Many cultures rise and fall within the many world islands of the sea. With many cultures comes myths, legends, folklore from all across the world. Many stories, told to clansmen over campfires, regaled over great banquets, and recorded within vast libraries, dot the world. Stories about mythical heroes, terrifying monsters, and ancient, untamed magic permeate. Some true, some not.

It is through these stories that the culture of the many civilisations of the world can spread and thrive. People from the poorest peasant child, to the richest prince are all brought up on these ancient tales, and alike, share in the wonder of them. Those more cynical to the world believe these to be fanciful figments of fiction, but then there are those who pour over the most ancient renditions of these texts, believing them to be true, and trying to find meaning from them to gain some higher level of enlightenment.

Not even are these just children's tales, being classics, epics, as well as historical records, kept dutifully by bureaucrats since the dawn of the empire as one knows it. These chart a story so epic and twisted that they surpass even the best crafted tale, and chronicle the rise and fall of great empires, to the everyday goings-on at a royal court.

Introduction

The world of Caeleste Mare is broadly split into three eras, with seven (sometimes seen as six) ages throught. The world itself is just over 1.1 million years old, with the inner planes existing only for the latter 100 thousand years. Rivenian and Parsii scholars have placed the true year date at 101,761 years since creation (of the material plane), and similarly Asyrian scholars place it at 101,760. However, in the Ancient Empire ancient records suggest a time before the material plane, and scholars and philosophers have placed the year at anywhere between 1,020,760 to 1,132,260 years since true creation.

The Three Eras and Seven Ages

In the beginning, there was nothing, but the Ancients: the Old Gods. Over the span of a hundred thousand years, they formed their far realms, and prepared to create the near ones. There was no life but them, and there was only a dark sea. Thus the first era is called the Dark Era.

Only one age existed in this Era, the Age of Ancients, lasting 1,000,000 years.

Then, came the light. The three near realms were made: the Deep Dark, the Twilight Vale and the Material Plane. With these came the many races of this sea, modelled after the gods themselves. From the dragons of Xiron and Asyr, to the humans of Kleios and Estia, to the demons and shades of Golmak, they walked the near realms. This was a time for these races to grow and develop, and much has been lost in the mist of time. Thus the second era is called the Ancient Era.

The Age of Fire came first, lasting 79,750 years. This was when the various races started to flourish, and develop. It saw various civilisations start to form.

Then came the First Age of Dragonkind, lasting 6,090 years. This was when the first true kingdoms and empires were formed, and when dragonkind predominantly ruled the land. It saw the rise of the Ancient Empire, and the precursor to the Parsii Empire.

Next came the Age of Steel, lasting 2,850 years. This was a moment of chaos, when dragons did not wholly rule the land. The defining moments were the fracture, and great civil war of the Ancient Empire, and the fall of western civilisation almost entirely, due to some unknown cause. It was in the latter half of this era that a burgeoning classical republic in Dacrame, Rivianum, started to emerge into prominence. It also saw the use of refined steel taking hold.

The Second Age of Dragonkind came, as the Ancient Empire reunified. This lasted 9,910 years. During this time Rivianum, now the Empire of Rivian, ruled the west from their duel capital of Rivianum and Ricarum, to be renamed the Citadels of Light and Shadow. Dragons, again, ruled elite.

In the year 127,590, the world collapsed. Massive wars throughout the many lands, famine, hunger and unrest. This unrest, and chaos, mainly in Parsor and the west, marked the twilight years of the second age of dragonkind. Historians marked the end of this era as when Caesar Mirmos of Rivian formally handed his crown over to a human ruler, as the once great empire fell like fine sand through his claws. This is the era we live in now, and is called the Common Era.

A short era, the Age of Rebirth, came first, lasting only 170 years. There was so much distinct turmoil during this time, in all corners of the world, that it rose distinct from any era before or after it. This was a time when the great empires of the west fractured into smaller kingdoms, tribes, and city-states, all in competition with one another. This was a time of many wars, much suffering, but also much innovation and free thought. For Dacrame, this was a rebirth of sorts. Radical ideas and free expression spread across the world, through Parsor, and even the deserts and mountains of Central Aseron, to plague the Yin Dynasty of the Ancient Empire, the last major draconic empire in the world. This, in a few centuries, will lead to the dynasty's downfall.

Finally the current era is the Age of Humanity, which lasts until the present. The year is 447 AH in Rivian and the West, and 157 Xhaan in the Ancient Empire.