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// ‘House Erie or House Eyrie’ 
// Story: A Look At The Various Conflicts Around The World 
// by HeadPaige 
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 There’s an old joke in the old Griffionian Kingdom lands “Place your bets: House Erie or House Eyrie.” It refers to a conflict that by some accounts, has been going on between two groups of minor noble families since the very founding of the Griffion Kingdom and some sources say even before that, to the very first settling of griffions in the area around Lake Rumare, one of the largest lakes in Central Griffiona. And reportedly, once one of the most fertile areas surrounding it. Given how House Eyrie borders the griffion homeland of Griffionstone and lays just across the lake from the starting point of the ancient Sparletan Empire, it's likely these are some of the oldest settled lands in the continent.

The official conflict stems from the fact that both parties claim the others land as their rightful territory, though if you were to ask a normal peasant grif from either, they could give you a whole myriad of reasons, some of which are listed below.

“Why, it's because those lying bastards claim my land is theirs!”- House Eriean peasant farmer

“We’ve always hated those Eyrieans because their fool of a leaders great great great great great whatever is the idiot who lost the idol of Boreas!”- House Eriean Noblegriff

“Nonsense, we fight over the name, plain and simple. We can’t both have such a similar name can we?”- House Eyriean scholar

“I’m just here for the coin.”- Griffion later found to be a local mercenary

To observers like those in Northwestern House Avian, who are the ones most interested in watching how the conflicts develop, say the skirmishes and wars are more of a distraction or a sport than anything either nation seems to take seriously anymore. It has almost become routine for the nations to get into a border war over something silly, fight for a bit and then sign a temporary truce. In very few cases has this escalated into something that has lasted for more than a few weeks or months and even then, neither is able to support a full-time war for long.

“After every planting season, as the peasants begin to grow bored and think of all the petty troubles they have and all the faults in their leaders, the leaders of both begin to worry. Said mostly incompetent leaders then begin to lay the blame on the aforementioned petty issues on the other, reminding of previous losses and almost ‘total’ victories that in reality meant very little. By the end of the month, the peasants are already baying for blood and the aristocrats who run these countries oblige them. At least until harvesting season.”- House Avian scholars writing on the cycle of warfare present in both countries.

While these nations are rather insignificant on their own and hold no real value in their location or land, except if one perhaps wishes to build a nice home along Lake Rumare, the constant small wars and skirmishes has led to something of a concentrated testing ground for the weapons of war slowly emerging on the continent or spreading from overseas. Most recently, it was rumored and then confirmed that the small but wealthy nation of Skyfall (who’s own political upheaval will be covered later) decided to test the new tractor tanks it was thinking of buying from Equestria by sending one to each nation. To put the performance briefly, here is an excerpt from Skyfalls response to Equestria, “Had we wanted something slow and unworkable, we’d have only need to put one of our boats upon land.”

Given the constant cycle of war these houses find themselves in and their almost appalling lack of money, industry or a standard of living, they are unlikely to refuse a shipment of weapons from anyone in the world, even at the stipulation they must give them back. Whatever money the rulers manage to rip from the poor peasantry of their lands are given not back to the people, but to so-called ‘seasonal’ mercenary knight bands who come to the area whenever fighting begins and will fight for either side, reportedly often switching even mid-battle, for whoever pays them more. Be it in gold, ale or harlots.

Is this conflict likely ever to end? Not without outside intervention or one somehow gaining a sudden advantage over the other. But seeing as how many countries have enough to worry about and won’t likely care enough to waste time to ever intervene. As for the two nations themselves, in their single-minded focus to end one each other, they are unlikely to ever see about the way of doing it.

“If I had to speak of every war in those two backwater countries, I would never get anything done.”- Emperor Grover V when asked of the conflict

“We shall probably continue to monitor the situation until Boreas himself returns.”- Lady Rivertail, the current ruler of House Avian

“The most inconvenient part of them fighting it out? The noise. It scares the fish.”- Rumarian fishergriff