The Cliffside Stair

There was once a fishing village built atop a seaside cliff in the Hammershard Mountains, far to the southeast of here. It was built for its proximity to a warpstone, rather than to the sea. Painstakingly, some of the villagers began carving out steps in the cliffside so they could reach the water and gain access to a new food supply and perhaps create a small harbor. The cliffside was a three-thousand-foot sheer drop.   Despite the care that the stone carvers were employing and because of the long time the project was taking, disaster eventually struck when one of them fell into the sea below. The villagers, afraid of what might happen if they continued, decided to stop building the staircase. The carver’s son, a man by the name of Darius, refused to let his father’s death be in vain. He prayed to any god who would listen for help in completing a path to the sea.   He expected a response from Halfar, who could rework the stone, or Quetminook, who could engineer a safe path. He prayed every night, hoping for a response. As he did, the weather worsened. The villagers took it as a sign that they were right to end the project. Working on it these conditions would have meant the death of all who tried to contribute.   A dwarven priestess of Shaold came to the isolated town by way of their warpstone. Her name was Masika, and many of the villagers looked on her with suspicion due to the storms. For several weeks, the town was woken several times a night by the sound of thunder. Masika was treated more and more poorly, being charged extra for food and lodging, given the worst quarters in town, and having inconveniences piled upon her.   The entire time, each night before bed, Darius continued to pray that his father’s work would be finished. After three weeks of nightly storms, Masika sought out Darius, and brought him to the beginning of the unfinished stairway. Handing him a chisel and a hammer, she instructed him to make a single strike several feet away. Confused, he did as she asked, striking the spot with all of his considerable might. The rock crumbled under his blow, portions of the rock strategically weakened by weeks of rain and lightning.   The rocks fell, revealing a staircase that descended all three thousand feet to the water. It was safely ensconced in the stone, with some holes to the cliffside that would allow light to enter in the day. She began walking down the steps, and he followed. It was a longwalk, but they made it in silence. At the bottom, they found a cove that had been carved into the cliff as well. On the walkway, wrapped in kelp and seaweed, was the body of his father, who they had been unable to bury.   Eyes wet with tears, Darius asked what he could do to repay the cleric for helping to answer his prayer. She told him that all Shaold wanted from him were his prayers and worship. He readily agreed but insisted on thanking her personally as well. After carefully carrying his father’s body to the top of the stairs and showing the village what Shaold and Masika had given them, many apologized for their treatment of her. She agreed to stay in the town to teach them how to best treat the sea and build seaworthy ships.   Darius and Masika eventually married, ensuring that Shaold had a strong presence in the village to this day.