Girrac: History and Rumors
Girrac has enjoyed a long and peaceful existence. Rare have been the times when the fey creatures who dwell there have had any sort of troubles. The dangerous approaches to the island and its high cliffs which surround almost every inch of the island have ensured they have been left relatively alone, untroubled by the outside world.
Despite the usually idyllic lives of Girrac's denizens, it is worth noting that there have in recent years been two significant events on the island which have had a prominent effect on the lives of the creatures there.
The first occurred in the year 1395, when the peace of the island was shattered at the north eastern corner of the Forest of Cover when against all the odds a band of slavers managed'at considerable effort'to reach a hidden cove on the island. These slavers made their way inland, marveling at the richness of the island with its abundant flora, fauna and wildlife. It was then they stumbled across the Blackhair Brownie tribe.
Innocent and unaware of their danger, the brownies approached the strangers bearing gifts of fruit and flower garlands that they had made for their special visitors. The slavers left that day with almost the entire clan of brownies as their captives and their forest village burning behind them. While the fire was quelled by the combined efforts of other brownie tribes and fey allies, those who survived the devastation were stunned and horrified at what had occurred.
A meeting was held at Axis Lake, a place held sacred by all the island's denizens. To their knowledge it had always been seen as the central focus of the island. Surrounding the perimeter of the peaceful lake are numerous brownie villages and in the center of the lake is the so-called sacred place. Here on the island lies a small circle of basalt obelisks reaching up into the sky around a central oval-shaped basalt altar. Its meaning and purpose have been lost deep in the recesses of time but as a place of power the fey still feel its energy within its boundaries. At this circle the leaders of the fey tribes and the gathered brownie masses discussed what had occurred and it was decided that all the various races of creatures would take turns watching the perimeters of the island in case any further invasions took place.
The brownies even sent a group to try to talk with the najashanian that inhabited the Bitter Valley but they, as usual, could not be reasoned with.
The second event occurred four years later when the fey creatures came together for their annual celebrations at Axis Lake. Here at these annual celebrations, the tribes and clans come together to celebrate each New Year with wild abandon. It is at these events also that the brownie clans select the new wookoo for the following year.
At this time they had just proclaimed the island's wookoo, Mo Mo Notoes of the Little Hoof clan of brownies, when from the skies descended a creature that could only be considered as half man and half bird. His descent seemed to call forth all the wild birds of the forests until the air was thick with them, calling out in joy to the creature. The man with bird wings who called himself Plenarius warned the creatures of another group of slavers about to land on the island from the north. With the aid of the strange man, the brownies and their fey allies armed themselves, prepared traps and planned for the slavers' appearance. When it was over and the slavers were vanquished, the birdman Plenarius, who had power over the creatures of the air, ascended once more onto the thermal currents in the skies above. The creatures on the island always pay homage to him and all the creatures of the air at their annual celebration at the circle of Axis Lake, their sacred site.
