Three Cliffs

**Three Cliffs** is a "free port town" in Ekrustia. It is reknowned as a base for pirates and smugglers.

To get there from Vestvall, you first have to cross the forested hills terrain to the east of the town, and then cross the Salt Flats which are a part of the open plains of the northeastern part of Ekrustia. That entire territory is apparently all uninhabitated, which makes the locals unconcerned about people approaching via land.

There is no safe water passage for ships coming to Three Cliffs from the Empire of Adamant, as it is blocked by the Badlands and the Empire doesn't maintain an oceanworthy fleet. However, it is possible for the pirates of Three Cliffs to benefit from the sea traffic that is going on between the DKE and the eastern continent Bellost. The closest port town of the DKE is Barstone, but the wealthy city-state alliance seems unconcerned with the pirate-ruled town.

## The Cliffs

The structure of Three Cliffs is consisting of an artifical staircase of three cliff platforms that were cleft from the huge coastal cliff bordering the Salt Flats. Originally, the city had no pathways to the unhospitable Salt Flats, and was constructed entirely from the seaside, construction materials brought in by the harbor.

The lowest tier was by far the largest part of the city, containing the harbor. The second tier, which is about half the size of the first one and about the size of Vestvall, consists of mostly wooden buildings, and there is a reservoir on it. The third tier is the smallest one, but has the nicest buildings to it. That includes the local Adventurer's Guild which is located in the north-central part of the strip, while the Barge King resides at the south end of the third tier. This part of the town features majestic, upscale buildings, has paved roads and specialty shops, but likely also no sewer system.

No buildings are on the level of the actual plains atop those cliffs. However, the people of Three Cliffs maintained a forest plantage and a lumber mill in the area, in order to have building material. From atop the plains and even from the air, it is hard to make out Three Cliffs, as it is built into the cliffs of the coastline. "Recently", a narrow staircase connecting to the land surface above the cliff was created, but it was destroyed in the attack by the Empire. Ascension constructed a lift to replace that broken connection.

## Inhabitants

Three Cliffs was governed by the Sea Kings, who mostly fled the town or perished in the Empire attack (see below). Only Captain Bakal remained alive and in town. Bakal employs - among others - Femar, Tamin, Nemen, and Lellermen Green.

The strongest Guilder who revealed himself so far is Argle Thrast. Other People in the local Guild include Gus (the clerk), Welen (an Axeman), Breal ("kickass-shouter") and Cessa (Fire Mage with Mana Sight). Rain could track down one of the local Guilders who is able to escape the Detection spell via Skills, but there were others whom he couldn't pinpoint in the first two days, among them Velika who had held her presence in town secret.

Val met the serving girl Peli at Miss Natrin's wine house. Other residents include the laborers/washers Illik and Vea, the slaver Gegalmar (deceased) and the smith Ulau.

In total, Three Cliffs had about 1000 inhabitants left after the Adamant's first attack.

## History

When Asension had to evacuate Vestvall, the only viable option for the treck of over 800 people was to turn towards Three Cliffs, given how Fel Sadanis had been destroyed by the Empire shortly before. Three days before Ascension arrived in Three Cliffs on , the lowest and half of the middle tier of the multi-leveled city were destroyed in an attack by the Fist of Progress, a warship from the Empire of Adamant, that was then in turn sunk by Velika who was hiding in the town. Besides most of the city, the attack damaged the brineway (an important part of the food supply) and the water supply and wastewater systems also took a severe hit.

Among the ones who died defending the town was the so-called Darkmane, a slaver Captain who had a ship-building project going at the time. The other five Sea Kings from Three Cliffs had fled the town before the attack, for an unknown reason.

Warned by the huge smoke plume appearing on the horizon, Ascension approached the town carefully, sending Rain, Val, Nails and Jamus as the advance/recon party to find out what happened. They met Argle Thrast right away, who at first didn't bother about them after learning that they were bronzeplate Guildmembers instead of the Adamant spies he suspected in town.

Two weeks prior to the attack, Gus had arrived as the replacement clerk for the one who had been stabbed for sloppiness. After the attack, just a few dozen bronze-rank guildmembers remained in Three Cliffs.

After Ascension arrived in Three Cliffs, the company took over the city, with the intent to provide disaster relief. The company laws quickly overturned the existing order in Three Cliffs, like the institution of slavery. Rain purified the city in the most showy way possible for him, and held office hours for the city's inhabitants. Captain Bakal didn't object to him taking over, but required Rain to release Lellermen Green from the Darkmane's vault. Two days after Ascension's arrival, Fechton Stone and Velika both contacted Rain.

In the night from 28 to 29 Seedlings, Three Cliffs was attacked a second time by the Empire, this time with two ships and fewer infantry attempting the landing. The ships first launched a barrage against Temerity which was still anchored close to the harbor, but fled to the open seas immediately. The Imperial Warships followed Temerity, and two Incarns were released. Rain and Bakal defeated the landing troops and joined Temerity on the ocean. Afterwards, Ascension fled from the scene, leaving Three Cliffs to serve as the future staging ground for the Empire's next attack on Barstone. Notably, former Vestvall mayor Graymond, pirate mage Lellermen Green and Guild clerk Gus were left behind.

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 109
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Chapter 183
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chapter 189
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Chapter 184
5. ↑ Chapter 185
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Chapter 187
7. ↑ Chapter 188
8. ↑ Chapter 186
9. ↑ Chapters 195-200
10. ↑ Chapter 201