Ironcliffe Connighclann
These lands are the ancestral homelands, the Connighclann, of Clan Ironcliffe, whom's patriarch Cormac Ironcliffe, until recently, was Suranth's High King. The most populated region of the country, home to a shade over twenty percent of the nations populace, some 469200 at last census and count. This is one of the two resource rich regions of Suranth, with plenty of mining, fishing and even, shockingly, there is some limited farming that takes place here."
Territories
The Ironcliffe Connighclann is defined as roughly starting where the Wolf River joins with the Nordjeim heading south, encompassing the southern regions of hte Irontip Peaks mountain range, encompassing the Nordjeim River Valley region, and being defined by ancient clan agreements and blood oaths exactly a quarter of the way along the Grey-Back River. The exact spot marked by a monument, two massive stone effigies of the long forgotten clan chiefs of both clans from before the Sundering whom made the blood pact with each other. There names may be lost to history, but their legacy still lives on, as Clann Azulron and Clan Ironcliffe are quite intermingled along their many branched bloodlines now. Within this large land area encompassing roughly 118000 square kilometers there are many population centers at its core, centered around the rail routes and Iron Wheel Way, the major trade road on the eastern side of Suranth. Grakenfior, the seat of power of the Ironcliffe Clan is an ancient dwarven hold and fortress, built properly into a mountain, a true clanhold capital. However it is not the only city in the region. Cuanoir, Dun Nordach, Boitailohol, and Bancoighr are all large population centers, true cities in the region, and as such, are the centers of power politically. Besides that many large townships and rural communities dot the landscape. Some 9 Townships and 11 rural communties and their outlying satellites. The heartlands, the center of the Ironcliffe Connighclann is the busiest and most well traveled regions in Suranth. By virtue of this, it is also one of the most well protected.
Cities and Townships of the Ironcliffe Connighclann
Grakenfior (73881): The regional seat of power in the Ironcliffe Connighclann, the seat and home of Clan Ironcliffe. This city is the regional capital, home to the largest population of any settlement in region. Its position at the crossroads of the Iron-wheel Pass, an important valley where both the major rail and road routes cut through the Irontip Peaks to make their way towards the capital of Geata-Iarainn. This makes it a valuable military asset to the nation, and as such one should not be surprised to find a city designed like a fortress, with many walled districts, its design one meant for defense, with buildings kept at or below certain hieght limits based on their distance from the walls/how close they are to the city/district center. The closer you get to the center of the city, or the center of any district, the taller the buildings get. The city of Grakenfior is also known for the massively extensive iron mining complex it is built above, which is the major industry of the city. It is a heavily industrial city, producing a broad range of iron and steel goods that get shipped via road and rail all over Suranth and beyond.
Cuanoir (61094): This city at the mouth of Goldhead Run, is built around the mining and quarrying industries. Marble and Gold are the bounties of the earth here, and they have brought the city great prominence. Cuanoir also has the distinction of being home to a rather large naval garrison. It is a favorite port of call among trade vessels as well, as a city of wealth and power, it is a place worth stopping, a place where goods and coin flow, and trade thrives.
Dun Nordach (42313): A military city first and foremost, its very name in Dwarven meaning 'Fort Nordjeim', it is the single largest military base or garrison in the Ironcliffe Connighclann, and that makes a lot of sense strategically, given its centralized location in the region. This city is also home to the prestidgous Suranthi College of Arms, one of the nation's two premier military academies. For civilians, the logging business is notable business here, and in specific there are a notably large number of paper mills within the city, parchment and paper of both normal quality and custom materials are big business here. The logging industry in and around the city feeds these mills, keeping them busy and in eating money year around with basic paper production. The odder and more complex stuff is a speciality craft of course, and as such some of the mills would not be equipped or have staff capable of handling producing things such as vellum, as an example.
Boitailohol (67004): This city in the middle of the Nordjeim Riverlands is well known as 'the city of Spirit-ale experiences' This is a description of rather dry dwarven humor, but an apt one, as the city is a one industry sort of place. Wineries working blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, along with imported goods such as Frigi grapes from the northern parts of Raechin brought in by rail, produce well known and profitable vintages. Breweries as well, working with the area's natural mosses and peats, along with any number of the various crops. Many distillerries make strong spirits here as well, mostly potato alcohol based, though corn and grains are imported at the appropriate seasons to work with for some seasonal high end vintages. Alcohol has always been big business racially to dwarves and that has bled through on everyone of every race in Suranth, and as such it is very big and extremely serious business in Suranthi culture.
