Hollows¶
"A fully hollowed individual is nothing more than a living shell to be possessed by demons." — from The Hollows (S325)
Contested
This page is named in the open question Where a Hollow lies. Sources of the same season place the Hollow between the Material and the Mithis Plane, or between the Material and the Abyss; the first reading is followed and the second recorded.
A Hollow is a demi-plane that grew around tainted Mithis during the Hollowing Period, a place where the Abyss pressed through into the Material and fed on the living. Hollows consumed ethereal energy, warped land, body and mind, let Devils walk in the flesh, and spread by effigies and possession. Most were ruled by a Hollowlord in the service of Asmodeus; a few were seized by rebel Demons. They were all destroyed by the Redemption. The Hollowing Period as an era is History's; the Hollowlords and Devils are Creatures'; the witches, Hollowlocks and Hollowsmiths who worked with Hollow power are Magic's.
What a Hollow is¶
"Hollow areas are demi-planes between the Material Plane and the Mithis Plane. They form a strong connection to a particular part of the Abyssal Plane. The hollowing eventually consumes all Ethereal energy, especially living and spiritual energy. The Abyssal creatures associated to the Hollow can manifest and gain power from consuming the Ethereal energy. The depletion rate ramps up over time, but is disrupted if the Mithis sources move out of the area of effect. This is why Hollows are generally stationary. Normal creatures inside the Hollows become tainted and then hollowed over time. Living things decay from the inside out and are often corrupted or driven insane. The ethereal energy consumed is used to feed the demonic denizens of the Hollow as well as expand its borders" (S325, S146).
Inside the Hollow the Abyss is near. "In the Hollow, demons have direct access to their abyssal powers (are much stronger) and the Mithis casters (incl the Hollowlord) have access to the power of the Hollow itself (Mithis energy). Also, in this demi-plane, demons are able to attempt to possess individuals entering the Hollow" (S126). "Every hollow has at least one Mithis source, and potentially many" (S146), and "defeating the Hollowlord and its lieutenants is generally required to gain access to the Mithis object(s) which are sustaining the Hollow" (S146). The ascendants of the Kalari understood the whole phenomenon from above as "the second abscission of the Denitrus plane, which the mortals are referring to as the Hollowing", after the archdemon Asmodeus took partial dominion of the Mithis shard (S031). His own notes put it as a plane he made: "He has taken complete control of the Mithis Plane and warped it creating The Hollow, and intermediate, fragmented plane between The Abyss and The Material. The Hollow exists around objects and places which have high concentrations of Irathus (renamed Mithis)" (S132). What the taint did to Mithis itself is told on that page.
Asmodean and Ravager Hollows¶
"Most Hollows are controlled by Devils (Demons under the influence of Asmodeus), but some have been taken over by rebel Demons (known as Ravager Hollows)" (S325, S146).
In an Asmodean Hollow, "powerful Devils are commanded to remain inside the boundaries of the Hollow, where they are granted significant magical casting abilities from the Mithis energy and act as guardians of the Hollow. They use puppets to search out and consolidate magical objects and lure or capture victims to be returned to the Hollow for feeding. Every Hollow is commanded by a single Hollowlord, which is the most powerful Devil. The Hollowlord may have many lieutenants (other Devils) guarding over Mithis sources inside the Hollow" (S146). "Hollows that merge will result in a battle between Hollowlords and the defeated Hollowlord will either become subservient or replaced by a minion of the victor. This results in hierarchy of Devils for large Hollows with multiple Mithis sources" (S146). The confinement was deliberate: Asmodeus "has tightened down the Mithis plane since coming into control of it. Only demons (devils) allied to his cause are allowed passage, and these devils are confined within the Hollow. This serves two purposes: it motivates Devils to work hard to expand the boundaries of the hollow and allows Asmodeus to capture most of the Ethereal energy harvested within the Hollow" (S132). A possessed and hollowed mortal, unlike the Hollowlord, "is able to leave the hollow" (S146).
"Ravager Hollows are controlled by regular Demons instead of Devils. In most cases, this means less discipline, and the Demons will use the Hollow as a base of operations to raid nearby areas. There may be no central authority in a Ravager Hollow, and the Mithis sources may not be well guarded if guarded at all" (S325). The campaign notes call these Abyssal Hollows: "Powerful witches can facilitate the passage of normal demons, but this incurs the wrath of any Devils associated to the Hollow ... These Hollows have been converted to Abyssal Hollows (those not under the influence of Asmodeus) and demons passing through these are not confined to the Hollow, though it takes a toll on the power/size of the Hollow based on the strength of the demon being loosed" (S132). A Ravager, in the same notes, is "a demon whose prime motivation is consuming ethereal energy for power" (S132). The Demons and Devils are Creatures'.
