The Cairn Hills
"Who built the cairns? Well, that depends which you mean. A good many of them are cave-like crypts; resting places for the ancestors of Dwarven tribes that roam these hills. But many are older than that. Graves the like of which has not been seen in any recorded civilization, inscribed with languages never heard by living ears, speaking of world-shaking wars and warriors long forgotten."The Cairn Hills are a range of dry hills and scrubland. While some hills are quite high, none quite qualify as mountains. They are littered with ancient tombs and cairns, especially along the northern regions. They are also rich in minerals, including iron and silver.
- Allustan Neff, on his research
Geography
The hills run north from Karistyine Castle, turning west above the Mistmarsh and forming a coast on the southern shore of the Nyr Div. This coastal range falls under the Domain of Greyhawk, while the reaches south of the Mistmarsh belong to the Duchy Palatine of Urnst.
The northern, coastal hills are low scrubland, but the altitude climb as one travels further south. These lower reaches support denser growths of forests and higher peaks, eventually becoming the Abboralz Mountains.
Fauna & Flora
Despite the barren nature of the Cairn Hills, many animals and plants live here. The ground is dense with sage and tumbleweed, as well as other hardy weeds. It doesn't support much farming, but a few valleysdo sport patchy forests. These green places are protected by the druids and rangers of the Bronzewood Lodge.
Various animals roam the hills, as well. In addition to coyotes, foxes, lizards, bighorn sheep, ibexes, mice, snakes, and scorpions, some more dangerous creatures also prowl the hills. Owlbears are known to make dens in the copses between hills, and Giant Wolf Spiders are never short of boulders and hillsides build their hidey-holes in. Manticores have been sighted in the areas furthest from civilization, as well as the occasional Wyvern.
Natural Resources
The hills' rich mineral deposits have drawn several mining endeavours. Most of these operations ship their gains to the Free City.
The cairns draw traffic too, of a different sort. Adventurers and historians alike once travelled to the Cairn Hills to study the eponymous graves. But these days, the tombs are picked clean, and most leave with little more than a wall rubbing or a broken bit of an ancient tool.
History
The Cairn Hills are believed to have been inhabited in prehistoric times, by some great and warlike civilization. This theory comes about due to the many cairns which appear to have been built for people of high rank. The cairns are of such complex and incredible architecture that this civilization is believed to have had either extremely advanced tools, magic, or both. However, little else is known about them.
The tribes of nomadic Hill Dwarves who claim the hills as their ancestral territory are less mysterious. Many of the cairns in the hills belong to these people, holding their ancestors in their eternal rest. Defending these sacred resting place against plundering adventurers has given these tribes a reputation for military prowess, despite having an overall peaceful relationship with the Domain of Greyhawk.
Type
Mountain Range
Included Locations