and is immediately sentenced to death for treason by ArchGovernor Augustus. ^RRc05
    • Eo secretly reveals to Dio about her pregnancy and pleads her not to tell Darrow.
    • Darrow buries his wife illegally, and is consequently hanged himself.
    • Darrow's uncle Narol cuts down Darrow as he falls into a coma, and secretly sends his body to the Sons of Ares.
  • Darrow meets Dancer and Harmony of the Sons of Ares, but he does not trust their words.
    • Dancer takes Darrow into a lift to the surface of Mars and lets him take his first glimpse of the terraformed world.
    • Darrow is convinced into partaking the Sons' mission.
  • Darrow is led by Dancer to Mickey the Carver in the Martian city of Yorkton, where he convinces Mickey of his Helldiving talent and potential.
    • Mickey proceeds to tear apart Darrow's bones and muscles and remake them based on the normal body structure of a Gold.
    • Darrow is drilled with the recordings of the Society's history and literature while he slowly gets used to his new body.

• Deaths:
  • Eo

737 PCE

• Events:
  • Matteo the Pink educates Darrow the culture and mannerisms of Golds in the Society until he is well-versed and presentable as a Gold.
  • Harmony accompanies Darrow during his intensive physical training exercises.
  • Dancer guides Darrow in formulating his thought processes to emulate those of a Gold.
  • Darrow briefly meets Mustang during an amateur horse ride.
  • Dancer creates a fabricated background of House Andromedus for Darrow's personal information, and assembles a group of lowColors to emulate Darrow's personal servants.
  • Darrow finishes his preparations and takes the entry tests of The Institute.
    • Darrow passes all his tests with flying colors, and is escorted to The Institute in Agea, the captial city of Mars.
  • Darrow is drafted into House Mars, learns briefly about its past from Proctor Fitchner, and meets some of his fellow housemates: Cassius, Julian, Antonia, Priam, Titus and Roque.
    • Darrow is brought into The Passage in the early morning, where he is forced to kill Julian to pass.
    • Darrow befriends Cassius and conceals the murder of his brother from him.
  • House Mars is tasked of the quest to defend their assigned fortress, select their Primus (leader), and defeat and dominate all the other houses.
    • Mars separates into four main factions - one co-led by Darrow and Cassius, and the others by Antonia, Titus and Sevro.
    • Darrow briefly allies with House Minerva, led by Mustang, to eradicate the tyrannical Titus. He gains the loyalty and allegiance of Sevro and his Howlers during this period.
    • Darrow finds out Titus' true identity as a Red through his mannerisms. He orders Titus to be executed before House Mars to maintain house discipline.
    • Darrow defeats and enslaves Houses Minerva and Ceres, and learns of a dangerous opponent known as The Jackal from Mustang, who later escapes.
  • Darrow becomes Primus of Mars.
    • Antonia, Vixus and some of Titus' original followers murder Lea, a follower of Darrow. They attempt to overthrow Darrow in a coup, but it failed and they are subdued.
    • The Jackal sends Lilath, his messenger, to Cassius to deliver the HoloCam recording of Julian's death.
    • The enraged Cassius challenges Darrow to a duel outside Mars' fortress, severely wounding him and leaving him to die in the snow.
  • Darrow receives hallucinations about Eo as his consciousness wavers.
    • Darrow is nursed back to health by Mustang and led into the wilderness away from House Mars to escape from Cassius.
    • Darrow takes care of Mustang, who has fallen critically ill, and tells her about Eo and her dream. They begin to develop romantic feelings for each other.
    • Proctor Fitchner presents to Darrow the medicine to cure Mustang, and also reveals details of Proctor Apollo giving the Jackal the recording of Julian's murder.

• Births:
  • Seraphina au Raa^MSc41
• Deaths:
  • During the Passage:
    • Julian au Bellona
    • Priam
  • Lea

738 PCE

• Events:
  • Darrow and Mustang defeat a band of Oathbreakers led by Milia and manage to gain their allegiance after successful negotiations.

• Deaths:
  • Pax au Telemanus
  • Proctor of House Apollo