The five sanctuaries created by the elves to shield humanity from the dangers of the world had been abandoned at the end of the Classic Age. Humanity had scattered across the world from the snowy plains to the high deserts. Any place humans could claw a living from the world. They had their magicians to aid them against the dangers of the world, but it was the “discovery” of steel that accelerated their growth and fueled their wars.
The elder races had long been using steel, but the humans in the sanctuaries could not travel freely outside of its boundaries. For 4 millennia they lived in an environment controlled by the elves. Once outside they copied what they saw and their technological advancements increased ten-fold. This allowed humans to live longer lifespans and spare many of their children from an early death. Within the span of a millennia humans were the largest race on Miranda.
Tribes banded together and carved out the first city-states, which merged by magic and sword into the new empires. This was the longest time between appearances of the Eye of the Magi and humanity conquered the world. In addition to steel; glass, paper, horseshoes, fire water, and watermills all accelerated the spread of humans. With human settlements near them the elder races began to trade more heavily with the humans, this increased humanity's wealth and influence.
Eons: Creation Eon - Animaeon Eon - Immortal Eon - Mortal Eon
Mortal Eon: Age of the Ancients - Age of Legends - Dark Ages - Return of the Gods - Age of Man - Classic Age - Age of Empires - Age of Heroes - Age of the Magi