The coming of the Elves

Nothing else after the dwarf-sagas is known to have been written about the Hills of Shade until the time of the elven Hejira, the sea journey that brought them from Tunaria to Faydwer. As newcomers to a vast and unknown continent, the elves wanted to explore their new home and its resources. Most of their efforts focused on the areas around the vicinity of current-day Felwithe and Kelethin, but smaller groups of elves set up communities anywhere there wasn’t already a local population. The very fact that the Hills of Shade were abandoned made it perfect for individuals seeking a new home, and relations between the elven newcomers and the indigenous dwarves were strong.

Thus, the small community of Durathin arose in the hills; though small and never prosperous, the town was kept safe by combined forces of high elf and dwarven guards. This cooperation was purely pragmatic — neither Felwithe nor Kaladim had an outpost near the center of the continent, and Durathin provided a useful place for scouts from both kingdoms to resupply.

The inhabitants of Durathin learned much about the dangers of the Hills of Shade and recorded their findings thoroughly. The deceptive shadows and changing landscape made maps useless within weeks of being drawn, but it was possible for explorers with a strong sense of direction to find their way around cautiously. One could navigate by using the coastline as a guide, and notorious or unusual regions within the hills kept the same identifying properties even when their appearance changed: Durathin citizens identified Bertoxxulous’ Cauldron, the Black Tombs, the Crawling Ruins, and the Grave Mounds. They also erected dozens of trail-markers to establish (relatively) safe paths through the hills. Slowly, a trickle of trade began between Kaladim and Kelethin, using Durathin guides to find the shortest route from the Butcherblock Mountains to the Greater Faydark. Durathin was poised to blossom into a large and prosperous trade community.