Cliffrun

Cliffrun, in southern Caerdach, consists entirely of thick pine forests, interspersed with rocky hills, grottos, beautiful streams, and amber-hued ponds renowned for their health benefits. The forests have very thick canopies and consequently very little undergrowth. They are also notoriously difficult to navigate.

Settlements in Cliffrun are respectful of their natural environment. Ardenlei, near the Barca River, is the principal town which built up in the vicinity of the Allarian manor of the same name. Most Cliffrun imports and exports go through the port here and boats are also the primary means of travel north to Gwencalon or south down through Smithfield where voyagers are less likely to get lost.

Other notable settlements include Sylvendale which is home to many of Cliffrun's most skilled artisans, Ufdenu where the people live in caves and protect Aonwe, an amber lake considered sacred to Providence, and Avonna where the Cliffrun Wardens and Highguard are trained.

The forests of Cliffrun are home to deer and boar enough to compensate, in part, for the difficulty in raising domestic animals for food on Guardian. Their livelihood depends on the export of meat and furs to the rest of their island. Cliffrun is also home to some of the few woodcrafters on Guardian who fashion practical but beautiful pieces of furniture from the forests' wood. Among other things, the lands also produce a healthy supply of pine nuts and quite a yearly harvest of blueberries. Lately, rumors suggest that Cliffrun is about to begin to export items crafted from a new kind of wood with some most unusual properties.

Because the lands are not suitable for agricultural cultivation, Cliffrun must import most of its fruits, vegetables, cotton, linen, wool, metal, alcoholic beverages, and various luxury items.

The local tradition is that every child born in this land is annointed with sap from the rare, silver-barked Allarian trees that grow deep in their forests. New pine trees are often planted on Ancestor's Day and nourished in the memory of loved ones. Trident's Run is a big festival day in Ardenlei and the Battle of the Beasts is celebrated with great enthusiasm throughout the land. Cliffrun also traditionally sends its finest warriors to Caerdach castle to participate in the annual Tel Girade tournaments.

Citizens
The inhabitants of Cliffrun are a proud people ranging from the cultured townspeople of Ardenlei to the more rustic cave-dwellers of Ufendu. Even the most "urban" citizen is trained in basic woodlore and raised with a healthy respect for the forests that are their lives and their livelihood.

Although all professions exist to some degree, the predominant trades are fishing and hunting. The forests, towns, and the people are patrolled by the Cliffrun Wardens who maintain civil order and guard the sanctity of the forests themselves. The Highguards are the elite warriors and personal guard of Lady Allaria.

The Ufendu tribe consider themselves to be blessed of Providence with their sacred charge being to protect the most beautiful of the amber lakes, called Aonwe. Bathing in the lake is said to help heal a person's body and soul. Before immersion in the water, the priests require worshipers to undergo a certain period of fasting and prayer in their stone temple cut deep into the earth.

The wooded lands of Cliffrun play home mostly to boar, deer, and other creatures of a sparsely-wooded area. They are in no wise abundant enough to feed the whole of the lordship (or the neighboring city of Gwencalon), and are primarily hunted as game for sport. A rare species of robin makes its nest in the Allarian pines.