The Keldin Cliff-Cities

The Keldin Cliff-Cities are ancient settlements dug into the very faces of the cliffs that overlook the flowing of the Yellow River. The cities that make up this nation all share a similar design – each city is arranged in levels of terraces, with actual dwellings consisting of several tiered levels of balconied buildings. Each terrace-level has an impressive railing-wall that stands perhaps four feet tall, but is fitted with clever engineering that allows them to be fitted with larger bulwarked walls in times of war.

The terrace-streets themselves are utterly massive, often with park-like strips of greenery and gardening along the open side, allowing peaceful enjoyment of the view while not impeding the normal traffic of day-to-day life. Each terrace ends in a ramp that connects it either to the level above or below it. Each of these ramped areas are fitted with a gate that can be sealed in times of war, and the entries to the city both at top and bottom are fitted with stout gates crafted during the First Age, which have never been breached.

These cities are resplendent with tall granite pillars and incredible amounts of statuary. The cities themselves are quite wealthy, for they have excellent defenses without the need for expensive building materials – they construct their homes from the solid stone of the cliff-face, creating the honeycombed cliffs that the Cliff-Cities are known for.

Over the years, the Keldin Cliff-Cities have been ruled by any number of modes of government, from republics to military dictatorships. Currently, the Keldin are ruled by a dynasty of merchant-princes who trace their origins several hundred years ago to the issue between a Guild functionary and the local god of the mountain cliffs, Soaring Majestic Father. This family, the Ivory Star Dynasty, rule from White Sentinel. Quite wealthy, they maintain the military of Keldin – known for its siege engineers, tetsubo-wielding infantry and sledge-wielding cavalry – as well as a small host of champions both Dragon-Blooded and god-blooded. In times past, one or more of these champions have come close to attempting to take the throne, only to be thrown down by others of the champions.

Cities of Keldin

White Sentinel

Capital of the Keldin Cliff-Cities
The largest of all the Keldin Cliff-Cities, White Sentinel is named for the several-hundred foot tall statues, hewn from the rock of the cliffs that flank the city proper. These statues are actually impressive towers that include First Age engineering that allow various sections of the statues to open and a hollow core with a chain-driven siege engine platform, allowing the city to launch attacks from various heights.

The city itself is very prosperous and clean, a place of white stone and fine rich brocades and tapestries in jewel tones. Its people are skilled, thanks to the Guild sensibilities of the Ivory Star Dynasty, who believe that their populace should be made up of skilled craftsmen, supported by an underclass that remains in the small settlement-farms at the feet of the cities proper.

Delbrennan

The Quarry City of Keldin, Delbrennan provides impressive granite and marble to much of the Scavenger Lands. The quarries proper of Delbrennan are found on the plateau-top a half-day from Delbrennan proper, but they are well-guarded and walled-in. The impressive slabs of stone are taken to a market at the foot of the city proper, down a set of complicated gear-driven lifts along the eastern side of the city. The city itself is populated by all manner of architects, engineers and sculptors; as a result, Delbrennan is perhaps the most elegantly decorated city in all of Keldin.

Goral

Goral was obviously designed as a supremely defensible city. Its terraces are actually tall, impressive walls with soldier's walkways. This causes the terrace-streets to feel more cramped than those of the other cliff-cities, but creates a sense of security that is well-founded. All of the other cliff-cities have a single retreat-tunnel that leads to Goral in case of defeat in battle. These tunnels can be collapsed at a variety of junctures, and the "central hub" where all of the tunnels connect before entering Goral is supremely well defended. As a result, Goral is where the troops of Keldin are trained.

Lionroar

Located where a small river flows into the Maruto, the cliff-city of Lionroar is dominated by the waterfall of the river, which is surmounted by a massive bridge constructed during the First Age. Where the bridge overlooks the waterfall, it is crafted to look like a roaring lion's mouth, so that it seems to be roaring the river into existence. Lionroar is where much of the river trade to the Cliff-cities takes place, as it has an extensive set of docks set a small distance from the city itself.

