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Description

This entry is going to be a bit weird, as the species we are talking about is simultaneously well known and rather mysterious. There is a lot we know about them but, at the same time, there is a lot we don't. It also doesn't help that much of the knowledge we have on them is steeped in superstition and fear, making it hard to understand what is real and what is conjured from the minds of the frightened masses. I prefer to keep things straightforward and logical in my writing, but in this situation that is going to be difficult. I imagine others wouldn't write an entry at all if they knew so little, but I refuse to back down! Perhaps my writing can help spread knowledge of these creatures to others, or maybe help clear up some of the fear and myth that surrounds them. That latter part is probably unlikely, because there is a decent reason we dryads are afraid of these things. Other races probably don't know much about them, since they aren't their main prey, but they may read on to learn about the terrors we know as the Hollows.

Hollows are a species of plant, the kind that is more mobile and active like us dryads. They don't live a permanently sessile life, though there are supposedly periods of it that they spend underground. These times are thought to be a type of hibernation for them, where they lay dormant until it is time to feed. The thing is, no one has really found them underground in this state before. They have been seen burrowing when they wish to hide, but this is a bit different from a years-long sleep. It is believed this theory of underground dormancy came to be to explain how this species seems to pop up erratically between long periods of silence. How can so much time pass then suddenly they appear? I think we all chose the idea of hibernation because the alternative is too terrifying to accept. You see, a Hollow is a bulbous reddish tuber-like creature, with some saying it looks like a plant-like heart. Its gnarled surface is covered in orifices and long tendrils. What these openings on its body do, no one really knows. Some say it is for sensing its environment, others believe it might be for respiration while others claim it is what they speak through. The tendrils, on the other hand, are known to be used for crawling, absorbing nutrients, digging and weaving its horrible disguise. They don't just get their sustenance from the earth, they need more than that. They need to feed on others to sustain them, but they have no taste for meat. They are parasites, ones that look to dryadkind and other plants for a meal.

At first a lumpy awkward hunk of tuber sounds rather non-threatening, as how could it hunt and kill prey? It is true that they are slow and rather useless in this form, meaning they are more likely to flee or burrow themselves in the dirt rather than fight. However, the world rarely sees them in such a vulnerable state, as they are famous for taking on a different look. Why haven't you seen a Hollow before? Well, to be honest, you may have seen one but you wouldn't know it. Many folk never realize it, and that is what is so terrifying. If you have ever seen a dryad, then you have seen what their other form looks like. The Hollows prey upon us and, to do so, they become us.

When a Hollow seeks to stalk some dryad prey, its tendrils and body begin to grow an intricate system of veins and roots. They weave and twist into some plant-like skeleton, slowly surrounding the Hollow's body with this complex web. When it is done, the Hollow will be resting within the frame of a dryad form, its long tendrils puppeteering and sustaining it all. On its own, this frame looks rather pretty and artistic, but it is still lightweight and offers little protection. That is why these veins grow a sheath, one with bark, leaves, rind and petals. They drape this skeleton with foliage and mold it into the perfect shape. What emerges from it all is what appears to be a dryad, but this look is only on the outside. It is merely a Hollow within a frame wearing the skin of one, but it is a pretty convincing disguise! They can move, walk and talk like any other dryad, and that is where things get scary. The Hollows mimic us, hiding behind these skins so that we may be lured away and fed upon. The true body of a Hollow is weak and the frame they build is quite fragile. In an outright fight between them and a dryad, they would lose every time. So that is why they hide behind this guise, to gain our trust and set up the perfect ambush. How they trick their prey depends on the individual and the situation. In some stories, the Hollow will play the role of a lost victim, desperately seeking aid and feeding on those who come to help. Other tales have them use seduction and charm to pull in their prey, targeting lonely souls and drawing them into their hungry arms. It goes so far that even some believe that the Hollows may produce a pheromone that may entrance dryad victims, fogging their mind with fantasies before devouring them. Once again, I must remind the reader that a lot is merely theory or wild superstition, so we don't really know if this is true. Regardless, the Hollows play a specific role in order to target certain dryads and set up the perfect trap. They want their prey alone and unaware, so they may deliver the single, fatal strike. When the moment is right and their meal is oblivious, the false dryad will seize them in a web of tendrils and their disguise will begin to pull itself open. Burrowing roots will emerge from these cracks and seams, digging into their victim and draining them of their fluids and life. With how thoroughly they absorb their victim, it is thought that they use some kind of digestive juice to help breakdown the insides and slurp it up. When the Hollow is done feeding, they release what remains of their victim from this terrible embrace, which is nothing more than a brittle, empty husk. They shall repair their disguise and disappear, perhaps seeking another victim or returning to the earth for a well earned nap.

