Era of the Dragons

Summary
Once the Gods took over the world, the greatest of the creatures on the Prime Material Plane, the Dragons, stepped up and took over the world. Manipulating lesser creatures into wars and fealty, they ruled the world of Arcane Sanctum for eight thousand years.

45,000 P.C. - 43,000 P.C.
The Dragons began to split up the world. Each dragon carved out a spot for themselves, creating a lair, manipulating the local tribes of people and creatures to do their bidding out of fear or because they convinced them they were gods.

According to several Draconic tablets from the time, it was around this time that Dragons started developing colors to their scales. The metallic ones were good and treated their subjects fairly. The chromatic ones were evil, manipulative, and experimented with their subjects.

43,000 P.C. - 41,000 P.C.
The Dragons began to form tribes of their scale color, grouping in different regions, uniting their small empires into large ones so they would be more secure. Various Dragons began to eye each other's regions. Some of the tribes appointed leaders as well, who then became even more powerful with a small army of dragons to serve them.

Various battles broke out between neighboring empires, mostly between the tribes of people and creatures that served the Dragons, but almost never the Dragons themselves. Eventually the battles grew and the Dragons themselves had to get involved.

41,000 P.C. - 39,000 P.C.
Various wars broke out between tribes of Dragons. At first, the Dragons only allied with Dragons of a similar color, but various power struggles and shifts caused them to rethink their strategy. Eventually all the chromatic dragons began to align and all the metallic dragons united to stand against them.

Long and complex strategies were enacted by the two warring sides. Complex gambits and feints were done, like a large chess game, as both sides chopped away at each other's forces. Eventually the war costs both sides so much in the way of forces that it created a sort of a stalemate.

39,000 P.C. - 37,000 P.C.
Weakened by their wars that had lasted thousands of years, the Dragon empires returned to their lairs and decided to become isolationists. Not having the forces or the numbers to attack anyone, they slowly became complacent. Their followers began to complain, some of them even revolting against their Dragon overlords.

No one could overthrow the Dragons outright, though. They were too powerful. Some of those Dragons were thousands of years old. No one group could challenge them all. That is, until the Giants decided to make a stand...

Signs of the Era
Various races were created, evolved, or manipulated into the current version they are today during this era. Kobolds, Shadow Dragons, Dracolichs, Lizardfolk, Half-Dragons, and Dragonborn were said to all have originated during this time. Dragons themselves are still around, but in much smaller numbers, and never too old, as the larger they become, the more they feed and terrorize the area, and the bigger of a target they become. Although, some say ancient Dragons, almost thousands of years old, may still exist today, but in hiding.

Also, various historical documents, made of stone, were created by the Dragons to maintain their history. Various tablets have been found throughout the years detailing certain periods of this era in certain regions. This is some of the first documented history of the world.

It was at this time that magic was gifted to the races as well. Dragons had kept that a secret to themselves for a long time, but eventually they gifted it to their loyal followers and even imbued some of their people with magic to make them stronger. Some say that it was during this time that the bloodline for Sorcerers was first created.

Because magic was first introduced during this era, various arcane items were created around this time and some have even survived to the present without being noticed. Many of these items are draconic in nature, granting draconic abilities or items only usable by Dragons or the draconic races. However, some of them are just plain powerful and have yet to be discovered.