Rochpont: The Cliffside Retreat
Rochpont is a small, ancient town clinging to the cliffs where the Geldfray Mountains meet the northern sea. Reached only by sea or a narrow track from Fairpont, it feels both remote and timeless, its whitewashed houses and steep terraces giving the impression of a place more stairway than street. Settled since pre-history, Rochpont’s cliffs still hold the caves once used by early dwellers, lending the town an air of deep antiquity.
Setting & First Impressions
Approaching Rochpont, the view is breathtaking: a cascade of white and ochre houses clinging to the sheer rock, balconies hung with nets and flowers, all overlooking the deep-blue waters of the northern bay. The air is fresh with salt and the cry of gulls, while the narrow paths twist upward between houses that seem stacked atop one another – every corner reveals a glimpse of sea and sky.
Life & Traditions
Rochpont is quiet and self-sufficient. Fishermen launch boats from the small crescent bay, while terraces above are used for olive trees, vines, and goats. Many original homes remain simple and humble, but wealth from Aranthaes has begun to creep in; merchants and nobles have bought cliffside dwellings as retreats, filling them with simply-styled luxuries in keeping with the aesthetic of the town. Despite this, locals remain rooted in tradition, tending to their boats and terraces much as their ancestors did.
Notable Places
The Cliff Caves: ancient dwellings carved into the rock face, said to be among the oldest human shelters on the island.
The Steps of the Mother: a near-vertical stairway leading from the harbor to the upper terraces, blessed annually in a ritual for long life.
The Old Chapel: a small whitewashed church overlooking the bay, dedicated to seafarers and the lost.
The Hidden Pool: a tide-carved grotto beneath the cliffs, accessible only at the lowest ebb of the sea.
Rhythms & Customs
Life in Rochpont is marked by the tides. Boats are launched at dawn with a simple blessing, and evenings are spent in communal courtyards where fish is grilled and shared. Visitors are often offered olives, wine, or dried figs as tokens of welcome. Festivals are small but spirited, with music echoing from the cliffside steps, lanterns hung along the terraces, and boats lit with torches drifting in the bay at midsummer.
For the Storyteller
Rochpont’s beauty hides mystery. The ancient caves may conceal forgotten relics or strange carvings, and the Hidden Pool is said to glow faintly under moonlight. Wealthy Aranthaens bring opportunity and intrigue, while the isolation of the town makes it a perfect place for secrets to be kept. Rochpont is a retreat, a sanctuary, and a stage for quiet stories against the backdrop of endless sea.