Obviously this is a species that has created a lot of fear in the dryad community. A species specially designed to mimic us and look like us, much like how humans have doppelgangers. They hide within crowds, they haunt the forests, no where is safe and no one can be trusted! Well, that is what the scared people believe, and that is why this species is so notorious. They are too good at acting like just another dryad, that it drives one to paranoia, especially if there has already been a killing. When the disintegrating husk of a dryad is found near a town, the whole area will devolve into madness. Accusations fly and no one trusts anyone, hiding themselves away in total fear. This only aids the Hollows, as they know how to capitalize on this paranoia. They may set up other dryads to take the blame, or say the perfect things to start arguments and fights. They will keep the town in a state of chaos until they have had their fill, then they use this situation to slip away unseen. It is not uncommon for this terror and confusion to last well after the Hollow has departed, only adding to their mystery and myth.

Speaking of myth, this species has a lot of beliefs surrounding it, with some possibly true and others absolutely ludicrous. Since they are hunters, feeders and terrors of dryadkind, they are thought to be brethren of horrors like the Planggalan and Aconstrum. It is said that they were birthed from the dying remains of the World Tree, ancient evils that had been contained within but freed upon its death. They remain in this world as punishment for our failures and effigies for our sin, torturing the people who could not protect this holy vessel. The Hollows are also believed to feed on more than our sap and juices, as some say that they drain away our very souls. Those who perish at the hands of a Hollow will be absorbed into their wretched body, so that it may steal our minds and memories. When a Hollow drains a dryad, it will gain their knowledge and form, allowing them to grow a shell of their victim and use their stolen thoughts to act as them. A real dryad may venture off alone, but are they still them when they return? Some paranoid folk can get the idea that a loved one or someone near them has been replaced by a Hollow, who seeks to devour their soul. While it is possible a Hollow could copy the look of another dryad and even try to act exactly like them, I don't think such a ruse would last for long. It would only work for a brief period of time, which would be enough for an actual Hollow to take down their prey. But the folk who hold onto this belief for days on end may not be dealing with a Hollow but some other problem entirely. They do need help, but not the kind that comes from a monster slayer. This idea that a Hollow absorbs the souls of dryads it kills goes so far that many communities have rules in place that determine how a Hollow may be killed and what happens to its corpse. Fire is banned from being a weapon against them, as one does not want to reduce the trapped souls to ash. Instead, the Hollow must be slain and its true body be brought to the elders. There they can give the blessings and ceremony needed to purge the wickedness from this fallen creature, so that it may be buried beneath a holy tree and the souls may peacefully pass on.

