Races of Wild

2THE CLIFFThe Rifinti dwelling lies on the face of a 300-foot-highcliff that looks out over a snug valley. At the foot of thecliff is a deep lake nestled in the foothills of the shelteringmountains. Vast mountain lakes provide additionalwater, and the nearby alpine forests offer good hunting.Farther on, the rolling plains of the lowlands spread outin fertile grandeur.The nearest settlement of any kind is Kalandri’sCrossing, a small elf town with fewer than 1,000 residents.It lies across the lake, about 12 miles away as theeagle flies. In addition, a tribe of nomadic humanbarbarians sometimes hunts in the foothills where themountains meet the plains.Rifinti hunters and traders have sporadic contactwith both the town and the nomads, but the raptoransmaintain no official ties with either group. To the elves,the Rifinti are quaint, distant cousins who live in splendidisolation, sheltered from the woes of the broaderworld. To the humans, the Rifinti are near-legendarycreatures that occasionally sail down from their mountainheights to converse with a lucky few who knowtheir ways. In fact, contact between the raptorans andthe nomads is so infrequent that the human adept orhunter who meets a Rifinti in his youth might not seeanother until he is in his dotage.FEATURESThe Rifinti dwelling occupies the entire south face ofthe cliff. The Rifinti use the areas above and below thecliff for stargazing, debates, crafting, weapon practice,and other community events. A bit farther to the east,the Rifinti make charcoal in the forest.The main portion of the dwelling, which includesliving space as well as areas used for meetings, worshipand work in inclement weather, is shown on the mapon page 89 in Races of the Wild. The map has also beenreproduced here for convenience.The main dwelling, a two-story structure set into anatural hollow in the stone, is located 170 feet above thelakeshore. The ancestors of the present-day Rifinti builtit generations ago with the help of many stone shape andwall of stone spells. Because of the artistry used in itsconstruction, the whole structure blends seamlesslyinto the cliff’s natural stone.Unless otherwise stated in the text for a specific area,the dwelling’s major features are as follows.WallsThe dwelling’s exterior walls are made of naturalstone. Their eroded surfaces appear to offer plenty ofhand- and footholds for climbers, but the rock is sobadly weathered that it tends to crumble at the slightesttouch, making climbing a difficult and perilousprospect. The statistics below represent the wallsections near the dwelling’s doors and windows.s Cliff Face: 5 ft. thick; hardness 8; hp 450; BreakDC 43; Climb DC 25.The interior walls are also made of stone, but they’repolished to the smoothness of silk.s Interior Walls: 5 ft. thick; hardness 8; hp 450;Break DC 43; Climb DC 30.CeilingsThe ceilings in the Rifinti cliff dwelling are arched inpassages and domed in chambers. Each dome or arch isat least 20 feet high in the center and 10 feet high whereit meets the walls. The lofty ceilings are designed tomake the Rifinti comfortable by providing plenty ofopen space overhead.FloorsThe floors on both levels are made of smooth stone.Most are bare, but a few have loose coverings of furs,reeds, or other materials, as noted in the individualroom descriptions.DoorwaysAs with most raptoran structures, the doorways in thecliff dwelling are about 8 feet high and have a “T” shapethat easily accommodates raptoran wings. A typicalraptoran doorway has a lower, vertical portion about 5feet wide and an upper, horizontal portion about 3 feettall and 8 feet wide. An external doorway is alsoequipped with a narrow ledge about 2 feet deep to facilitatelandings and takeoffs when the residents fly in andout. A typical entrance is shown on the map.DoorsThe dwelling has no actual doors—just a few leathercurtains hung up to keep out drafts. In addition, theRifinti have constructed a few sturdy, wooden partitionsthat they can use to block the exterior openingsduring emergencies. Cut to fit the T-shaped doorways,these 250-pound barriers are secured by drivingwooden wedges into grooves cut into the doorway.Propping up a partition in a doorway and wedging itinto place requires a full-round action.s Strong Wooden Partitions: 2 in. thick; hardness5; hp 20; Break DC 25.WindowsThe dwelling’s windows are simple slits cut into thecliff wall to admit light. Each measures about 1 foot