War Against Fu Leng/Dates and Timelines

The following is an attempt to determine the important dates in the War Against Fu Leng. As with all early history of Rokugan, the exact timelines are somewhat murky, so it is likely that an exact figure will never be reached. Until then, we will attempt to come as close as we can to an answer, regardless.

Facts

OU2, p. 5

• "For many years after the construction of the first Imperial Palace... the empire was at peace."
• Ten years after construction finished, the Shadowlands began appearing.
• Reconstruction began as the War began.
• The war lasted "nearly a decade."

OU2, p. 7

• Reconstruction lasted just under six years.
• War continued for three years afterwards, without an attack on Otosan Uchi.
• Battle of the Four Winds 20 years after the Fall of the Kami.
• Hantei mortally injured during the battle.

WC:KS, p. 40

• War lasted over a decade.
• Hantei poisoned in the final days.

DotE, p. 76

• Hantei wounded shortly before the Day of Thunder.

Common Knowledge

• War ended in 42 (Though actually some records indicate it could have been as late as 46, this date has become accepted as truth).

Conclusions

• Day of Thunder, War's end, in 42
• Hantei wounded (Batle of Four Winds) 41-42. 42 more likely.
• Therefore, reconstruction was finished in 38-39 (39 more likely).
• Therefore, reconstruction, and thus the War, began in 32-33 (33 more likely).
• Shadowlands scouts had been assessing the empire for some time prior to Hantei's recognition of the true threat. The latter would be 32-33, but the former would be 29-31, accounting for the "over a decade" in WC:KS.
• The first capital, therefore, was finished 19-21.
• The twenty years mentioned in OU2 is completely inconsistent with even the evidence from that book alone. It must be viewed simply as an error.
• The dates of the Fall and Tournament of the Kami are inconclusive from this evidence.

Canon dates

Imperial Histories covered the events of the Dawn of the Empire in chronological way:

• Fall of the Kami: Pre-calendar, the year before to year 1, still it means Pre-calendar.
• Tournament of the Kami: year 5
• Shadowlands first appearance: year 11
• War Against Fu Leng begins in year 33
• Hantei wounded: year 42
• Day of Thunder: year 42