Great Passage

The Great Passage occurred at the beginning of Age Zero, following the destruction of Rasvin. The goddess had attempted to free her mother Nyx from the Beast, but she failed and was torn apart, scattering into the many voices of the Ghost Mother. The death of Rasvin sent cataclysmic ripples through Vala, and Ymogh, Realm Dragon of Alba, fell into a deep, brooding sleep. Some say he loved Rasvin, others believe he had grown tired of the upheavals in his land and wished to drive away the mortals who were the source of so many troubles. Whatever the case, Ymogh sent scouring blizzards to freeze his continent, and the inhabitants of Alba were driven south, first to the shores of the freezing continent and then across the Gray Sea and towards Altea. The migration was led by orcish shamans, who heard the voices of the Ghost Mother urging them to escape Alba and the coming doom of the Beast. Following the orcs were the other peoples of the northern continent: the Ilix, the Kulroq, satyrs and centaurs. Most of these migrants first arrived in Avrasia, which is where the bulk of the Ilix remained. A few tribes craved warmer climes, and journeyed south to the Sunlands, eventually remaining in Selm. These Ilix diverged from their northern kin, becoming the Ashir.
Most orcs pushed down through Heide, destroying the remnants of Tir Urdun and driving the dwarves into the mountains. Humans were enslaved and cities built and burned, reshaping Heide's landscape. The Azlan prevented the Albans from settling in their territory, but the sparsely populated Worldspines and Polaris provided a refuge for many northerners. The Worldspines are where the snow orcs, or frostlings, settled, founding the realm of Gelim and forsaking Rasvin for Bhal. Other orc tribes dispersed west, into the Ondos Mountains or over the Amathine Isles. A large group of orcs in fact left Altea entirely, migrating to the far southern continent of Devana. Some orcs did not remain in Vala at all. They descended into the Abyss, believing they were following the guidance of the Ghost Mother, who whispered that only in the World Below would her orcish children escape the Beast.
The Kulroq, great seafarers, travelled along the coasts of eastern Altea, eventually settling on the island of Alasha in the Zurul Sea. Here, the Kulroq would become mentors and guides to the human tribes that lived along the coasts, just beyond Azlan rule. 
As for the satyrs and centaurs, they settled wherever there was space to roam, but many of them followed the orcs who abandoned Vala and descended into the Abyss. There, they naturally found their way to Veres's realm, where they continued their primal existence, occasionally making forays into the World Above.
Category:History