Cliffton

Cliffton is one of the many provinces (archonates) that comprise the High Kingdom of Daelyria. The capital city of the archonate is the sprawling city of Aeryon located on the coast of the province, the city is a merger of the former cities of Klerkenshoop and Silverhill. The current archon/governor of the archonate is Nitro Silverhand, previously Broyo Silverhand. Cliffton borders the the archonates of Greater Halond, Illeryon, Astor and Kyydrosil.

Cliffton was a subregion in the previous Mithran Archonate of Magna Ataraxia and gained its current borders during the years of the Helmian Federation. The archonate is dominated by the Silverhand family, whose members hold most positions of power within the province.



Geography and Climate
Cliffton is a region dominated mostly by plains and wooded hills, although much of the nature along the coast has mostly been cleared for the urban sprawl of Aeryon. The snow covered lands surrounding Ryseria and Arendon is referred to as the Interior while the area around Aeryon is refferred to as Cliffton Proper. The chunk of the province that extends down the coast is referred to as the "Cliffton Trunk" or "Clifftonic Cloak", although the locals of Aeryon sometimes crudely refer to it as the "Clifftonian Dong".

Cliffton is a notoriously cold region, with much of the cold coming from the Cliffton Peaks mountains and the even colder Archonate of Astor to the north of the province. The coastal region is mainly rainy but warmer than the interior, reaching a peak temperature of around 27 Celsius and a low temperature of -2 Celsius. While in interior, the land surrounding Arendon and Ryseria is extremely cold and covered in snow nearly year round. The temperature in the interior reaches a peak of 17 Celcius and a low of -22 Celcius. As mentioned earlier, the coastal areas around Aeryon (referred to as Cliffton Proper) is much warmer, this is due to warm winds coming from the sands of Axum in Northern Alamayn, but much of the warm air is blocked by the island of Jardine and also blending with the colder winds coming from Astor.

Cliffton's population is mostly concentrated in the lordship of Cliffton Proper throughout the many districts of the city Aeryon but notably the districts of Silverhill and Klerkenshoop. The interior is sparsely populated with Arendon being the only population center in the area along with isolated lumber camps.

Government
Outside of the basic political structure that every Daelyrian archonate follows, the province also has other significant positions within its administration as well such as the Keeper of Culture, Harbourmaster and city level positions such as the adminstrators of the districts of Aeryon.

Demographics and Culture
The two largest demographics in Cliffton are the local Clifftonian natives and the descendants of Kastollian settlers. Daelyrian humans also have quite a bit of presence in Cliffton Interior, they first migrated from the area that now makes up modern-day Illeryon into the Clifftonic Interior where they built minor camps and settlements. Noxnorric humans are also present to a certain degree in the northern parts of the archonate as a considerable amount of Noxnorric Humans migrated due to a harsh winter (even by Astor's standards).

The Clifftonians, the largest demographic in the region, are found from the interior to the coast. The descendants of the Kastollian settlers are the second largest demographic and are found primarily on the coast, particularly in the District of Klerkenshoop and Silverhill within the provincial capital of Aeryon. Although some isolated Kastollian communities are also found elsewhere within Cliffton Proper and very minor groups in the interior. The Daelyrians in Cliffton are the third largest demographics and are grouped together with the "North-Illeryonic" group of Daelyrians. They are found almost exclusively in the interior Vale of Cliffton, although it has been observed that a significant amount have began moving to the coastal regions around Aeryon. Finally, the Noxnorric Humans are found in the north of the province and are the smallest demographic with their numbers dwindling as the years go by due to a majority of them migrating to Sovdal as the city is being reconstructed. Another noteworthy demographic are the "Barkfolk", sometimes called "Tree people" or more rudely: "Leaf Buggers"; though they are now considered extinct. They first lived in areas found around Cliffton Proper, particularly on the land now known as "Hera's Glade" (Hera Iceborn Silverhand's private estate) was previously a major habitat for the Barkfolk; but upon being driven out by humans they lived in the mountains, forests and caves of the interior.

History
Native Clifftonian culture still exists, although it has almost been entirely replaced as the dominant demographic by the Daelyrian and Clifftonic-Kastollian settlers throughout the last century or so. But what scholars from both Cliffton and Duskyon have gathered, the original peoples of Cliffton before the arrival of Daelyrians and Kastollians were mostly based on Noxist culture. These deductions were decades later validated, with Gilrochian and early Clifftonian Records claiming that one Vriabœrn initiated the migrations of the ancestors of the native Clifftonians into the Helmian subcontinent, some 50-80 years after the Noxist Migrations. The Clifftonic tribes followed some unknown sect of paganism before a chief known as Fyydir Gilroch had his followers convert to the Noxist religion. The Clifftonic people (In a modern context, referred to as "Native Clifftonians") then began to spread out of the Clifftonic Lowland Marshes and into Cliffton's lush and wild hills and plains. Cultivation of various grains, and the breeding of the Clifftonian stallion became important to Clifftonian agricultural life during the time between the Clifftonic Conversion and Astorian Invasion.

