Whispers of a Forgotten Age

Long ago it is said that the gods walked the earth just as men do, and there was peace and prosperity for all good folk. But not all the gods were content with this, seeking order and power, one malevolent god rose up from his mighty fortress against the others, rallying a host of devilish followers behind him, and scarred the material plane forever. A war raged between good and evil, but when no victor could be found, a treaty was signed, proclaiming that all the gods would leave the mortal world, to watch over as their creations found their own path.
All in the world dimmed with the parting of the gods, the sun grew darker, the people hungrier, and ancient and powerful magic was a distant memory. The once great elves hid away, their power diminished, men struggled, their reliance on the gods and magic leaving them alone and directionless. But the dwarves, in their mountain homes, did not forget the lessons taught to them, craftmanship was in their blood, they built great halls of rock, weapons of steel and mithril, and built clans, families tied by honour and duty. Thus began the age of the dwarves.
But it did not last, great kings rose and fell, in this time of myth and legend, and after 700 years, they fell for good. Now hidden away in the icy mountains of the north, they linger on their past greatness. Men found their way again in this time, though battered and beaten, they kept fighting on, and in the end found some salvation, little lords fought wars for fields and hills, until their power grew to make them kings in their own right, and thus, as the dwarves power rescinded they watched as humans took their place.
Now the year is 426 of the 4th era, the continent is ruled by a new empire, still shaken and wary from an age of war, but in relative peace for the past 26 years. To the south, the great duchy of vissencia, ruled by it's wine trade, stands as an ally to the empire, though some use the term puppet, along side it, the draconian plateau, unlike the rest of the continent in environment, run by merchant princes of draconic heritage, which too swears fealty to the emperor. To the north the dwarves guard their border with watchful eyes, interacting scarcely with the rest of the continent, only opening up to trade vast amounts of precious resources. To the east, across the Kteynvand mountains, lies an untamed land of great plains and ancient forests, inhabited by all kinds of strange and dangerous creatures, but also home to the elusive elves, bitter at the damage the west has caused them before.
And at the heart of the continent, the Empire, ruled by the sovereign, Magnus Westrynd, halfway through his 7th decade, provides it's people protection and safety from the harsh conditions on the edges of it's civilization, in exchange for strict laws, a selection of approved deities and mandatory education in the common tongue. This agreement has left the empire in peace and prosperity for the past 20 years, atleast for the merchants and political elite, below the surface tensions rise as some, especially in conquered lands are sick of the ever watching eyes of the imperial guard and the arcane assembly.
But this story begins smaller, contacted by the dwarf Dulgrim Battlehammer, with a risky job, but the promise of great wealth at the end. For whatever your reasoning, you've decided to accept, and are making your way to the town of Dragonsrest, where he tells of an ancient dragon's tomb, long lost to time, that has been recently uncovered.