Hills of Horeb

The Hills of Horeb, located between the Kalber Marshes and the Silver Hills, are a region of blighted hills, covered by warped and desolate woods. It is an unhealthy expanse of ash wastes, blasted remains of forests, petrified trees, and other unnatural wilderness. Something powerful and lasting happened here during the Elder Wars, and the land has never recovered. Patches of normal forest are growing back around the edges of the Hills, but the Hills themselves remain barren.

The headwaters of the mighty Swiftflow River, one of the great rivers of the Tempest Coast, are found in the southern Hills. The river flows southwest into the Kalber Marshes, which encroach on the Hills from that direction.

The Elder realm of Ithilkar owned this land in the olden days, and it was part of the Ilthilkar heartland, including the capital city of Prasinia and the influential wizard's town of Mirron.

Today, the Hills are a dangerous place, said to be populated with all manner of foul creatures, and haunted by the restless spirits of the dead of Ithilkar who fell in the final battles defending that land.

Hills of Horeb (Hexographer, 6 mile scale)

Prasinia
Located in the northwestern part of the Hills, the capital of the Elder realm of Ithilkar was one of the great cities of the North and a place of great beauty, known for its many pools and fountains. Today, little remains of the city other than large expanses of crumbled stone buildings, monuments and other landmarks. Despite the danger, the ruins of Prasinia attract many adventurers in search of treasure, and many of these never return. In addition to the many monstrous creatures who have taken up residence in the ruins in recent years, there are many traps and guardians that have survived from the Elder days. Survivors returning from the place say that something powerful and evil seems to hold sway over the ruins, and that lycanthropes are common.

Mirron
The Alberneth were an influential family in the Elder Days, essentially ruling the town of Mirron (in the realm of Ithilkar) in the southeastern Hills of Horeb. There were many powerful spell casters in the extended family, and they were the patrons of a famous (and somewhat notorious) wizards' school specializing in conjuration magic, the Tower of the Shadowed Veil. As the Elder Wars raged, there were concerns within the ruling circles of Ithilkar regarding the increasing use of dark magic by the Alberneth and their students, especially necromantic magic and the summoning of powerful fiends.

As the Wars raged on and things turned against Ithilkar, most of the population of the town of Mirron, including virtually all of the staff and students of the Tower, simply vanished overnight one night. Investigation by the authorities revealed that this was a planned evacuation, and that the missing people seemed to have gone down into the Underdark via old caverns and tunnels under the town.

Little was heard directly of the Alberneth thereafter, but occasional tales and rumors said that they had carved out a realm for themselves deep in the Underdark, where they devoted themselves completely to the pursuit of dark magic and demon worship. These tales said that even the drow avoided the territory claimed by the Alberneth.