CLIFFSIDE - THE EVOLVED CITY

Small City: Magical; AL N; 15,000 gp limit; Assets 6,996,000 gp; Population 9,328; Mixed (74% halfling, 15% dwarf, 8% human, 2% gnome, 1% other).

Named for the way in which the city is built into the side of a mountain, Cliffside is a thriving community perched on the very edge of an ocean coastline. The area’s native residents, a conglomeration of nature-worshiping halfling tribes, built their first homes here in comfortable caves located higher up on the mountain, away from the sea. When expansion began in earnest, the tribes invited skilled builders from neighboring dwarf and human communities to help plan and produce a true city in the mountain. In exchange, the foreign workers were allowed to stay and live in peace among the grateful residents. The dwarves’ knack for construction, coupled with the humans’ sense of style and efficiency, turned Cliffside into a fascinating example of unusual urban design.

Cliffside’s official government is a council of druids, harking back to the halflings’ forebears, but their rule doesn’t go unchallenged. An influential cult exists within the city, dedicated to an ancient sea deity—a goddess said to have shaped Cliffside’s original caves with the power of wind and rain. Some followers of this cult cooperate with the dominant faiths, merely encouraging the occasional bit of “tribute to the sea” (which accomplishes their goals without insulting anyone’s beliefs). Other followers campaign for a return to living sacrifice to appease the sea deity, lest she return and send destruction against the now developed city.

ARCHITECTURE

Cliffside is unusual in that most of its foundation was laid by nature. Millennia of seasonal storms blowing in from the ocean eroded vast openings in the moun tainside, resulting in something resembling a massive insect hive fashioned of stone. Most structures are primarily carved from the native rock, working artifi cial elements smoothly into the natural. Builders take care to strengthen the sides of the buildings that directly face the water, reinforcing the existing stone with treated wood, magic, or both. The locals have a natural facility with wood, which grows in abundance on the top of the cliff. Only at the highest elevations, where the wealthy and powerful dwell, do structures use more attractive or more delicate substances.

LAYOUT

Cliffside features several main “roads,” with a number of crisscrossing “side streets.” In a city in which each structure is at a slightly different elevation from every other one, creating traditional thoroughfares is a challenge. The original residents used ropes and natural ledges to get around, and crossing from one side of the city to the other required a fair bit of climbing. The city’s engineers later decided to build upon this system rather than discard it entirely; the result more resembles a network of suspension bridges than a customary street layout. This network of so-called bridgeways connects all the major neighborhoods to a large area of fl at ground about halfway up the mountainside. This open space is the closest thing Cliffside has to a town square, and many of the major businesses and markets are located there or nearby.

The remainder of the city, particularly the poorer neighborhoods farther down the mountain, is more like a hive. Business zones are the easiest to reach and navigate, with private residences taking up outlying areas of town.

Visitors who arrive by sea face quite a climb, whether they seek supplies or wish to consult with city luminaries. Most of the city’s important locations are at least midway up the cliff. Strangers in Cliffside are encouraged to stick to the safest areas of the city, including the central plaza and the strongest bridgeways leading to it.

Cliffside Map Key

The keyed locations on the Cliffside map indicate various districts of the city. For a general discussion of these features, see City Districts beginning on page 34.

1. Lord’s Manor
2. Civic district
3. Embassy district
4. Fine shops
5. Magic district
6. Noble estates
7. Wealthy residential district
8. Average residential district
9. Garrison
10. Guildhall district
11. Marketplace
12. Temple district
13. Caravan district
14. Inn/Tavern district
15. Red-Light district
16. Shantytown
17. Slum/Tenement district
18. Warehouse district

PERSONA

Despite its unique foundation, Cliffside remains a halfl ing community at heart, and it still feels like one. Daily life here is precarious, yet the locals fi nd the time to offer up a pleasant smile or cheerful greeting even to total strangers. Because of their origins and beliefs, the halfl ings of Cliffside aren’t as innately good-hearted as some of their more pastoral cousins, but neither are they evil as a group. Living in such an environment requires absolute harmony with its perilous nature. Despite progress and solid engineering, Cliffside still sees a number of injuries and deaths from falling or drowning every year. Proximity to potential disaster and loss has given the people a hard edge, but it hasn’t stripped them of their compassion.

Cliffside is largely bereft of crime, unlike other coastal cities. The easygoing nature of its inhabitants, coupled with the magical power of its ruling body, discourages unpleasant behavior. As usual, though, this condition holds less true in the poorest sections of town, where many residents don’t have the wealth or skill even to secure their homes with doors. The city does maintain a watch (which reports directly to the druid council), but since it is composed primarily of humans, it focuses on protecting other humans rather than the halfling locals. Poor residents are left to fend for themselves, which not only encourages crime but fosters resentment toward both the watch and the ruling elite.