A Short History

Many years ago. Before recorded history there was a legend. A legend that spoke of a world. This world was a new and clean world, a world before mortals and gods. Before the black, evil, darkness of the taint filled the air. The world was called Arcadia, and it was owned by dragons.
The dragons had the whole world to themselves, but some of the great beasts started to get lonely, and others bored. They didn't want to be the only living creature anymore, so they tried their hand at making new life. They filled the world with all sorts of animals and beasts. The dragons were happy with their work, for a time, but all to soon they quickly began to realize that the creatures they made were not intelligent, and could never learn to have conversations with them, or to build their own civilizations. So the dragons tried again. This turn of creation made such intelligent beasts, great sphinxes and beautiful unicorns. However, after a time, this too became unsatisfactory to the dragons. Sphinx was too intelligent, and unicorn wouldn't even speak to some of the dragons.
The dragons began to despair. Thinking that none of the life they could make would keep them company, or entertain them. That they were doomed to live lonely and dull lives, and that just would not do. So they slept. It was not long before one of the dragons had a dream. In that dream it saw the coming of sentient creatures that were not immortal, they were short lived. They were intelligent. However, they were destructive, the destroyed, and caused war between each other, they killed and raped, and stole from each other. Still the dragon awakened his brothers and sisters and told them of his dream.
After hearing the dream of their brother. The dragons decided that each of them would try their hand at creating a sentient creature. A humanoid, they called it. So they left, each to their own corner of Arcadia. After one hundred years had passed. Each dragon came back with sentient life. One that they had spent their time creating. Some were very different from each other. Some looked almost the same. However they all were placed on the soil of Arcadia, and the dragons left them to make a world for themselves. They were so proud and sure of their creations that they returned to their slumber.
In time the humanoids did learn to live off the land, and build. They created fire, and gathered food. They developed a language. However spiritually they were lost, they did not know where they come from, or who to thank for their life. They were scared of the darkness that concealed some of the before creatures, and they were very meek.

When the dragons awoke and saw their creations their hearts swelled with pride, and excitement. They were intelligent yet humble, and had not yet learned what evil was. Some of the dragons were pleased with the purity of their creations, however some wanted to change this. So the dragons each appeared to their children, telling them the story of the life and creation, and how the dragons ruled over them. As time went on, and the dragons interacted with their creations, they had gifted them great things to help them live their lives.
The first gift was nature magic. The lands began offering it's secrets to the ones that would listen, and that could understand it's pleas, and in return, the people would give to nature it's protection and love.
The second gift was dragon magic, this they called Arcane magic. It also came to a select few who had the intelligence and charisma to use it. Over time people were selected to study this magic, and these people were called mages. Others came to them for guidance and magic.
The third gift was faith magic. It was a lot like nature magic, only it came from the faith that the people had in the dragons, their gods and creators. Back in these days their deities lived among them so faith created stronger warriors, and people lived for thousands of years. Great temples were built, and great deeds, both good in evil, done in the name of dragons.
The next gift was the power of mind magic. It gave the sentient creatures the ability to change and effect things with there minds. There were not many who could handle this power, and it was the most dangerous, people sometimes destroyed themselves while practicing it.
The final gift, didn't seem like a gift to many who were given the gift of magic, it was martial prowess. To those who accepted this gift, they grew mighty and strong. Or fast like a jack rabbit, or an stealthy as a snake.
The dragons saw how happy these gifts had made their creations and it made them swell with pride and excitement. Their creations were so unique, none of them were like each other, even after they reproduced, their offspring were different from their parents. However it was in this difference that fear and hatred started to take root.