Bancoighr (33057): The city known as Ice Banks is a unique and wealthy place. It is a small city, yet one that boomed rapidly, and will sustain quite long. This is because within the the plateau of glacial ice it is built upon, riddled throughout that ancient frozen water have formed veins of sapphire. The deposit is a notable one, believed to be one sustainable for at least a dwarven lifetime. Ice itself, despite what one might think, given it is a tundra environment, has its place and value in business as well. Suranthi culture is well known for believing no materials one can draw from the earth should be looked at as waste, everything is useful, in the proper application, and though glacial ice may not technically be 'the earth', the same approach is taken here as well.
Townships
Gold-Bridge (12046): Built around a smaller, but rich mine of its own, the name may be decieving, for though it was a small vein of gold that originally founded the town itself, and allowed for the smaller communities around it to thrive, the vein turned out to be quite small. However a bit deeper down, in exploration for a larger vein to save their home, prospectors stumbled upon a gift from Domhan itself. A thick and seemingly quite notably sized vein of Mythram, a rare ultra light ore that when refined has similar qualities in strength, flexibility and durability to high carbon steel, but at nearly half the weight. Mythram is extremely difficult to extract and make ready however, though this is a boon in a unique fashion, forcibly keeping the mining town and surrounding villages and hamlets from suffering the natural boom-bust cycle one might expect, as it forcibly stretches out and naturally 'budgets' how swiftly that valuable resource is extracted and sold, allowing for less immediate profit, but a more economically stable and longer lasting profitable operation.
Ceiglennta (14203): This township gets its name from its central community, as all do, which is where some 8200 or so of its citizens live, the rest spread out admist small quarrying, logging, and trapping communities within the area around it. Its name translates from dwarven as 'Four Valleys' and though many industries have dabbling success and hands here, the truth of the main town itself, and the region around it, is it is a mercantile settlement, a trade hub, a crossroads for all goods and resources moving through and between the various settlements in the Irontip Peaks. Ceiglennta itself is also known as 'adventurer's proving grounds' as many travelling blades for hire in the region get their start here, and have for more than two centuries, doing simple work like guarding merchants on their travels, hunting problem beasts, or other sort of reputation building 'grunt' work that one might expect such storied lives to begin with.
Sprucebank (9721): This town and its surrounding communities are built first and foremost upon a local timber industry, in specific making fine furniture, predominantly of spruce, though various species of pine are also used. Besides that however the main town that gives this township its name is also home to a pair of glassworks, surrounding communities providing the various components. Mostly they make simple panes, used in windows all over Valerick in this day and age, but they can and do produce some custom pieces if requested, including stained glasses of course.
Blackstone (14915): The town that gives this township its name is named after the region's two predominant resources and economic lifeblood. Granite and Coal. Blackstone itself is the processing center for these raw goods, where the granite is processed into bricks and blocks and where the coal is seperated from any rock or dirt still attached to it, refined and made ready for use as fuel. the surrounding communities all are mining and quarrying communities, cutting granite from the earth or mining coal. Like a lot of Suranthi culture, the name really does tell you all you need to know.
Whitebridge (11366): The township of Whitebridge gets its name for being a river crossing of course, but also for the fact that the town itself which lends its name to the surrounding area also came to exist around a limestone quarry, an important resource used for many materials and processes in construction. Whitebridge itself is also a bit of a pilgrimage site, as it is believed by many to be the rough area that was likely the one of the last camping grounds of Sir Kartheart and his followers upon their storied 'Final March'
Bristlebark (12715): This township is named after the translation into common of the actually town it has grown around, Acorepoils, which translates from elven as, well Bristlebark, or more directly 'Bristle of Bark'. The woodlands here are known for their unique Ironwood pines, which only really grow in this region of the Needlewood. These trees are highly prized and valued for a multitude of reasons, but the biggest is their bark, which every autumn can be harvested without harming the tree, for it sheds like a snake almost, coming off in sheets. This wood can be worked, turned into armors as strong as metallic materials in many cases, but far lighter and for those whom care, not metallic at all. It can be used to make excellent high poundage bows, bows for master archers and bows that those of Tantur heritage prefer, for they require high skill and practice or at minimum, monstrous strength in the arms and core to draw back.
