The Arcane Enlightenment

The Arcane Enlightenment is defined by the pursuit of knowledge and arcane understanding. It is set apart from the The Descent by the nature and motivation behind magical pursuits. Arcane understanding was pursued as a way to draw closer to the forces that govern the land rather than gain power over them. It was at this time that the bond between the lesser races and the divines grew to a new height. The relationship was not one of forced submission but one of working together to understand and help each other. After the founding of The Daedmerth Institute of the Arcane , study of the arcane became a sensation. People would be schooled at the institute then set out to create their own in other parts of the world to spread the learning. In Total 8 Arcane universities were founded. Many who reached the highest levels of understanding held reverie and awe for the beings who created those laws. Worship of the divines intensified and many who had understanding felt it was their duty to spread that understanding. But something unexplained and unexpected by even the divines began to happen. The rapid increase in magic use and understanding created slight holes in the fabric of Zaepheria, so subtle that even the most practiced in the arcane did not notice. The divines, distracted by their worshipers became like silos and focused on receiving their praise and rewarding their faithful without much regard to the world. Through these holes a dark magic that would be later labeled the Essence of Chaos began to leak into the plane. Magical experimentation became more erratic and unpredictable. Valleth Mordekaiser, the arch-mage of Daedmerth began to notice this and made it his personal charge to discover the source. This seemingly small event would spark the beginning of The Descent.