Seeing all these great gifts, some of the mortals became jealous of the others, they all wanted what the other one had. Even though the ones who were angry were also gifted it was not enough for them. Truly the evil intentions of some of their creators had started to show in the attiudes and personalities of the mortals, and so great armies were made. These armies were the evil in mortals hearts, and since they were directly connected to their creators, the evil was strong.
These armies attacked the other creatures, they ravaged the lands, and raped the women. Some races were completely lost during these wars, and of course, some came into being. The armies were merciless destroying anyone in their path, and so the lands were conqured in the name of evil. Most of the dragons felt shame in their creations, either because they lost so easily, or because their creations had been tainted by the evil, and was breeding a new race of hatred. This saddness made the good dragons retire to their homes and fall asleep. However that was not the end of it.
One of the evil dragons decided that since evil was now supreme in the lands, that good had no place in it. So as the good dragons slept, the forces of evil swept through the land, marching through each small city and village destroying any with good in their hearts. The evil dragons had plans of their own. That would be the first time a dragon against dragon attack happened, the victim was the youngest of the goodly dragons, and as she slept she was murdered. Her body given to the humans as a gift, showing the might of evil. Finally the good dragons could take no more of it.
A war started against the good and evil dragons. The skies rained blood, and the seas were turned red with it. Many dragon lives were lost in this war that spanned through centuries, until finally the good and evil dragons came to a stand still. There could be no victor. For evil could not exist without good, just as good could not exist without evil. However all the dragons had lost their immortality, so severely weakened were they, and from their blood came a new being. One who had the power of every dragon. The powers of creation and destruction, of life and of death. He looked to the lands and he wept, there was much destruction upon it. So he soon would pass his judgement.

The man created from the blood of the dragons. Walked through the lands, and when he saw nothing worth saving he flew up to the sky, and with a voice like trumpets he told dragon and mortal alike what he would do. He told them of a flood that would ravage the world of Arcadia, of how that none but two of each race would be spared. New race and old race alike. He commanded them to pick two among them who would restart their people and bring in a new age for all life. Of course there was much blood shed no one wanted to be destroyed, but the man knew this would happen, and so when he came to claim the two from each, he knew that only the strongest would be left.
Once the group was protected, the man raised his hands over the world of Arcadia and a great flood of icy waters came, it poured over the world, freezing and flooding all creation, destroying everything in it's path. The man was deaf to the cries and pleads of all the creatures below him. For they had failed in their life. Who could rule a world, when there was nothing left to rule? After five hundred years had passed, and all life was destroyed, he pushed back the frozen waters, and blew warmth into the air. Into the seas he poured new live. Beautiful creatures that were also sentient, but that could not live on the land.
He returned to the mortals that he had saved and gave them each their own place in the clean world. Telling them that they would be given guardians, and that forever would they be watched and judged so nothing so horrible could ever happen again. He spent many hundreds of years creating the live of his children. The first known gods of Arcadia. Each a guardian to the mortals, each giving something unique to help aid them in their struggles.
So it was, that all sentient life thrived under their new deities. However, the man demanded that no deity could ever directly effect the will of man. Nor could they effect the out come of the lives of man. Some agreed happily, some immediately sought out ways around this rule. However, the world of Arcadia was safe for now, good and evil were in balance, and their guardians were ever watching.

The mortals flourished on Arcadia. Many were happy, technology, magic, and martial prowess had come a long way. Truly the man had come and done what the dragons couldn't. Wars still happened, and evil was still a thing, but they were both balanced. Children were raised to fear and respect their guardians and gods. However all good things must come to an end.
A great and terrible dragon, a cross-bred between and onyx and black dragon roamed over the land, building an army of evil. It took the form of a man, and raped women, making sure that it would always have an heir in the world of Arcadia. Those who stood in it's way were destroyed, the guardians did their best to protect their people from the dragon terror, but to no avail. So instead they picked a mortal woman and gave her a child. However as she slept one night, a agent of the terror came to her home. The agent used his magics to keep the woman lost in sleep as he gave her a transfusion of dragon blood in hopes that her child will be born in service of the Terror dragon.
When the time finally came to give birth. An agent of her guardian came to her. She told the woman of how the baby would grow up and would grow strong in the ways of arcane magic. How the child must remain safe because one day, he would destroy the dragon terror. The baby was born and there was much rejoicing, and as the agent proclaimed, the child was strong in the ways of the arcane. It came naturally to him. He had no need for study, his magic would burst from him at strange times, and so a teacher came to him. He quickly surpassed the teacher, learning great control and wisdom.
The boy, now a man came to the home of the onyx terror, and they did fight. However there was to be no victor. Their powers collided, and a great evil taint was released, though the dragon did die, so too did the man. The evil of the dragon was defeated, but the evil of the taint had just begun. Seeing this the teacher of the hero joined with other mages, of mental and arcane powers, and created a city that would float above the evil taint. They were successful.
Today the legend and the fight of the dragon and man has become ancient history, known only by the most intelligent scholars and historians. Even then it is taken for myth. For none alive can remember a time without the floating cities, and the sea of darkness that laid beneath. Many believe that if you fall, you fall forever into a sea of liquefied evil, and in fact, the governments use this as a form of execution.