Venrathi

Venrathi is best known for its skilled weavers, who maintain a trade secret for producing jeweled hues in cloth that isn't duplicated anywhere save by alchemical means. Rich brocades and embroidery can be found everywhere here, and there is a thriving textiles market at the foot of the city that features impressive fashion fairs once a season.

The Ivory Star Dynasty

The Ivory Star Dynasty has ruled the Keldin Cliff-Cities for nearly four hundred years now. Though they are descended from Soaring Majestic Father, the god of the Keldin Mountain Range, there is no real trace of divine blood left in their lineage any longer, save for the occasional child born with chalk-white skin and deep green hair.

The Ivory Star Dynasty are known for their flowery, baroque given names, an affectation picked up from Soaring Majestic Father, who named his first son First and Worthy Son of the Mountain Wholly Resplendent in Truth and Strength. The first-born heirs of the Ivory Star Dynasty are always named "First and [Something] Son" as the initial part of their names.

Women who marry into the family - particularly those who end up with the title of Ivory Star Lady - always take a name that includes the word "daughter," which becomes "matron" should she take the title of Ivory Star Dowager. Only women who will hold the title of Ivory Star Lady ever take the word "Daughter" in their names, so the daughters of the Regent and Lady are never named "Daughter."

The Ivory Star Regent, The First and Sagacious Son Ascending to the Horizon

The king of the Keldin Cliff-Cities, and the eldest son of the last king, First and Sagacious Son Ascending to the Horizon is getting quite old. Though he is still strong in mind and body, the years are clearly weighing on him. Those closest to him have all heard him state that he is "simply exhausted" with his years of rulership, and now the simple pleasures of life entertain him far more than the duties of state. Though he wishes to pass on those duties to his heir, he does not feel that the Ivory Star Heir is quite ready yet, and so he waits.

The Ivory Star Lady, The Glorifying Jewel-Hued Daughter Resplendent in Virtue

Though the women of the Ivory Star Dynasty are rarely accorded the respect and power that its men are, no one who is part of the Ivory Star Courts has any doubts who rules the Keldin nation currently. The Glorifying Jewel-Hued Daughter Resplendent in Virtue (who used to be named Jeweled Virtue before her marriage to the king) has long stood in the background, assisting her husband where she can. Now that he has become tired, she has stepped forward to take over the most onerous of his duties, assisted by a cabinet of perfectly capable bureaucrats and ministers, all of whom know that she has the king's utmost trust and welfare in mind.

The Ivory Star Dowager, The Ever-Wise Matron Bounteous in Cerulean Nobility

The Regent's mother is a sickly old woman who rarely leaves her apartments any longer. She is somewhat senile and forgetful with age, though she certainly doesn't always suffer from such impairments. When her wits are about her, she is a queen-mother most regal, one who considers the honor and legacy of the Ivory Star Dynasty to be of the utmost importance. Now that the Regent is less interested in active rulership, mother and son spend more time together.

The Ivory Star Heir, The First and Forthright Son Unfettered in Endless Triumph

Lord of Delbrennan, the Heir of Keldin feels that he is more than ready to rule the Cliff-Cities and do justice to the legacy of the Ivory Star Dynasty. He is young, and clearly enjoys the privilege of his birth, though most of the populace is sure he'll grow into a fine ruler.

The Beautiful Alabaster Son of the Radiant Mountain Eternal

X

The Fortuitous Promise Sworn Beneath the Pearlescent Moon

X

The Enchanting Son Sung Beneath Gleaming Stars

X

The Purest Joy Won Beneath the Golden Sun

X

The Triumphal Righteous Son of the Exultant Blade Beneficent

X

The Noble Iron Son of Unending Reverence

X - Lord of Goral, brother of Regent

Jubilant Faith

X - uncle's wife

The Righteous Adamant Son of Infinite and Regal Truths

X - Uncle's son and heir, Lord of Lionroar

The Radiant and Incomparable Rose Treasured Eternally

X - Regent's sister, Lady of Venrathi