The Current State of Hillsfar
“Listen here lad, Hillsfar, the City of Trade, is a great place to make your way, as long as you’re not an elf... or a dwarf... or a halfling or well pretty much anything but human. But if you’re human, there is no better opportunity!”
The village of Elventree is idyllic, peaceful, and friendly to nonhumans that were seeking succor from Hillsfar, particularly elves, half-elves, and members of the Harpers. Located east of Hillsfar inside the edge of the Cormanthor Forest since 702 DR, it was a place of solace for many escaping the oppression of Hillsfar and became the focal point for the resistance against Torin Nomenthal’s regime. The people of Elventree build their homes among the wizened trees of the ancient forest and the construction blends well with the natural surroundings, with tree houses connected by rope bridges being most common. While the village does produce a selection of natural products and elven crafts, there are no trade halls or caravan stops, and merchants rarely call. Rare visits often become times of festival and celebration. The people of Elventree venerate many of the good-aligned or nature deities. The Hall of the Unicorn, dedicated to Mielikki, is the only full temple and adds to the village’s appeal. Elventree also hosts several shrines: a well-staffed shrine to Mystra called the Cairn of Mysteries, whose high priest is known by the title The Sentinel; a shrine to Selune known as the Silver Shadow Cave; a shrine to Eilistraee outside of the village called the Dancing Stone; and minor shrines to Chauntea, Silvanus, Eldath, Corellon Larethian, and Rillifane Rallthil. Spellcasting services can be acquired at the Hall of Mielikki, the Silver Shadow Cave, the Dancing Stone, and the Cairn of Mysteries. For nearly a century, the Moonsilver Herald of Elventree has been the famous elven bard Elanil Elassidil. Her strong song is the heart and soul of the village, especially since the elderly half-elven Lord of Elventree, Dessaer, is not long for this world. Several refugees of Phlan found their way to Elventree in search of allies and at the behest of the Harpers, who have quartered in Elventree at the House of the Harp for generations. The other factions set up semi-permanent camps surrounding the village in support of the rebellion. Secluded Elventree has become a center of significant intrigue for the time being and more adventurers arrive every day.
Just north of Elventree, the village of Lighthouse has recently sprung up around an ancient and abandoned lighthouse known as Elua’s Lighthouse miles from the coast due to changes in the depth of the Moonsea. The settlement is populated by nonhumans formerly of Hillsfar and generally follows the lead of Elventree.
The former client village of Hillsfar, Yûlash, is now largely abandoned. The subterranean tunnels beneath the village are rumored to be overrun with foul things from the Underdark. The Red Plumes have built a massive wall around the village and watch vigilantly for monsters.
The Stop is a caravan way station halfway between Hillsfar and Yûlash that has grown into a hamlet devoted to servicing caravans and the many surrounding farms. Due to the frequent caravans, The Stop is quite cosmopolitan for lands near Hillsfar. Many of the Phlan refugees have relocated here following the elemental devastation that has led to food shortages in Mulmaster, in hopes of finding supplies to aid their families still in the City of Danger. Still near Hillsfar, but with few Red Plumes to watch it, The Stop is a frequent place for spies, brigands, and ne’er-do-wells to ply their trades. After Elventree, The Stop is the most common place where adventurers are found.
-Isthana Ro, Guildmaster of Rogues
The walled city-state of Hillsfar is on the southern coast of the Moonsea, just north of the Forest of Cormanthor where three major roads meet. What began as a convenient trade stopover under the control of the Elven Court has become one of the major powers of the Moonsea, a power until recently based on free trade and brutal racism. While Hillsfar struggles to put its xenophobic past behind it, it is turning its attention to its former elven allies. This large city makes an excellent home
base for your characters to return between adventures.
The Rise of Hillsfar
Hillsfar as it is known today began primarily in 1354 DR when the wizard Maalthiir, one of the city’s councilmen, rose to prominence as its First Lord. Over the next three years, Maalthiir would dissolve the council, cement his power by merging various mercenary companies into the Red Plumes, and begin a campaign to paint nonhumans as scapegoats for all the city’s problems. At this time, Maalthiir also enacted the Two Great Laws which defined Hillsfar:The Great Law of Trade. Do not interfere with any legitimate trade.
The Great Law of Humanity. Only humans are allowed within Hillsfar.
Hillsfar flourished under the Great Law of Trade, expanding greatly for two decades until 1372 DR when Shade Enclave reappeared and the Netherese began a series of attacks that would embroil much of Faerûn in war. Allying with Zhentil Keep and the sun elf House Dlardrageth of Cormanthor to fight in the Dalelands, Hillsfar raised an army and garrisoned the surrounding client villages. Two years later, Hillsfar reneged on its alliance with House Dlardrageth. The sun elves responded by attacking
Hillsfar’s army encamped at Standing Stone, crushing the Red Plumes, moving onto Hillsfar to level the First Lord’s Tower, and forcing Maalthiir to flee into hiding. Taking advantage of Hillsfar’s weakness, Zhentil Keep in turn betrayed Hillsfar and crushed the garrison of disputed Yûlash and invaded Hillsfar’s western territories. Within a matter of months, the Zhentilar were at the gates of Hillsfar and Fzoul Chembryl issued terms of surrender by which Zhentil Keep gained control of the Moonsea Ride.
