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Post by Red Charge on Apr 18, 2014 8:01:02 GMT -5
Ironside Mountain and The Red Plains
HISTORY
There is not a being living in the world today who does not know of Ironside Mountain, the location in which began the Dragon Wars, the most devastating conflict in recorded history. But few outside of scholars and the griffon rural communities know the story behind Ironside Mountain itself. The story seeped in the legends back in the days before the unification of the Griffon Kingdom.
Ironside Mountain, aptly named for its rich supply of iron, so rich it is, that the iron veins spread far beneath it to the Red Plains, giving the soil a very pronounced Red Color, this abundance in iron in the region has affected even the vegetation in the area and as such, the wildlife as well.
However, that is not why the mountain is named thus. The mountain is named after Sir Ironside, the Red Knight of the Red Lands. He was a legendary warrior in those times, as strong as seven griffons it was said. He and his Erythristic Roc Fenrir, one of the four legendary birds of the Wild Hunt ruled over the Redtalon Clan who lived in those areas. As the clans at that time were in war, the Red Talon Clan had abducted the fair Princess Whitefeather, daughter of one of the Whitefeather nobles and soon-to-be-wed to the heir to the Whitefeather Clan, Gareth Whitefeather. Sir Ironside's legend changed when Gareth Whitefeather bested him in combat, sparing him and offering his clan a place at the Whitefeather Clan's side but he and his clan proceeded to become one of the strongest Griffon Clan and have traditionally been leading the Royal Griffon Navy's 6th Fleet since the Kingdom's founding.
Ironside Mountain has been the center of Dragon power during the Dragon Wars and where the Dragon Matriarch was defeated by the Three Heroes.
GEOGRAPHY
The area of Ironside Mountain is at the center of the Red Plains, the mountain itself is more akin to that found in desert canyons than one in a lush, heartland area. The top of the mountain is a flat hilltop complete with several stable spires, believed to have been created by the dragons using the mountain as their keep in the Dragon Wars.
The area around the mountain is somewhat lush, plenty of vegetation and even water flow around it, all with a unique red tint due to the unusual amounts of iron in the environment. The water have been deemed unfit for unfiltered drinking but make good souvenirs for shops. Some alchemists use these iron-rich water in their potions as a substitute for adding iron dust.
The mountain itself is riddled with caves, tunnels and mineshafts from the period leading up to the Dragon Wars. In the past a dragon clan had been nesting in the mountain itself, but a major collapse had almost all of them killed. Despite the Dragon Wars, their tunnels have never been properly investigated for loot in accordance to the Dragon-Griffon Treaty following the Dragon Wars. In addition all mining efforts have stopped and mining equipment abandoned in the mountain. It is unclear today how far the mine shafts go into the mountain but the official Griffon Kingdom stance on visiting is to avoid entering the mines at all costs. The mine-shafts are old and have not been maintained for centuries, they are wont to collapse and the Dragon-Griffon Treaty would not allow any form of rescue party to retrieve anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in such a collapse.
FLORA AND FAUNA
Ironside Mountain has the standard wildlife one would expect from a mountain with the variance that all living things, including plants have a reddish tint to them. Alchemists have attempted to measure whether or not these plants and animals have any special attributes, but if they found anything, they chose to hide it from the world.
WEATHER
Occasional storms may cause quick-floods down the mountain and in the tunnels, the climate, as in the rest of the area is temperate.
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