Green Bridge
The Green Bridge of Harmony
The Barren Path Between Heaven and Earth
Where once life danced in seven-hued glory, now only memory walks—a bridge stripped bare, waiting for spring that may never come.
The Living Pathway
Among the Five Realm Bridges connecting Thiandalune to the elemental realms below, the Green Bridge of Harmony stood as perhaps the most beloved by mortal and divine alike. This magnificent construct of pure emerald light stretched from the Heart of the Concordium in Núril-Ambantil down through the celestial void to touch the verdant peaks of Zerthia, the Earth Realm. Unlike its siblings that embodied passion, wisdom, or martial prowess, the Green Bridge represented life in all its forms—growth, renewal, abundance, and the eternal cycle of seed to bloom to seed again. Its seven strands of light pulsed with chlorophyll green, each shade representing different aspects of vitality from the pale luminescence of new shoots to the deep emerald of ancient forests.Construction and Divine Purpose
Thianon forged the Green Bridge in close collaboration with Aranon and Thiana, the divine rulers of Zerthia. The construction required not merely light-weaving but an understanding of how divine radiance could sustain and nurture organic growth across the vast distances between realms. Thiana, whose power flowed through root and branch, contributed her essence to the bridge's foundation, while Aranon provided the structural stability that allowed it to bear the weight of countless travelers without ever crushing the delicate life that adorned its surface. The result was unique among the Rainbow Bridges—a pathway that lived and breathed, its surface covered in flowering vines, moss that glowed with inner light, and small trees whose roots somehow found purchase in pure solidified radiance.The Bridge in Its Glory
During the Age of Harmonies, walking the Green Bridge was considered a transformative spiritual experience. Travelers reported that the journey from Thiandalune to Zerthia took them through what felt like an entire year compressed into hours—beginning in spring-like freshness near the celestial terminus, passing through summer abundance at the bridge's zenith, experiencing autumn's harvest bounty during the descent, and finally arriving in Zerthia with the promise of winter's rest and renewal. The bridge sang with birdsong from celestial creatures that nested in its living surface, and the air smelled perpetually of rain on fresh earth. Druids and nature priests from Zerthia would make pilgrimages to walk the bridge's length, considering it the holiest journey one could undertake short of meeting the gods directly.The War's Devastation
When Malovatar's forces launched their assault on the Rainbow Bridges, the Green Bridge suffered uniquely terrible damage. Rather than simply shattering the structure as happened with other bridges, the Black Fire that touched the Green Bridge acted like a supernatural blight, spreading through the living components as disease spreads through flesh. Witnesses from both Thiandalune and Zerthia reported seeing the verdant growth wither and die in waves, the corruption racing along the bridge's length faster than fire consuming dry timber. The flowering vines turned to ash, the glowing moss blackened and fell away, and the small trees that had taken root in pure light twisted and died, their skeletal remains clinging to the bridge like accusations of failure and loss.The Barren Remnant
What remains of the Green Bridge stands as perhaps the most haunting of all the Rainbow Bridges' ruins. The structural framework endures—the seven strands of emerald light still connect Thiandalune to Zerthia, dimmed but unbroken. However, the bridge's surface is completely barren, stripped of every trace of the vibrant life that once defined it. Walking the Green Bridge now is an eerie, silent experience, the traveler's footsteps echoing through emptiness where once birdsong and rustling leaves provided constant music. The light that emanates from the bridge has changed quality—where once it felt warm and nurturing, now it seems cold and hollow, as if the bridge mourns the life it can no longer sustain or nurture properly.Failed Restoration Efforts
In the millennia since the war's end, numerous attempts have been made to restore life to the Green Bridge. Druids from Zerthia have carried seeds blessed by their most powerful rituals, hoping to coax new growth from the barren surface. Thiavesi Light-Weavers have woven complex enchantments attempting to recreate the original life-sustaining properties. Thiana's priests have performed fertility rites at both ends of the bridge, calling upon any lingering essence of the goddess that might respond. All efforts have met with minimal success—occasionally a single shoot will emerge, green and hopeful, only to wither and die within days. The bridge seems unable to sustain organic life in any form, as if the Black Fire's corruption burned away not just the plants but the very concept of growth from the structure.Theories of the Blight
Scholars have developed numerous theories attempting to explain why the Green Bridge resists restoration when other damaged bridges show at least some capacity for repair. Some believe the Black Fire specifically targeted the aspects of Thiana's divine essence woven into the bridge's foundation, creating a wound that cannot heal without her direct intervention. Others suggest that the bridge's unique nature—living matter sustained by pure light—made it particularly vulnerable to corruption, and that the blight actually penetrated deeper into the structure than anyone realizes. A darker theory whispered among certain mystics holds that the bridge remembers its death, and that this memory prevents new life from taking root, as if the structure has developed a form of trauma that manifests as sterility and rejection of growth.Current Uses and Restrictions
Despite its diminished state, the Green Bridge remains one of the more structurally sound connections between Thiandalune and the terrestrial realms. House Major of Thianon allows limited, sanctioned travel across the bridge for diplomatic missions and urgent matters requiring swift transit between the Light Realm and Zerthia. However, travelers must obtain special dispensation and typically require escort by celestial guardians who understand the bridge's current instabilities. The journey across the barren bridge is considered deeply unpleasant—the absence of life creates an oppressive atmosphere that affects even the most stoic travelers, and many report feeling watched by something hungry and resentful during the crossing. Some refuse to use the Green Bridge even when granted permission, preferring to take much longer routes via realm-ships rather than walk that dead pathway.Signs of Hope
Recently, Earth-Wardens monitoring the bridge have reported subtle changes that might indicate the beginning of natural healing. Small patches of the bridge's surface have begun to show faint traces of color—not true green yet, but a pale ochre that resembles the first stage of lichen growth on barren rock. Additionally, certain sensitive individuals claim to feel faint pulses of life-energy when touching the bridge's surface, as if something deep within the structure stirs toward wakefulness. These signs remain ambiguous and contested—some scholars dismiss them as wishful thinking or natural fluctuations in the bridge's remaining magical energies. Others believe they represent the first evidence that given enough time, the bridge may heal on its own, slowly and painfully rebuilding its capacity for life without direct divine intervention or mortal aid.The Promise of Spring
The Green Bridge of Harmony endures as a monument to both beauty lost and hope preserved. Its barren strands stretch across the void between heaven and earth, stripped of glory yet unbroken in structure. Among those who study the Rainbow Bridges, a belief has taken root that if any bridge can fully recover, it will be the Green Bridge—for its very nature embodies the principle of life returning after death, of spring following winter no matter how long or harsh the cold. The bridge waits in its silence, neither alive nor truly dead, maintaining the connection between realms even as it mourns what it has lost. Perhaps one day, when the cosmic conditions align and the right combination of power and will is applied, the Green Bridge will bloom again, its surface erupting with life in celebration of renewal. Until that day, it remains what it is—a barren path between worlds, walking proof that even the most vibrant life can be stripped away, and that restoration requires more than mere desire or determination to achieve.Article Category: Building/Landmark (landmark).
Subcategory: Bridge/Divine Structure.
Connects: Thiandalune to Zerthia.
Status: Structurally intact but stripped of all life.
Creator: Thianon, with Aranon and Thiana.
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