Golden Hills

Petitioners here live in burrows, burrows beneath burrows, and halls that sparkle with gems or soot with forge-smoke. Angels and guardinals walk freely among them, and the lands feel alive, oaks that whisper old tales, tunnels that shift to protect the innocent, and flames that burn steady no matter the wind.   While the hills are golden with light, they are not idle. Every hill is as busy as a hive: laughter, work, song, and play all blending into a rhythm that defines the gnome soul.  

The Oath-Stone Circle

A gathering place where gnome deities meet in council; promises made here resound across Bytopia.  

The Festival of Tricks

Once each SehaineCycle, all hills join in merriment; during this time, even Stronghaven relaxes, though always with watchful eyes.  

The Burrow-Gates

Passages in Segojan’s warren that sometimes lead to the Beastlands, Ysgard, or even the Elemental Plane of Earth.  

Inhabitants

Petitioners

Gnome and svirfneblin souls, appearing in their lively prime, eyes bright with mirth or soot-dark with work. They cannot abide cruelty; those who lose joy or generosity fade into the gold light.  

Celestials

Angels (devas, solars, planetars) serve as guides; guardinals protect festivals and trade. Agathions share in the laughter and happiness of the Golden hills.  

Burrowing Companions

Badgers, foxes, rabbits, and moles, often gifted with speech, aid in tending Segojan's tunnels and Baervan’s woods.  

Good Hearted Fey

Dryads, korreds, and sprite-wardens attend festivals openly; they claim the Golden Hills taste like “home, but more sensible.”  

Seldarine Enjoys

Seldarine envoys visit Whisperleaf and Stronghaven to refresh treaties and trade apprentices (especially in storycraft, woodlore, and oath-law).   Animal lords (Beastlands) stray in via Segojan’s ways; everyone pretends not to notice how easily they dance the fey steps at Moonshift feasts.  

Access and Travel

Wonderhome

The Golden hills have respected doorway and functioning portal, operated by gears to Wonderhome.  

Leaf-Keys

A leaf-name spoken true under starlight opens a minor crossing to a calm Feywild verge; bringing a gift closes it safely behind you.  

Laughter-Ferries

On Accord nights you can literally laugh a lantern alight; follow its bobbing and it will thread a safe route to a neighboring fey court.

Prank’s Turnabout

Malice disguised as a prank rebounds on the prankster; a cruel trick becomes slapstick at their expense.  

Forge’s Echo

In the Forge, lies sound hollow, every falsehood rings like a cracked bell until corrected.  

Rootpaths

In Whisperleaf, secret trails appear beneath the oak when one aids an animal in need.  

Stronghaven’s Silence

Treachery within the citadel renders a betrayer mute until they confess or make amends.  

Autumn’s Kind Light

That gold glow is literally Feywild spillover. It warms bread, steadies hands, and makes lies feel clumsy on the tongue (people can lie; they just hate how it tastes).  

Mirth that Mends

Laughter here is a fey craft, done right, it knits quarrels. Mockery meant to wound rebounds as slapstick on the mocker (the Prank’s Turnabout you already have, now with fey provenance).  

Living Carpentry

In the Hills, wood shapes like a willing partner when asked kindly and sung to—pure Feywild technique taught to gnomes who chose craft over courtly war.  

Kind Paths

Trails slide a step toward safe crossings when you carry guest gifts or keep a vow. classic fey road-magic, domesticated by gnomish courtesy.

Gnomes remember, sometimes as lullaby, sometimes as ache, that they were once Elves. In the Golden Hills this isn’t just a story; it’s in the grain of the land. The warm, perpetual autumn-gold is the echo of the Feywild's harvest courts, and the burrows and boughs answer to old Seldarine names as readily as to gnomish saints. Elders call the sundering of peoples the Gentle Unseaming: not exile, but a turning as when elves who chose wit, work, and wonder over long sorrow and high tragedy, and so became gnomes. The Lords of the Hills honor this openly; their festivals always set one table for fey kindred.