Now that I have gone and made things terrifying, now would be the time to tell you how to spot one. Hollows are excellent at looking and acting the part, but their disguise is not perfect. The first thing to know is that "hollow dryads" are quite light, as they are all skin with hardly anything beneath it. I know this may sound like I am suggesting you try to pick one up to figure out its weight, but that isn't it. That would be like trying to identify a werewolf by sticking your head in its mouth to look at its teeth. No, what I mean is that one should watch the suspect carefully, as they may see evidence that this dryad is unnaturally light. One old tale has our hero see through a Hollow's disguise when it walks over a hidden pile of twigs without breaking a single one. That same hero then took a great leaf fan and used it to blow the Hollow away. So look for stuff like that! Some have mentioned that a Hollow's shell is sturdy but not solid, meaning you could feel the emptiness if you pushed on them. That calls for the person to be up close to the Hollow, so that isn't the greatest advice. You could possibly hit them from far away to see if their disguise holds up, but that would only encourage people to assault strangers. Honestly, one of the best ways to help identify a Hollow is to look at their mouth. Since their disguise is a thin shell, their "mouth" opens up into the emptiness where the true Hollow resides. To hide this, hollow dryads tend to cover their mouth or talk in a way that it is hard to look right in. If a suspect is constantly looking away from you while they talk, or somehow always finding a way to obscure their face, that may be a sign! It is also a good way to check for when you are in a group. When in the safety of numbers, you can do up close inspections of each individual, looking into their mouth to see if there is a Hollow inside. Do be warned, if you do that, the Hollow will probably lash out the moment it knows the gig is up.

On the note of the mouth thing, another said way to identify a Hollow is to offer it a drink. Since their mouth leads into the empty body with no stomach, liquids would merely fall through them and wind up on the floor. To avoid giving themselves away, Hollows tend to refuse drink when offered, or fake their sips when they put the cup to their lips. Watch to see if your drinking partner ever has to refill their cup, and make sure they aren't pouring it out behind your back! So that is why dryads may offer one a drink and are pleased to see when you chug it down! That is why I never turn down an offer for someone to buy me a round, as I am merely showing them that I can be trusted! Sure, that isn't a dryad thing and not everyone who offers is scared of a mimic, but..you know!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

Editor Note: So if the drinking thing is for showing that you aren't a Hollow, is the constant rambling also for that as well? You are certainly eager to open your mouth whenever you barge into my office and I can't ever get you to close it. - Eucella -

--------------------------------------------

This dryad mimicking monster is based on the plant known as the winter cherry or Chinese lantern flower. Mainly its based on the look these flowers have during winter into spring, where they are reduced to a cage of veins and a bright red berry hidden within. Felt that it was the perfect design for some kind of mimic/vampire for dryads.

Description

This entry is going to be a bit weird, as the species we are talking about is simultaneously well known and rather mysterious. There is a lot we know about them but, at the same time, there is a lot we don't. It also doesn't help that much of the knowledge we have on them is steeped in superstition and fear, making it hard to understand what is real and what is conjured from the minds of the frightened masses. I prefer to keep things straightforward and logical in my writing, but in this situation that is going to be difficult. I imagine others wouldn't write an entry at all if they knew so little, but I refuse to back down! Perhaps my writing can help spread knowledge of these creatures to others, or maybe help clear up some of the fear and myth that surrounds them. That latter part is probably unlikely, because there is a decent reason we dryads are afraid of these things. Other races probably don't know much about them, since they aren't their main prey, but they may read on to learn about the terrors we know as the Hollows.

Hollows are a species of plant, the kind that is more mobile and active like us dryads. They don't live a permanently sessile life, though there are supposedly periods of it that they spend underground. These times are thought to be a type of hibernation for them, where they lay dormant until it is time to feed. The thing is, no one has really found them underground in this state before. They have been seen burrowing when they wish to hide, but this is a bit different from a years-long sleep. It is believed this theory of underground dormancy came to be to explain how this species seems to pop up erratically between long periods of silence. How can so much time pass then suddenly they appear? I think we all chose the idea of hibernation because the alternative is too terrifying to accept. You see, a Hollow is a bulbous reddish tuber-like creature, with some saying it looks like a plant-like heart. Its gnarled surface is covered in orifices and long tendrils. What these openings on its body do, no one really knows. Some say it is for sensing its environment, others believe it might be for respiration while others claim it is what they speak through. The tendrils, on the other hand, are known to be used for crawling, absorbing nutrients, digging and weaving its horrible disguise. They don't just get their sustenance from the earth, they need more than that. They need to feed on others to sustain them, but they have no taste for meat. They are parasites, ones that look to dryadkind and other plants for a meal.

