The first Era: "The time of Strife"

The time of Strife is called "The first Era" The time before the Descension of the Gods.
This was the time that the Elemental Powers, The Old Ones, and Wizards ruled the world. In this time the common folk were seen as slaves to the greater power of wizards and mages.  Magocracies ruled the races and for the most part Wizards ruled from their High Towers and Bastions.  Even now most of the known world is dotted with remants of Towers. Some towers are still intact, some are hidden and can randomly drop in (although this being rare).  In rare occasions travelers and adventurers stumble across a hidden tower, or find a new one in the Wild and Uncivilized parts of Etherlas.
The time of Strife It's widely viewed as a barbaric harsh time. Although some conservative and anti-social magic users long back to this time. Among the (high) Elves there is more loss to the Time of Strife where they flourished and dominated parts of the world. Elves living the longest of all humanoid creatures know more about this time. Some even lived through it for better or worse. The Elves of Ly'Ze'Dir isolated themselves from the world and keep to their own ways. The ways of The first Era. Rarely any contact is made.