Atop the peak of Mt. Auroch, the fabled griffon riders make their home in the city of Aerie…
I was recently going through my original notes for City Supplement 2: Aerie and discovered a rather nifty idea that had gotten misplaced and left out of the final product. So I thought I’d showcase it here for anyone who might be interested…
THE SPRING THAW
The city of Aerie is carved into the very mountain itself. The tier of the Lower City is dwarfed upon the western side by the Griffon Wall and upon the other by the Upper City, which rises 300 feet. And above the Upper city, seeming to stand sentinel over the city below, is the Fort on the Mount, home to the fabled Griffon Knights.
And towering above it all is the snowy peak of Mt. Auroch.
Each spring, the mountain snow above the city begins to thaw, creating a considerable amount of run-off. The city would be regularly flooded if it were not for the extensive drainage system which carries water from along the eastern wall, under the Uppe rCity, and down to the river in the Lower City. This run-off does raise the level of the river considerably, and the River Road is often flooded during this time of the year — but it was designed specifically to handle the overflow.
A secondary effect of the spring thaw, however, are the beautiful waterfalls which form along the eastern wall during the greater periods of run-off. Fifty years ago, the eastern portion of the Upper City actually suffered from an avalanche as snow plummeted off the wall and buried dozens of buildings.
