The Blood Mountains

"Griffons were endangered before pony magic saved them thousands of years ago. However, after Princess Celestia and Luna defeated Discord, the griffons began to feel more and more of an overbearing oppression over their heads. Years passed until Luna and Celestia banished King Sombra to the frozen north. In doing so, they inadvertently made the entire crystal empire disappear. With no other method of communication, the Griffon empire was terrified. Riots broke out in the remaining pony settlements in the empire. The ponies were given no choice but to flee.

Some families fled down through the remains of the crystal empire- back to Equestria- while others fled farther West from the former empire to start their own kingdom. To the griffons, this kingdom is known as the Blood Empire. The surrounding mountains are jagged and rocky. Whenever the sun sets in the western sky, the tops of the mountains turn a deep scarlet - a constant reminder of the ponies that were supposedly lost when the Crystal Empire fell. However, to the locals, the kingdom is simply known as the Hippogriff State. The residents today are mostly half griffon and half pony. While their appearances differ quite a lot depending on their ancestry, they have stayed away from conflict for their entire history.

With the recent return of the Crystal Empire, cross-country communication has started to become a reality again. Both the Griffon Kingdom and the Hippogriff State have begun sending ambassadors back and forth to revive past relationships. Hopefully, with luck, the two empires will repair their alliance without strife"

In other words, I got new brush settings and I need to practice shading and blending.