The supremacy of Zhentil Keep was short-lived. In 1383 DR, the Netherese overran the Zhents and razed Zhentil Keep and the Citadel of the Raven. The Zhent troops occupying Hillsfar territory lost support from their homeland and abandoned their posts. The city fell to chaos for three years until 1386 DR when Maalthiir reappeared with a new force of Red Plumes. Marching to Hillsfar, he reinstalled himself as First Lord. He blamed the fall of Hillsfar on fey’ri of House Dlardrageth, a demonic strain of elves, as well as on the freedoms the Zhents had offered to the nonhumans in their ranks. Maalthiir’s anti-nonhuman rhetoric played well
among the general populace who had suffered in the absence of order. All nonhumans within the city were evicted, including half-humans such as halfelves
and half-orcs, and all holdouts were sent to the Arena for a month-long series of celebratory games.
In 1394 DR, Maalthiir noted that the elves of Myth Drannor were a very real threat to Hillsfar without Hillsfar’s former alliances. To appease the Elven Court in Myth Drannor, he relaxed his policies related to The Great Law of Humanity as applied to the territories surrounding Hillsfar and formed a council made up of humans, half-elves, and elves willing to do business with Hillsfar’s neighbors on behalf of the First Lord. This puppet council was little more than a show, but it was enough to encourage renewed trade and a neutrality pact between Myth Drannor and Hillsfar, despite the city’s prevalent racist policies.
In 1460 DR, Maalthiir died in a failed attempt to achieve lichdom. In his stead, an ineffectual council of merchants and guildmasters assumed control of Hillsfar. Several members of both the council and the Red Plumes put themselves forward as the next First Lord, leading to fighting in the streets between their supporters. Torin Nomerthal, a former commander among the Red Plumes, formed an alliance that became the Tower Guard; the alliance was made up of the Red Plumes, the city’s Mages’ Guild, various mercenary companies, and those pockets of Netherese soldiers whose allegiance could be bought. In 1487 DR, the flying Netherese city of
Thultanthar fell upon Myth Drannor, destroying both cities. First Lord Torin Nomerthal, renamed the Tower Guard as the Red Plumes, executed the remaining Shadovar and, began a second purge of nonhumans from Hillsfar. He firmly reasserted the Great Laws within the walls of the city, cultivating a manic xenophobia among the human citizens. Although nonhumans were allowed to live and work outside the city, Torin implemented punitive laws and harsh taxes that have made all nonhumans little better than serfs. Once again, the only nonhumans within the city were found at the Arena, waiting for death or glory at the whim of the baying Hillsfarian crowds.
The Recent Past
Unfortunately for Torin Nomenthal, the arrival of the demon prince Graz’zt during the Rage of Demons spread a contagious hedonistic insanity throughout Hillsfar and its holdings that pushed the already excessively punitive regime to excesses of the extreme. Under the strain of crazed creatures streaming up from the Underdark through the ruins of Yûlash, as well as a newly formed sinkhole nicknamed the Waydown, Torin was forced to expand Red Plume patrols and seizing supplies from surrounding communities to meet the demands of the self-indulgent populace. The government became so oppressive that a resistance movement was organized by the Moonsilver Herald, Elanil Elassidil, in the community of Elventree, supported by an unlikely alliance of five factions: the Order of the Gauntlet, the Harpers, the Emerald Enclave, the Lords Alliance, and the Zhentarim. This fractious group of allies found a uniting figurehead in Red Plume Guard Commandant Vuhm Yestral. One of the primary officers of the Hillsfarian military, Vuhm was loud and opinionated, but, also devoted to the citizens of Hillsfar. A sometime operative of the Lords’ Alliance, he strongly supported removing the Great Law of Humanity and made public calls for its removal which got him sent to build a keep to control access to the Waydown. His success in its construction won him further exile from politics and he was sent to repeat his feat over the ruins of Yûlash. Further alienated by the xenophobic policies of the First Lord, Yestral continued to succeed and increase his ties to the military. Following the creation of a massive wall and guard towers surrounding the ruins of Yûlash, Torin Nomenthal himself came to inspect the construction, looking for some excuse to sanction the troublesome Guard Commandant. Unfortunately for the First Lord, far from his seat of power he was vulnerable. Adventurers fighting for the resistance snuck into the camp and with the tacit approval of the Guard Commandant, assassinated the First Lord and his entire Court. Yestral declared himself First Lord of Hillsfar and marched his army to the city where it was supported by the five factions and the resistance and assumed the throne with next to no bloodshed. His first action was to end the Great Law of Humanity and the enslavement of nonhumans in the arena. The great arena still sees the occasional game, but the bloody spectacle that it once was is finally no more.Hillsfar Today
