Rosemary Hill is a bit of an anarchic area; it works more like a neighborhood-wide artists' collective than any sort of formal district with an official government. Of course, it is a part of the city of Lüm and still subject to citywide laws and ordinances, but enforcement of those laws is often lax here, and the city guard seldom sets foot in the Hill beyond perfunctory patrols except in emergencies.

While no one is officially in charge of the Hill, however, there are certainly some residents who have more sway than others. One of the most influential residents of the Hill is Mercian Olevord, a celebrated painter and sculptor originally from Port Heaven who retired to the Hill, where he continues to produce art while also mentoring upcoming artists eager for his insights. The aged Olevord has attracted a group of devoted disciples who want little more than to learn at his feet, but even many artists of the Hill who are not among this group often approach him for his opinions and advice.

Mercian Olevord is a square-featured man with bushy eyebrows and a fringe of long white hair around his bald pate. He has a broad mouth and bright [blue]] eyes, and a small, beaky nose. Olevord usually dresses in simple shirts, smocks, and trousers, invariably bespattered with paint and dust. When he speaks, he often unconsciously changes his accent to match his interlocutor's.