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{{geography
|map=Unclaimed Hills.jpg
|region=Frostlands
|world=Roshar
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]
}}
The '''Unclaimed Hills''' is a geographical region in eastern [[Roshar]].{{map ref|Roshar}}.
==
The Unclaimed Hills lie in the east of Roshar, covering the northern part of the greater region of the [[Frostlands]]. They form the eastern border of [[Alethkar]] and stretch all the way to the shores of the [[Ocean of Origins]], while to the south, they drop down into nationless flatlands. The [[Shattered Plains]] lie in the southern portion of the Unclaimed Hills.
== Geography and Ecology ==
The Unclaimed Hills got their name from their uneven terrain. Some hills are little more than mounds; others are far taller.{{map ref|Roshar}} They are rocky, covered with tough, retractable grass stretching as far as the eye can see. On occassion, this green monotony is broken by spiny plants such as wild [[blackbane]] and an unnamed scrub with thick stalks and spiny green needles, but there are no trees or any taller vegetation.
The whole region is highly exposed to the [[highstorm]]s, making the plants skittish. At any sign of movement, they retract, leaving behind only brown stone. Most of the Hill's fauna stays hidden, only coming out after the storm. Then, one can find numerous [[cremling]]s, [[legger]]s and slugs coming out to drink the water.{{book ref|sa1|2}}{{book ref|sa1|4}} Though the land is arable, it would be difficult to farm it properly -- rockbuds grow small, and crops give little yields.{{book ref|sa3|50}}
== Inhabitants ==
== History ==
=== Ancient History and Abandonment ===
Back during the [[Heraldic Epochs]], the territory now known as the Unclaimed Hills was split between the [[Silver Kingdoms]] of [[Alethela]] and [[Natanatan]].{{map ref|Silver Kingdoms}} Following the splintering of the former and destruction of the latter, the land slowly dropped in importance. It's possible there was another kingdom there at some point; however, by the late [[Era of Solitude]], the region was essentially uninhabited, traversed only by travellers, hunters, bandits and, on occassion, [[listener]]s venturing out of the Shattered Plains.{{book ref|sa1|28}} In the absence of people, beasts, including the [[chasmfiend]]s, flourished.{{book ref|sa1|36}}▼
Back during the [[Heraldic Epochs]], the territory now known as the Unclaimed Hills was split between the [[Silver Kingdoms]] of [[Alethela]] and [[Natanatan]].{{map ref|Silver Kingdoms}} It's possible that the final battle of the [[Aharietiam]] was fought in a canyon within the Hills -- [[Stormfather]] would later bring [[Dalinar]] into a memory of it in a [[Dalinar's visions|vision]].{{book ref|sa3|38}}
▲
=== Rediscovery and the War of Reckoning ===
{{for|War of Reckoning}}
Several expeditions were sent out into the Unclaimed Hills, some in search of a river passage to [[New Natanan]].{{book ref|sa1|42}} Following the unification of [[Alethkar]], [[Gavilar]] and [[Dalinar Kholin]] went on their own journey there, whereupon they encountered the listeners and discovered the Shattered Plains -- and on them, chasmfiends, the source of the listeners' gems.{{book ref|sa1|45}} Initially, the relations between the [[Alethi]] and the listeners, dubbed Parshendi by the humans, went well, but on the night of an important treaty between the two, the listeners chose to assassinate Gavilar to stop him from releasing their gods.{{book ref|sa3|prologue}} As a result, the Alethi moved onto the Shattered Plains and began to wage the [[War of Reckoning]] against the listeners.
The return of human population to the Hills brought with it an increase in both trade and banditry. Slavers and criminals flourished in the difficult, uninhabited wasteland, and the [[highprince]]s were either uninterested or incapable of stopping it.{{book ref|sa2|8}} Though the Aleth had plans for reinhabiting the Shattered Plains fully, their plans were stopped by the arrival of the [[True Desolation]].{{book ref|sa1|58}}{{book ref|sa2|89}}
=== True Desolation ===
As the [[Everstorm]] began circling the globe, the Alethi focused on the defending the [[Shattered Plains]], in particular the area around the [[Oathgate]] in their center.{{book ref|sa3|50}} The Hills remained simply a place people travelled through, whether to escape or on their way to and from the Plains.{{book ref|sa3|37}}
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