Terasin

Few remember the time before the Advent Empire. If you believe the tales, it was an era of Chaos and Evil, until the day the Advent Elves arrived. The elven armies, driven by a mission known only to themselves, swept across the continent like a cleansing fire. Monstrous hordes and tribes were driven back, and those races they found worthy were elevated. Although all were subject to their rulership and arrogance, they brought many gifts. For nearly 500 years their empire lasted, until the Exodus, when the Advent Elves, without so much as a word, retreated to their ancestral homeland. Without the elves' oversight, the world plunged into darkness.   It has only been in the last 100 years that some semblance of civilization has been forged by humanity. A feudal system has formed around Heirlooms, which are powerful artifacts that were originally crafted with the assistance of the Advent Elves. Unlike the comparably meager artifice of humans, the ley of a single Heirloom can span an entire kingdom. Feudal humans have various traditions for passing noble office, but they all share a common trait: in order to claim the office, a pretender must claim the office's Heirloom. Some kingdoms build elaborate dungeons to house Heirlooms and test the worthiness of pretenders, while others create barriers that only permit passage by particular bloodlines (sometimes referred to as Bloodgeons). Regardless of the tradition, anyone in the good graces of the the current office holder usually has an advantage over someone who isn't. And so, dynasties are formed.