A low, rolling highland region east of the Desendrum range, the Homdrum Hills (sometimes rendered "Humdrum Hills" on older maps) earned their name from their unremarkable character. They're not particularly high, not particularly scenic, not particularly anything—just miles of grass-covered rises and shallow valleys that travelers cross without remembering.
Geography
The Homdrum Hills occupy roughly 60 miles east to west and 50 miles north to south, forming a transitional zone between the Desendrum range and the eastern forests. The hills are low—rarely exceeding 500 feet above the surrounding plains—and uniformly grassy, with few trees and fewer landmarks.
The West Tolkarsus Passage: The West Tolkarsus river curves through the northeastern portion of the hills, carving a modest valley that provides the easiest route through the region. Most travelers follow the river rather than striking across the trackless hills.
The Drift: A broad, shallow depression in the center of the hills where rainwater collects in spring, creating seasonal marshes that dry to cracked mud by late summer. Animals gather here during the wet season, making it a traditional hunting ground.
Character
The Homdrum Hills are aggressively ordinary. The terrain doesn't challenge; the weather doesn't surprise; the wildlife doesn't threaten. For travelers accustomed to the Walking Forest's strangeness or the orc states' dangers, the hills feel almost surreal in their normalcy.
This unremarkability has consequences:
Lost Travelers: Without landmarks, navigation is difficult. Travelers who leave the established paths often wander in circles, unable to distinguish one grassy rise from another. More than a few have died of exposure in terrain that posed no other threat.
Unmarked Graves: The hills have been crossed by armies, refugees, and migrations for centuries. Countless unmarked burials dot the landscape—bones emerging from eroded hillsides, old weapons rusting in the grass. The hills remember nothing and record nothing.
Inhabitants
Almost no one lives in the Homdrum Hills permanently. The land supports grazing but offers no shelter, no water sources (except seasonal), and no defensible positions. Nomadic herders pass through; trading caravans cross; no one stays.
The Lost Shepherd: Local legend speaks of a shepherd who entered the hills with his flock and never found his way out. Some say he still wanders, eternally searching for the edge of the hills, his sheep long dead but still following. Herders sometimes report seeing a distant figure on the hillsides who disappears when approached.
Why It Matters
The Homdrum Hills matter primarily as an obstacle, a tedious one rather than a dangerous one. Crossing them adds days to any journey and offers nothing in return. Traders calculate whether to go around (longer but with reliable waystations) or through (shorter but with no support if something goes wrong). Most choose around.