Cliffside

Mining town on a cliff.

Temul wasn't sure about this. The wood creaked as soon as it began to ascend. The ground moved away from her and she quickly grabbed the rail as tight as she could. Further and further she went as it became harder and harder to breathe.
"Stop panicking," she spoke aloud, "You have only to meet with one merchant up here and get a supply of iron, then you can return home."
This was not a good time to learn that she was afraid of heights.

Defences

The section of the city located on the ground level is protected by walls, except for the farms outside of it. The upper section on the cliff is inaccessible without the lifts (which can be disabled from the top) or by walking a treacherous mountain path.

Industry & Trade

Mining is the foundation of Cliffside. The mines by the upper part of the city provide valuable iron. This mining industry created a processing industry for the metal which in turn created a demand for fuels that burn hot. In order to get the goods down the cliff the lift needs to be maintained. Carpenters and rope-makers are required for this job.
The increasing population created a great demand for food and farms began to appear. It should be noted that the city still imports much of its food.

Infrastructure

The most important infrastructure in Cliffside are the manual lifts that allow vertical transport of goods and people up and down the cliff. A system of pulleys makes this possible. A watermill is built on the river that comes down from the mountains. An entire section of the city is dedicated to smelters and other infrastructure for working iron ore.

History

The settlement was founded by some entrepreneurial people after hearing of a traveler that found iron on the mountain. Initially, the village that came up was seasonal with workers avoiding the cold of winter by returning to their home towns. Eventually as the number of workers grew, the worker's families began to come with them. Then in 143RB the first families decided to stay the winter in Cliffside.

Architecture

"Good nails are for selling. There is always an apprentice blacksmith who makes bad but usable nails that we can get on the cheap."

Despite the abundance of stone, most structures in Cliffside are not constructed of it. The stone is valuable outside of the city and most of the inhabitants cannot afford it so their structures are built of wood. While nails are also expensive they are common in construction here. However, the nails used are the lower grade product and the nicer ones are sent away to be sold.

Geography

Cliffside lives up to its name. At least a section of the city is located on a cliff while the rest is located at the bottom of it. This cliff attaches the city to the mountains and the mountains provide water runoff for the city. The lower section was once forested land but the woods have since been pushed back to make room for the inhabitants, their buildings, and their farmland.

Natural Resources

Cliffside is one of the few locations in Grara where raw metals are mined. It is also a location where stone is quarried.

Stub Article

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Old Article

This article was written in the past and does not meet my current standards for any number of article quality, layout, or content.

In-Progress Article

This article is being worked on, perhaps not at this very moment, but it is being worked on.

Founding Date

143RB

Alternative Name(s)

Irontown

Type

City

Population

~6300

Inhabitant Demonym

Siders

Owning Organization

Graran Directorate