The Hollow
…I’ve never set foot in The Hollow, but I have heard plenty of secondhand stories from many clients. Fantastical stories of courage, might, and terror seem commonplace for those mad enough to venture into its depths. I’m not quite sure how truthful those stories may be, but I do know the pelts they bring back with them fetch a rather handsome price to the right people…
Geography
The Hollow is an enormous network of caverns, ravines, and tunnels that is contained entirely beneath the surface of Aekko. They are theorized to have been created because of the planet’s formation. Gases trapped within the planet’s mantle slowly seeped into the crust, creating pockets within it. Over millions or billions of years, the pockets expanded and merged, eventually forming the region we know today. Although, the evidence of these gases is lost to time, since it is theorized that it eventually escaped to the atmosphere through openings on the surface.
Due to the nature of its formation, The Hollow exists at a wide variety of elevations. Some tunnels created by the escaped gases reach up to the surface, while the deepest portions are so close to the mantle, the caverns floor is nearly molten itself. Additionally, tunnels and ravines connect every cavern that makes up The Hollow. This makes The Hollow the largest cave system in Aekko, with it spanning to every corner of the world. These tunnels can vary in size from so small that a worm would struggle to pass through it, to so large they could be considered a cavern themselves.
The caverns themselves also have impressive variations. Smaller caverns are nearly indiscernible from other naturally forming caves, but the larger they are the more fantastical they become. Many of the smaller caverns are closer to the surface, and many only consider them a part of The Hollow in name only. These caverns are often the source of fantasma crystals, a natural forming crystals that hold enormous arcane power. Deeper into the crust, the caverns get so large that they can contain their own self-contained ecosystems within them.
Due to the nature of its formation, The Hollow exists at a wide variety of elevations. Some tunnels created by the escaped gases reach up to the surface, while the deepest portions are so close to the mantle, the caverns floor is nearly molten itself. Additionally, tunnels and ravines connect every cavern that makes up The Hollow. This makes The Hollow the largest cave system in Aekko, with it spanning to every corner of the world. These tunnels can vary in size from so small that a worm would struggle to pass through it, to so large they could be considered a cavern themselves.
The caverns themselves also have impressive variations. Smaller caverns are nearly indiscernible from other naturally forming caves, but the larger they are the more fantastical they become. Many of the smaller caverns are closer to the surface, and many only consider them a part of The Hollow in name only. These caverns are often the source of fantasma crystals, a natural forming crystals that hold enormous arcane power. Deeper into the crust, the caverns get so large that they can contain their own self-contained ecosystems within them.
Ecosystem
The ecosystems of The Hollow are nearly entirely self-contained. With how large the region is, the amount of breathable air transferring between the surface and The Hollow is not enough to sustain the creatures that live within. To compensate for this many of the cavernous ecosystems have an abundance of flora that recycles the air. Although, in the more extreme caverns deeper in the crust, a lack of flora causes the air to be toxic to most fauna from the surface and Hollow alike. Almost all the water found in The Hollow’s many caverns stay within the region. Some water escapes to the surface as vapor and enters via rainwater from surface entrances or leakage from groundwater systems. The transfer of water is extremely slow, with as much as 400 gallons exchanged between the surface and The Hollow throughout a year, making the subterranean realm a nearly totally isolated system. Due to this, water becomes scarcer the deeper into The Hollow you go, with many of the deepest caverns holding no water whatsoever. Despite this, those deeper caverns still contain their own ecosystems, flora, and fauna, but it is much more alien than what is experienced on the surface.
Each cavernous ecosystem relies on unique formations of fantasma crystals which provides them with heat, light, and energy. These enormous crystalline structures are theorized for breathing life into the realm, with the arcane potential of fantasma crystals amplified by the size of the structures. The structures expand and wane with time, for reasons that are mostly not understood. Current understanding shows that fantasma crystal structures are directly affected by the density of flora and fauna on the surface. Caverns that are below surface regions of extremely dense flora and fauna, such as forests and cities, exhibit fantasma crystal structures that expand rapidly with little periods of waning. Conversely, caverns that are located below surface regions of sparce flora and fauna, such as deserts and villages, contain fantasma crystal structures that have dramatic cycles of expansion and waning. Mining these crystals has become popular due to the rise of mystek. In some regions mining the crystal structures has become so prevalent that it has left lasting effects on the ecosystem of The Hollow. The most extreme example of widespread fantasma crystal mining is seen in the woodland caverns beneath the Vomethndan city of Kavios. The mining of the crystals by this city was so extreme it has created a region known as a darksea. When a region of a cavern is not exposed to the light of fantasma crystals for a significant time, it becomes warped, almost like it’s going through an intense withdrawal from the energy the crystal structures provide. The fauna and flora of the region become twisted and much more dangerous as a symptom of this observed withdrawal.
