Hollow Hill

From the vast emptiness of the Free Wastes juts a great slab of slanted stone, creating a lengthy ascending ridge out of the plains. Buildings pepper its long spine and tunnels pock the face of the sheer cliff that drops sharply from its peak. Dusthides and other residents of the Southern Free Wastes find refuge here, away from the modern nations of humankind. The old ways hold sway at Hollow Hill, with Mystrism, Kurai Shamanism, and Dragon Worship coexisting peacefully. While conflicts break out between each faction as they vie for influence over the settlement, Mystrism dominates the settlement in large part due to the presence of Hollow Hill's judge and guardian; the plains dragon Zafagorum.
Hollow Hill is the place of Zafagorum's lair, the capital of his protectorate. The protectorate stretches North to the Shorn Valley, East to Lovelock, and South to Knifejack Ridge, where Rust River splits North from the Gaeana.
===History===
Since the Age of Gods, the great hill has captivated the native Kurai. Its peak has always been sacred to Varude, but Hollow Hill's fame comes from its connection to Attersi, the Spider. Kurai near death would come to Hollow Hill to have their stories etched into stone by the Spider's priests and storytellers, who over the ages carved deep tunnels into the heart of the Hill.
The Kurai shamans and caretakers at Hollow Hill saw themselves as guests in the home of the spirits. It wasn't until the earliest years of the Age of Man that Zafagorum claimed Hollow Hill as the heart of his protectorate, after the chaos of the Cataclysm had settled, and after a mysterious spiritual corruption drove the Kurai from their ancestral monument.
===Winged Peak===
The summit of Hollow Hill, once-reserved for Kurai rituals dedicated to Varude, is now roost for the dragon Zafagorum. Those seeking his judgment find it at the Winged Peak, named for the great stone wings carved into the ridge's mantle. While Zafagorum holds court at each settlement in his protectorate, the Winged Peak at Hollow Hill is Zafagorum's home and lair, and where the most important decisions and carefully considered judgments are made.
===The Catacomb of Spider's Reach===
Hollow Hill harbors a great affinity for the natural world and its rich history. In ancient times, the now-settlement served as a burial ground for the stories of the honored dead among the Kurai. Priests of Attersi would tend to the dying, preparing their souls for the journey. After death, the Spider's followers would inter the stories of the worthy within the deep caves of the Hill. The tunnels and caves burrow deep within the bones of the hill, and are a place of great reverence and profound superstition.
Category:Settlements