At first a lumpy awkward hunk of tuber sounds rather non-threatening, as how could it hunt and kill prey? It is true that they are slow and rather useless in this form, meaning they are more likely to flee or burrow themselves in the dirt rather than fight. However, the world rarely sees them in such a vulnerable state, as they are famous for taking on a different look. Why haven't you seen a Hollow before? Well, to be honest, you may have seen one but you wouldn't know it. Many folk never realize it, and that is what is so terrifying. If you have ever seen a dryad, then you have seen what their other form looks like. The Hollows prey upon us and, to do so, they become us.

When a Hollow seeks to stalk some dryad prey, its tendrils and body begin to grow an intricate system of veins and roots. They weave and twist into some plant-like skeleton, slowly surrounding the Hollow's body with this complex web. When it is done, the Hollow will be resting within the frame of a dryad form, its long tendrils puppeteering and sustaining it all. On its own, this frame looks rather pretty and artistic, but it is still lightweight and offers little protection. That is why these veins grow a sheath, one with bark, leaves, rind and petals. They drape this skeleton with foliage and mold it into the perfect shape. What emerges from it all is what appears to be a dryad, but this look is only on the outside. It is merely a Hollow within a frame wearing the skin of one, but it is a pretty convincing disguise! They can move, walk and talk like any other dryad, and that is where things get scary. The Hollows mimic us, hiding behind these skins so that we may be lured away and fed upon. The true body of a Hollow is weak and the frame they build is quite fragile. In an outright fight between them and a dryad, they would lose every time. So that is why they hide behind this guise, to gain our trust and set up the perfect ambush. How they trick their prey depends on the individual and the situation. In some stories, the Hollow will play the role of a lost victim, desperately seeking aid and feeding on those who come to help. Other tales have them use seduction and charm to pull in their prey, targeting lonely souls and drawing them into their hungry arms. It goes so far that even some believe that the Hollows may produce a pheromone that may entrance dryad victims, fogging their mind with fantasies before devouring them. Once again, I must remind the reader that a lot is merely theory or wild superstition, so we don't really know if this is true. Regardless, the Hollows play a specific role in order to target certain dryads and set up the perfect trap. They want their prey alone and unaware, so they may deliver the single, fatal strike. When the moment is right and their meal is oblivious, the false dryad will seize them in a web of tendrils and their disguise will begin to pull itself open. Burrowing roots will emerge from these cracks and seams, digging into their victim and draining them of their fluids and life. With how thoroughly they absorb their victim, it is thought that they use some kind of digestive juice to help breakdown the insides and slurp it up. When the Hollow is done feeding, they release what remains of their victim from this terrible embrace, which is nothing more than a brittle, empty husk. They shall repair their disguise and disappear, perhaps seeking another victim or returning to the earth for a well earned nap.

Obviously this is a species that has created a lot of fear in the dryad community. A species specially designed to mimic us and look like us, much like how humans have doppelgangers. They hide within crowds, they haunt the forests, no where is safe and no one can be trusted! Well, that is what the scared people believe, and that is why this species is so notorious. They are too good at acting like just another dryad, that it drives one to paranoia, especially if there has already been a killing. When the disintegrating husk of a dryad is found near a town, the whole area will devolve into madness. Accusations fly and no one trusts anyone, hiding themselves away in total fear. This only aids the Hollows, as they know how to capitalize on this paranoia. They may set up other dryads to take the blame, or say the perfect things to start arguments and fights. They will keep the town in a state of chaos until they have had their fill, then they use this situation to slip away unseen. It is not uncommon for this terror and confusion to last well after the Hollow has departed, only adding to their mystery and myth.

