Cliffport

Located on a remote patch of the northern coast of Terra Main, a raucous, dangerous, and vertical, city exists: the infamous Cliffport. This pirate haven is built into, and upon, a sheer limestone cliff, a few hundred feet in height above a rocky cove on the Pale Sea. Countless caves bore into the cliff face, each owned or rented by a pirate clan, crime syndicate, or thieves guild. A massive and complex network of cranes, pulleys, and buttressed platforms also cover the cliff face, allowing people and goods to be moved up from the ships below to the ramshackle buildings and storage caves.

Demographics

The general mix of Humans, Elves, etc roughly matches that of Terra, but due to it's lawless nature, misfits of all kinds live and work in Cliffport, as well. Cliffport likely has the highest density of Tieflings, Aasimars, Genasi, half-breeds, weirdos, and other assorted unique entities in the known world.

Government

The only rule of law in Cliffport is strength... and the strongest entity here is the Pirate King and his cronies, colloquially called 'Enforcers'. They are what pass as a government in Cliffport and enforce a few critical rules that would be best obeyed, lest you find yourself taking the express path to the waves crashing on the rocks below.

1. No Violence (especially against Enforcers). This isn't a moral stance, rather its about the fact that valuable goods tend to be collateral damage in brawls. Any violence against an Enforcer, or any other representative of the King, is an immediate death sentence.
2. No Stealing. Obviously, this means "don't get caught stealing".
3. The King's Word is Law. Disagreements between grieved parties can appeal the King for mediation, but neither party is guaranteed to be pleased with it's outcome. Outside of formal appeals, any decree from the King is immediately Law and will be enforced with swift and deadly force.

Defences

Besides the merciless Enforcers that roam the streets (gangplanks?) of the town, Cliffport is also bristling with catapults, ballista, and cannons. Of course, the pure verticality of the location makes any sort of assault an uphill battle, in the most extreme and literal way possible. The Pirate King has made sure that large sections of the scaffolding and structure of Cliffport can be quickly disconnected and dropped into the rocky bay below, to cut off whole sections of the town in the case of an invasion.
There is a small, but armed-to-the-teeth, flotilla of converted merchant ships that patrol the surrounding waters, and several in reserve that can be quickly shoved off to defend. many of the regular patrons and/or citizens of Cliffport have been known to defend their favorite port of call in times of need, but few would be foolish enough to rely on the selflessness of pirates.

Industry & Trade

Cliffport makes almost nothing of it' own, with the vast majority of goods being imported. A few basics involving ship repair and maintenance are made on-site, as are a few brands of rum, lager, and beer. Strangely, the best saltwater taffy in the known world is made here, by a kindly old man who, if rumors are to be believed, used to be the Pirate King many years ago.
Trade, money-laundering, and banking are Cliffport's primary 'industries'. The Pirate King charges a monthly fee, based on size and amenities (such as dock/crane access, security features, etc), for each cave, while corsairs, sailors, and pirates have a place to stash and sell their ill-gotten goods away from prying eyes. The King also encourages entertainment of all sorts here, as well, but mostly for the boorish crowds. Brothels, stages for minstrels, and plenty of taverns fill out the city's infrastructure.

Infrastructure

Cliffport is a fully functioning large coastal town, with smiths, shipwrights, artisans, taverns, temples, and all sorts of businesses. The dizzying array of cranes, pulleys, cargo lifts, gangplanks, and supports that cover the vertical cliff face would impress (and terrify) even the greatest Dwarven or Aragonian engineers.

Assets

Without a doubt, Cliffport contains the largest collection of illicit goods in the known world. Its total value is impossible to calculate, or even guess, as so much of it is hidden, or even forgotten, within the winding caves that bore into the cliffside. The Pirate King himself is said to have at least 1,000,000 gp worth of coin, gems, art objects, artifacts, and even magic items hidden in his vaults.

Guilds and Factions

Cliffport is a melting pot of the underworld's different factions. Independent Pirates, Sky Pirates (usually of the Red Wing faction), assassins, bounty hunters, competing cells of the Thieves Guild, and even the Spider Syndicate, are known to co-mingle here and live in a tepid harmony, at least as long as they're within earshot of the Enforcers.
Groups considered 'the law' are, of course, unwelcome here and even the Elven and Terran armadas have learned to give the town a wide berth.

Architecture

While appearing ramshackle, the structures built into the side of the cliff are actually quite robust, supported and anchored firmly into the stone and able to handle tons of people and goods in weight. Chains, ropes, hand painted signs, baudy stained glass, and fluttering pennant flags round out the cluttered chaos of the town. Rumor has it that the Pirate King has spent decades replacing the load-bearing structures with Ironwood from the hidden copses of the Terran plains.

Alternative Name(s)

Pirate Town, A wretched hive of scum and villainy

Type

Large town

Population

5000

Location under

Terra Main

Owner/Ruler

Shar'Zan

Related Historical Events

• 1901 NG
  Cliffport - Miasma Bomb