Past Civilizations

Not much is known of the civilizations that previously inhabited the known world. Even the scholars of Cogys, who's entire civilization is built atop the mostly intact ruins of an ancient city, can glean little of who they were and what their cultures were like. However, it is known that there were multiple civilizations, each with their own variations of advanced technology. Each distinct culture, determine mostly by the architecture they left behind, has been given a title to help distinguish them from each other.

• Ancestors: This civilization used highly-refined glasses and metals to construct multi-leveled high-technology cities across southeastern Sonata. The nation of Cogys currently inhabits their ruins. However, most scholar posit that Cogys is not the first civilization to reclaim the cities of the Ancestrals. In fact, they believe that at least one other civilization took up residence in the ruins between the end of the Ancestrals and the arrival of the delving companies that would eventually become Cogys. This places the Ancestrals as the oldest of the lost civilizations. Despite this, their architecture is in surpassingly good condition; a testament to their incredible engineering. Unfortunately, much of their technology is inoperable due toa combination of destruction during past events, inept tinkering by whichever civilization came before Cogys, and being so advanced as to be beyond the comprehension of even the greatest minds of the Eternal Library.
• Ancestrals: This is the name given to the civilization that occupied the Ancestors' ruins before Cogys. Not much is known about this civilization as it did little to build upon the legacy of the Ancestors. What few changes it did make as so minor as to be inconsequential or difficult to differentiate from the Ancestors. In most academic spheres, Ancestor and Ancestral are used almost interchangeably or are frequently confused with each other.
• Ancients: Much of the Ancients' civilization is buried beneath the Sandsea. The only portion of the civilization consistently above ground is Gravewatch, located against the eastern mountains of the Sandsea. Few of the tall, jagged structures that seemed to have been prominent throughout the regain remain intact, though it is believe that majority of their infrastructure lies just beneath the sand. Permanent delving camps have been established in Gravewatch, seeking to slowly hold push back the flowing sand to be able to explore it and uncover its secrets. Ancient architecture utilizes minimal windows and doors, giving many hope that much of it remains free of sand and, once and entrance is found, can be explored in depth with relative ease.
• Forebearers: Though not as common as in the Lost Ruins, the Scourge Wilderness holds its fair share of ruins. Though some of the architecture is rather recent, historically speaking, there are some advanced ruins that are unique to the region, suggesting a civilization once occupied most of not all of the southwestern half of Sonata. In addition to being an incredibly hostile wilderness full of dangerous plant and wildlife, it is also home to the largest Scourge population in the known world, making efforts to learn more about the Forebearers. From what has been successfully gather so far, it is believe that there were the first of the civilizations to emerge during the past age, though they seemed to quickly fall behind their neighbors in technology, which may be a reason why their ruins are among the scarcest of the lost civilizations
• Precursors: There is even less information on the precursors than on the other lost civilizations as it is believed they did not live in cities, according to some scholars, even lived on land. Remnants of other lost civilizations allude toone or more peoples that lived in cities that floated through the air, on the sea, or even beneath the sea. With no remains of these mobile cities to be found, it is difficult to gain any real understanding of them.