Dark Hollow

Dark Hollow was a village in the Vast known to be home to many hedge wizards.

Geography
It lay on the crossroads of the Hlintar Ride and Feldar's Trail, between Bambryn, Fallentree, Dragon Falls, and Highbank Forest, in the Fire River uplands.

Description
Dark Hollow was a small village named for the valley it sat in, which was shaded by many trees.

Inhabitants
It had a reputation as a strange and hazardous place, where faerie dragons played, intruders were the victims of practical jokes by brownies and other forest folk, and common animals were the familiars of crazed wizards. These wizards were said by other folk to make their homes in rundown cabins in the forest, and to be conducting dangerous experiments with new spells that would let them one day take over the world.

There were many hedge wizards in Dark Hollow, of all kinds and practices. With magic being an expensive practice, most of their wealth was tied up in magic items and supplies. They kept their valuables cleverly hidden, well-guarded, and trapped. A few built wands into their desk to fire at those in front of them. Some had their small familiars carry these items piece by piece to otherwise-inaccessible locations. On occasion, taking advantage of Dark Hollow's fearsome reputation, thieves buried their loot in the village, only to have a familiar find it and their wizard claim it and spend it.

But for all their magic, these hedge-wizards were often broke, and lived day-to-day on potion sales just to have basic food to eat. "Magic merchants" of Ravens Bluff and Hlintar did good trade buying their potions and selling them spell components and pieces of broken magic items and artifacts in exchange. Thieves and bandits preyed on the trade, so guarding them was also a steady job. The Citadel of Protection temple of Helm in Ravens Bluff also ran escort services along the road to Dark Hollow among other destinations.

Leadership
Dark Hollow was ruled by Lord Malaph Serpentshield, one of the wealthiest petty lords in the area.