Dragon Hills
Dragon Hills is a small region of rather rough terrain where steep hills and bluffs of exposed bedrock break up the surrounding plain. The region is very sparcely populated and has been since the The Second Great Orc War brought about the total devestation of the area more than eighty years ago. All that remains of any previous population are five known ruined settlements scattered throughout the hills and many destroyed and forgotten farmsteads and tower houses.
Dragon Hills is a portion of a larger area of badlands located to the west of the City of Cyell. This area is roughly 500 square miles of steep hills, low mountains and dense tracts of mixed forest and wetlands. Dragon Hills itself is the eastern-most extension of this area of rough and inhospitable terrain. Poorly suited for farming or ranching, it is a steep and wild tract of very rocky ground intersperced with streams and bogs.
It is believed that these hills are so named because they offer the only visible evidence for the near-legendary Red Dragon of Cyell. There are numerous caves and rock faces that have clear evidence of both claw marks and dragon fire damage. It was within these hills that, over the course of the last 500 years many an adventurer looked for the fabled "dragon hoard" of the legendary Akardiosix. Other than the obvious dragon damage, no shred of evidence has ever been found of where the beast kept its lair, or its rumored hoard.
Geography
Rough, broken terrain where steep bluffs and cliffs of bedrock rise hundreds of feet above the narrow, rocky valleys. Very prone to flash flooding in the wet season and wildfires in the dry season.
Localized Phenomena
For reasons not entirely understood, this small but difficult part of the Barony of Dunrick has seen more than its fair share of dragon visits over the last 100 years. No fewer than 6 (and possibly as many as 11) dragon encounters have been recorded to one degree or another since just before the Orc War began in 146 AF. Records and reports since the end of the invasion have been unreliable, however, as the population has never recovered since the war.
There are some reports that are more substantial than others, however, and those reports number 6. Of those six recorded encounters, four were known to have been with Red Dragons of varying size/age, one was with a particularly large and violent Black Dragon and the last was with an Iron Dragon named by scholars Syllektis, which in Gnomish means "collector" or "compiler". Three of the Red Dragons were only seen and left the area after only a few weeks (presumably because there were no local towns to loot or pillage). The fourth Red Dragon and the Black Dragon were killed after fierce battles with knights and adventurers from the City of Cyell which is only 8 miles to the northeast.
The most intriguing encounter, however, was with the Iron Dragon. Being a noble metallic Dragon, the creature was not hostile when it was approached. In fact, it was quite eager and willing to discuss stories and legends from the past with the locals it did encounter and the dragon stayed in the area for nearly two months. The dragon was very interested in anything it could hear regarding the story of the Cyell Dragon. The dragon was seen flying around in wide circles for many days on end, week after week. Then, without warning or explanation, the dragon simply flew away to the west, never to be seen again. This dragon was last reported to be seen in the area of the Dragon Hills 44 years ago.
History
Almost exactly 500 years prior to today, a particuarly destructive Red Dragon arrived in the viscinity of the City of Cyell and began a year-long campaign of death and destruction that is still spoken of with wonder and awe. The stories of the reign of Akardiosix are many, but all share a few common threads that lead scholars and experts on dragon lore to believe that the story has a factual basis.
Physical evidence of some of the damage inflicted by the dragon on the local environment still exists today, and many regional and local place-names support the stories, as well. Some literary evidence exists to support the story's truth is also to be seen in several ancient books and artworks. What has never been found in fact or evidence is the legendary hoard that the beast was rumored to amassed. Many of the stories told of the hoard place the amount of precious metals and gems at more than one ton of weight. Were that determined to be the actual amount of treasure, its value would exceed 80,000 guilders (roughly $32 million).
Type
Badlands
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Related Myths