When the Astorians conquered the region of Cliffton, The Clifftonians were forced under Astorian rule, with the native Gilroch Dynasty being expelled to nearby Sovdal. This process kick started the decline in native Clifftonian population, as the Astorians occupied Cliffton Castle, renaming it to Rosehill. The native Clifftonians soon grew very mistrusting of their new Astorian overlords. Daelyrian scholars believed that the origin of "Clifftonian Skepticism" came from their time under Astorian rule; Astoria at the time was the home to many religions both tiny and large in following, the Clifftonians believed in only one unifying religion and came to detest Astorian rule. Such was the Clifftonians' spite that when Astoria was dissolved as a sovereign state to form the High Kingdom of Arcovel under the Daelyrian Blackfyre dynasty, celebrations broke out in cities across the region. This unification between Daelyria, Kastollia and Astoria brought the first major Daelyrian settlers into the area and the Silverhand family became the ruling family governing Cliffton at this time. Settlers and preachers from Kastollia and Halond brought the Domusist faith into province while the Daelyrians brought Draconism. Upper class Clifftonian culture at this time would shift towards Domusism as the starting assimilation of the Clifftonic-Kastollian culture group, and Domusist's monotheistic unifying theology, gained droves of converts in the archonate; the arrival of the first significant bands of Kastollians also furthered the spreading of Domusism. In current times however, upon witnessing the actions of the Dommusists first hand, from their bloody crusades, the Noxist genocides and the demolishing of Noxist icons in Sovdal, many Clifftonians renounced their faith but kept many traditions and beliefs they had adopted from the Domus' teachings which would then be mixed with Kastollian and Daelyrian culture.

Culture
Clifftonian natives have been victim to an outside stigma, claiming them to believe that humans are superior to nature and simple animals. The mindset of "Cliffton for us", a belief held by Clifftonians that humans had every right to bend nature to their will, is misleadingly agreed by many southern Helmian and Daelyrian scholars to be the most important core belief held by the Clifftonian population. This belief was a result of the cultural and religious mixing of the region, and the work of the Domusist missionary Lightfish Demus, a deeply controversial figure which promoted mass expulsion and persecution of native Helmians and non-Domusists. This belief was even spread to the second wave of Kastollian settlers that came to the area largely under the lead of the missionary Lightfish Demus. Most scholars, Clifftonian and foreign, agree that this philosophy was a major reason for the mass urbanisation of the coastal regions and the extensive deforestation in the region. Although nowadays, with the High Kingdom of Daelyria now ruling over Cliffton, this philosophy has been considerably pushed back and Draconism has been experiencing a major rise in popularity in the province. Clifftonian culture in modern times is defined by a characteristic stubbornness and mistrust towards outsiders, including the central Daelyrian government, an increased appreciation for nature and an unyielding belief in the indomitable human spirit. Native Clifftonians also have a great love for the underground, in fact it is said that Clifftonians are the second largest demographic behind dwarves in the number of underground dwellings. This is evident through the many underground facilities and public amenities seen throughout Cliffton. This love for the underground isn't even a recent phenomenon, but rather an ancient one as a large ancient Clifftonic camp was found beneath Hera's Glade in Cliffton Proper. Such is their love for the underground that the District of Klerkenshoop in Aeryon holds the annual "Basedments of Cliffton" competition where citizens of the district get to show off their highly decorated and stylish basements for the whole province to see.

History
Despite their substantially later arrival into the area, they soon grew to become one of the largest demographic in Cliffton. Kastollians first came to Cliffton at a time when the land that now make up the district of Klerkenshoop was still known as the "Painfield ruins". The first wave of Kastollian settlers were led by Broyo Fireborn Silverhand and were mostly drawn up from the city of Meteora and the coastal town of Azuirs, and their surrounding areas. By this time, the Clifftonians under Miksa Iceborn Silverhand were well established in the city of Silverhill (formerly Rosehill); the natives welcomed the Kastollian settlers as they had hoped that the Kastollians would bring much needed economic exposure to their businesses and industries. The Kastollians chose the site of the Painfield ruins to build their city, naming it "Klerkenshoop" in Kastollian. The city would become the most densely populated city in the province until it was eventually incorporated in the city of Aeryon alongside neighboring Silverhill. The second wave of Kastollian settlers were led by the Domussist missionary Lightfish Demus as part of his mission to "cleanse Cliffton of heresy", this wave of Kastollian settlers were a-lot more hostile to the local natives of Cliffton and also built the first Dommusist icons and churches in the region.

In modern times, the descendants of the settlers still experience some tension with the native population as the settlers are often seen as making more money or being in more government positions. There was even a brief movement started by radical Kastollian settler descendants pushing for segregation between Kastollian-settlers and the local Clifftonians; this movement was quickly shut down by authorities and its leaders were arrested.

Notable Residents
Loreth Gilroch

Miksa Silverhand - 1st Archon of Cliffton

Nitro Silverhand - 3rd Archon of Cliffton, Former Lord of Cliffton Proper

Broyo Silverhand - Founder of Klerkenshoop and Aeryon, 2nd and 4th Archon of Cliffton