The Great Migration & Founding of the Emerald Legion

1-100 AF - From Refugees to Realm

The founding of the Emerald Legion stands as one of history's most remarkable transformations - how desperate refugees fleeing through a reality-torn portal became the builders of one of Aetherwyn's most unique civilizations. When the Fracture violently ripped open a permanent breach to the Feywild, it became an escape route for elven and fey populations fleeing their own apocalyptic wars. What began as a desperate exodus through a wound in reality became, over the course of a century, the foundation of a realm where two worlds learned to coexist in harmony.

The Portal Breach

When the Fracture shattered reality in Year 0, one of its most dramatic consequences
was the violent tearing of a massive, stable portal between the material world and
the Feywild. Unlike the carefully constructed gates of ancient times, this was a
raw wound in the fabric of existence - chaotic, unpredictable, and bleeding magical
energy in both directions.

The portal manifested in what had been unremarkable forestland, but the sheer force
of its creation twisted the landscape around it. Trees grew to impossible heights
overnight, streams began flowing with starlight, and the very air shimmered with
otherworldly energy. More importantly, it became a beacon visible from the Feywild
side - a desperate escape route for those fleeing their own catastrophes.

The Great Exodus (1-50 AF)

The First Refugees: Within the first year after the Fracture, small groups of
elves and lesser fey began emerging from the portal. They were not explorers or
conquerors, but survivors fleeing wars that had ravaged their own realms. Many
arrived wounded, traumatized, carrying only what they could hold.

Growing Numbers: As word spread through the Feywild of a stable escape route,
the trickle became a flood. Entire elven houses, displaced dryad groves, and
scattered fey courts began making the perilous crossing. Each group brought their
own stories of loss and hope for rebuilding.

Early Settlements: The refugees initially established temporary camps around
the portal, both to aid new arrivals and because many still hoped to return home
once their wars ended. However, as years passed and conditions in the Feywild
remained chaotic, these camps became increasingly permanent.

The Healing: Many refugees arrived not just physically wounded but magically
and spiritually damaged by whatever catastrophes they'd fled. The portal's raw
energy, while chaotic, proved strangely healing for fey creatures. The material
world's stability provided an anchor that helped them recover their strength and
purpose.

The Foundation Era (51-100 AF)

The Great Decision: Around 50 AF, the refugee leaders made a momentous choice.
Rather than continuing to live as temporary residents hoping to return, they would
commit to making this broken land their permanent home. This decision marked the
true beginning of what would become the Emerald Legion.

The World Tree's Growth: At the exact site where the portal had torn reality,
a massive tree began to grow. Fed by the constant flow of fey magic and the
combined will of the refugee communities, it reached impossible size within decades.
This became both a practical shelter and a symbolic heart for their new civilization.

Moonwood Gate's Rise: As the tree grew, the refugees began carving homes and
halls within its vast trunk and among its spreading roots. What started as
practical shelter evolved into the spiraling city of Moonwood Gate, with the
portal chamber at its heart serving as both gateway and sacred shrine.

Territorial Expansion: From their secure base around the portal, the fey
refugees began exploring and settling the surrounding lands. Everywhere they went,
the latent fey magic they carried transformed the landscape, creating the verdant,
mystical forests that would define their realm.

Cultural Fusion: By 100 AF, a unique culture had emerged - one that blended
ancient elven wisdom with fey adaptability and the resilience born of shared
struggle. They were no longer refugees from elsewhere, but the founding generation
of something entirely new.

Legacy and Transformation

The Emerald Legion's Character: The refugee origins shaped every aspect of
the realm's developing culture. Having lost homes once, they became fierce
protectors of sanctuary. Having been welcomed by a broken land, they developed
an almost religious devotion to healing and growth. Having survived through
cooperation across different fey courts and elven houses, they built a society
based on inclusion rather than hierarchy.

The Portal's Role: Nearly a millennium later, the Feywild portal remains
the spiritual and literal heart of Moonwood Gate. It's carefully guarded not
just for its strategic value, but as a sacred site - the door through which
their ancestors found salvation. Traffic still flows both ways, but now as
cultural exchange rather than desperate flight.

Living Bridges: The people of the Emerald Legion see themselves as living
bridges between worlds. They carry the responsibility of proving that refugees
can become builders, that the broken can heal, and that catastrophe can become
the foundation for something beautiful.

The Continuing Story

Today, in 978 AF, the Emerald Legion stands as perhaps the most unique realm
in Aetherwyn - neither fully material nor fey, but something new born from the
marriage of both. The descendants of those first refugees have built cities,
established trade routes, and created art that exists nowhere else in any realm.

Yet they never forget their origins. Every major festival includes remembrance
ceremonies for the lost homelands. The portal chamber doubles as a memorial to
those who died in the exodus. And newcomers - whether refugees from other lands
or simply travelers seeking a fresh start - are welcomed with the understanding
that everyone deserves a chance to rebuild.

The Great Migration wasn't just the founding of a nation; it was proof that
even the most catastrophic breaks in reality can become doorways to hope.

Timeline