Vingart (9086): This township gets its name from the town that acts as a central hub for the farming communities around it, Vingart. Home to some 5600 people, it is the smallest town in the Ironcliffe Connighclann, some might even argue it as a large village. However the fact remains they are a town, having all the same political rights as a town, including a seat on the provincial council. The surrounding farms are predominantly berry farms, blackberries, blueberries, and cranberrries being the real winners of course. Vingart itself gets its name from being a distillery town specializing in ciders and ales with the local berries being a key part of that.
Bothartrad (10739): Named for the main town in the area, the name translating to 'Trade Roads' this is indeed what this township is known for. Halfway between the cities of Boitailohol and Bancoighr, it is the best spot for produce to end up going to market in large quanties, and that it does from all around. In truth, this town and township are sort of the trade hub of the Nordjeim Riverlands. Most commerce into and out of the farmland region and all the settlements within at some point passes around or through Bothartrad.
Needlevale (12407): This township is named for its surroundings more than any direct industry, and its main purpose and function is a railyard town, the town itself which gives its name to the surrounding communities as a township being home to some 8400 or so people whom live in the area. This railyard is important less for any sort of cargo or refueling, but it is a perfect crew exchange location, which is exactly what its primary purpose is. Situated as it is at the edge of the Irontip Peaks, but also not being a massive resource heavy and shipping heavy railyard like Cuanoir, which is more ideal for refilling coal reserves as well, since the stops in such a yard are scheduled to be longer. But for crew swaps and housing them, this is the ideal location. This is not to say no cargo work is done in Needlevale's railyards of course, that would be foolish to say. It is the connecting point for all the spirits, liquors, ales and wines, and other produce related products, coming out of the Nordjeim Riverlands. As such, carriage shuffles and refits are common, swapping carriages from one locomotive to another, and again, because of the logisitics involved, such a location is perfect, since with the scheduling of routes, there are always empty lengths of track allowing the necessary manuevorabiltiy of the locomotives to accomplish such tasks.
Cities and Townships of the Ironcliffe Connighclann
Grakenfior (73881): The regional seat of power in the Ironcliffe Connighclann, the seat and home of Clan Ironcliffe. This city is the regional capital, home to the largest population of any settlement in region. Its position at the crossroads of the Iron-wheel Pass, an important valley where both the major rail and road routes cut through the Irontip Peaks to make their way towards the capital of Geata-Iarainn. This makes it a valuable military asset to the nation, and as such one should not be surprised to find a city designed like a fortress, with many walled districts, its design one meant for defense, with buildings kept at or below certain hieght limits based on their distance from the walls/how close they are to the city/district center. The closer you get to the center of the city, or the center of any district, the taller the buildings get. The city of Grakenfior is also known for the massively extensive iron mining complex it is built above, which is the major industry of the city. It is a heavily industrial city, producing a broad range of iron and steel goods that get shipped via road and rail all over Suranth and beyond.
Cuanoir (61094): This city at the mouth of Goldhead Run, is built around the mining and quarrying industries. Marble and Gold are the bounties of the earth here, and they have brought the city great prominence. Cuanoir also has the distinction of being home to a rather large naval garrison. It is a favorite port of call among trade vessels as well, as a city of wealth and power, it is a place worth stopping, a place where goods and coin flow, and trade thrives.
Dun Nordach (42313): A military city first and foremost, its very name in Dwarven meaning 'Fort Nordjeim', it is the single largest military base or garrison in the Ironcliffe Connighclann, and that makes a lot of sense strategically, given its centralized location in the region. This city is also home to the prestidgous Suranthi College of Arms, one of the nation's two premier military academies. For civilians, the logging business is notable business here, and in specific there are a notably large number of paper mills within the city, parchment and paper of both normal quality and custom materials are big business here. The logging industry in and around the city feeds these mills, keeping them busy and in eating money year around with basic paper production. The odder and more complex stuff is a speciality craft of course, and as such some of the mills would not be equipped or have staff capable of handling producing things such as vellum, as an example.
