The Battlement Cliffs
"Gods... the whole bloody Elflands collapsed in on itself, looks more like a crater from up here... what in the Hells could've hit the mainland so hard? A meteor? - Dwarfish airship scrying stone recording, Captain Faolin Strongbrow.
The Battlement Cliffs, while providing a natural, nearly insurmountable barrier of soil and stone which protects most of Everwealth from mainland invasion, the Battlement Cliffs also bar access to much of the coast despite Everwealth being a peninsula country, drastically limiting the country's naval presence and global trade in comparison to even relatively underdeveloped nations.
Geography
The Battlement Cliffs are an imposing, labyrinthine series of mile-high rock formations stretching along Everwealth's coastline. Formed in the cataclysmic aftermath of The Fall their jagged faces and treacherous outcroppings rise sharply from frothing seas, making them almost impenetrable. The cliffs twist and spiral unpredictably, creating natural labyrinths of stone that often echo with howling winds. Beneath their towering faces lie shattered remnants of the past—drowned port cities, broken docks, and shipwrecks trapped in a watery grave, their treasures still glinting beneath the waves for those foolhardy enough to risk recovering them.
Ecosystem
The cliffs host a unique and hostile ecosystem. Seabirds nest in precarious crags, their cries lost in the wind, while hardy, salt-resistant plants cling desperately to the rocks. Predators such as native lanternwings or less-common Manhunter Beetle patrol the crumbling paths and overhangs, making every step treacherous. Beneath the waves, luminescent fish dart through submerged ruins, feeding on coral-like growths that thrive on magickal residue from artifacts lost during the Fall. The cliffs also provide a natural sanctuary for creatures displaced by Everwealth’s forests and mountains, creating an ecosystem at once alien and eerily familiar.
Ecosystem Cycles
With each passing season, the cliffs shift subtly, their crumbling faces shedding rock and soil into the sea below. Winter storms batter the edges, eroding paths and forming new ones, while summer heat brings surges of seabirds and migratory fish. Spring sees predatory creatures breeding, making the cliffs even more dangerous as hungry hatchlings venture into new territories. Fall, meanwhile, shrouds the cliffs in mist, creating an almost otherworldly atmosphere that lures adventurers seeking ghostly treasures.
Localized Phenomena
The Battlement Cliffs are not without their share of strangeness. The eerie glow of magickal residue often seeps from fissures in the rock, forming shimmering auroras visible even from the shore. Sudden gusts of wind, believed to carry whispers of the dead, tear through the crags. Occasionally, earthquakes or tremors from the unstable tectonic plates cause parts of the cliffs to collapse into the ocean, sometimes revealing ancient ruins or submerging them further.
Climate
The cliffs are subject to relentless, unpredictable weather. Gale-force winds howl year-round, whipping seawater into frothy spray that coats the rocky surfaces with a slippery sheen. Summers bring scorching heat, while winters shroud the area in biting cold and ice, making the terrain doubly treacherous. Storms are frequent, their lightning illuminating the ghostly outlines of sunken ships and shattered villages.
Fauna & Flora
Life here is hardy and brutal. Salt-resistant plants like brinevine and cliff bloomers cling to cracks, their roots carving into the stone. Predatory creatures like lanternwings hunt along the upper reaches, while massive crabs scuttle among the tide pools below. The waters teem with resilient marine life, including glowfish and coral crabs, their ecosystems supported by the nutrient-rich ruins below. However, both land and sea are plagued by invasive species from the Hells, such as infernal bats, which thrive in the harsh environment.
Natural Resources
The Battlement Cliffs are rich in untapped resources: rare minerals embedded in the stone, salt deposits, and lost treasures from shipwrecks and drowned cities. However, these riches come at a high cost, with few able to brave the cliffs' dangers. Ruins and wrecks are rumored to contain advanced magickal artifacts from the Lost Ages, but many would-be treasure hunters find only death among the jagged rocks or beneath the waves.
History
Born from the cataclysmic quakes and eruptions following The Fall, the cliffs emerged almost overnight, reshaping Everwealth's coastline and isolating its people from the seas. Refugees fleeing to the Elflands found themselves blocked by this impenetrable barrier, their hopes dashed as port cities were swallowed by the rising earth or shattered by tsunamis. Many perished in their despair, their skeletal remains now mingling with the ruins below. Over the centuries, the cliffs have become both a symbol of Everwealth’s resilience and a haunting reminder of its past hardships still plaguing them to the day.
Tourism
There are not many who venture to the Battlement Cliffs for leisure, nigh only treasure hunters, scholars, or desperate outlaws seeking refuge roam its expanse. A historical bane of Everwealth though not without allure, many come seeking the promise of wealth hidden in sunken ships and ancient ruins, though most who come in search of fortune leave only bones behind. Stories of ghostly lights and whispers in the wind draw occultists and thrill-seekers, while local inns profit modestly from those who manage to survive their harrowing visits.
Alternative Name(s)
The Jagged Wall, The Shattered Shore, The Cradle of Ghosts.
Inhabiting Species
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