The Second Empire

Sometimes referred to as the Builders. A civilization that existed roughly from 24.000 to 22.000 before the common calendar. The word empire is a later label dating from the Third Empire around -500 CC and today's historians believe that is was not a single realm, but rather a common culture. Some prefer describing it as the Builder Culture (apparently the elven phrase), as there were at least four different nations or provinces. The age of the Second Empire is thought to be the time that the use of magic became common among men, and most historian attribute the rise of the Second Empire to the use of magic. Little is known about the culture, and why it disappeared. It is believed to have started out as a river culture along the shores of Brangalynn and Ravis. Perhaps needed for irrigation, engineering skills were highly developed, eventually to the point where they built a capital in the mountains. It is thought that though the placement was impractical for a large population, it was a display of excellence in building where a relatively small elite would enjoy luxuries.
The few written sources from the time describe the fall of Galvenay, the Belandrian province (or nation), and its capital, Esmir, in the Black Mountains. Galvenay was the first province to be lost, there were three other provinces, but it seems there were no time for historians to write the story of their own fall. The three other capitals were Tallona (the name is far from certain, and it may be the name of the nation, not the city) situated on the Servan Plain near present-day Penhaven, Dormion (same disclaimer) at present-day Dambergard, and Roskehr (again, much uncertainty surrounds this name) in Suadan at present-day Kolonna.
The provinces are thought to be have started out as much less advanced colonies that only became separate kingdoms as Galvenay collapsed.