Boitailohol (67004): This city in the middle of the Nordjeim Riverlands is well known as 'the city of Spirit-ale experiences' This is a description of rather dry dwarven humor, but an apt one, as the city is a one industry sort of place. Wineries working blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, along with imported goods such as Frigi grapes from the northern parts of Raechin brought in by rail, produce well known and profitable vintages. Breweries as well, working with the area's natural mosses and peats, along with any number of the various crops. Many distillerries make strong spirits here as well, mostly potato alcohol based, though corn and grains are imported at the appropriate seasons to work with for some seasonal high end vintages. Alcohol has always been big business racially to dwarves and that has bled through on everyone of every race in Suranth, and as such it is very big and extremely serious business in Suranthi culture.
Bancoighr (33057): The city known as Ice Banks is a unique and wealthy place. It is a small city, yet one that boomed rapidly, and will sustain quite long. This is because within the the plateau of glacial ice it is built upon, riddled throughout that ancient frozen water have formed veins of sapphire. The deposit is a notable one, believed to be one sustainable for at least a dwarven lifetime. Ice itself, despite what one might think, given it is a tundra environment, has its place and value in business as well. Suranthi culture is well known for believing no materials one can draw from the earth should be looked at as waste, everything is useful, in the proper application, and though glacial ice may not technically be 'the earth', the same approach is taken here as well.
Townships
Gold-Bridge (12046): Built around a smaller, but rich mine of its own, the name may be decieving, for though it was a small vein of gold that originally founded the town itself, and allowed for the smaller communities around it to thrive, the vein turned out to be quite small. However a bit deeper down, in exploration for a larger vein to save their home, prospectors stumbled upon a gift from Domhan itself. A thick and seemingly quite notably sized vein of Mythram, a rare ultra light ore that when refined has similar qualities in strength, flexibility and durability to high carbon steel, but at nearly half the weight. Mythram is extremely difficult to extract and make ready however, though this is a boon in a unique fashion, forcibly keeping the mining town and surrounding villages and hamlets from suffering the natural boom-bust cycle one might expect, as it forcibly stretches out and naturally 'budgets' how swiftly that valuable resource is extracted and sold, allowing for less immediate profit, but a more economically stable and longer lasting profitable operation.
Ceiglennta (14203): This township gets its name from its central community, as all do, which is where some 8200 or so of its citizens live, the rest spread out admist small quarrying, logging, and trapping communities within the area around it. Its name translates from dwarven as 'Four Valleys' and though many industries have dabbling success and hands here, the truth of the main town itself, and the region around it, is it is a mercantile settlement, a trade hub, a crossroads for all goods and resources moving through and between the various settlements in the Irontip Peaks. Ceiglennta itself is also known as 'adventurer's proving grounds' as many travelling blades for hire in the region get their start here, and have for more than two centuries, doing simple work like guarding merchants on their travels, hunting problem beasts, or other sort of reputation building 'grunt' work that one might expect such storied lives to begin with.
Sprucebank (9721): This town and its surrounding communities are built first and foremost upon a local timber industry, in specific making fine furniture, predominantly of spruce, though various species of pine are also used. Besides that however the main town that gives this township its name is also home to a pair of glassworks, surrounding communities providing the various components. Mostly they make simple panes, used in windows all over Valerick in this day and age, but they can and do produce some custom pieces if requested, including stained glasses of course.
Blackstone (14915): The town that gives this township its name is named after the region's two predominant resources and economic lifeblood. Granite and Coal. Blackstone itself is the processing center for these raw goods, where the granite is processed into bricks and blocks and where the coal is seperated from any rock or dirt still attached to it, refined and made ready for use as fuel. the surrounding communities all are mining and quarrying communities, cutting granite from the earth or mining coal. Like a lot of Suranthi culture, the name really does tell you all you need to know.
