Fort Gryphon

This is a large building/set of walls abutting a large flat area of Mt Gryphon and encompassing a large area. The fort was run down until the Henrikson dwarves came along in 807wk, rebuilt the Inn inside the Fort walls and then improved the state of the walls as well. Since 810wk the Henrikson's and their relatives have built a tower in the Northern and Western corners of the fort.

The Fort is a single south facing structure with solid 15ft walls and 30ft watch towers in the SE and SW corners. The area encompassed by the walls is some 200ft square and there is a sturdy barracks building (rebuilt in 808 by the Henrikson Clan) as well as the Henrikson run Inn and a set of stables big enough for 20 animals.

The fort occupies most of a level plateau which is around 500ft long by 300ft wide before the trail which passes the fort head down and away on either side.

The walls of the fort have signs of ancient dwarven craftsmanship with the size and uniformity of the large solid blocks of the wall and how they have been placed for maximum strength throughout. Ancient builder's marks are visible in some places but no dwarves know who the masons were.

Buildings

1. The Gryphon Inn
2. SE Tower This tower is the private home of the Henrikson family siblings.
3. SW Tower This tower is home to the senior officers of the Gryphon Rangers and visiting dignitaries
4. Eastern Gatehouse This gatehouse houses the active guards of the Gryphon Rangers for each watch, so 30 men reside here for their watch.
5. Barracks Building This building houses the Gryphon Rangers- so a capacity for up to 200 men and has the Stables attached for the 50 horses of the Rangers
6. Stables These are stables for horses and other animals within the Fort area excluding the Gryphon Rangers. A few sturdy horses are available here due to the diligent breeding of the Stablemaster xxx
7. The Gryphon Brewery This brewery was started by the Henriksons and is now a thriving business
8. Gryphon Trading Company This business services the travellers needing goods not available at the Inn or Brewery. It also services the small number of locals who have settled near the Fort in recent years, selling all sorts of goods from foods to materials.

People of Note

1. Bodric Henrikson
2. Henric Henrikson
3. Mavric Henrikson
4. Lyric Henrikson

Local Area Geography

• Lake Mavoinic is a 60-acre gem surrounded by steep mountain slopes and piney forests studded with massive oaks. The dimensions of the lake changed to 60 acres in Spring 808 after some storms damaged the retaining walls and flooded a nearby valley before the retaining walls were repaired and reinforced by Henric and some friends. The lake has been stocked with trout and other highland fish each season since Autumn 808 and it is hoped that fishing on the lake will be possible once stocks have been built up by around Summer 812. The rocks used to dam the area around the lake and build retaining walls have been recovered when clearing land and through the aid of a passing earth mage who enjoyed his dwarven hospitality immensely and has fishing rights whenever he is at the Inn.

• Gryphon Gardens There has been a few crops of vegetables grown in the area beside the walls of the fort and this has over the last few decades provided a few fresh vegetables for the residents of the fort. More area has been cleared over the recent years (since 807 and the building of The Gryphon Inn)) to increase the supplies grown in this and other nearby areas with some success. Now a good crop of root vegetables and seasonal vegetables are grown using a rotating crop system which provides a good supply of fresh consumables for the residents of the Inn and visitors. A few of the nearby shallow caves have proved to be perfect for mushroom cultivation and other such lichen. The gardens have had small walls built around them using the rocks recovered when clearing the nearby land.

• The Gryphon Orchards is the area of land cleared by the Henrikson family over the seasons and planted in Spring 808 with 100 fruit trees of hardy varieties and these will enable the fort to have its own fruit supply in the coming years although according to their gardener/herbalist the fruit won't be ready until around 812 when the plants and trees have grown large enough to sustain picking of the fruit. The orchards have had walls built around them using rocks recovered when clearing the land.

History

The fort was reduced to rubble in places during the Dark Circle war when it was infested by raiders and other unsavory beings of many races and inclinations. When the Dark Circle was finally pushed back the fort was found to have the main walls standing but the interior buildings and walls were all but rubble with nothing living in terms of plants for nearly a mile in each direction. The ravages of the Dark Circle forces and subsequent battles to retake the fort and surrounding countryside left huge damage in its wake.

In late 806 the first guards were sent up here to give some measure of safety to traders starting to come back and trade between Novadom and Brastor holdings. Novadom took it upon itself to provide a few guards for the benefit of all. The guards took up residence in hastily reconstructed buildings made from the rubble they found and augmented by thick tents to survive the winter hardships of such a place.

In 807 the Henrikson children adventured near the fort and afterwards returned to turn their hand at Inn-keeping and trading as a refuge from their dwarven home of Zirac Holdings in Eastern Ranke.

The clan has worked hard turning the bare bones Inn into a solid, warm and welcoming Inn that enjoys steady patronage as well as working to rebuild and improve the rest of the fort structure, additional buildings and civic work locally like forming the nearby lake.

The fort has been enlarged in the last few years (820-823wk) as the available workforce has increased thanks to newly found local dwarves who are very skilled in stonework, mining and such useful skills. There is now a new outer wall with new buildings including a new smithy and storehouses

821 to 823

These were hard years but slowly the hard work has been paying off with better roads in the area, the return of more fauna to the hills as the level of hunting is now better controlled and the trees are producing much more fruit in season. A gatehouse has also been added on the eastern wall and houses the active guards of the Gryphon Rangers who have grown to 150 men as trade has increased along with people seeking to get rich quick off the back (or blood) of others.

815 to 818

The Henrikson family have been formally recognized by the Duke of Carzala for their efforts in bringing the area back to a civilised standard and have been named as Constables of Gryphon Pass (a largely ceremonial position but gives them some authority in the area of Gryphon Pass to enforce the laws and local customs etc). The Gryphon Rangers have grown in size to over 100 mainly full-time, with some local dwarves being added to the roster who show a remarkable preference for night patrols and marches (that often take 'únwanted' types unawares) which adds to the security of the area.
The Barracks has been enlarged with an additional floor and an attached Stables for the horses of the Gryphon Rangers.

812 to 814

The Fort continues to grow and improvements made and the better conditions see more settlers arrive to make their lives nearby.
The Gryphon Rangers have had a number of challanges over these 3 years as there have been a number of bandits trying their luck who went away sorely disappointed or failed to find their way out at all. The nearby Filgiso Forest and the West Bounders have proven to be a place of refuge for many unsavoury types and a close watch on these locations.

Spring 811

The last of the Novadom guards have departed for Novadom and have left the patrolling of the area to the Gryphon Rangers who they have been training with over the last few seasons. They depart on the 22nd of Blossom (Spring) after a night of celebrations (over Floralia) and its a sad day when they depart.

Autumn 811

The Gryphon Rangers were formed up, to patrol the area with 50 locals and dwarves making up the troops.

Summer 811

The Lord of Novadom has sent despatches that he is recalling the guards from here and passing responsibility for the Fort to the Henrikson clan. His troops are needed elsewhere and he has agreed with the Castallen of Brastor that they will each send mounted patrols along the trail to help keep the bandits down or will send troops if asked for a specific mission, but otherwise the security of the fort is in the hands of the Henrikson clan. The last troops will leave 7 days before the end of the Spring 811 season.

Autumn 807

The pass and Fort Gryphon are cleared of Goblin bandits and trade is able to resume between Brastor and Novadom. The Henriksons start work building a new Inn here called The Gryphon Inn

Bodric Henrikson and Henric Henrikson have started to rebuild the fort in the pass with the blessing of the Lord of Novadom. They have taken a load of supplies and started making the fort more solid and will be expanding the facilities once they have enough supplies and clement weather.