Each cavernous ecosystem relies on unique formations of fantasma crystals which provides them with heat, light, and energy. These enormous crystalline structures are theorized for breathing life into the realm, with the arcane potential of fantasma crystals amplified by the size of the structures. The structures expand and wane with time, for reasons that are mostly not understood. Current understanding shows that fantasma crystal structures are directly affected by the density of flora and fauna on the surface. Caverns that are below surface regions of extremely dense flora and fauna, such as forests and cities, exhibit fantasma crystal structures that expand rapidly with little periods of waning. Conversely, caverns that are located below surface regions of sparce flora and fauna, such as deserts and villages, contain fantasma crystal structures that have dramatic cycles of expansion and waning. Mining these crystals has become popular due to the rise of mystek. In some regions mining the crystal structures has become so prevalent that it has left lasting effects on the ecosystem of The Hollow. The most extreme example of widespread fantasma crystal mining is seen in the woodland caverns beneath the Vomethndan city of Kavios. The mining of the crystals by this city was so extreme it has created a region known as a darksea. When a region of a cavern is not exposed to the light of fantasma crystals for a significant time, it becomes warped, almost like it’s going through an intense withdrawal from the energy the crystal structures provide. The fauna and flora of the region become twisted and much more dangerous as a symptom of this observed withdrawal.
History
While the discovery of The Hollow was made in recent history, the region has been rumored to exist for thousands of years. Legends of a mysterious realm beneath the surface have been found writings and folklore of several ancient civilizations and religions. Beasts of untold strength and power were said to inhabit the depths, much like the great beast that granted Visku her clairvoyance as described in the teachings of the Church of the Bound. Despite the untold number of legends and rumors about the existence of The Hollow, it remained undiscovered until 1562.
Fantasma crystals brought Vomethnda to the forefront of technological development, with the country being responsible for discovering both mystek and arcsthetics. By 1562 the only known source for fantasma crystals was Telfini Mines, an old silver mine near Heilagur, had completely dried up. In desperation, the mining company continued to dig deeper in search for more crystals. Not only did they come across massive formations of fantasma crystals, but they became the first people to set foot into The Hollow. This caused an economic boom for Vomethnda, as people from all over the world flocked to the country to try their luck mining fantasma crystals.
During this period, explorers also made it their mission to document the extensiveness of the region. Although, to this day over 80% of the Hollow remains unexplored due to the difficulty of traversing it and the dangers found within. Because of this, The Hollow remains largely unsettled outside of a few exceptions, such as the Helvetti Prison Complex in Kavios. Many explorers and would be settlers are fated to never return to the surface once they delve into the depths, with many being killed by the dangerous flora and fauna that resides below the surface. Despite this in recent years rumors of a city in The Hollow have begun to spread throughout many explorer’s guilds. Although, there has been no concrete proof of its existence.
Fantasma crystals brought Vomethnda to the forefront of technological development, with the country being responsible for discovering both mystek and arcsthetics. By 1562 the only known source for fantasma crystals was Telfini Mines, an old silver mine near Heilagur, had completely dried up. In desperation, the mining company continued to dig deeper in search for more crystals. Not only did they come across massive formations of fantasma crystals, but they became the first people to set foot into The Hollow. This caused an economic boom for Vomethnda, as people from all over the world flocked to the country to try their luck mining fantasma crystals.
During this period, explorers also made it their mission to document the extensiveness of the region. Although, to this day over 80% of the Hollow remains unexplored due to the difficulty of traversing it and the dangers found within. Because of this, The Hollow remains largely unsettled outside of a few exceptions, such as the Helvetti Prison Complex in Kavios. Many explorers and would be settlers are fated to never return to the surface once they delve into the depths, with many being killed by the dangerous flora and fauna that resides below the surface. Despite this in recent years rumors of a city in The Hollow have begun to spread throughout many explorer’s guilds. Although, there has been no concrete proof of its existence.
Type
Cave System
Characters in Location
Related Reports (Primary)
Related Reports (Secondary)
Inhabiting Species
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