Ezentar

Ezentar was an empire of dwarves and elves that ruled the world before the Catalclysm. It is well known for spectacular feats of conquest, but also for bringing significant quality of life increases to those who fell under its rule. Ezentar was destroyed during the events of the Cataclysm, and much of the knowledge lost at that time has yet to be recovered.

Advancements
From the sources historians have been able to find about Ezentar, it is clear the the empire was responsible for a great deal of progress in many fields.

Arngems
Some historians credit Ezentar with the creation of the arngem. Discoveries of arngems in pre-Ezentar ruins have cast doubt upon this claim, but Ezentar is widely believed to have been capable of creating arngems. Documents recovered from various sources confirm that the true nature of the arngem remained unknown to most Ezentaris, but one suggested that the nobles were keeping this information secret from the rest of the world.