Red Hills

Overview

Named for the color of the soil which is rich and dark red, this region is known as being both chaotic and primitive rather than chaotic and evil as Izen is. When one speaks of the Red Hills, one usually means the part of the region north of the plateaus and south of Culverwood. Notable among the people of the Red Hills are the various tribes of halflings having varying levels of sophistication. How these tribes continue to survive among the other inhabitants of the area is a mystery, but the halflings who live north of the Red Hills, in Crescent Valley, are lucky to have certain magical protections.

Many travelers avoid halfling villages for the diminutive folk are repeatedly in need of rescuing, and are too cute to refuse. Many Hill and Fire Giants along with ogres and trolls have their homes in the Red Hills. They frequently cause problems with the border cities of New Elenna, but leave halfling settlements alone because of the bad luck they bring giantkind.

The potporri of peoples who inhabit the Red Hills include demikind as well as monsterkind and dragonkind, the latter having increased in number over the last few years. No one has ever even attempted to unite these diverse peoples for a single purpose. It is unlikely that anyone ever will.

The northern route to the west traverses this area before skirting Culverwood and The Scab. This road is known as Chaos Road or the Road of Troubles. Few choose to travel this route. Most prefer the western route through Izen. It is difficult to put in script specifics concerning the Red Hills because it is constantly changing in every way. Just remember that Chaos rules this land and sometimes it is more dangerous than the known evils of Izen.

Traders Corner

Traders Corner is a small village just inside the Culverwood where two branches of the Eastern Peaseblossum meet before running into the Red Hills. It “boasts” a dock, a couple warehouses, a boatwright — maybe a dozen buildings total, and it would be a compliment to actually call half of those ramshackle structures “buildings.” Two of the sturdiest are a general store and a pub.

A big sign of a mug of ale leaves no doubt as to which is the pub. It has two stories, shutters on the lower floor, and windows in the upper story. The place is dim, with light mostly coming through the open door and through shutters. It is run by a brewer, Brock, and his wife, Markie, both half-orcs. The place is known for Brock's Delicious Hard Cider and Brock's Best Beer, the latter of which is actually quite exceptional, and commands a hefty gold piece per mug at Brock’s place. Exported elsewhere, the price rises considerably, especially since the brew bruises easily if handled roughly in transit.