Speaking of myth, this species has a lot of beliefs surrounding it, with some possibly true and others absolutely ludicrous. Since they are hunters, feeders and terrors of dryadkind, they are thought to be brethren of horrors like the Planggalan and Aconstrum. It is said that they were birthed from the dying remains of the World Tree, ancient evils that had been contained within but freed upon its death. They remain in this world as punishment for our failures and effigies for our sin, torturing the people who could not protect this holy vessel. The Hollows are also believed to feed on more than our sap and juices, as some say that they drain away our very souls. Those who perish at the hands of a Hollow will be absorbed into their wretched body, so that it may steal our minds and memories. When a Hollow drains a dryad, it will gain their knowledge and form, allowing them to grow a shell of their victim and use their stolen thoughts to act as them. A real dryad may venture off alone, but are they still them when they return? Some paranoid folk can get the idea that a loved one or someone near them has been replaced by a Hollow, who seeks to devour their soul. While it is possible a Hollow could copy the look of another dryad and even try to act exactly like them, I don't think such a ruse would last for long. It would only work for a brief period of time, which would be enough for an actual Hollow to take down their prey. But the folk who hold onto this belief for days on end may not be dealing with a Hollow but some other problem entirely. They do need help, but not the kind that comes from a monster slayer. This idea that a Hollow absorbs the souls of dryads it kills goes so far that many communities have rules in place that determine how a Hollow may be killed and what happens to its corpse. Fire is banned from being a weapon against them, as one does not want to reduce the trapped souls to ash. Instead, the Hollow must be slain and its true body be brought to the elders. There they can give the blessings and ceremony needed to purge the wickedness from this fallen creature, so that it may be buried beneath a holy tree and the souls may peacefully pass on.

Now that I have gone and made things terrifying, now would be the time to tell you how to spot one. Hollows are excellent at looking and acting the part, but their disguise is not perfect. The first thing to know is that "hollow dryads" are quite light, as they are all skin with hardly anything beneath it. I know this may sound like I am suggesting you try to pick one up to figure out its weight, but that isn't it. That would be like trying to identify a werewolf by sticking your head in its mouth to look at its teeth. No, what I mean is that one should watch the suspect carefully, as they may see evidence that this dryad is unnaturally light. One old tale has our hero see through a Hollow's disguise when it walks over a hidden pile of twigs without breaking a single one. That same hero then took a great leaf fan and used it to blow the Hollow away. So look for stuff like that! Some have mentioned that a Hollow's shell is sturdy but not solid, meaning you could feel the emptiness if you pushed on them. That calls for the person to be up close to the Hollow, so that isn't the greatest advice. You could possibly hit them from far away to see if their disguise holds up, but that would only encourage people to assault strangers. Honestly, one of the best ways to help identify a Hollow is to look at their mouth. Since their disguise is a thin shell, their "mouth" opens up into the emptiness where the true Hollow resides. To hide this, hollow dryads tend to cover their mouth or talk in a way that it is hard to look right in. If a suspect is constantly looking away from you while they talk, or somehow always finding a way to obscure their face, that may be a sign! It is also a good way to check for when you are in a group. When in the safety of numbers, you can do up close inspections of each individual, looking into their mouth to see if there is a Hollow inside. Do be warned, if you do that, the Hollow will probably lash out the moment it knows the gig is up.

On the note of the mouth thing, another said way to identify a Hollow is to offer it a drink. Since their mouth leads into the empty body with no stomach, liquids would merely fall through them and wind up on the floor. To avoid giving themselves away, Hollows tend to refuse drink when offered, or fake their sips when they put the cup to their lips. Watch to see if your drinking partner ever has to refill their cup, and make sure they aren't pouring it out behind your back! So that is why dryads may offer one a drink and are pleased to see when you chug it down! That is why I never turn down an offer for someone to buy me a round, as I am merely showing them that I can be trusted! Sure, that isn't a dryad thing and not everyone who offers is scared of a mimic, but..you know!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

Editor Note: So if the drinking thing is for showing that you aren't a Hollow, is the constant rambling also for that as well? You are certainly eager to open your mouth whenever you barge into my office and I can't ever get you to close it. - Eucella -

--------------------------------------------

This dryad mimicking monster is based on the plant known as the winter cherry or Chinese lantern flower. Mainly its based on the look these flowers have during winter into spring, where they are reduced to a cage of veins and a bright red berry hidden within. Felt that it was the perfect design for some kind of mimic/vampire for dryads.