The
Granite Scar is a region in central
Galessia. Characterized by its gray, rocky landscape, this region is perhaps most well-known for being the original homeland of the Dragonbane dynasty, who marched from these lands to conquer the
Kingdom of Grasynnia and lead it to glory. It remains a core part of the kingdom's territory to this day.
Physical geography
The Granite Scar is a large stretch of land between the grassy Grasynnian heartlands and the edges of the
Gobnor Swamps. As its name suggests, it is made up almost entirely of granite: a hardy, gray stone that suffuses the region with stark cliffs, peaks, crags, juts, and edges. While mostly dark gray, some patches of granite are instead a shade of red - commonly referred to as "Eridus granite", after the progenitor of the Dragonbane dynasty, whose family continues to use the stone and its color as a signifier for itself, ordering it used in construction for their buildings.
Though no rivers flow through these lands, the Granite Scar possesses many underground aquifers and flooded caves, making water available for those able and willing to climb down into the region's many canyons and crevasses. Deep, treacherous ravines and cave systems extend underneath the surface; a quick end for unprepared travelers, as the edges of these ravines often crumble away under their feet. This is due to the water of the plentiful rains of the region eroding the edges away, making them brittle and quick to crack.
Flora and fauna
Due to a lack of soil, most flora here is limited to mosses and some hardy mountain flowers, such as Myrkul's Grasp, a small dark blue flower with a deadly toxin within it - a favorite among poisoners and alchemists. It is theorized it obtains some of these qualities from the granite itself. In the underground cave systems, luminous moss can be found, which illuminates the damp caverns with a dim cyan light.
Fauna, however, is plentiful here - most of it very dangerous. Monsters such as massive groundworms, which tunnel through the granite, are large enough to swallow even horses whole. Other creatures live underground here, such as delvers and many types of earth elementals. Dragons are known to roost and nest in the region's peaks: most notoriously, the ancient red dragon Mahlstorn is said to reside in this region. Known as the "Scourge of the Scar", Mahlstorn is one of the strongest dragons in known existence, and often described as an instantaneous death sentence to anyone unlucky enough to appear in his field of view.
Society
Small settlements exist in the region, mostly mining villages or hunting camps. The largest settlement is
Camp Sonthill, situated in the ancient domain of Eridus Dragonbane and his warriors, which served as the eastern headquarters of the Falchions during the
Zenith War, and now officially serves as a training camp for those Grasynnian soldiers. The narrow strip of navigable land between the Granite Scar and the
Verdant Hills to the south, known as the Prince's Path, is an important road connecting the Grasynnian heartlands to
the Marrens in the east, and the only connection between the city of
Prinstead and the rest of Grasynnia. Therefore, it is a very frequent target of bandit raids, robberies, and attacks. Though Falchions do patrol the road, they prove easy to elude, and therefore issue warnings against traveling the Prince's Path without an escort or adequate protection.
In folklore, the Granite Scar's dry, gray, and treacherous terrain is often ascribed to it being the supposed location of the Tower of Karsus, the legendary wizard who labored to sunder the limits of magic, slay
Mystra, Goddess of Magic, and take her place. His actions led to the unleashing of the
Spellplague, which drained the region of its life and nearly brought annihilation to all of
Luquastra. However, whether the Tower of Karsus was actually located in this region is heavily disputed.
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