Age of Separation
The Age of Separation, also referred to as the First Two Millennia, was a prolonged era in the ancient history of Areth spanning two thousand years. According to A History of Rislandia, the defining characteristic of this age was the parallel, largely independent existence of the world's major peoples and beings: Giants, the Second Children, the Fae, Dragons, and Goblins each occupied their own spheres with minimal contact between them.
Overview
As A History of Rislandia states: "For two thousand years, the world existed in this state." The age was not marked by great wars of unification or catastrophic collision between peoples, but rather by a sustained divergence — each race or kind flourishing or enduring according to its own nature, in its own corner of the world.
The Peoples of the Age
The Giants
For the Giants, the Age of Separation represented a high point in their civilisation. According to A History of Rislandia, the Giants experienced their Golden Age during this period, centred in Zenwey. This era of Giant prosperity stands in contrast to their later decline.
The Second Children
The Second Children, the mortal peoples of Areth, survived and thrived in their own regions throughout the Age of Separation. The sourcebook does not specify which regions each group inhabited during this period, but records their endurance as a defining feature of the age.
The Fae
The Fae remained hidden from the wider world during the Age of Separation, though they were not entirely absent from mortal affairs. According to A History of Rislandia, the Fae occasionally interacted with mortals during this time, though the nature and frequency of such interactions is not elaborated upon in the sourcebook.
The Dragons
The Dragons spent the Age of Separation in their lairs in a state of sleep, occupied with hoarding knowledge rather than treasure or wealth. A History of Rislandia does not specify the locations of these lairs during this period. The Dragons of the Dragonmist Isles may be connected to this tradition, though no direct link is stated in the sourcebook.
The Goblins
During the Age of Separation, the Goblins constructed underground kingdoms. A History of Rislandia does not name these kingdoms or specify their locations within the sourcebook covering this period. The Goblins of Zarma may represent a later remnant of these underground polities.
Legacy
The Age of Separation preceded later eras of contact, conflict, and intermingling among the peoples of Areth. The relative isolation of this period shaped each group's distinct culture, power, and trajectory into subsequent ages of history. The eventual end of this separation — and what brought it to a close — is addressed in later sections of A History of Rislandia.