Maerthwatch

The Maerthwatch, also known as the Hills of Maerth, was a range of hills and mountains in southern Chessenta.

Geography
The range extended in a crescent across southwest Chessenta, starting from the Adder Swamp in the northeast, then running southwest between the Akanamere and the Adder River, before heading west below the Akanul and finally arching northwest along the northern flank of the great Chondalwood. For much of its length it was just hills, only rising to mountains in its westernmost stretch beside the Chondalwood. The range divided the Akanul plains from the Adder River valley.

The hills were low yet rugged and craggy, and held deposits of rare minerals and gems that were predominantly found here, such as beljurils, jacinths, and luspeel.

Notable Locations
Many long-worked mines, some quite ancient, were scattered across the Hills of Maerth.

It was ringed by the towns of Gaj, Villon, and Oslin.

Circa 1357 DR, vast tracts of land in the Hills of Maerth were bought up by the famed archmage and planewalker Azurax Silverhawk.

Inhabitants
In the 10 century DR, the mighty archmage Ultham, son of Urrekanam kept a tower in the Hills of Maerth. He had a great love of nearby Oslin and created the Magical Chessmen of Ultham-Urre from luspeel, beljurils, and jacinths found in the Hills of Maerth to defend the town before he journeyed into the planes, some time during the reign of King Tchazzar (929–1018 DR).

The isolationist, nomadic giants known as geriviars wandered the lands between the Maerthwatch, Chondalwood, and the Black Ash Plain.