The Former

The Former, Those Who Came Before, the People's First, O'iran; they have been called many names over the ages. Whatever name you call them, they are widely believed to be one of the first civilizations to inhabit the continent of Archaios. However, most of modern scholars' "knowledge" on the Former is little more than conjecture. The reason; the Former left incredibly little behind. There are no ruins, no ancient crypts, no trace of any civilization aside from the errant artifact or magical anomaly (specifically poignant in the Liminean Wilds) . There are a few mentions of the Former in early Antecean records that describe them as elf-like creatures that lived in cities "made of trees and clouds" that were found primarily in the northern regions of Horizon and Kentro, as well as the Sylvanlands. What few artifacts that have been found are jealously horded by mages and scholars. The magic they emit tend to be druidic in nature, but are only similar to modern druidic magic on the most basic levels.
The civilizations of the elves had the most robust relationship with the Former (they called them O'ira in their tongue), but even they knew precious little about these "stewards of nature." Based on their interactions with both the elves as well as others, it was clear the Former considered themselves as "guides" of sorts to the natural order. They were content to let mortal kingdoms grow and expand as they saw fit so long as they didn't overstep their bounds. On the flip side, they would join mortal armies in existential struggles against outer enemies like mind flayers or dragons.
By and large, they were little more than ghost stories or folktales to early human kingdoms, until the rise of Antecea . The expansive human empire's campaign into the north invoked the full wrath of the Former, in which the seemingly unstoppable war machine of Antecea was all but halted in its tracks by the untraceable guerilla attacks of the Former.
Despite their military successes against the Anteceans, and much to the dismay of their elven allies, the Former vanished suddenly around 45 AC. The Antecean's quickly realized their old foe was gone, and wasted no time in finishing their campaign in Horizon. Many theories abound around what happened to the Former. The Anteceans would happily have you believe they crushed them into nothing. Others believe they achieved a higher form of being; becoming one with nature. Others still believe they're still around, just simply hiding and being very, very quiet. 
Even so, the Former had left a permanent, palpable effect on the world at large, albeit without any tactile ruins or artifacts to show for it. The few artifacts they did leave behind have been hugely influential in the course of mortal history, and scholars to this day seek to unravel the mysteries they left behind and their understanding of magic and spellcraft. The Former were also directly responsible for making the magic of the world the way it is today, though this is something that very, very few mortals are aware of...

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Former are depicted as a proto-elven race. Some believe they are closely related to Wood Elves. They were taller than modern elves and sported webbed feet and hands as well as gills. As creatures of the natural world, they were amphibious beings that were just as comfortable in the sea as they were on land. They also lived incredibly long life-spans, even for elves. It is speculated that they were conditionally immortal. While as a society they were pacifists, they were sleek and agile creatures and boasted an aptitude for magical combat. As with all their constructs, the weaponry they employed (although they preferred long range combat with magic and nature manipulation) were crafted from wood and stone and imbued with magic. They often used crystal artifacts as focuses for their powers and granted them exceptionally potent abilities. These are the artifacts that can still be found today.

Genetics and Reproduction

The Former are generally believed to be Fey creatures but were capable of "traditional" reproduction with other species of Archaios. It is unclear whether or not the Former chose to or were capable of reproducing with each other.
Legends state that when the Former needed to reproduce, they would court enclaves of elves and gnomes as they were more closely aligned the the Former's fey-like nature. The offspring would then be taken by the Former into the deep wilds and be imbued by magical rituals to induce a metamorphosis into a proper Former.

Growth Rate & Stages

It is unknown how long it took Former children to mature, if they even existed. What is known is that Former were conditionally immortal, in that they did not age or die of natural causes, though they could be killed in battle.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Legend states the Former could survive exclusively off the ambient magic of the Weave. It is more likely that they followed a foragers diet.

EXTINCT

The Former and the Foci There is clearly a strong relationship between the Former and the magical Foci that dot the lands of Archaios. When the Former still walked the earth, the lands that housed the Foci were one of the few places that the Former physically fought to keep mortals away from. In Antecea's day, they often noted that the Former would gather near the Foci and seemed to be able to use them to traverse great distances, as well as harness them to power incredible feats of spellcasting. 
Lastly, the few artifacts and weapons the Former left behind were left within shrines built around Foci, some of which still have guardians watching over them. 
Whether or not the Former somehow created the Foci or merely found them and became their stewards, it is clear that the two are inseparably linked and that understanding one fully requires an understanding of the other.

Revelations. In 1217 EP, an intrepid adventuring party penetrated the depths of the Liminean Wilds (and lived to tell about it) and met the self-proclaimed Last of the Former. During their conversation, a good deal of light was shed on the esoteric forerunners of civilization.

• The largest revelation was the cyclical origins/end of the Former. According to the Last, there always comes a point in history where the world is set on a course of events wherein it will no longer be habitable by the Former. In this instance, it happened to coincide with Antecea's dominion over Archaios. During this time, a Convergence of the Planes allowed the Former to use the Tree of Eternity in the present-day Liminean Wilds to step far, far back in time, arriving at another Convergence during a primeval era. By the Last's description, this has been a journey the Former have taken countless times. If they ever had a concrete starting point, the Last did not know of it. 
• As was suspected, it was the Former who sealed Cataclysm within his idol prison within the Liminean Wilds. The Former wished to prevent the Fundamental Avatar from upsetting the natural balance of the world, though the extent to which they were referring would only become clear later. 
• The Former oversaw the evolutionary development of the mortal races and consider the elves to be their "children." It was implied that they guided different species down specific paths in order to "specialize" them for different domains.