West Hills

Not to be confused with West Hill, a bannorn in northwestern Ferelden.

The West Hills arling lies to the south of Redcliffe Village, in the borderland area along the Frostback Mountains and abutting the Korcari Wilds.^[1]^[2]

Background

The location of West Hills places it in a precarious location between wild and dangerous swamps inhabited by Chasind and mountain passes inhabited by Avvar. The current arl, Gallagher Wulff, therefore has spent a considerable amount of time battling these varied threats, particularly the Avvar. The arl and his family are loved in the arling for their bold natures as well as their kindness. Arl Wulff has a reputation in western Ferelden as a valiant man who takes his duties seriously.

The landscape is heavily forested, flanked by the massive mountain peaks to the west. Roadways in this region are few and typically muddy, though many have permanent wheel ruts from the numerous caravans, often dwarven, passing through into the Bannorn. Small towns are typically built of wood and canvas with stone reserved for buildings of greatest importance, such as a Chantry. The proximity to Orzammar allows for dwarven goods to be fairly plentiful.^[3]

Involvement

Dragon Age: Origins

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Origins.

During the course of the Fifth Blight, West Hills, along with much of the southern portion of Ferelden, has been devastated by the Blight and darkspawn incursion. According to Arl Wulff during the Landsmeet, the southern reaches of Ferelden have been overrun. Wulff himself is embittered at the devastation of his arling and the way he feels its suffering has been ignored during the chaos.

Dragon Age (tabletop RPG)

Arl Wulff, his family, and the arling itself are the major participants and setting for the campaign "Where Eagles Lair" from the Blood in Ferelden expansion, in which the players must investigate the kidnapping of one of Wulff's children, his daughter Izot.

Places

Elmridge:^[3] a small town
Arl's winter manor:^[3] a stone fortress on the edge of the arling

Trivia

Avvar raids into Ferelden, and West Hills in particular, only occur under the cover of a snowstorm to hide the passage of the raiders.^[3]

References

↑ Mary Kirby (22 February, 2010). "Question on Ferelden Background (For the writers, more so)" . The BioWare Forum. Retrieved on March 5, 2014.
↑ Notably, Dragon Age (tabletop RPG) places the location of West Hills arling in the region of the bannorn of West Hill, which is a mistake.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 Dragon Age (tabletop RPG), Blood in Ferelden, Where Eagles Lair

[1] Mary Kirby (22 February, 2010). "Question on Ferelden Background (For the writers, more so)" . The BioWare Forum. Retrieved on March 5, 2014.

[2] Notably, Dragon Age (tabletop RPG) places the location of West Hills arling in the region of the bannorn of West Hill, which is a mistake.

[eagles-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 Dragon Age (tabletop RPG), Blood in Ferelden, Where Eagles Lair

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