Purple Hills

The Purple Hills were a range of hills on the coast of Tethyr, lying in County Vintor in the duchy of the Purple Marches, inhabited almost exclusively by halflings, fames as the best winemakers in Tethyr.
==Geography==
The town of Vineshade was located there. The Hillstrail ran through the Purple Hills to connect Myratma in the south and Zazesspur in the north, passing the ruins of Canaith, town of Barrowsmorn, Vineshade, and crossing the Red River. The Purple Hills was a lush and fertile land of green farmlands overlooking the Sea of Swords.
The coastal area of the Purple Hills was called the Purple Cliffs – a virtually deserted land as it was not suitable for farming. The local hin were also terrified of large bodies of water and naval vessels. This fear contributed to the Purple Cliffs remaining uninhabited, rising above sea level near Fortress Faithful to as high as 200 feet near the center of the cliffs. The coastline was so named due to an abundance of creeping, purple flowers that hung over its edge, and the rich quartz deposits found throughout the rocks. These flowers and mineral deposits gave the area its name. The southern edge of the hills was formed by the Red River, a tributary of the River Ith.
==Government==
As halflings were not allowed in Tethyrean government, the numerous communities of the Purple Hills assembled their own government – the Purple Hills Council that maintained close relations to the governments of Myratma and Zazesspur. Halflings of Purple Hills were sure to receive aid from both Myratma and Zazesspur, thanks to their friendly relations rooted in trade. Minor dangers such as rampaging ankhegs were known to on occasions arise in the region. The Count of county Vintor in the late 14 century was a dwarfish hin Fleet Chancellor named Krimmon Amethystall who lived alongside the Purple Cliffs.
==Trade==
The farmlands on the hills produced cattle like sheep and wool that were produced in quality fabrics in Tethyr, as well as various fruits, vegetables, and other foodstuffs that fed the city of Zazesspur in the north and Myratma in the south. Some of the fruits of the Purple Hills included gooseberries, plums, blackberries, and quinces. One such farm belonged to Oraundas Haeltower, a producer of cheap, smooth wine from vineyards north and east of Vineshade. During a sale of such wines in 1479 DR, treasure and other valuables began appearing in the wines. This was discovered to be a smuggling operation from the families of Amn. The region's hin population was known to produce Tintoram's Select, a blackberry brandy. Other libations of note produced in the Purple Hills were Farlindell Red wine and Purple Hills Cider from the Kraljaom Distillery.
==History==
Circa the , a slave rebel named Ankar led an army of fellow escapees from Calimshan into the Purple Hills, where they were safe from their masters. The human slaves eventually continued moving north, past the Purple Hills, towards the Dragon's Neck Peninsula. By the , Zazesspur was rebuilt into an outpost of the decaying Calishite empire, keeping the Purple Hills as its territory. By the , the Purple Hills were claimed by Tethyr as Clan Bormul completed Ithalyr on the Purple Cliffs. This became the first royal palace of Tethyr.
Purple Hills was home to a population of Arvoreen-worshiping halfling farmers who were forced out of their homes in the . The hin migrants ended up forming the realm of Meiritin. Centuries later, during Tethyr's Interregnum, Arvoreen's Marchers – gnomes and halflings of the Purple Hills, led by Estemal Talltankard, were responsible for keeping the region from being consumed by anarchy. Despite Arvoreen's Marchers's best efforts, the Ten Black Days of Eleint of the left a mark of chaos and death on the Purple Hills. Members of the Riiklass family of Princess-Consort Dhara were murdered by rioting mobs in the Purple Hills. Another victim of the mob killings was cruel Count Romar Miklaas, who abused the hin of the Purple Hills. Long-suffering halflings, aided by druids, ended Romar's life.
In the , the village of Geniste was swiftly destroyed within mere hours by a flood green slimes that spilled out of a root cellar. In five hours, the oozes devoured the village and its inhabitants completely, leaving only a wandering priest, his paladin companion, and several villagers alive. The village became a swamp surrounding a cemetery on a hilltop. It was revealed that the slimed emerged from what later would be known as the Gravegate of Geniste, a one-way gate from Undermountain.
==Notable Locations==
*Dragonstail, a peninsula that once protruded from the Purple Hills and the location of Carathryn. Both sunk in 1123 DR.
*Grapevine's Root, a sprawling temple villa dedicated to the hin deity Cyrrollalee atop a knoll above the town of Vineshade, famous for its Cyrrojubilee vintage wine.
==Notable Inhabitants==
*Garvanell of Garvanell's Fine Ointments shop in Zazesspur was born in the farmlands within the Purple Hills.
*Glissando Homebody, the Enduring Vintage of the Grapevine's Root temple in the late 14 century DR.
*Jhessar Talltankard, a representative of the Heralds of Faerûn in the 14 century DR.
*Paddy Stoutfellow, a lighthearted halfling jokester of the Company of Eight who planned on eventually retiring to his homestead in the Purple Hills, sometime after the late 14 century DR.
===Notable Organizations===
*Arvoreen's Keepers, or Keepers of the Vigilant Guardian, a halfling knightly order that served their deity Arvoreen and served as defenders of their kin.
*Wayward Wardens, an order of Yondallan clerics that spent some time among the halflings of the Purple Hills during Tethyr's Interregnum.
==Appendix==
===Appearances===
===References===
FR:Collines Pourpres
Category:Hills
Category:Locations in Vintor
Category:Locations in the Purple Marches
Category:Locations in Tethyr
Category:Locations in the Lands of Intrigue
Category:Locations in West Faerûn
Category:Locations in Faerûn
Category:Locations on Toril
Category:Exports brandy
Category:Exports wine
Category:Exports wool
Category:Exports sheep
Category:Exports food and drink
Category:Exports cider