[LORE] The United Worlds : The origin of the portal

Hi everyone. Here is a bit of Lore to help you discover how it all started:

In ancient times, great Tharien sages under the Elven banner invoked an ancient magic to open a portal to another world: Earth. There, they discovered a humanity whose civilization was just beginning. Fascinated by this emerging people, the Tharians forged bonds of brotherhood, sharing their construction techniques while the humans taught them the secrets of agriculture.

At that time, the land that would become GreenWood was very different, with a less rugged terrain and lacking the imposing mountains that characterize it today. In gratitude and to seal this budding alliance, the finest Tharien builders erected a magnificent temple from human earth. At the heart of this temple, they installed a mystical bridge connecting the two worlds, balanced by two magic-infused orbs, one for each world, placed on sacred pedestals. The key to activating this portal lay in a symbolic ritual: the blood of a human and that of a Tharien had to be placed upon one of the magical orbs. This gesture embodied peace and harmony between the two peoples, under the benevolence of the Elves, as well as the love and understanding needed to transcend their differences. The blood, a symbol of life and sacrifice, represented mutual commitment to harmonious coexistence. Should either people decide to interrupt the magical flow of the ethereal portal, they merely needed to remove the orb from its pedestal.

However, this happiness was short-lived.

Soon, in both worlds, disturbing interferences appeared. The normally luminous portals began to flicker, alternating between light and darkness, briefly opening a passage to an unfathomable abyss from which eerie sounds emerged before regaining their initial brilliance.

One day, the portal, usually bathed in light and linking the human and Tharien worlds, froze in an oppressive darkness. This unusual gloom marked the opening of the abyss, and from these unfathomable depths, a gigantic, scaly arm began to emerge, breaking the silence with terrifying cracks. The creature, of unimaginable scale, shook the very foundations of the earth.

Around the temples, both among humans and Tharians, the ground heaved, cracking like fragile wood, while distant mountains rose under the force of the tremors. Among the humans, panic was total. Cries echoed, but before the destruction became complete, a Tharien Elf, the only one present, rushed to the pedestal. With superhuman courage, he tore the magical orb from its place, interrupting the portal's power. In a roar of rage that made the bravest souls tremble, the furious creature evaporated into an ethereal cloud as the portal closed behind it.

But this heroic act came at a cost. The already shaken ground collapsed beneath the temple, burying the Elf under the ruins, while the stunned human witnesses looked on. One of them, trembling with gratitude and grief, stepped forward to retrieve the still-warm orb the Elf had held before disappearing beneath the debris. Turning back to his village, he found a desolate landscape: his family, his crops, his home—all in ruins. But he knew that many lives had been saved thanks to the sacrifice of that Tharien Elf.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the portal, the Tharians were experiencing the same nightmare. The ground beneath their feet trembled, once-majestic buildings collapsed with a deafening roar, and fireballs, seeming to fall from a burning sky, crashed to the ground, adding to the chaos. No one understood the nature of this horror that sought to break free from the ethereal portal. Had their own magic attracted this creature?

In a final effort, the creature began to widen the portal with its titanic arm, further opening the passage to Gorethar. But the fragility of the temple led to its collapse onto the pedestal. The sacred orb shattered into several pieces, destabilizing the portal. It wavered, its contours distorted, and shortly after, it collapsed, taking the creature with it in an explosion of light and darkness.

The threat was averted, but the cost was immense. A large portion of the Elves perished in the cataclysm, and only a few managed to escape. The ancient sages, keepers of knowledge, also lost their lives in the disaster, taking with them the precious scrolls necessary for the magical creation of portals. Henceforth, no means remained to reconnect with Earth.

Since that fateful day, the "Forest of Chantébène" has become the "Forest of Shadows."

Centuries have passed. The cataclysm left an indelible mark on the landscape and in the minds of people, but over time, memories faded, and vegetation reclaimed the once-sacred ground. Then, one day, something occurred in the midst of the ruins where the magical orb once stood. The broken pieces, still on the ground and though unstable, seemed to retain some magical charge.

One night, a powerful halo of light erupted, awakening the surrounding population. It emanated from the heart of the Forest of Shadows, frightening most people while attracting the more daring. Everyone was irresistibly drawn to this mysterious glow. But once they entered the forest and approached the light, they vanished, and at the same moment, the light faded.

It is now 1974 on Earth. A group of five strange creatures, very muscular and with green skin, visibly completely naked, have been spotted by the inhabitants of GreenWood on the edge of the forest...