In the earliest days of Atreia, Aion created the Drakan to watch over all the other races and govern them as an empire of peace and order.
Humans, Sapiens and Drakan lived in peace alongside each other. Though tribes would occasionally battle, the threat of Drakan intervention was enough to stop full-scale wars.
Most of the surviving records of this era are Drakan and make little mention of Humans. We know only that small tribal groups settled mainly near rivers and coastlines, surviving by fishing and gathering.
They worship Aion as the creator and protector of all living things and submitted themselves to the Drakan, knowing that it was his will.
The Drakan's complete dominion over the land inevitably corrupted them. Five of their leaders, seeking to expand their power, tapped into an unknown source of energy and become the Five Dragon Lords-a process evidently similar to ascension.
They used this energy to cause certain of their species to "ascend" as well, turning them into the Balaur. No longer satisfied with being the stewards of Atreia, they declared themselves to be its absolute rulers and all the "lesser" races to be servants.
The sapiens began to worship the Dragon Lords as gods, but humans, faithful to Aion did not.
Aion rewarded the humans for their faith with the power needed to resist the Balaur. Twelve Empyrean Lords were brought forth, divine beings of power equal to the Dragon Lords.
It is unclear whether the Empyrean Lords were Humans who had ascended or were condensed, fully-formed from the divine Aether. The extent texts contains both version of the story and the Lords themselves refuse to speak on the matter.
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