The Flinty Hills

The Flinty Hills, a rugged expanse of rolling highlands, form the southern tip of the Rakers, spanning the borders of the Kingdom of Nyrond, the Prelacy of Almor, and the Bone March. Their eastern slopes mark the edge of Bone March, while their western reaches blend into the Gamboge Forest to the north, and their southern edge merges with Almor’s Adri Forest.

Rich in minerals, the northern hills sustain thriving communities of gnomes who carve homes into the rocky slopes. In contrast, the fertile valleys and winding rivers of the southern Flintys provide ideal farmland for halflings, who flourish in the region’s milder climes. Halfling settlements also dot the forests of Almor near the Harp River and its tributaries, extending into the forested Flintys of the Adri Forest. These demihuman peoples give the region its distinct character, their villages and farms enduring despite frequent raids from warbands of the Bone March.

Among the halflings, the region known as The Borough is especially well-known. The area is home to numerous halflings, including Hairfoots, Stouts, Tallfellows, Fleetfoots, and Smallfoots. Here, they thrive as farmers, growing crops in the fertile valleys. Many own businesses in the Almorian town of Innspa, and some run inns at waystations along the major roads passing through The Borough. Known for their warm hospitality, they welcome outsiders eagerly — as long as visitors aren’t late to Second Breakfast!

Halflings here are also skilled craftsmen and traders, excelling in leatherworking, tailoring, and particularly the cultivation of pipeweed. The pipeweed grown in The Borough commands the highest prices across the Flanaes, sought after in far-flung nations such as Ekbir, Tusmit, and Zeif.

To the north, the gnomes endure greater hardship from frequent raids by warbands from the east. To defend their warrens, such as Thistlewhistle Dell, they employ illusions, traps, and cunning magic. When pressed, the few hill dwarves who inhabit the Flinty Hills lend support to their gnomish cousins.

Following are some examples of gnomish communities found within the Flinty Hills:

• Thistlewhistle Dell — A hidden vale tucked between flinty crags, where gnomes dwell in burrows beneath thorny thickets that hum with faint, eerie whistles on the wind. They carve tiny amethysts into trinkets traded with Nyrond’s wanderers, but their traps—spiked pits and snapping vines—keep raiders at bay.
• Glintgorge — A maze of narrow ravines where gnomes mine sparkling quartz and opals. Their burrows, hidden behind false rockfaces, hum with the clatter of gemcutting wheels. Rumors speak of a cursed vein that bleeds black jewels, shunned even by the greediest.
• Tinkerhollow — A sprawling warren beneath a flint-capped ridge, filled with gnomish workshops crafting odd trinkets and traps. Smoke from tiny forges curls through hidden vents. The gnomes guard a spring-powered relic from Ur-Flan days, its purpose lost.
• Burrstone\ — A cluster of domed burrows carved into a hillside, disguised as boulders. The gnomes here trade copper with Nyrond but sabotage Pale caravans with sly pranks. Their elder keeps a map of lost Flan tunnels, never shared.
• \b]Sparklevein — A mining hamlet nestled in a gem-rich valley, its tunnels lit by glowing crystal shards. The gnomes are fiercely clannish, distrusting even other gnomes.
• Knobcrag — A jagged hilltop settlement of stone huts, where gnomes brew potent lichen ales and rig deadly traps for orc raiders. Their laughter echoes at dusk. A hidden vault holds a Flan idol, its eyes glinting with unnatural fire.\/li]
• Glimmergap — A concealed gorge where gnomes dwell in cave-homes, weaving illusions to hide their wealth. They trade gems with Nyrond’s merchants under moonlight. Whispers tell of a ghost-light that lures thieves to their doom.
• Rustnook — A rusty-hued canyon where gnomes mine copper and tinker with clockwork beasts to fend off goblins.
• Flinthaven — A fortified burrow-town in a sheltered valley, its gnomes known for gem mosaics and cunning ambushes against warbands from the Bone March. The gnomes here mine flint very carefully.\

There is also a small hill dwarf stronghold within the hills called Stonehearth Hall by its residents. This small, newer stronghold is home to about 250 hill dwarves.

Humanoid raiders and warbands often scour the Flinty Hills, looting mining outposts and probing for gnomish burrow entrances. These groups have established their own camps and communities on the eastern side of the Flintys, often named for the primary tribe in the area:

• Bonesnapper (Orcs/Ogres)
• Bloodhowl (Gnolls/Bugbears)
• Maggotroot (Goblins/Hobgoblins/Wargs)
• Sharghul (Hobgoblins/Kobolds/Bugbears)
• One-Eye (Orcs/Goblins)

These communities remain even after Nyrond pushed its eastern border to the northern headwaters of the Harp River. Despite many attempts, Nyrond’s army has not been able to root them out. The King decided the cost in lives was too great, and the western keeps maintain a watchful eye on these encampments.

Many of the humanoids, however, consider these settlements home. Despite their ties to the Bone March and use as launching points for raids, they fiercely defend their homes and families.

To counter the threats from the humanoids of the Bone March, Nyrond maintains a chain of fortified keeps spaced along the western edge of the Flintys. These strongholds serve as lookout points, monitoring movement from the eastern Flintys toward the kingdom’s interior. Each keep is equipped with beacons atop their towers for rapid signaling. Yet, to this day, neither the King, his council, nor the keep commanders truly understand the humanoids’ intentions.