Hidden Hollow

Hidden Hollow was an independent town in the Kingdom of Earthenmore in the Vast that was built in the late 14 century DR and worked by members of the dwarvish Clan Shado.
==Description==
Despite its age, Hidden Hollow grew rapidly. The population grew to five hundred souls in only 18 months after its founding. The town itself and 500 acres of land around it were encircled by a large wall.
==Geography==
Hidden Hollow was built at the northernmost end of the Glorming Pass that crossed the Earthfast Mountains south. Dragon Falls was its closest northern neighbor along the North Road, away, and Sevenecho was its southern neighbor, away across the Earthfasts. The village of Herren's Ford could be found eight days' worth of horseback travel to the southeast from Hidden Hollow. The two villages were connected via a rarely used road.
==Government==
Hidden Hollow and its surrounding territories were independent from the rest of the Vast by design. It was claimed by the tiny Kingdom of Earthenmore and governed by Duchess Heather Dragonsnap in the late 14 century DR. Earthenmore's claim to the land was not objected to by the neighboring city-states, and its location made it commercially important to Procampur and Mulmaster, as Hidden Hollow could increase the security of the North Road and Glorming Pass, thus strengthening trade. As long as Hidden Hollow was not imposing tolls on passing caravans, its international relationships remained positive.
==History==
Heather Dragonsnap was a renowned gnomish adventurer from Ravens Bluff who, in the late 14 century DR, put a claim on a piece of no man's land at the entrance to the Earthfast Mountains. No one disputed the gnome's claim as the land was untamed and ripe with dangerous goblin and orc tribes. This threat did not dissuade Heather. She assembled a like-minded group of people to settle a new town on the wild land. By Hammer of the ,, Heather and her group had already constructed the first building of Hidden Hollow, namely a stockade by the entrance to the mountain pass. The stockade's supplier was Steprock and Sons, a dwarven mining company based in the Vast. Nadd Parker, a freelance reporter, penned an article about the town's founding in the same month's issue of the Ravens Bluff Trumpeter broadsheet. In her interview for the periodical, Heather Dragonsnap announced that Hidden Hollow would be an independent settlement, seeking an alliance with other cities of the Vast.
By Flamerule of 1371 DR, Sir Tyrell Darkmoon of Ravens Bluff held the title of a Baron of Hidden Hollow. By the , Hidden Hollow was already considered to be a busy township under Duchess Heather Dragonsnap's rule. Sometime in or before Hammer and Alturiak of 1372 DR, Hidden Hollow suffered from a wave of crime. Builders and laborers who were working hard constructing the ever-growing township fell prey to a mysterious murderer. It was discovered that Hidden Hollow had a "nest" of malicious tanar'ri, and the slayings lasted for a whole month. Kima Greyleaf and a group of Knights of the Golden Rooster traced fiendish activity to Hidden Hollow. The Duchess asked Kima Greyleaf to eradicate the threat, but the tanar'ri were sly and framed Kima and her associates for murder. The group was brought to Judge Judith Hangman, who, in turn, was revealed to be a nalfeshnee fiend. Kima Greyleaf, Knights of the Golden Rooster, and Clan Shado stood against the nalfeshnee and a whole nest of tanar'ri. To make the conflict worse, one of the battle's participants, Ellaquin Shadowsteel, attracted the attention of Lord Vondryxx, a balor who had a score to settle. Vondryxx challenged Ellaquin to a battle and beheaded the adventuring knight. The battle of Hidden Hollow raged on until the wizard Aranwe of Aglarond used a magical device to transform himself into a powerful creature of the upper planes. Subsequently, Vondryxx fled, and the tanar'ri nest was destroyed. This grand battle was also reported by Nadd Parker for Ravens Bluff Trumpeter.
In the winter of the , the village of Hidden Hollow became the site of a massacre. It was evacuated three months before a group of good dragons were attacked and massacred amidst the empty settlement by evil servants of Tiamat. The aerial massacre left Hidden Hollow in ruins, being damaged by plummeting draconic corpses. A Harper agent named Patch was tasked with the investigation of the massacre above the town.
==Appendix==
===Notes===
===Appearances===
===References===
Category:Settlements
Category:Villages
Category:Locations in the Vast
Category:Locations in the Earthfast Mountains
Category:Locations in the Eastern Heartlands
Category:Locations in Interior Faerûn
Category:Locations in Faerûn
Category:Locations on Toril
Category:Locations on Glorming Pass
Category:Locations on the North Road
Category:Year of Manuscripts