Historical Europe is the place you read about in the history books. There are no Magi and dragons, faerieland is a place in fairy tales, and legends rarely turn out to be true. This is a place of mind-numbing poverty, rampant disease, and immense vigor and passion.
From a historical standpoint, this is the year A.D. 1196. The Thirteenth Century is about to begin. The barbarian and Viking invasions are over, and people are beginning to look beyond their own immediate surroundings once more. The fourth crusade to the Holy Land is being preached, and the people of Europe still remember the Third Crusade (1189-1192), wherein Richard the Lionhearted of England and Saladin the Moor vied with each other in contests of honor and valor.
The kings of Europe are slowly solidifying their power over their nobles in most of Western Europe. Feudalism is starting to decline.
This is the beginning of a new age, the age of the city. Towns and cities are being founded at an astounding rate, and the first universities in Europe are coming into existence. Cities and kingdoms are the hallmarks of this new era, and for the first time in memory, more peasants are free than indentured, and most nobles can read simple verse and write their own names.
This is the first great period of art, science, and learning since Roman times. Scholars are once again reading Aristotle and Galen. While most scholars greet this blossoming of the intellect with joy and relief, there are many hidebound clergy who see newfound interest in secular knowledge as evil and dangerous. The conflict between the two groups runs deep.
In the Thirteenth Century, wealth gained by trade and commerce begins to rival the ancient wealth of most noble families. Merchants journey to the far corners of the world, braving savage bandits, raging seas, and scorching deserts to return with beautiful silks and rare spices to insure their fortunes. Huge trade fairs are held in France, near Paris, where instant cities of tens of thousands are created each summer.