Eras

The world has passed through three distinct eras, each defined by its relationship with magic and the fabric of reality. Time before the Olden World is lost — so ancient that no tales survived.

The Olden World

In the Olden World, magic was rampant and freely available. The fabric of reality sat flat and stable, yet saturated with potential. The magic was diffuse — empowering but spread thin, producing beings of long life, great size, and unreasonable strength. Stories speak of wonders from this age.

This era ended gradually as magic began to dry up. This was not a natural decay, but a deliberate act: a significant majority of the world’s magic was being harvested and stored by powerful practitioners, leading to a time of scarcity for the common world.

The Era of Containment

As magic was drained from the environment, it was stockpiled by wizards for personal use. The free-flowing magic of the Olden World was gone, hoarded by solitary practitioners who had little interest in the affairs of ordinary people beyond commerce.

Wizards found a minor trickle of newfound magic among the stars. With their accumulated stockpiles they were able to do greater deeds than anyone before or after. This era persisted for centuries, a world where reality was predictable. Most of the history of the recent peoples happened during this time.

The Post-Lapse

The Era of Containment ended with The Lapse.

Magic has returned to affect the world, but not as the diffuse saturation of the Olden World. It is localized. Places that used to be far apart may now share the same ground. The world is a patchwork of the mundane and the magical.