The First Crossing

A myth passed down through the generations about the start of the journey down the Envalcir River after Mauri and the First Elves first left Rillan Aur at the beginning of the Age of Light. Legend tells of how the Elves traveled down a great waterfall and then built rafts to travel down the river at its edge, in the shadow of the World Spring.

While the various tellings have been dramatized, the story is based on a historical event that occurred 31,000 years ago. The only existing evidence is in the memory of Mauri herself though.

Variations of this story are widespread among Elven cultures, all of which are derived from the Elves on this journey. While it is not one of the common bedtime stories, anyone curious about the old stories can easily find one of the versions.

1. A Hazardous Journey - There is a variation that suggests there were hundreds of Elves originally, but the 50 were the only ones strong enough to make it down the waterfall.
2. Water Emphasis - Variations found in the early Water Tribe emphasized the waterfall.
3. Earth Emphasis - Variations found in the early Earth Tribe highlighted the travel down the rocky cliffs.
4. Air Emphasis - Variations found in the early Air Tribe suggest that harsh winds were present that guided the way of the Elves down.
5. Fire Emphasis - Variations discussed the inherent fire found within the Elves as they battled the other elements to make it down.

At this point, there is a consensus that the trip did happen, and the exact details have become a scholarly debate as long as the variation is in agreement that 1) the crossing happened and 2) the Maiden was present.

1. Elemental Enclaves - This is where the story is most prevalent, and even some of the Noble Houses use it as a story taught to young children to introduce them to history. It is also used as a religious component, emphasizing that the Elves have followed the Maiden since the beginning.
2. Kingdom of Askel - As the sister civilization to the Enclaves, these Elves also revere the story, but their more practical nature has left it mainly a topic of discussion and a shared story among scholars rather than the populace at large.
3. Republic of Cernia - As one of the original splinter organizations, it is shared amongst the scholars of this civilization, but it has largely been forgotten in favor of the Western Exploration that led to the founding of their society.

Universities such as the Uisage Academy or the Citadel have several books that discuss this, from history books to a compendium of variations of the story.

Numerous images have been generated of this first crossing in various mediums. Some prominent examples can be found in the Citadel, which features an ancient painting, a mural sculpture discovered in the Reflecting Pools, and other miscellaneous Relics that have survived to the present day.