Korlon Hills
The majestic Whitecrown Mountains fork at its southern end, surrounding the expansive elven wood of the Tuathwold. The western branch eventually become the Korlon Hills. The Korlon Hills are bordered in the north by the Red River, and in the south by the Arthwys. Never a very populous region, most caravan traffic makes its way around the hills, through the city of Marston.
The Grand Duchy of Brineven claims the Korlon Hills, which it governs (lightly) from the village of Hillsboro near the center of the hills. Small farmsteads and mines pepper the hills, trading their wares through Hillsboro. The only other village of note in the Korlons is Dornath, northeast of Hillsboro. Dornath is a village people move to when they want to disappear, and is a known haven for smugglers, bandits, and ne'er-do-wells.
Northeast of Dornath, as the hills steepen and the lands become wilder, a group of monks built a monastery on Guideon's Hill. Unfortunately, all contact with the monastery one winter, only the ruin remains.
Goblins and other humanoids infest the western Korlons, while giants, ettins, trolls, and beastfolk lair in the higher eastern lands as the hills ascend to the Whitecrowns.
The Korlon Hills wouldn't even merit attention in most history books if not for the strange cult that became active about 50 years ago. Calling themselves cultists of the elemental chaos, they began attracting attention and followers throughout the hills. Banditry and humanoid raids were on the rise, and the cult reached out to the independent-minded hill-folk with offers of protection and safety.
It was eventually discovered that the cult was a front for demon-worshipers and was actually responsible for much of marauding that it supposedly protected people from. The cult had built an imposing and evil temple along the Emridys run south of Dornath and, using Dornath as a staging point, tried to claim the Korlons as its own. A force from Brineven confronted the evil forces and defeated them, driving them back to their Temple of Chaos.
There, the forces of good were confronted with a demonic presence beyond their ability to defeat. They sealed the temple, imprisoning the major demon within.
Life in Hillsboro quickly returned to a semblance of its former self, before the rise of the temple. For five years afterward, the village and the surrounding countryside have become richer and more prosperous than ever before. A monstrous troll which plagued the place for a time was hunted down by a party of passing adventurers.
Carrying the ashes and a goodly fortune as well, the adventurers returned to the village. Before going elsewhere to seek their fortunes, the adventurers also returned a portion of the villagers' losses. Other adventurers, knowing of the evil that had once resided in the area, came to seek out similar caches, and several did find remote lairs and wealth—just as some never returned at all.
After a time, adventurers stopped coming to the area. It seemed that no monsters were left to slay, and no evil existed here to be stamped out. The villagers heaved a collective sigh—some pained at the loss of income, but others relieved by the return to the quiet, normal life.
Type
Highlands
Included Locations
Owning Organization
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