The Grindstones

While not as haunting as the Jukai  or as alluring as the Numa, The Grindstones are another Yokai hotspot. Not only that, this barren waste of jumbled rocks and cliffs has featured prominently as a battlefield in both the First and Second Great Yokai Wars.

Geography

The Grindstones are a jumble of craggy rocks, boulders and jagged rock formations that span for miles in all directions. The many ravines and natural rock formations funnel the wind and create a perpetual "howling" that can be heard no matter where you are in the Grindstones. How exactly this geographic oddity came to be is unknown, but the contrast it presents to the lush green plains that surround it has solidified the belief in historians and cartographers that it couldn’t possibly be natural. Some believe it to have been the ancient stomping grounds of the giant Kyojin-zoku, the World Shakers who eventually migrated to the Sabaku. Others hypothesize that it was once the nesting grounds of wild Yokai. Whatever the case, the Grindstones and how it came to be are an enigma.

Fauna & Flora

These rocky crags are inhospitable to most types of vegetation, allowing only the most resilient weeds and grasses to grow on them. These scarce patches are highly coveted by the omnivorous Yokai that call the Grindstones home. The Grindstones are divided among a number of Yokai tribes that are constantly butting heads over territory. To the leaders of these tribes, only two things matter. Strength, and the amount of territory they govern. The amount of territory a leader controls determines how powerful they are in the eyes of other Yokai and provides incentive for other Yokai to follow them. Notable leaders include:

• Tsukuhana
• Sojobo
• Ōtakemaru
• Magatama
  Apart from the Yokai tribes that inhabit it, the Grindstones are also home to small animals, insects and carrion eaters.

Alternative Name(s)

Barren Wastes, Shrapnel Plains

Type

Rock Formation