Hollow of dominion

The hollow of dominion was a room-sized artifact that allowed an attuned wielder to unleash potent psychic power over the southern Sword Coast North.
==Description==
The hollow of dominion was an arcane chamber constructed by an archmage centuries prior to the 15 century DR. The chamber was square and on a side. The walls, floor, and ceiling were made of a combination of marble, bronze, and steel. Silver-green glowing runes adorned the walls and floor of the chamber, and the ceiling was an intricate weave of stone. A small hole in the center of the floor held the dominion rod, which was necessary to utilize the chamber's magic.
==Location==
The hollow of dominion was located a half mile (1 kilometer) west of Wave Echo Cave near the town of Phandalin. It was underground beneath the ruins of an old temple, and sealed behind a pair of marble double doors carved with circular runes inlaid with silver. The doors were sealed with a puzzle lock, warded against evil, and protected by a bladed trap. These doors remained open when no one was attuned to the hollow, but could be sealed shut by its wielder.
==Powers==
Whoever attuned to the hollow and controlled the dominion rod could channel psychic power exceeding that of an elder brain, which enabled them to commune with the minds of everything within and to cause madness in or exert control over those minds. It also allowed the wielder to project more targeted psychic thoughts and control over vast distances, and to also detect the presence of any intruders within the complex that housed the hollow.
==Defenses==
Any unwelcome enemy of the wielder who approached the hollow itself was overcome with waves of confusion. Furthermore, the hollow could assault the minds of intruders with distressing visions of their worst memories.
Destruction of the chamber's intricate magical symbols could cause the whole room to start to collapse within twelve seconds, with the entire hollow becoming utterly destroyed in less than a minute and nullifying its power permanently. Likewise, the hollow was rendered inert if ever the dominion rod was taken aboveground, at which point it too would shatter into dust.
==History==
In the late 15 century DR sometime after the resettlement of Phandalin, a mindwitness called Gavmogon discovered the hollow of dominion with its doors open. He used it to break free of the mind control of the elder brain who had created him, and proceeded to use it first to get revenge against the elder brain and its mind flayer colony—by using the hollow to manipulate the elder brain into causing madness among its followers—and to cause madness and confusion in Phandalin and the surrounding area. Within a few tendays, an explorer named Aladair identified the hollow of dominion as the source of the madness, and disappeared into the ruins to investigate. Hearing of her disappearance into said lair, Lady Ilsa Wisemantle of Neverwinter convinced the Town Council of Phandalin to send adventurers to help. At the same time, the power of the hollow of dominion had caught the attention of other beholders in the region, who both feared its power and wanted it for themselves. One of these beholders, Varunto, sent their own agent, the elf Faltrand, to defeat Gavmogon and claim the hollow.
==Notable Wielders==
* Gavmogon, a mindwitness who sought to use the hollow to kill or control everything near Phandalin to prove his superiority. He was highly protective of the hollow and of the dominion rod.
==Appendix==
===Appearances===
===References===
Category:Ruins
Category:Artifacts
Category:Items
Category:Magic items
Category:Locations in the Lost Hills
Category:Locations on the Sword Coast North
Category:Locations in Northwest Faerûn
Category:Locations in Faerûn
Category:Locations on Toril