The Hollowing¶
The Hollowing is the force, and the Hollow is the place. "Hollowing is a magical force that emanates from all tainted Mithis (commonly referred to as 'The Taint'). It is a demonic force that drains ethereal energy from elemental, somatic and spiritual sources, or all three, depending on the power. As it does so, it warps and twists the affected object in ways that are associated to the taint's properties. Initially this warping is only temporary and the object will return to normal after some time away from the influence of the Hollowing" (S325, S146). "Inert matter transforms the most quickly while the spirit transforms the slowest" (S325).
The two are not the same size. "The boundaries of the Hollow are independent of the effects of the Hollowing. The Hollowlord has many tools at their disposal to concentrate or broaden where Hollowing takes place as well as mechanisms to alter the boundaries of the Hollow. In practice, this often means that the edges of the Hollow are in fact untainted and undetectable. Most witch hunters and witches mistake the boundaries of Hollowing effects for the boundaries of the Hollow. Hollowlocks on the other hand (when attuned to the hollow in question) know when magical energy is available vs when it is not and often try to live in non-Hollowing areas of the Hollow, while Witches live well outside the Hollow, but close enough to gather reagents when they need them" (S126). "The effect of the Hollowing is not well understood by most. A few Witches and Witch hunters are the most reliable experts because of their first hand experiences" (S126). A Hollowlord can summon a Hollowing Vortex, "a swirling black and smokey storm with red and orange light emanating from the center" (S126); it is Creatures'.
Hollowing runs through three states. A thing tainted shows "minor, but noticeable changes ... temporary", "different colored fire, toxic water, ashen earth, crumbling rock, sulfur mineral veins, pungent air" for the elements, "boils, warts, heightened or lowered energy levels" for bodies, "aggression, madness, reflection, amnesia" for minds (S325). A thing hollowed "is halfway between its original form and its Abyssal. These changes are permanent and cannot be reversed save with very powerful magic ... For an element such as water, it maybe acid, glowing and giving off pungent sulfuric fumes. Touching the water may also imbue a curse. For a creature's body, such as a human, they may have grown boney protrustions, their bones may have twisted and deformed and blood and pus may be oozing from open sores. For a creature's mind and spirit, they may have vacant or glowing eyes and may be entirely insane and driven by the needs of the Hollowlord" (S325). A thing Abyssal "no longer bears any resemblance to its original form and now is purely associated to the Abyssal Plane. It can also no longer resist possession" (S126). The dead of a Hollow rise differently too: theologians speak of Abyssal Ghouls, Wights, Spectres and Wraiths, "created when the dead have been tainted by the hollowing" (S318, cited under Souls and Spirits). The scale and rates by which Hollowing was measured are Mechanics'.1
Casters who gathered Hollow power were themselves at risk: Hollowcasters "are unable to hold the Mithis for long for fear of corruption (Hollowing). It all must be depleted shortly after gathering it. For this reason, most Hollowcasters are sedentary and live in close proximity to a Hollow" (S208); "oversleeping and unconsciousness can be fatal for a hollowcaster" (S325). The Hollowcasting traditions are Magic's.
Varieties and expressions¶
"Every hollow is a unique blend of the types of Mithis energy sources and the Devil that rules it" (S146). Each affects "the Elemental, Spiritual or Somatic fabric of the area differently" (S325): an Elemental expression works on "the elements/earth around it", a Somatic one on "the bodies of living things", a Spiritual one on "the spirits and minds of those things within" (S325).
"There are many varieties of Hollow, usually taking on the properties of the local once-Mithis source": the Fungal Hollow of "blue glowing fungus", the Thorn Hollow where "white thorns grow from everything living or once living", the Noxious Hollow where "decaying living things give off poisonous gas", and the Dust, Damp and Misty Hollows (S156, S146). The later design notes derive the character of a Hollow from the Abyss and the Fae instead: "The properties of every Hollow can be determined from a combination of the Abyssal Terrain and Fae domain that it is associated to. For complex and large Hollows, this frequently changes the same way terrain does" (S156). The Abyssal biomes named there, the Scalding Sea, Sulfuric Ocean, Putrid Waves, Pale Night, Black Tundra, Oozing Plains, Xanthous Morass, Steaming Fen, Iron Wastes, Brimstone, Wormblood, Crystal Bog, Creeping Fungus, Slime Pits, Plague Hives and Ashlands, are described on the Abyss page; the eighteen realms of Fae magic on the Fae Realms page. Their pairings give a Hollow its epithet, a Deathly Hollow of Light and Pale Night with its Starwraiths and Stardust, a Verdant Hollow of Flora and the Xanthous Morass with its Tanglewood, a Glacial Hollow of Ice and Black Tundra, a Burning Hollow of Flame with Cindertrees and Cinderwood (S156). The campaign notes' shorter list pairs each Fae realm with one Hollow, "Light / Deathly Hollow", "Sun / Desolate Hollow", "Rot / Fungal Hollow", "Night / Dark Hollow", "Moon / Misty Hollow" and so on, with creatures, effects and rare materials (S132).
