Shimmer Cliff
"Shimmer Cliff is home to a different way of doing things, that idea goes back to the very founding the original mining camp. Most thought it was crazy to bring down the side of a mountain, yet it was done and it helped the kingdom. Most thought it was strange of house Valeros to not take as much for themselves and to invest in the people, yet they did just that and that same line of thought led to the kingdom we know today. This is why I propose this city be the site of a new school of learning, a school where it is encouraged to try something new and to challenge the status quo." - Krixis Quickboot, founder of the Grand Mountain Academy.
History
Founded around the same time as Bronze Cliff and Stormhold Shimmer Cliff was originally meant to mine precious metal, initial prospecting marked it as a potential site for excavation. After carving away at the mountain for the better part of a year, the expedition was just about to pack up and leave, but wanted to try one last possibility, they would aggravate the natural fractures and cause an artificial avalanche. The idea was controversial and there was strong opinions and accusations thrown around, calling it a "desperate attempt to save face," but after some backroom meetings the plan moved forward. Several more months were needed to setup the mountainside to ensure the rubble flowed as they wanted, in the last few days of the month of Rugos, The reformer, the avalanche was started. It cleared out a large side of the mountain and revealed several undiscovered caves, after some exploration the prospectors found something just as good as metal, valuable gems. This attracted many artisans and jewelers to the area and while the original intention of providing metal to outfit the army of Bralor wasn't met, it did much to boost the economy.
As centuries passed and tensions between the nobility and people rose throughout the kingdom, so it did in Shimmer Cliff, but unlike the majority of the kingdom this city had a noble house that continually did its best to care for their subjects, that house of course would be House Valeros. While not possessing the direct oversight of the city, house Valeros did own several of the gem mines in the area, and did much to ensure their workforce was taken care of. Due to this culture the city didn't experience the type of unrest the other parts of the kingdom did, this did not sit well with other nobles in the area, they viewed it as threat to their position and attempted to unseat House Valeros. These attempts were ultimately foiled, by the end of the Bralorian Civil War (1816-1822 AGF) house Valeros had seen the city through and allowed it to prosper, this would not go unnoticed by the Royal Council who appointed house Valeros to oversee the newly formed Royal Mint. While this appointment saddened the people, as it meant house Valeros wouldn't be as involved in the city, they celebrated the new position. It became an unspoken rule in the city that any new official, mayor, or group that wanted to do business in the vicinity had to at the very least not have the ire of house Valeros if they wanted to succeed.
As centuries passed and tensions between the nobility and people rose throughout the kingdom, so it did in Shimmer Cliff, but unlike the majority of the kingdom this city had a noble house that continually did its best to care for their subjects, that house of course would be House Valeros. While not possessing the direct oversight of the city, house Valeros did own several of the gem mines in the area, and did much to ensure their workforce was taken care of. Due to this culture the city didn't experience the type of unrest the other parts of the kingdom did, this did not sit well with other nobles in the area, they viewed it as threat to their position and attempted to unseat House Valeros. These attempts were ultimately foiled, by the end of the Bralorian Civil War (1816-1822 AGF) house Valeros had seen the city through and allowed it to prosper, this would not go unnoticed by the Royal Council who appointed house Valeros to oversee the newly formed Royal Mint. While this appointment saddened the people, as it meant house Valeros wouldn't be as involved in the city, they celebrated the new position. It became an unspoken rule in the city that any new official, mayor, or group that wanted to do business in the vicinity had to at the very least not have the ire of house Valeros if they wanted to succeed.
Points of interest
The Grand Mountain Academy was founded in 1914 AGF, it is one of three institutions devoted to higher learning (the other two being the mages academy in Highsummit and Strongfare). While it does have some studies in the magical arts, the focus is on that of the non-arcane: History, Mathematics, Philosophy, Logic. The idea being to challenge the students to think of new ideas and new ways of doing things. While some of the nobility sent their children to this institution (as opposed to private tutors) a fair amount come from the common masses, either from well to do business owners, sponsorships, or grants and scholarships.
During the Bralorian civil war (1816 AGF - 1822 AGF) Stormhold was effectively in ruins and the kingdom needed a new metalworks to continue the refining process, any salvageable material was recovered and moved to Shimmer Cliff and the Phoenix Forge Metalworks was built.
During the Bralorian civil war (1816 AGF - 1822 AGF) Stormhold was effectively in ruins and the kingdom needed a new metalworks to continue the refining process, any salvageable material was recovered and moved to Shimmer Cliff and the Phoenix Forge Metalworks was built.
Tourism
Over the centuries caverns have been exhausted of gems, but that didn't mean they no longer sparkled, the exhausted caverns found new life as either tour sites or as an amateur mining for rocks that weren't considered worth the trouble (such as amethyst or calcite).
Natural Resources
There is an abundance of precious gems, mostly that of diamonds and rubies.
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