Following a global catastrophe the people of Elsar have only really recovered to a position of stability in the last few hundred years. Where once an empire stood four provinces sit in relative peace. The once tamed wilds grew dark and dangerous. Now few overland safe routes exist between the capital cities with most settlements of size not straying far from them. The looting of a lost empire gives opportunity for both adventurer and researcher alike. Magical knowledge is diminished and technology sits firmly in an medieval state. Great colleges have been rebuilt and their academies ever seek to regain the past's glory.