Some Hollows had particular habits. A Resurgent Hollow "just keep[s] coming back after being destroyed. This is usually due to an unusually clever Devil and/or assistance from a Hollowlock"; a Cloaked Hollow mimics reality "as much as possible as to avoid detection ... If the Hollow can gather its strength so as not to be discovered until it's too late, it has a better chance at long term survival"; a Shimmering Hollow shows its edge "with the naked eye as a slight shimmer in the air ... what viewers are seeing is the rapid Hollowing of the air crossing the boundary" (S325). The strongest Hollows "are no longer so much of a demi-plane as at their core they have essentially merged the Abyss with the Material. The complete saturation of Abyssal flora and fauna and matter is the defining characteristic. They generally cover vast territory, often the size of a kingdom ... Only one Class 5 has been successfully destroyed, though many attempts have been made. A common strategy with Class 5 is containment (The destruction of effigies)" (S325). Hollowed effigies, "constructed to extend the boundaries/range of the Hollow" (S146), are how a Hollow outgrew its sources.
Notable Hollows¶
"The largest known hollow is the Acadian Hollow which completely encompasses the island of Acadia and has even spread across the sea (The Hollow Sea) to infect other islands. It is so big that there is an active crusade by the Empire to contain it" (S146); "some scholars argue that the Acadian Hollow is in its own class due simply to its size and power which dwarfs that of all other known Class 5s" (S146). Acadia is Geography's. The ruins of the dwarven fortress of Gor'Turra lay inside "the great Hollow" that was "the domain of an Archdemon", where "dozens of demons have mortiqueries" (S031). In Alghert the forces of Bhaal "accumulated enough mithis to create a very powerful hollow around the vault" of a Heartstone piece, covering "most of the southern area of Alghert", with a mortal lord as "proxy Hollowlord" (S182, cited under Mithis).
Under the earth there was no cure. "The underdark is littered with Hollows. Veins of exposed Mithis ores create Hollows everywhere. Further, there isn't a single object to get rid of to destroy the Hollow, its generated from the entire vein, making these Hollows virtually indestructible. There isn't much you can do about these other than seal them away and keep them contained" (S327). The Dwarves "have had to reluctantly stop living underground. It is too dangerous. Their ancient halls are now almost without exception Hollowed. The great fortresses which they carved with Mithis-infused stone … now are the source of powerful Hollows. In some places, Dwarves are blamed for the Hollows and people believe the Hollows are a direct result of the greed of Dwarves" (S327). The Underdark is Geography's.
Living with the Hollows¶
The Sancturi Imperium policed its Hollows. Entering one without a seeking licence was "a capitol offense"; licensed Seekers worked beside unlicensed Witch Slayers, and the Dae'Venari, "an order of Sancturi Clerics devoted to Devil & Hollow destruction", were "called in as the last resort, due to their numbers being few, their scorched earth tactics and expense" (S325). The taint was found with Praexic Powder, "a substance which produces a bright red glow in the presence of Mithis energy fields", burned in censers at gates and churches and painted on faces; suppressed by Witchbane and by the Maldetinence, "Holy Sancturi rituals which manipulate Arcane magic to render Mithis inert for a period of time"; and disposed of in Vigils, obelisks of melted Mithis "generally five-sided in honor of the Five Gods of the Sancturi" that became "a poison pill for anyone conquering a Sancturi settlement" (S325). These are Magic's and Artifacts'. Goblins "have taken up witchcraft wholeheartedly and built a mutually beneficial relationship with Devils and their Hollows" (S327); the witches, "a Mithis/Taint alchemist", came in two kinds, "Daemiveus witches (these work with the Devils that control the Hollow). Abyssal witches (these kill the Devils and work with Demons)" (S325). Witchcraft is Magic's.
The end of the Hollows¶
The Hollows did not outlast the age. The Redemption was "an act of the Divine that destroyed all Hollows and removed Mithis from the world" (S112). What remains is the Rift, which "leaks Corrupted Mithis in small bursts", and the monsters that "simply spawn around Rift anomalies" (S112). The 2022 treatise on magic frames the Hollows as a feature of a Sixth Age, which the designer has ruled is the Fifth.
Earlier accounts¶
The oldest of the Hollow documents, the campaign refactor of 2018, speaks of "The Hollow" in the singular, a single "intermediate, fragmented plane between The Abyss and The Material" (S132); the later resources treat each Hollow as its own demi-plane. The "Internal, Old" resource and The Hollows agree on the five classes but swap two of them: in S146 a Class II Hollow is Manifesting and a Class III Conveying, in S325 Class II is Conveyance and Class III Manifesting. The classes themselves are Mechanics'.
Gap
The design table of Hollow types in S156 is half filled; most pairings of Fae realm and Abyssal biome have no creatures, effects or materials. No source gives a date for the first Hollow or a count of them, and none describes the Redemption's destruction of the Hollows beyond the one sentence in S112.
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The ARCS corruption rules give the effects of corruption "as an example for Terrun": Spellcasting Stats ↩