The Great Exodus of Man

“We were not made to wander forever, but to build—to carve our place into the bones of the world.” – Orlan Waterspur, First Lord of Goldencliff

The Departure from the Lowlands (3040 BGW)

For centuries, the human families of Waterspur, Ashwood, and Sandmyer had spread across the lands, each following their own path—some through the fertile river valleys, others deep into the rolling hills and coastal shores. Yet, as their numbers grew, so too did the strain on their scattered way of life. Food shortages, seasonal floods, and competition for resources among rival clans threatened to fracture the unity humanity once knew.

It was in this time of uncertainty that Orlan Waterspur, a leader of unwavering conviction, emerged. The Waterspurs, already renowned for their deep connection to the land and ability to sustain great settlements, sought to unite their kin under a single purpose: to find a land where their people could thrive permanently, free from the threat of dwindling resources and aimless wandering.

Messengers traveled across the known lands, calling for a gathering at the mouth of the Giant Tears River, where Orlan and his closest council declared their plan:

“No longer will we scatter ourselves across the land, weak in division. We will carve our home into the rock, lay stone where there was none, and build walls to hold our people safe. We will go west, to the cliffs where the sea meets the land, and there we will forge the city of men.”

Not all answered the call. The Ashwoods, bound by their growing ties to the north, chose to remain behind, spreading deeper into the lands that would become Nunca. But those who followed Orlan—the Waterspurs and countless smaller families seeking security—formed the greatest human migration of the age.

Thus began The Great Exodus of Men—a journey that would take them across treacherous landscapes and test their resilience in ways they had never known.

The Journey Through the Wilds (3039 – 3035 BGW)

The migration was not swift. The land between the lowlands and the western coast was wild and untamed, filled with dense forests, broken hills, and the remnants of ancient elven and dwarven ruins. For years, the exodus moved in slow stages, establishing temporary camps where they could hunt, trade, and regroup before pressing forward.

It was during this journey that the Waterspurs and their kin first encountered the ruins of the old world. They found crumbling outposts, long abandoned, where whispers of forgotten civilizations still lingered. Some feared these places, believing them cursed by the gods, while others saw them as signs—proof that men, too, could build something that would outlast time itself.

By the third year of their journey, the expedition had reached the eastern forests bordering the cliffs of what would become Shatterbleak. Here, they met resistance—not from nature, but from the Graelkin, an old and warlike race of beast-kin that had long ruled the highlands. Unlike the elves or dwarves, who had little interest in human expansion, the Graelkin saw the migrating humans as invaders.

Their ambushes were swift and brutal. Dozens of human families were cut down in the cover of night, their bodies left as warnings along the riverbanks. With dwindling supplies and no clear path forward, some questioned whether Orlan’s dream had been folly. But the Waterspurs did not break.

Orlan, with his closest warriors, devised a new strategy—not to meet the Graelkin in open battle, but to outmaneuver them. Using knowledge gained from scattered elven texts found along their journey, they learned to move through the land like ghosts, using fire and misdirection to drive the beast-kin from their strongholds without direct confrontation.

By 3035 BGW, the Graelkin were broken, driven into the deep forests and ravines where they would remain, reduced to scattered raiders rather than a kingdom. The path to the cliffs was clear.

The Founding of Goldencliff (3033 BGW)

By the time the exodus reached the great western cliffs overlooking the sea, the people were weary but resolute. The cliffs, though rugged and windswept, provided a natural fortress—high ground that could be shaped into a city unlike any humanity had ever known. The ocean stretched endlessly before them, its waves a constant reminder that beyond this place lay only the unknown.

Orlan Waterspur stood atop the highest point of the cliffs, raising his spear high and declaring:

“No longer shall we wander. This land is ours. These stones shall be our foundation, these cliffs our walls. We name this place Goldencliff, and from here, we shall shape the future of men.”

The settlers set to work, carving homes and fortifications directly into the rock face. They built with what they had—timber hauled from the forests, stone quarried from the cliffs themselves. With each passing season, Goldencliff grew from a simple refuge into a stronghold.

It was here, in these early years, that the first human kingship was declared. Orlan Waterspur, by right of leadership and sacrifice, was crowned First Lord of Goldencliff, marking the beginning of human civilization in The Ancient Reach. The city would serve as a beacon for all humans seeking safety and purpose, growing into the foundation of the kingdom of Shatterbleak.

The Legacy of the Exodus

The Great Exodus of Men was not merely a journey; it was a transformation. Those who survived it emerged hardened, bound by the trials they had endured. No longer were they wandering tribes—they were the architects of the first human stronghold.

Goldencliff became the heart of humanity’s expansion, a city that would birth legacies of kings and conquerors. It stood as proof that men, though younger than elves and dwarves, were capable of shaping the world in their own image.

For centuries, the story of the exodus was told around hearths and in grand halls, a testament to the will of the first settlers who refused to be forgotten.

Even now, among the ruins of old Goldencliff, the wind carries echoes of their voices—the voices of those who carved their future into the cliffs and declared, for the first time in history:

“This land is ours.”