The history of Iralas knows 5 eras. Knowledge of these eras ranges from myth and legend to history and fact.
This is the Era in which Dwarves emerged from the Deep, and started mining their tunnels. Elves came from Elsewhere, and Men sprung from the Dirt.
Any knowledge of this Era is regarded as myth.
Texts from various cultures speak of
...Gods walked the earth ...Something fell from the heavens ...Magic shaped the World ...Visitors from the Stars ...The World was Divided...
Dwarves gilded their halls, and Elves embraced the world. Men flourished, traveling the world. Several main lineages spring from this Era; The Northmen who settled in present-day Imland and further north, the Ameans who settled in Aregrionno, Helladris and Gandortal, and the Azzazites of the South.
Texts from various cultures speak of
...An exodus ...Great golden empires ...Snakes and slaves ...Demons and devils ...Magic beyond Belief ...Cities of Silver...
Any knowledge of this Era is either myth or legend.
Elves are said to have had prosperous colonies all over the world. At the end of the Third Era (arguably marking the end of the Third Era), an event called the Kerymsept took place. This resulted in the Elves of Iralas being divided ever since.
Texts from various cultures speak of
...Kindoms of Man... Grand alliances... A War of Dragons... Seas of Blood...
Any knowledge of this era is legend, and sometimes history, with some ancient places still bearing marks from the Third Era.
The Fourth Era is defined by the fallout of the kerymsept, and the rise of other races following the disunity of the Elves. This rise was both geographical, with many other races staking a claim in previously Elf-dominated lands, as well as intellectual. The Elves used to be the prime keepers of magical knowledge, but now, many other cultures made great advances, such as the Orcs of Karkarand.
The Elves themselves fortified what holdings they had left, such as the High Elves of Elleseand closing their borders to the outside world.
The exact length of the Fourth Era is hard to discern, due to the various methods of time-keeping used by different cultures. Generally, it is agreed to be somewhere between 1000 and 3000 years.
The Fourth Era came to an end with The Year of the Black Star - an event so notable, that all cultures have some record of it occurring.
Following the Year of the Black Star, Iralas was in various forms of upheaval and unrest. Some empires had been destroyed almost entirely, such as the Orcish realms of Karkarand. Others faced great societal shifts and dealt with the fallout more indirectly.