The Fall of Magic

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1. #1Pre-History (The Magical World)

   Keys: magical world, ancient history, pre-history

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   Prior to the advent of humanity, the world was based entirely on magic, and every sentient race in the world could use it to varying degrees. Elves were the most numerous, and ruled over nations and empires, great and small, with cold grace and pride. Dragons were the most powerful, but few in number, secretive and reclusive. Goblinoid races, such as orcs, bugbears, and, yes, goblins, carved out their niche through violence. Faeries, the shortest-lived, spent their few days at play.

2. #2History (Rise of Humanity)

   Keys: history, advent, human history

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   The first mentions of humans in recorded history appear approximately 2500 years ago; the records of a minor elven kingdom, Folahie, contain a footnote of complaints by their farmers of bands of humans raiding their storehouses. Humanity was considered a race unworthy of note, so despite the context of this record clearly implying that humans were already a well-known factor at the time, nothing of their prior history or origins were ever written down anywhere that has survived.

   However, their mentions become more and more frequent as the centuries rolled onward, usually of more raiding parties, or the dispatching of armies to put down warlords, or even some mentions of mutual attempts at diplomacy. Then, around 2200 years ago, the vast High Elven Empire, the world's largest and oldest elven civilization, declared that, lacking any innate connection to magic, humanity could not properly be considered alive. From here, the records speak increasingly of pogroms and captured settlements, the citizens taken and used for experimentation. These efforts were never pointed enough to seriously endanger the species. The elves simply did not care.

   Far and away the most significant single human to date would be the man known as Highking Elgar, who, 2000 years ago, rallied various scattered human tribes and bands under his banner. With his leadership, a united humanity fought against the goblinoid hordes and the HEE to stake out their own homeland, Verdaran, the first established human nation. Highking Elgar would rule over Verdaran wisely for 507 years before his death, and his lineage has ruled over it (with varying degrees of effectiveness) ever since. Verdaran remains the center of human culture, and Elgar is revered near to worship as a heroic and messianic figure.

3. #3Modern History (Fall of Magic)

   Keys: fall of magic, modern history

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   With Verdaran as their foundation, humanity spread and thrived due to their scientific ingenuity and ineffable spirit. Despite constant setbacks against them, elvenkind stubbornly refused to acknowledge them as a threat, due to their inability to use magic. As the elf nations fell, the High Elven Empire, in their arrogance, simply saw it as a consolidation of their power.

   It wasn't until 211 years ago that the last ruler of the HEE, Emperor Aldred, finally decided to fight back against the rising tide of human influence. By all accounts, far, far too late. The ensuing war, the so-called Fall of Magic, burned hotly but briefly, and was over within a year. The result was unilateral: the goblinoid races driven to near extinction, the faeries seeming to have vanished completely one way or another, and elfkind completely subjugated into a slave race under humanity. Only the dragons, through willing collaboration with the world's new human masters, emerged relatively unchanged.

4. #4Post-Magical Industrialism (The Human World)

   Keys: modern day, modern times

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   The current setting year is 2000 CE (Corona Elgari, "since the crowning of Elgar"). Magic technically still exists, but its use is the height of illegality, and is very strictly monitored and controlled. Society and technological level are both roughly analogous to modern day Earth. The main differences would be twofold:

   First, the universal and unquestioned prevalence of slavery, practiced upon elves and the few remaining goblinoids. Slaves have no legal rights, and rely entirely on the mercy of their owners. While there are associations and charities that promote the kind, ethical treatment of slaves, and even the preservation of the goblinoids, no emancipatory movement has ever gained more than a handful of followers or any political traction at all, and have always been viewed as beyond fringe. No human doubts that the elves deserve this fate, and if anyone questions the historical validity of their many atrocities against humankind, they have only to look to the elves' own records, plainly and even proudly stated. (As for the goblinoids, well, you only really have to look at them. Not very easy to get along with, those buggers.)

   Second, most analogues to modern technology that exist in the setting use appropriated or reverse-engineered magical artifacts, most produced with the assistance of the dragons. Cars run on mana crystals in place of fuel and engines, needing to be replaced for recharging every few years. Talismans and communication stones instead of credit/debit cards and electronic readers. Cell phones that operate by broadcasting through the dreams of an ancient dragon always circling the sky above the North Pole. The reader is encouraged to come up with their own variations on this theme.

5. #5Race: Human

   Keys: human

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   They're humans. Totally incapable of any active magic use, but passive artifacts work fine in their presence. Now the most numerous race on the planet by a sizable margin, and the world's undisputable masters.

6. #6Race: Elf

   Keys: elves, elfkind, elvenkind, elf

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   Elves are a humanoid race, primarily distinguished by their prominent pointed ears, which stick out from the sides of their heads.

   Elves' other notable physical characteristics are their taller heights compared to humans, but with more slender, less muscular builds, on average.

   The average lifespan of a healthy elf is approximately 500 years. Accordingly, their rate of reproduction is slow.

   Elves possess an innate talent for magic, which must be cultivated through education. Very few elves born since the Fall have been educated in it, and all of those who have work under very strict supervision for human governments or draconic industry.

   All living elves today are slaves to human masters. They have no legal rights, and rely entirely on the mercy of their owners for survival.

