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 Stretching more than six hundred miles (112,500 square miles -about the size of Nevada) along the Great North Coast between the Upper Spineridge Mountains and the western border of the Dark Forest, the Rone Hills support a wide array of flora and fauna throughout its varied terrain. The Rones cover much of present day Paladondia, Eirbron and portions of Kent. Throughout much of the region, scattered gnarly pines and deciduous scrub trees dot the hills amid abundant brambles, melon bushes and other low lying flora. In the less common rocky regions, growth thins to near insignificance, unable to find purchase for its roots among the scattered boulder piles which sometimes stretch for tens of miles without interruption.
River canyons carved into the rocky regions of the Rones by eons of runoff from the Spineridge Mountains are the rarest feature of these hills. The canyons usually play host to a diverse grouping of both natural and monstrous fauna that have made their homes in the many caves formed by the water as it cuts its way through the porous stone that predominates in these areas. A waterway usually runs through these canyons providing life to a vast collection of plant life, its abundance in stark contrast to that found in the higher rocky areas. Heavy pine forestry mixed with an afterthought of hardwoods and other leafy growth mark the highest elevations (starting at about 5,000 feet above sea level) covering about a third of the Rone Hills. Sparse, stunted trees twisted by prevailing southerly winds from the Turarctic Ocean and thick salt grasses characterize the moor regions of the hills near the coast. Nearly 30,000 gnomes of the Gromm clan live in the Rone hills under the protection of both the Ard Righ of Eirbron and the Paladian Queen. Their principal settlement, Hwitdum, lies within the Eirbrony borders, however, the gnome king has sworn fealty to Queen Fiona of the Paladian and only shares a treaty of alliance with the Ard Righ Merrik Cailidin. Their presence in Kent is recognized informally, but King Jed has little interest in more than a casual relationship with the gnome king, Gromm. While gnomish presence in the Rones bears mention, their actual impact on the ecosystem and economies of the kingdoms where they live would have little significance except for their extensive mining and prospecting operations in Paladondia and Eirbron. Both these nations rely (perhaps to much) on the steady supply of ore extracted from the metal-rich hills by the gnomes who have received license from both rulers to mine the area. Among the humanoids, significant numbers of orcs of the Deathfinger clan range the hills, mostly below ground, but also in a few well hidden above ground settlements. The orcs, though few in number in comparison to the humans and elves with whom they "share" land, provide a constant source of annoyance for the leaders of all the kingdoms through which the Rones spread. In Paladondia, the queen offers a standard 10 gp bounty for the scalp of an orc and will pay 100 gp for proof of the death of an orc shaman, witchdoctor, sub-chief or chief. Kent and Eirbron tolerate the orcs only slightly more, only offering bounty for known orcish criminals (which sometimes means an entire tribe). However, while not well liked, "law abiding" (or at least those who have not been identified as raiders) orcs are permitted to freely enter settlements and roam the lands, but are sure to be closely watched if they do. Other significant menaces in the hills include an unknown number of barbaric trilon tribes and several known bands of hill giants. The trilons tend to shy away from raiding human or elfin settlements, content to hunt and gather within the confines of lands which are largely unused by their smaller neighbors. Thus, they seldom incur the wrath of local rulers. The hill giants, on the other hand, have a poor reputation indeed, especially in Kent where they are most numerous. Hill giant scalps fetch a hefty 250 gp bounty in Kent, and between 100-200 gp in Eirbron and Paladondia.
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