Soon after the creation of Astaria, the gods met with the dragons. Each wished to create new life upon the world. The gods wielded immense magical power, but the wyrms laid claim to the world, as its bones were formed from their kin. Besides, the dragons were familiar with physical matter, and were too many to easily fight. And so, the gods and dragons resolved to work together in creating the many plants and beasts of the world.
This work was good, but each wanted more. The dragons still envied the power of the gods to create their will, while the gods yearned for creations truly their own, free of the dragons' influence. Thus, a new bargain was struck. The dragons were given the Starheart, an immense gem composed of pure Stardust, to which each of the gods gave a fraction of their power. In return, the gods were given seven days to work their will directly on the world, and swore an oath never to do so again.
The gods agreed that on each day, they would form a dozen members of a single, new race, and then rest at night. Thus would seven new races come into being, to work the will of the gods upon the world.
First to be formed were the Meraluk, carved from blocks of peat. This material made them crude and irregular, with many distinct shapes emerging. Their origin meant that they would forever carry within them a certain darkness, and that they would be a people hard to hold together, but rich with potential.
On the second day the gods formed the orcs, made of sand and sea water. This kept them forever on the edges of the world, sailing the oceans that ran through their veins, and as unpredictable as the skies and storms over the seas.
Wanting more complexity, on the third day the gods wove together reeds from the riverbank to form the burrowmen. The intricate construction required that these people be small, but allowed them to weave themselves into any culture or circumstance. The river water in their blood gave them a desire for travel, but the riverbank clinging to their roots gave them a love of the earth.
On the fourth day, the gods created elves. They were works of art, carved from the wood of oak, yew, birch, and elder. Each of these trees birthed a man and two women, and in a moment of inspiration, they were gifted with the delicate wings of birds. Elves still thrive in their beloved woodlands, connected to the animals so apparent in their own form. The wood that made them gave elves a strong affinity for a particular element, also making them strong but flexible, light but powerful.
With their skills strengthened, on the fifth day the gods carved the dwarves from solid rock. Some had sharper edged features like mountain peaks, while others had more rounded features, sculpted like rolling hills. All had a solidity that could be seen as either reliability or stubbornness, along with a love of rock, stone, and the deep earth.
Growing ever bolder, on the dawn of the sixth day the gods resolved to mold the gnomes of molten glass. Made from the things of the ground and shaped in molds of wood, they are comfortable in woods and tunnels alike. Crafted with great skill, they are great artisans, with a constant sparkle and a strong sense of both beauty and value.
The gods rested, intending to make their greatest creation on the final day. The dragons grew afraid, worrying that such a creation would surely steal the world from them. The treacherous wyrms hatched a plan. They silently spread their great wings over the sleeping gods, blocking out the sun's light. The gods slumbered on throughout the final day, dreaming of creations that would never be.
Just as the sun began to set, a tiny mosquito found a gap in the dragons' wings and bit the goddess Essek. Waking to swat the insect with her broom, she saw the sun and despaired. Waking her brothers and sisters, Essek thanked the mosquito and its bite by giving it the gods' own children to feed from forever more. The gods cast about for a material that could be shaped in the little time remaining, and they settled on clay. Working quickly, they wrestled to form the last creation before the light died. The creatures were not uniform, being thin and fat, large and small, light and dark. Finally, as the last of them was formed and the sun set, the gods had created humanity. Unfinished, but with great variety and a multitude of gifts, as malleable as the clay from which they were formed, with a quick and frantic lifespan, humanity was free to find its own way in the world.
With that, the gods' children awoke and beheld the stars.
The dragons then sought to create their own races, in imitation of the gods. From their own flesh and blood and in their own image, using the magic of the Starheart, each tribe of dragons formed their own creation. These were the Dracoine, the true children of the dragons, with magic racing through their veins.
Each of the dragon tribes sought to claim the greatest part of the Starheart's magic for themselves, and these arguments quickly led to fighting. The great wyrms tore into each others' bodies, reducing their own numbers in their frenzy. Where their blood struck the ground still pulsing with the magic of creation, the kobolds arose. This race, made by chance without intent or purpose, worship the dragons as their gods.
Finally, the strongest and wisest dragons remaining put a stop to the slaughter. Recognizing that continued infighting would only surrender the world to the gods, they agreed to form a council to guard the Starheart and govern the dragons. The Dracoine were their favored sons and daughters, given the gifts of learning and magic. The Kobolds were made a servitor race, used merely to labor in the pursuit of the Dracoines' will.
Their civilization established, the draconic races turned their greedy eyes to the lands around them.