The Realm Wars
It is hard to look at the history of Brightwell and Darkwell Academies without considering the events that lead up to its creation. In the time of the Fae King, Corven Ashcraft (from the Corven Vale), the Human and Fae Realms existed together, blended and in harmony, light supporting dark. Magic flowed freely from the Fae Realm into the Human Realm and there was peace and accord. In the Fae Realm, whispers spread that magic was leaching into the Human world, thinning its potency and weakening the ancient bloodlines. Among the Humans, unease took root. As rumours of unrest among powerful Fae houses reached their ears, trust began to crumble. As a consequence, Fae travellers were met with fear and hostility, often attacked or turned back at the borders. Gatehouses were built to monitor the travel of the Fae into the Human Realm, causing further divisions between the two peoples.
From within the Seelie Court rose a defiant voice: Nimrien Thornlight. Charismatic and calculating, they gathered a following of Fae loyal to the idea of sealing the realms apart and severing the human world from the source of its growing magic.
The Human response was swift. Gatehouses were fortified and enchanted with the magic that was still passing through. By this point, it was now becoming increasingly difficult for people to travel between the Realms and all trade and communications between the Realms began grinding to a halt. Diplomacy faltered and the last remnants of co-operation and inter-realm travel disappeared. Both sides began raising armies of their own and just a few short years later, war was declared. The Fae were lead by Nimrien Thornlight, and the Humans by the newly appointed Commander, Halvar Gorrin.
Five years of bloody battles followed, with heavy losses on both sides. Gorrin rallied the Humans under a single banner, declaring all Fae to be killed on sight, while the Fae unleashed devastating magic upon the Human forces.
Many of the Underkin fled the Human Realm, hoping to find refuge across the barrier. But not all were able to cross, especially those who had served Human families for generations. These creatures; the brownies, goblins, red-caps and others, were captured and placed in Prisoner of War camps, commonly built alongside the Gatehouses. The Fae Realm abandoned them, leaving them to their fate at the hands of the Humans. The mistreatment of the Underkin by both sides laid the foundations for what became known as the Underkin Uprising. It was during this final, desperate conflict that the Realms were separated permanently under the banner of the ‘Accord’, with the Barrier between realms effectively sealing them off from one another. The Ironwatch was created, to channel magic into the barrier to keep it strong. During the time of the Founders, the Barriers between the two realms was weakening, the Ironwatch having forgotten its original purpose. It was then that the Founders of Brightwell and Darkwell came together to forge a new sanctuary; a space for both Fae and Humans to learn, heal, and rebuild.
The Barrier remains open only within the grounds of the two Academies, though passage is strictly controlled and travel now requires the use of sanctioned Portalling.