The Cliffs

## Map Location

**The Cliffs** is the most northern region of Phytor. Ruled by 6 houses over the past two millenia.

## **The Cliffs**

### Landscape

The Cliffs is mostly made up of high mountain ranges, giant rocks, snow plains, coniferous forests and gletchers. The Cliffs is the coldest region of Phytor, with the most northern point being on the same latitude as parts of the High North. Giant ice caps and year long snow, makes the region harsh to any outsider. There are some naturally warmer areas in the region, known as mires, where you'll find most of the farms.

### Geography

The Cliffs is ruled by 6 houses, all ruling over a part of the region. The only land border of the region is shared with Gletcher in the south. The region also borders two seas: the Shepherd Sea and the Sea of Ice. Despite the fact that the region is thinly populated, it has great infrastructure and regulation. The region has many ancient villages and castles and counts only two small cities: The cliffside city of Oddburch in the northeast and the border city of Mecetarly in the south. The natural protection by the steep cliffs and rough seas from three sides and only a small mountainous land border has protected the region from many invasion attempts. A small force could hold the defensive line along the border for years on end.

### Culture

The Cliffs have always been very loyal to its own people and early in the emergence of houses around Phytor, they would form a strong alliance, eventually resulting in the signing of the Oddburch Pact, where all 6 houses were connected for once and for all. Since then The Cliffs has withheld 5 invasion attempts and thus has remained an independent region.

###### Language

Despite its relatively isolated location the main language in the region is Phytorian, although the Cliffs are not keen to outsiders, some trade with other regions has always been needed to sustain its population. In the northern parts of the region you'll find some Nørdic Phytorian accents.

###### Religion

Most people in The Cliffs follow The Frozen Lord, although in Mecetarly and Oddburch you'll also find a Shepherd's church

## History

The Cliffs would be discovered by the early Westerlings some centuries after their arrival on Phytor, they made elaborate cave systems in the northern mountains. They left the region at some point, probably due to the declining temperatures. Which would make way for High Folk entering the region with The First March around 8900 BNE.

During the next few millennia more High Folk would reach the region with various other migrations from the North. But the severe cold in the Cliffs most have driven most of them to the region of Gletcher. Around 3000 years ago in the Cliffs too would form many houses, but the region was small. The next few hundred years saw new houses emerge and disappear in small local conflicts. But when the region was attacked by an unknown army from Gletcher the small houses banded together and fought of the attacker. Noting that they were stronger together saw the signing of the first and longest alliance of Phytor: The Oddburch Pact, probably signed around 2200 BNE.

The Cliffs chose to not interfere in any external military or political conflict and only participated in trade with some cities. Sea routes passing along the shores of the Cliffs made especially Oddburch prosper, as many ships would use its harbour to restock on supplies. Simultaneously the Cliff Houses were always prepared for a new invasion, building castles, forts and defence works around its borders. They would get there invasion sooner then they had hoped. During the First Civil War Era, multiple wars in Gletcher saw House Macrance grow as the largest and most powerful House of the region, extending its borders from Xalvador to Uhlati. The only thorn in their eye was this small snowy region safely resting on their northern border. It wouldn't be long before they gathered the might of the houses of Gletcher and marched on The Cliffs. (See: The Frozen War). The stubborn houses of The Cliffs defended their border from the relentless attacks and eventually derived their invaders off. In 1562 BNE House Macrance would formerly recognise the Cliffs as an independent region.

In 889 BNE The Cliffs would be the first to discover the tragedy of The Lost March as remnants of dozen of ships were found on the shores of the cliffsides, over the next months thousands of bodies would reach the region. They were shocked by the fate of their kin, as they too had once sailed from the North to Phytor. All of the bodies were buried in dedicated cemeteries, which are maintained till this day.

In 421 BNE word came that Horren Haxorus marched with an army to the Cliffs. The northern regions had suffered under his conquest for the past decennia and now he had set his eyes on The Cliffs. Within a week the Oddburch Pact had mobilised its army and fortified their positions on the border. When Haxorus showed up with a mere 4000 troops, the houses saw this as insult (as Haxorus had taken 5 times the amount troops to his fight with House Macrance). When Haxorus woke the next day the Cliff Army was already forming up before the walls of Mecetarly. Shocked by the sheer amount of troops that opposed him, he send an envoy to the Cliff camp to sue for a peaceful solution, but they refused saying: *'You came here to fight, so fight!'* (see: Battle of Mecetarly).

The Unification Wars would bring another Haxorus-led army to the Cliffs in 117 BNE (see: The Battle on Ice). After the battle peace talks and interference by House Macrance and Astorius, the region opted to join the State of Phytor to avoid more bloodshed.

## Houses of The Cliffs

### Active:

* House Eastmire
* House Stongard
* House Sharp

## **Locations of The Cliffs**

#### **Regions:**

* Icewatch
* North Peak
* The Mire
* The Freeshire

#### **Cities/Villages/Castles:**

* Coldrock (*Castle)*
* Fort Winston (*Castle)*
* Freeshire (*Castle)*
* Hatterflee *(Village)*
* Houlon *(Village)*
* Houlwood (*Castle)*
* Mecetarly *(City)*
* Oddburch *(City, Capital)*
* Rockhold Castle (*Castle)*
* The Mire *(Village)*
* Vee *(Village)*

#### **Routes:**

* Cliff Route
* The Frozen Road