The Hollowing
The Hollowing
In late 2000 the Trolls wanted to carve out more territory for themselves but were having trouble doing that above ground. They decided to try and expand downward. The location they chose for their excavation was one of Paragon’s wealthiest residential districts, east of Atlas Park and northeast of Skyway City called Eastgate. It was a lovely residential area that had a nice view of the ocean.
Armed with high explosives the Trolls headed into Eastgate's sewers with the intent of blasting open a large area, planning to ruin the district and then move into the rubble before city crews could properly respond. What they didn’t know that that there was already an extensive cave warren beneath this area of Paragon City. Their initial blasts destabilized a large area and caused a cataclysmic chain reaction which collapsed a section of the zone in on itself. When the dust settled the surviving Trolls realized that they had found an excellent area for expansion. This event became known as The Hollowing.
The Trolls moved in quickly and took over a large section of the tunnels, but they didn’t have enough numbers to completely cover the area. The Outcasts moved one of their splinters in, delighting in any opportunity to balk their brutish enemies, and unwilling to let their long-time rivals have the region unchallenged. The Circle of Thorns almost immediately began sending in search teams looking for a powerful mystic portal that was rumored to exist in the area. Finally the Trolls encountered creatures never before seen, which they promptly dubbed “Igneous”. It is believed that these cave guardians, the Minions of Igneous, are connected to the Devouring Earth, but no one is certain. Recently additional villainous groups have entered the picture, taking up residence in various parts of the region.
The brutal troll leader Atta is believed to be one of the masterminds behind the destruction to Eastgate, at least as a prime conspirator to the untold death and destruction.
Despite the fortified beachhead established in the zone by the Paragon Police Troll Task Force and the heroes taking an active hand, the city has never been able so far to successfully coordinate an effective response and reclaim Eastgate, now known as The Hollows.
The Hollows content was introduced with Issue 2. The Digger Badge is an exploration badge providing history to the The Hollowing.