Hillock Hills

Levels 1–3

Built by Kextra, Aelyn

Ancient records speak of a time when Hillock Hills was a magnificent frozen city, cast under eternal snow, the time when Lucius, patron god of adventurers, first began his travels as a mortal man. Some say the citizens were punished by the gods for their wickedness, others rewarded by the gods for their piety, others that it was just a mage's efforts to control the weather that went spectacularly wrong. Whatever the reason, the climate changed overnight, from eternal winter to tropical warmth. Snows melted, waters rose, and streets and houses were drowned deep in the flood. Nobody is sure whether it was the grace of the gods, or the artifice of the city's mages which caused the water's surface to become solid, but there is no doubt the transformation of Hillock Hills from winter city to lagoon village with not a single casualty, now ranks as the gentlest disaster in history. Many people left, founding nearby human settlements like HoneyBee Village, Anglers Cove or Merchants' Marketplace. Others stayed, making the most of the abundance of wildlife amidst the ruins. Central to Hillock Hills is the worship of Lucius. Located in the upper reaches of what might have once been the grand university tower of the frozen city, Lucius's temple of beginnings is the start of almost every epic journey, with Lucius acolytes, trainees from the nearby house of Lucius's monastery, providing help, guidance and healing to adventurers new and old. Though boasting a few farmers and hunters, most residents of Hillock Hills focus on providing what goods and services to aspiring adventurers, from weapons and armour, to banking and storage. Rumours even tell of an exclusive society located somewhere in the forests surrounding the lagoon whose chief purpose is initiating new adventurers in the arts of monster hunting and exploring, though likely only the society's members could say exactly where to find it.