Ice High Aerie was the first settlement on Belrin Isle. Gryphons and their human bonds from somewhere else on Alskyr came here, and made it their home. Why they chose the icy mountain heights is lost to history, but the Gryphons and their bonds are not.

The Ice High Gryphons are proud of the fact that twins are born here from time to time, and they will insist that the Aerie Mother has always been a twin - though this is not the case. When Male & Female twin gryphons are born, the male of the set is revered among males, and may be highly sought after as a mate. Since he was egg-close with a female, he is closer to being female than other males. In this matriarchial society, this is a bonus for him.

Residents of Ice High generally mate for life, though there are exceptions. Females from Frozen Shores Aerie, or other Aeries will come to Ice High to lay due to the twin-prestige, (or the isolation?) of that Nest.

Due to the location of Belrin Isle, Ice High Aerie has five "seasons." Thaw (Spring), Summer, Autumn, Winter, and "Hard Winter". Though the winter seasons last much longer than the other three seasons combined, the dedication of the Aerie's population guarantees their survival. Everyone works together to plant, tend, and harvest; as well as protecting the isle from the deadly Ant Swarms.

Though the temperatures here sometimes make the northern Frozen Shores Aerie's weather seem nearly tropical, the Gryphons don't mind. When the weather gets "too cold" the gryphs fall into a hibernatory state, and sleep until the warmth returns. Hibernatory Gryphons sometimes make it difficult for the human partners, as they have no way down from the mountain once the Gryphons go to sleep for the Hard Winter.

Ice High Aerie is built in a hollow in the mountainside, under a wide rock shelf that shelters the community from avalanches. Dispite the presence of the massive rock, there is plenty of sunlight, reaching everywhere during the day. There are many "houses" as part of the Aerie, where extended human families live, as many as five generations in some places. The houses are generally one-level, but with high ceilings and lofted areas for sleeping. The houses are big enough for several gryphons to be comfortable residing in, and they do.

The Gryphs and their bonds may choose to live in the Gryphoner's Hall instead of living with the family. The Gryphoner's Hall is a feat of architecture, built into and out of the granite of the mountain, three stories high, and wrapping around the entire west half of the hollow. The hall can accommodate nearly 300 gryphons, and each room is equipped to house two Gryphs. Should a Gryph bond a human, then two Gryph-human bonds will reside in each room - There's plenty of space. The corridors within the Hall are wide enough for Gryphs to pass through, and each level can be exited directly out into the air. There is no need for Gryphons to travel to the ground floor to get out. During the Hard Winter while their bonds sleep, Gryphoners can come and go via the wide stairways.

The Nesting area is safe within a high-ceilinged cavern behind the Gryphoner's Hall. It is necessary to pass through the hall to enter the Nest. This is for safety, and it helps to keep the cavern warm. The cavern is heated by the hot spring that makes Ice High habitable. The spring doesn't have an exit in the cavern, but it warms the space, making nesting comfortable.

The hot spring bubbles out of the mountain east of the Gryphoner's hall to create a lake about a meter deep in a hollow basin, around which Ice High is situated. In earlier times, the lake had a sort of natural fountain where the water was forced up, but the inhabitants tampered with nature, to tap into the spring, so the water could be drawn from a source other than the lake. The waterhouse stands a few paces from the lakeshore, and even during the coldest parts of the winter, semi-hot water can be obtained there, though the lake itself is rather chilly! The waterhouse also keeps a source of water for drinking and cooking that has not been contaminated by swimmers or by washing. Bathing and washing is usally done in the bathhouse, but during the summer people can be seen doing their cleaning where the lakewater exits the basin to run off down the mountainside.