Cliffview Castle

Awldor    Landmarks      Cliffview Castle

Some lords like to live on the edge.

— Cerise Windwalker, Bard

Looking over the The Golden Plain atop a tall cliff is the Cliffview Castle and it was once the seat of power of a Draethlin lord, Lord Valentijn Highstone. The Principality of Draethlin was once an independent country now conquered by the Kingdom of Helia. The castle is a different design from most castles as it has the appearance of a long, crescent-shaped wall topped with towers sitting at the edge of a great stone cliff. An elaborate courtyard lies within the concave side of the castle.
The cliff itself was carved and marked by the violent wild magics of the The Great Collapse. A grand device was built into the face of this cliff that served as the main entrance to the castle. It was either inspired by ancient devices or was a surviving remnant that was repurposed (or may have even been the reason why the castle was built here). At the feet of these cliffs was a once lively farming community known as Ackerland.
Unlike most castles that the Helians laid siege to, this one remained untouched by war. In fact, it had been untouched by most hands for some years prior when the castle was suddenly abandoned.

As it turns out, it's not free real-estate.

— Cerise Windwalker, Bard

Power Vacuum

No one knows where Lord Highstone, his family, and his loyal servants went. One day it was business as usual and the next day no one, not even a guard, could be seen walking the castle. There was no sound, sign, or omen to announce this sudden change of affairs. The people of Ackerland quickly found themselves without a lord, and many of its wealthy individuals have tried to fill the resultant power vacuum. The struggle to fill this vacuum is thought to have contributed to the weakening of Draethlin making the principality a more tempting target of conquest.
Those who have tried to occupied Cliffview to claim lordship over the surrounding lands left as quickly as they had come. They left with stories, stories that included doors opening of their own accord, murals that change designs, furniture that moved places, the unexplained presence of cooked food around noon, portraits that changed expressions, and candles that seemed to light by themselves. On top of all that, the castle is not falling into disrepair. It is as if there is some unseen caretaker doomed to maintain and guard the castle.
As for the town of Ackerland? Many of its inhabitants have since been relocated by the Helians to tend to the farms surround the Radiant City of Sol, leaving behind only a small military garrison and a small number of hands to tend to Ackerland's farms.

Type

Castle

Parent Location

The Golden Plain

Owning Organization

Principality of Draethlin

Note(s) from the Archivists:

I want to go there. - Archivist Bob
I don't. - Archivist Enna