The new First Lord’s hold on power is tenuous. The damage caused to old alliances by Torin Nomenthal was extensive and the destruction caused by the forces of Maerimydra and Graz’zt left Hillsfar with little to repair the damage. Only the mercantile power of the Great Law of Trade and the support of the five factions keep First Lord Yestral in power. In a desperate attempt to help his people, Yestral is again turning to adventurers. He has called for stout hearts and charismatic voices to undertake missions into the Forest of Cormanthor to seek out any elves remaining in or around Myth Drannor and form an alliance.Religion in Hillsfar
Religion is not the driving force in Hillsfar that it is in other Moonsea cities. Due to its tumultuous history with the Zhentarim, Hillsfar has no appreciable following of Bane. Instead, due to the city’s extensive brewing industry, the worship of both Lliira and Chauntea are much more popular. The House of Happiness appears as a lively fest hall where ribbons and flowers decorate the walls and ale and mead are served by Lliira’s Joydancers. All are welcome in Lliira’s hall. Musicians and dancers perform for the intoxicated worshippers who leave their troubles at the door. The temple of Chauntea is a modest building called Lastholme that is frequented by farmers. Home to much sought-after mead, the Earthmother’s followers do a brisk trade in food and drink and operate a bustling orphanage. The followers of Tempus congregate at the Vault of Swords. It is no secret that the Battleguards did not support the enslavement of nonhumans who were forced to fight to the death for nothing more than the crime of being born. The words from the Tempuran Litany “Disparage No Foe and Respect All” are carved above the doors to the temple; a silent protest for previous wrongs. The Battleguards are solid supporters of the new First lord. Small unstaffed shrines to Umberlee, Malar, and Torm can also be found in the city.Locations Outside Hillsfar
Given that nonhumans were previous not legally able to enter Hillsfar without being sentenced to death in the arena, many found themselves outside the city. There is a much higher percentage of gnomish, halfling, and elvish farms or villages than neighborhoods found within the city walls.Elventree
The village of Elventree is idyllic, peaceful, and friendly to nonhumans that were seeking succor from Hillsfar, particularly elves, half-elves, and members of the Harpers. Located east of Hillsfar inside the edge of the Cormanthor Forest since 702 DR, it was a place of solace for many escaping the oppression of Hillsfar and became the focal point for the resistance against Torin Nomenthal’s regime. The people of Elventree build their homes among the wizened trees of the ancient forest and the construction blends well with the natural surroundings, with tree houses connected by rope bridges being most common. While the village does produce a selection of natural products and elven crafts, there are no trade halls or caravan stops, and merchants rarely call. Rare visits often become times of festival and celebration. The people of Elventree venerate many of the good-aligned or nature deities. The Hall of the Unicorn, dedicated to Mielikki, is the only full temple and adds to the village’s appeal. Elventree also hosts several shrines: a well-staffed shrine to Mystra called the Cairn of Mysteries, whose high priest is known by the title The Sentinel; a shrine to Selune known as the Silver Shadow Cave; a shrine to Eilistraee outside of the village called the Dancing Stone; and minor shrines to Chauntea, Silvanus, Eldath, Corellon Larethian, and Rillifane Rallthil. Spellcasting services can be acquired at the Hall of Mielikki, the Silver Shadow Cave, the Dancing Stone, and the Cairn of Mysteries. For nearly a century, the Moonsilver Herald of Elventree has been the famous elven bard Elanil Elassidil. Her strong song is the heart and soul of the village, especially since the elderly half-elven Lord of Elventree, Dessaer, is not long for this world. Several refugees of Phlan found their way to Elventree in search of allies and at the behest of the Harpers, who have quartered in Elventree at the House of the Harp for generations. The other factions set up semi-permanent camps surrounding the village in support of the rebellion. Secluded Elventree has become a center of significant intrigue for the time being and more adventurers arrive every day.
Lighthouse
Just north of Elventree, the village of Lighthouse has recently sprung up around an ancient and abandoned lighthouse known as Elua’s Lighthouse miles from the coast due to changes in the depth of the Moonsea. The settlement is populated by nonhumans formerly of Hillsfar and generally follows the lead of Elventree.
Yûlash
The former client village of Hillsfar, Yûlash, is now largely abandoned. The subterranean tunnels beneath the village are rumored to be overrun with foul things from the Underdark. The Red Plumes have built a massive wall around the village and watch vigilantly for monsters.
The Stop
The Stop is a caravan way station halfway between Hillsfar and Yûlash that has grown into a hamlet devoted to servicing caravans and the many surrounding farms. Due to the frequent caravans, The Stop is quite cosmopolitan for lands near Hillsfar. Many of the Phlan refugees have relocated here following the elemental devastation that has led to food shortages in Mulmaster, in hopes of finding supplies to aid their families still in the City of Danger. Still near Hillsfar, but with few Red Plumes to watch it, The Stop is a frequent place for spies, brigands, and ne’er-do-wells to ply their trades. After Elventree, The Stop is the most common place where adventurers are found.
Type
City
