Trielta Hills

The Trielta Hills laid to the north-east of Triel and north-west of Hardbuckler in the Western Heartlands in the Backlands, as the region was called by the humans of the Sword Coast.

Description

The Trielta Hills was an area of pastoral and idyllic rolling hills, spotted with rocky outcroppings, tiny farming settlements, shallow close-to-the-surface "scratch mines," and an occasional fortified hold. The hills were crossed by a lesser-used northern winding branch of the Dusk Road.

Inhabitants

They were home to many communities of rock gnomes and a few halflings, as well as three communities of orcs by 1492 DR. The entire Trielta Hills region was not menaced by raiders or warlords, Dragons, or more sinister villains. There were not much to rob, pillage, or conquer. Despite their cruel culture, the orcs were seemingly uninvolved in any warfare, occupying at least fortress in the region. Those who lived in the hills preferred calm and seclusion with periodically-discovered silver and gold deposits in the hills by the local minders. This led to inevitable small gold rushes, or as the locals called the "gold on the brain." But the strikes didn't last long. When words of such veins spread, the Trielta Hills attracted dozens of adventurers and fortune-seekers who were considered to be like locust by the locals, disruptive, unwanted, but just a part of the natural order of things. Because of small volume of these mining discoveries, no nation or trade consortium cared to claim the land and set up large-scale mining operations.

Despite the idilic nature, the Trielta Hills still had some danger. The rumors and news of precious metals attracted small-time crooks and thieves to the area, and of corse, there were hungry monsters, found in the hills and under. Sometimes dangerous creatures from the nearby Forest of Wyrms were on the prowl in the hills.

Rumors

There were no rumors of lost kingdoms, wizards towers, ruined holds or any such thing about the Trielta Hills, making them almost unique for their normality.

History

Sometime circa the Year of Netted Dreams, −320 DR, the collection of Lizardfolk tribes called Kalran, based out of the Serpent Hills, fired the rock gnomish population of the Trielta Hills flee their homes fear of an invasion.

During the Return of the Archwizards of the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR, the last three free pf the deadly phaerimm came from the Trielta Hills, leading a force of hobgoblins and illithids towards Evereska.

By the late 15th century DR, the Trielta Hills were still peaceful with an occasional spout of trouble. One band of marauding Lizardfolk was found in the area, who took a gnomish family hostage. But the crisis was averted by a local halfling sheriff and a band of local militia.

In the Year of Three Ships Sailing, 1492 DR, the growing power of the Cult of the Absolute planned on co-opting the orcs of the Trielta Hills into their ranks. Agent Mhoss, True Soul 26, was set to the Ringfork Stronghold but was dismembered by the stronghold's ruler – Lord Heradd as the simple negotiation attempts were seen as a sign of weakness by orcs. The second recruitment attempt was sending Sir Yax of Scornubel, another True Soul, who was intimately familiar with the orcish culture. Sir Yax was accompanied by two orges and issued a challenge to Lord Heradd, using the death of True Soul 26 as an excuse. Yax was to defeat the orc ruler and force him to swear allegiance to the Absolute; in return, the cult was planning on offering Heradd help in subjugating the other two orcish tribes in the Trielta Hills.

Notable Locations

• Renkilk's Cranny, a cavern complex close to the southern edge of the Trielta Hills, once inhabited by ogres, but taken over by the Church of Shar in the late 14th century DR.
• Ringfork Stronghold, the orcish stronghold led by Lord Heradd circa 1492 DR.