Whitebridge (11366): The township of Whitebridge gets its name for being a river crossing of course, but also for the fact that the town itself which lends its name to the surrounding area also came to exist around a limestone quarry, an important resource used for many materials and processes in construction. Whitebridge itself is also a bit of a pilgrimage site, as it is believed by many to be the rough area that was likely the one of the last camping grounds of Sir Kartheart and his followers upon their storied 'Final March'
Bristlebark (12715): This township is named after the translation into common of the actually town it has grown around, Acorepoils, which translates from elven as, well Bristlebark, or more directly 'Bristle of Bark'. The woodlands here are known for their unique Ironwood pines, which only really grow in this region of the Needlewood. These trees are highly prized and valued for a multitude of reasons, but the biggest is their bark, which every autumn can be harvested without harming the tree, for it sheds like a snake almost, coming off in sheets. This wood can be worked, turned into armors as strong as metallic materials in many cases, but far lighter and for those whom care, not metallic at all. It can be used to make excellent high poundage bows, bows for master archers and bows that those of Tantur heritage prefer, for they require high skill and practice or at minimum, monstrous strength in the arms and core to draw back.
Vingart (9086): This township gets its name from the town that acts as a central hub for the farming communities around it, Vingart. Home to some 5600 people, it is the smallest town in the Ironcliffe Connighclann, some might even argue it as a large village. However the fact remains they are a town, having all the same political rights as a town, including a seat on the provincial council. The surrounding farms are predominantly berry farms, blackberries, blueberries, and cranberrries being the real winners of course. Vingart itself gets its name from being a distillery town specializing in ciders and ales with the local berries being a key part of that.
Bothartrad (10739): Named for the main town in the area, the name translating to 'Trade Roads' this is indeed what this township is known for. Halfway between the cities of Boitailohol and Bancoighr, it is the best spot for produce to end up going to market in large quanties, and that it does from all around. In truth, this town and township are sort of the trade hub of the Nordjeim Riverlands. Most commerce into and out of the farmland region and all the settlements within at some point passes around or through Bothartrad.
Needlevale (12407): This township is named for its surroundings more than any direct industry, and its main purpose and function is a railyard town, the town itself which gives its name to the surrounding communities as a township being home to some 8400 or so people whom live in the area. This railyard is important less for any sort of cargo or refueling, but it is a perfect crew exchange location, which is exactly what its primary purpose is. Situated as it is at the edge of the Irontip Peaks, but also not being a massive resource heavy and shipping heavy railyard like Cuanoir, which is more ideal for refilling coal reserves as well, since the stops in such a yard are scheduled to be longer. But for crew swaps and housing them, this is the ideal location. This is not to say no cargo work is done in Needlevale's railyards of course, that would be foolish to say. It is the connecting point for all the spirits, liquors, ales and wines, and other produce related products, coming out of the Nordjeim Riverlands. As such, carriage shuffles and refits are common, swapping carriages from one locomotive to another, and again, because of the logisitics involved, such a location is perfect, since with the scheduling of routes, there are always empty lengths of track allowing the necessary manuevorabiltiy of the locomotives to accomplish such tasks.
Military
Like all regions, there are semi-privatist forces, mercenaries, nobles house security, police forces, and those are worth noting as sort of a reservist types in that if needed the government of Suranth can draw upon these sorts of people to bolster military power and presence. However in regards to professional military, the Ironcliffe Connighclann is the stationing point and security objective of 20.4% of Suranth's military force and power, with fully two thirds of that stationed at large garrisons in the major cities in the region, Dun Nordach being home to the biggest of these. The breakdown of the forces are as follows;
8420 Clansmen: (regulars) Infantry core of land forces, includes at the moment, the like of paratroopers as well, since a proper division of Aeronautics has not officially been established or recognized as of yet. Includes archers/crossbowmen, halbrediers, axe and shield, and other sorts of basic troops.
5400 Saltbeards: (Basic Marines), soldiers whom are the guts and core of the navy, including both river patrol and seamen. Pistols, axes, lightly armored, as one might expect.
2440 Tundra Rovers: Scout and patrol troops, some of the busiest in the armed forces, even at peace, it is their squads and battle groups and their officers that control and organize the logisitics of domestic patrol, and responses to domestic threats (like greenskin raids from frontier areas, that sort of thing). Includes the likes of rail wardens, air marshals, and road wardens. Rangers and their ilk of all sorts. Their training regimes are the most diverse and as such, Pilots and flight crews for Suranth's two Sky-Ships she has in military service thus far fall under this section and juristication at this time.
