The Hill Cantons Cosmology by Chris Kutalik is a role playing game supplement published by Hydra Cooperative for use with Labyrinth Lord, although much of the material is largely system-neutral.
The supplement is available from DriveThruRPG as an eight page Pay What You Want PDF. One page is the front cover and one the front matter.
How Zěm the World of the Hill Cantons Came to Be starts with some opening mythology about how the Void is divided into three parts’ the Space of Demons, the Transitional Zone of the Uquitani and the Insufferable Void which is the known universe. The Overgod tired of the demons, created the stars and planets, got bored, became drunk, split himself and created the other gods.
Corelands, Borderlands, and the Weird is the world of Zěm. The Corelands are the human heartlands where there is no magic or Weird. The Weird is the opposite and is filled with adventure. The Borderlands are where the Hill Cantons are and there is civilisation and magic.
On Alignment discusses a five-fold path to alignment, with the Corelands tending towards law. Religion is a mystery and the dominant human religion claims it is monotheistic.
Next is Sect Characteristics, which is the format by which the different religious sects are covered. Attributed Alignment is the stated alignment of a god, according to humans, which is not necessarily accurate. Bonus Spells/Powers are the bonuses that different sects get, with some new spells. Priesthood Class is as it suggests; clerics are only found in the ranks of the worshippers of the Sun God. Domain is what humans consider to be the deity’s area of control.
The different sects are then covered, and this takes up much of the supplement. The Solarity religion has many, then there are those of Habeka and the Antagonist. The Old Gods of the Pahr are next. The First Beasts are the original deities created by the Overgod, and a brief list of these is covered. The Himyari religion worships a third moon that is so pure it cannot be seen. Godlings, such as the Town Gods of Marlinko and Medved from Slumbering Ursine Dunes. There’s also a reference to an upcoming supplement, Kezmarok Undercity Supplement. Atrophied Gods has another god and the Space Gods of the Hyperboreans are named, but nothing more.
The Hill Cantons Cosmology in Review
The PDF lacks bookmarks and, although short enough that these are not essential, there are enough different sections that they would have been appreciated. Navigation could be better. The text maintains a two-column format and appeared to be free of errors. There is a single stock black and white image. Presentation is okay.
This is a setting supplement that provides background information for the Hill Cantons setting, namely deities and religion. It’s surprisingly less weird than some of the other supplements; that’s not to say there isn’t a measure of oddity in it, but it’s less off the wall than the main supplements. It does provide useful information, and the information is referred to in some of the other Hill Cantons books, so, although not essential, it is helpful. The Hill Cantons Cosmology can be found by clicking here.
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