   Elves and humans may interbreed. The offspring is determined by the race of the mother: human mothers will birth human children from elven fathers, and elven mothers will birth elven children from human fathers.

   There is a persistent superstition that such 'half-elf' offspring possess unique traits or abilities, but despite repeated studies into the question, no actual evidence has been found to support the idea.

7. #7Race: Goblinoids

   Keys: orc, hobgoblin, goblin, goblinoid, bugbear

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   Goblinoid is a catch-all term for races related to goblins, including orcs, hobgoblins, and bugbears.

   All goblinoid races share a predilection for causing violence and mayhem; as a result, many before and after the Fall consider them "inherently evil".

   Little is known of their society or culture, since their kind's universal tendency for extreme violence strongly dissuaded close intellectual study.

   Prior to the Fall of Magic, goblinoids tended to congregate together in scattered tribes and loose communities, primarily in or around mountain ranges.

   Goblinoids manipulated magic through shamanistic rituals, almost all of which have now been lost to time.

   After the Fall, humanity considered them too dangerous to allow to live unchecked, and those they could not enslave were exterminated. Hobgoblins and bugbears were rendered extinct during this period.

   Goblinoid numbers in modern times are greatly reduced to only a couple million worldwide.

   In recent years, more liberal movements have appeared to campaign for the preservation of the remaining goblinoid races. It is a trendy cause for celebrities.

   Goblinoid slaves are primarily used as security or prize fighters.

   Goblinoids may interbreed with humans or elves, but the offspring invariably seem to be weak or deformed, and rarely live to see their first year.

8. #8Race: Dragon

   Keys: draconic, dragon, dragons

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   Dragons are a race of enormous winged reptilians. They are scaled all over their bodies, with four clawed feet and a pattern of horns around their head unique to each individual. Their body types vary greatly, too, from squat and round to long, flowing serpents.

   Most dragons also have a "mortal form" into which they may shift at will when dealing with other races. These forms invariably seem to hold some resemblance to their natural draconic bodies, but whether this is out of necessity or some cultural tradition in unknown.

   Dragons are functionally immortal; the oldest have been present for all of recorded history, the youngest today is just over 3,000 years old.

   Dragons are the most powerful practitioners of magic known, and the only race allowed to use it openly without restriction after the Fall.

   There are exactly 137 dragons across the world. Some are captains of industry; a few run the world's largest financial institutions; a handful are involved in politics; but most are removed from the larger world, their locations and motivations a mystery.

   Draconic culture is extremely secretive; very few non-dragons have any real inkling of its intricacies. One fact that is well-known, however, is that all dragons are ruled by the four oldest of their kind, referred to as the Ancient Drakes. About the Drakes themselves, however, nothing at all.

   Dragons are, with very few exceptions, almost entirely self-supremacist, and care very little for the welfare of other beings or even races, except where it may positively influence their own.

   During the Fall, the Ancient Drakes decreed that dragonkind would side with humanity. Almost all obeyed this order. Nearly every member of the other magical races resents dragons to this day for their perceived betrayal.

   Only 30 dragons refused the Drakes' decision and fought with the High Elven Empire. After the Fall, all 30 were cast out from draconic culture, and their horns were removed as a mark of shame. In the time since, 24 have chosen to die rather than face life cut off from their own kind; only 6 still live.

   Dragons can innately manipulate magic through unknown means from birth. Their ability seems practically limitless.

   Dragons can interbreed with any race, but draconic culture considers doing so to be extremely vulgar, sometimes even to the point of censure, and so happens very rarely.

   Interbreeding is done through their mortal forms, as it is highly unlikely actual mortals would survive direct draconic coupling.

   Half-dragon offspring are always long-lived and possessed of incredible charisma and magical aptitude (unless of human parentage). The last known case was Highking Elgar; this is widely speculated, but only a few know it is truth.

9. #9Race: Kobolds

   Keys: kobold

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   Kobolds are diminutive reptilian humanoids; they resemble dragons superficially, but are not actually related.

   Kobolds are a servitor race created by the dragons in pre-history. Their entire culture is centered around service to dragonkind. Each dragon has a cult of kobolds (sizes varying) who worship and serve them with nearly fanatical reverence.

10. #10Race: Faeries

    Keys: fae, faeries

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    Fairies were a magical race of tiny winged humanoids. The largest of them were the size of an average human newborn. Their wings resembled those of butterflies.

    Faeries were beings of almost pure magic, and manipulated it with more ease and skill than any other race, perhaps even dragons.

    The average faerie lifespan was only three weeks. They spent their lives in gleeful hedonism, seemingly making the most of their short time in this world.

    If faeries had any culture or social structure at all beyond pleasure-seeking, it was never discovered. The inner machinations of their minds remain an enigma.

    Faeries lived away from other races, in far forests or hidden vales. Their existence is told only through accounts from lost travelers or explorers. Encounters with other races were always playful and mischievous, but never malicious, even if malice was acted upon them.

    After the Fall, sightings of faeries quickly grew even more rare. The last officially recognized one was 128 years ago, but even at the time, it was heavily doubted and contested.

    Faeries are considered extinct. There is a theory with some evidence behind it that they did not truly die out, but left this world for another; however, the point is academic, as either way, it means none are here.

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