1741 Iron Riders: Heavy cavalry, mostly riding Frost-Tip Boars, some warhorses, along with the rare Demigryph or Griffon.
1160 Storm Lancers: Elite Shock Cavalry
1160 Iron Dragons: Elite and unique infantry, seen as the equal to the Storm Lancers, though doing so not with faith or grace of a deity. The Iron Dragons accomplish similar feats of skill and ferocity through a bristling wall of steel, with withering rains of rifle and pistol fire, and copious amounts of high explosives applied generously. They are a highly flexible unit, with impressive tactical awareness and adaptability, along with of course, an impressive ability to rapidly and fully deploy with a complete and overwhelming violence of action.
1162 Wave-Runners: Guess based on percentage of population by most military minded folk. Number cannot be confirmed. Suranth's intelligence operatives, naturally many are not in country, but this is a rough guess as to how many have their operations tied to and reported back to handlers in the region.
870 Warpriest/Priests/Magisters/Physicians: These are specialized troops of course, all of which are in high demand by all sections and brigades. With available numbers being limited by comparative need, they are made available how and where they can be.
872 Engineers/Artisans: These are of course the officers and craftsmen whom handle large arms, like cannon, trebuchet, ballista, and other such large scale equipment. Sappers. These officers and troops are favored for seige warfare, though every oceanic vessel in Suranth's navy has at least one engineer and a specialized cannon operator on board, whom guides and trains the handpicked sailors on the basics of cannon operation.
8420 Clansmen: (regulars) Infantry core of land forces, includes at the moment, the like of paratroopers as well, since a proper division of Aeronautics has not officially been established or recognized as of yet. Includes archers/crossbowmen, halbrediers, axe and shield, and other sorts of basic troops.
5400 Saltbeards: (Basic Marines), soldiers whom are the guts and core of the navy, including both river patrol and seamen. Pistols, axes, lightly armored, as one might expect.
2440 Tundra Rovers: Scout and patrol troops, some of the busiest in the armed forces, even at peace, it is their squads and battle groups and their officers that control and organize the logisitics of domestic patrol, and responses to domestic threats (like greenskin raids from frontier areas, that sort of thing). Includes the likes of rail wardens, air marshals, and road wardens. Rangers and their ilk of all sorts. Their training regimes are the most diverse and as such, Pilots and flight crews for Suranth's two Sky-Ships she has in military service thus far fall under this section and juristication at this time.
1741 Iron Riders: Heavy cavalry, mostly riding Frost-Tip Boars, some warhorses, along with the rare Demigryph or Griffon.
1160 Storm Lancers: Elite Shock Cavalry
1160 Iron Dragons: Elite and unique infantry, seen as the equal to the Storm Lancers, though doing so not with faith or grace of a deity. The Iron Dragons accomplish similar feats of skill and ferocity through a bristling wall of steel, with withering rains of rifle and pistol fire, and copious amounts of high explosives applied generously. They are a highly flexible unit, with impressive tactical awareness and adaptability, along with of course, an impressive ability to rapidly and fully deploy with a complete and overwhelming violence of action.
1162 Wave-Runners: Guess based on percentage of population by most military minded folk. Number cannot be confirmed. Suranth's intelligence operatives, naturally many are not in country, but this is a rough guess as to how many have their operations tied to and reported back to handlers in the region.
870 Warpriest/Priests/Magisters/Physicians: These are specialized troops of course, all of which are in high demand by all sections and brigades. With available numbers being limited by comparative need, they are made available how and where they can be.
872 Engineers/Artisans: These are of course the officers and craftsmen whom handle large arms, like cannon, trebuchet, ballista, and other such large scale equipment. Sappers. These officers and troops are favored for seige warfare, though every oceanic vessel in Suranth's navy has at least one engineer and a specialized cannon operator on board, whom guides and trains the handpicked sailors on the basics of cannon operation.
Maps
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Ironcliffe Connighclann
A regional map of the most populated Connighclann of Suranth, home to almost 470 000 of the nation's populace.
Type
Geopolitical, Province
Ruling Organization
Leader Title
Power Structure
Semi-autonomous area
Economic System
Mixed economy
Parent Organization
Neighboring Nations
Comments