Griffon Rock
Griffon Rock has a habit of finding itself as the center of peace treaties. First, during a skirmish between House Viret of Honrich and House Vizen of Eaglecrest, this floating isle was the meeting point for the heads of both houses to negotiate terms of peace. A few griffon mounts ridden by the Vizen army escaped thanks to their rider's poor training, escaping into the misty floating islands of the Spellscar. Ever since, the place has been known as Griffon Rock, as those few griffons ended up starting quite a successful flock within the magically charged ancient battlefield.
The next occasion for Griffon Rock's relevance came after the Night of Blood. House Viret could not simply sit by while boats and boats of beastfolk arrived and settled Blueridge, without worshipping the Siblings! Hundreds of Incitant Chantry Missionaries headed south, spreading word of the true gods of men and elves and dwarves. However, Lord Viret greatly overestimated the beastfolk's patience for humans entering their territory and telling them what rules to follow and insulting what little remained of their culture. When none of the missionaries returned to Honrich, whispers of revenge began spreading through the Tyshan courts. However, House Khilkov quickly stepped in, making themselves known to the beastfolk as apart from House Viret and respectful of Tarrastovan traditions. They met with the first Alpha of Lorain at Griffon Rock, where they signed multiple trade deals and offered plenty of aid to their new, powerful southern neighbors.
The final time, and most recent occasion, was just after the Rebel Princess Aristea's rebellion. While Aristea and her armies conquered Everhold, Tysha suddenly found itself without the protections granted by the Free Cities Alliance- protections like the non-aggression pact with the Smoldering Grove. As if they had been preparing for this moment for centuries, a flood of genasi and elementals poured across the Spellscar, quickly bringing Camp Stennis under their control and claiming both the Temny Forest and Dalibel Woodland for themselves within a month. While Viret soldiers repelled their forces at the walls of Honrich, House Khilkov sent their men through the eastern mountains to regroup at Griffon Rock. The bitter cold of the north would greatly hinder many of the fire elemental's ability to engage in combat, so they correctly guessed that the Smoldering Grove would first try and conquer Honrich and use it as their main base of operations before attempting to invade Rushalan land. Utilizing the griffon flock in the Spellscar, as well as some very skilled arcane casters, House Khilkov bombed the enemy armies from above with lightning and cold and necrosis. The battle raged on for a few more months, but soon it became clear: Viret held too strong a hold on the City of Honrich for the genasi to conquer it, and Khilkov was far too informed on the particular weaknesses of the genasi and elemental forces to keep as an enemy. However, pride continued the battle until the intervention of Aristea herself, as she had sailed north to ring Tysha back into the fold. She brought together the houses Viret and Khilkov to meet with Commander Flare, Wildfire of Ruby Mountain, to discuss terms for retreat and reparations for the destroyed Tyshan territory.
As a result of this long history, Griffon Rock has become a hodgepodge of different cultures and aesthetics. Embassies sit upon smaller isles surrounding the central island, each with their own distinct appearance based on their occupants. Volcanic rock fortresses, Aristean castles, Halfling Treepods, even Old Guard stonework is present in Griffon Rock. Splashed across the islands are many fruit trees fed by the magical source of water originating within the island's core, and hundreds of alcove nests carved by generations of Griffons who call the range of floating islands their home.
Type
Large town
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