The Frost-Veined Gate
Granite threshold etched with oaths and betrayals; at dusk, frost seems to pulse from the stone like breath.
Overview
Now a haunted husk, Grimspire’s halls are strewn with frozen wealth and watched by frost-numb dead. After hunters slew Glaclalis—the mate of the dragon Icethorn—her grief and wrath laid a lasting curse upon the citadel; some say the Dark Walkers still keep a sorrowed vigil while Icethorn broods upon the shattered towers.
Origin, Decline & Current state
Origin: Raised as a mountain stronghold over key passes, Grimspire served Winter as a trade keep and watch-citadel, its gates cut with oath-runes and its markets busy with alpine caravans.
Decline: The slaying of Glaclalis brought Icethorn’s vengeance. Night winds turned to razors, hoarfrost sealed doors, and the curse bound guardians where they stood—commerce ended in a breath of ice.
Current state: The fortress lies frost-locked and perilous. Smugglers reach it by Winter’s Root, but paths collapse and spirits grow colder the deeper one goes.
Places of Note
The Dark Walker’s Watch
A hidden tower carved into the rock; moonlight shows spectral blades where the last loyal sentries refused the hunt.
Icethorn’s Nesting Perch
A spiraled, shattered battlement where the dragon is said to brood—her silhouette sometimes cuts the pale moon.