Whether you take a stroll through the hills or you’re running to the hills… it’s beautiful country. And many adventures await there!
Environment of Hilly Regions
- hills, mounds, hillocks, crests, rises, inclines, slopes, rolling terrain,
- grasses, tufts, clearings, meadows, elephant grass, sage, foxtails,
- cliffs, ridges,
- undulating topography
- caves, holes, burrows, dens, caverns, rifts, cavity, hollow, grotto,
- ravines, defiles, gaps,
- rivers, falls, creeks, streams, brooks
- marshes, bogs, swamp
- cattails, lilypads, reeds, willows, mangroves,
- slumps, erosion, hoodoos, formations, natural towers, scree hills,
- fabricated: tiered plantations, terraced slope, cultivated levels,
- rice, wheat, barley, maize, potato, pea, pulses, millet, flax, buckwheat, saffron, amaranth, canola, linseed, chickpea, lettuce, cabbage,
- cumin, ginger, turmeric, garlic, onion, mustard,
- orchards of plum, peach, persimmon, lemon, apple, pecan, olive, date, pomegranate, apricot, walnut, kiwi,
- tea, coffee, hops,
- farms with pasture, grazing land, hay stooks or bails,
- trees
- coniferous: pines, spruce, fir, cedar, redwood,
- deciduous: poplar, birch, elm, ash, alder, aspen,
- bushes: juniper, saskatoon, blueberry, hazelnut, wildrose, gooseberry, chokecherry, raspberry, thorns, briars,
- triple canopy rainforest, primordial forest,
- copse, stand of trees, light woods,
- flowers
- strawberry,
- milkweed, dandelion,
- animals (for more of the “character” creatures see “characters” below)
- birds, rodents, snakes, small mammals
- deer, elk, moose, cougar, bear,
- insects: mosquitos, black flies, horseflies, deer flies, wasps, bees,
- fog in the valleys, mist, low clouds, pollen, poplar fluff
- sun, overcast, rain, waxing storm, thundershower, biting wind, gentle breeze,
- snow, blizzard,
Stuff in Hilly Regions
- stones, rocks, boulders, pebbles, scree, shale, mica, quartz, limestone, sandstone,
- broken branches, trampled grass, game trails, footprints,
- carrion, carcasse, scattered feathers, molted skins, hides, skull, splayed ribs
- signs of civilization
- remnants of fire pit, smouldering ashes
- garbage,
- castle, mansion, villa, palace,
- plantation grounds (see environment above for some crops)
- farms with sheep, goats, donkeys, churu, yak, cattle, mules,
- tower, fort, outpost,
- hamlet, one-horse town, village,
- tent villages or small town support systems for mining, logging industries
- camp, travellers’ cabin, way station, stopping house, inn, chalet,
- ambush, barricade, blockade,
- trap
- pit, net, slide snare, tripwire, snapping jaw,
- magical or animated vines, roots, branches
- hideouts, secret caves, clandestine orders,
- sanctuary, retreat, monastery, religious order, abbey, temple, shrine,
- altar, carvings, magic circles,
- stone carvings,
- stairs, steps, terraces, paths, stone-laid trails, shale walks, boardwalks, handrails, cantilevered walks,
- roads, paths, trails, country lane,
- milemarkers, signs, posts, railings,
- colonnades, porticos,
- bridges, overpasses,
- wood,
- natural stone arch, engineered stone block
- rope, cable, wire, swinging,
Characters in Hilly Regions
- villagers, ranchers, loggers, trappers, hunters,
- miners, prospectors, grubstakers, gold rushers,
- explorers, surveyors, cartographers,
- scouting parties, sorties, posses,
- rednecks, hillbillies, hill people,
- bandits, highwaymen, robbers,
- travellers, merchants, caravans, wanderers, bards, gypsies,
- hippies, commune folk,
- religious recluses, zealots, missionaries,
- rebels, freedom fighters, guerrillas,
- humans, gnomes, elves, dwarves, dwargs (forest dwarves), kobolds,
- orc tribes, goblin swarms,
- faeries, sylphs, nymphs,
- wolfmen, tree-folk, rock-kin,
- hill giants, a lost mountain giant,
- hill demon, devil,
Activities in Hills
- brush fire out of control, forest fire, controlled burn,
- cultivating land, grazing sheep, ploughing planting, slaughtering animals, building irrigation ditch, swathing,
- banditry, thievery, ambushes, raids on caravans,
- travel, trade routes, caravans, toll stations
Developments in a Hilly Region
- a village is migrating to safety as they have been driven from their homes by an evil force
- a sorcerer has exerted his nasty power over the denizens of the hill country
- an ancient burial ground has been opened
- a cave system recently discovered is an attraction to adventurers from the lands all around
- a merchant caravan winds its way along a long, seldom travelled track, carrying a secret cargo that must make it to the coast safely
- a vein of precious metal is discovered and a new frontier town is springing up in the hills
- a rift in a hillside along a main road has opened and “swallowed up” some travellers
- rumours abound about a magical hovel in the hills, a portal to other worlds
- an entire hill has collapsed and fallen into the earth, opening a thousand and one caves, part of an immense underground system to explore
- orcs in the hills have been moving farther out to find new victims to harass… and eat
- thugs have been allowed to run rampant in the nearby hills for too long; now, their nuisance can be ignored no longer
- the hills have become a battleground between two clashing kingdoms, the undulating hills and varied formations creating a stalemate and complex no man’s land; now sappers have created a system of tunnels to try to infiltrate the enemies lines
- a petulant prince has ascended the throne and as king wants the hills “tamed” so he can safely hunt them; an ancient evil that has lived there since time immemorial has other plans