Distant Past

Each of the Sovereigns that chose to experiment on humanity creates a branch of empowered humans that specialize in the same style of magic as that Sovereign. The Sovereign of Fire, Tal'Ris, creates Fire Elementals through these efforts; The Sovereign of Dreams, N'Dellex, creates the Dreamwalkers; etc. A'Xerahn, the Sovereign of Desire, experiments the most forcefully, and his efforts backfire when he pushes the human form too far, inadvertently creating Vampires. Meanwhile, Daemonkind discovers that human emotions act as a source of energy for them comparable to that provided by the Sovereigns, offering an alternative form of sustenance.