A few centuries ago, Rosemary Hill was one of the wealthiest areas of Lüm, perched at the edge of the city above the surrounding wetland. Grand manors were erected there, the homes of some of the city's wealthy and elite. But as the city grew and the surrounding areas were developed, the Hill found itself in the midst of often squalid urban growth, and its location became less desirable. The moneyed inhabitants moved out, leaving the once-prosperous area to the lower classes.

Today, many of the manors still stand, but no longer house single affluent families or individuals, having been subdivided into multiple apartments and tenements. Naturally, without the resources of their pecunious builders, their upkeep has suffered; many of the fine façades are falling apart, the once carefully tended gardens wild and overgrown. But its current inhabitants have not entirely abandoned tending to the grounds, and still do try to maintain them as best they can, even if they can't afford to do so as well as they might like.

But if it isn't the upper-class enclave it once was, neither is modern Rosemary Hill a place of abject squalor. Living in sectioned-off pieces of once-opulent estates has an appeal to a certain type of person, and Rosemary Hill has developed a reputation as a colorful bohemian neighborhood where people follow their whims and anything goes. The art created here is quirkier and less conventional than that in the more staid Arts District in the east part of the city, but it has its appeal.

Some of the people of Rosemary Hill manage to make a living selling their arts and crafts, but most aren't able to find enough customers to support themselves that way. Most residents have to settle for less fulfilling work elsewhere as clerks or laborers or in some other low-profile job, and return to the Hill to pursue their dreams in the evening.

One of the most notable landmarks of Rosemary Hill is Hetmore Garden, or just "the Garden" to locals and regulars. Once part of the extensive grounds of one of the Hill's estates, the Garden has now come into use as a common area where local artists and craftsmen set out their wares to sell to visitors. The Garden is a riot of noise and color at all hours, its carnival atmosphere including food stalls, performers, and even some stands offering prizes for simple games of skill or chance. Its centerpiece, an unusual two-story gazebo that the Hill's residents have taken care to prevent falling into the disrepair that many similar structures here have suffered, is the most coveted location for the Garden's exhibitors, and locals have a complex system for deciding which of them gets a turn there when.