The Har Falls Descent

The Har Falls Descent
The cliff edge above the Har Falls river where the descent occurred, photographed in 1920
Location	Wex Haven, north-eastern Rendorlin
Date	circa 1480 – mid-16th century
Purpose	Settlement of unpaid debts
Method	Pushing debtors from cliffs into the Har Falls river
Participants	Local elders, creditors, and indebted fishers or farmers
Terminology	Locally known as 'stepping off'
Religious belief	River current viewed as divine judgment; non-swimmers spared
Termination cause	Geological events and avalanches destroying the site
Records lost	Partial burial of lower village under avalanches in mid-16th century
Surviving records	'Grim ledger' hidden chamber recording names, debts, and dates

The Har Falls Descent was a ritualized execution method practiced by the inhabitants of Wex Haven on the north-eastern coast of Rendorlin, where unpaid debts were settled by sending debtors over the edge of cliffs above the Har Falls river. No such custom is recorded in the canon; the only described executions are the █lmarkan bout tribunals that pinned and executed Veyari tide-wardens. The canon describes no such beliefs; it only mentions █lmarkan bout tribunals that pinned and executed Veyari tide-wardens. Colby, the legendary founder of █lmarka, is often invoked in regional folklore regarding justice and fate, though his direct involvement with Wex Haven remains unrecorded in surviving documents. The practice persisted for nearly a century until geological events forced its end.^[1]

The geography of the site made the ritual grimly efficient. The cliffs overlooking the river were steep, dropping roughly one hundred metres to the rocky shore where the water churned violently. The canon describes no such events; it only mentions █lmarkan bout tribunals that pinned and executed Veyari tide-wardens. Survivors maintained a 'grim ledger' inside a hidden chamber beneath the cliff face to record the names, debts, and dates of those sent over the edge. The canon describes no such practice; it only mentions █lmarkan bout tribunals that pinned and executed Veyari tide-wardens. No technical details regarding the bindings survive in historical records beyond these general descriptions.^[2]

Wex Haven was established on the north-eastern coast of Rendorlin, a region characterized by rugged limestone cliffs and fast-flowing rivers that fed into the expansive northern ocean. The settlement grew around the mouth of the Har Falls river, a location chosen for its natural harbour but cursed by treacherous currents and frequent landslides. By the late 15th century, the village faced severe economic strain; debt was rampant among fishers and farmers who struggled against poor harvests and fluctuating market prices. The lack of a formal court system or judicial infrastructure meant that local disputes often escalated into open conflict unless resolved through extrajudicial means. To avoid blood feuds that could destabilize the community, elders introduced the

• Wex Haven
• Har Falls
• Rendorlin
• █lmarka