The Fifth Epoch covers the emergence of hominid life on Adnati.
This Epoch is the only one in the Hominid Era (the Third Era) to not be subdivided into Ages. It marks the beginnings of intelligent hominid life. At this time, most or all hominids were believed to live in small tribes huddled in rudimentary shelters like caves and make-shift tents made of animal hides stretched over poles. During this time, they began using the most rudimentary of tools – clubs, sticks sharpened into spears, and rocks used to pound other objects or thrown as weapons. Spoken languages were developed during this period, though it’s believed that the first written languages didn’t come until the First Age at the beginning of the Sixth Epoch.
During this period, magic was abundant, as Dream Force flowed unimpeded. It is believed that everyone during this period had some form of rudimentary, instinctive magic. For some, this came from tapping into the elemental forces of nature in what sages today would consider to be a form of Druidry. For many, the source of magic was innate, manifesting in wild and often unexpected ways. Even the simplest spells often triggered surges of power disproportionate to the spell being cast.
This epoch’s end is marked by hominids developing forms of agriculture, including both cultivating crops and raising livestock, which allowed them to settle into stable communities instead of their previous “hunter/gatherer” existence that forced them to travel nomadically in search of fresh game to hunt and plant life to forage.