The Echo of Hollow Hill
A small-town journalist investigates a series of unsolved disappearances, only to uncover a conspiracy that reaches into the town's very foundations. Every truth has a price, and every memory can be a lie.
0
Plays
4
Characters
7
Events
📖 Story Backstory
The introduction and setting of the world, including its history.
Hollow Hill is a secluded town in the Pacific Northwest, surrounded by dense forests and steeped in a history of logging and mining. Its founding families built their wealth on resources pulled from the land, and a culture of silence and self-reliance took root. The town's unique phenomenon, known locally as 'The Resonance', is a poorly understood psychic residue. It is strongest in places of intense emotion or violence. Most residents dismiss it as superstition, but a few, often from old families, know it's real and fear it. The recent disappearances are not random; they are tied to a secret society, 'The Keepers of the Veil', formed generations ago to protect the town from the destabilizing effects of powerful Resonances. Their methods, however, have become corrupt—they now 'remove' individuals who either generate dangerous echoes or come too close to exposing the truth. The town's sheriff, mayor, and several prominent business owners are members. The truth is a tangled web of cover-ups, sacrifice, and a belief that some secrets are worth any price to keep buried.
👥 Characters (4)
Characters in this story. You will choose who to play as when you start.
Leo Vance
Protagonist
A once-promising investigative journalist whose career was derailed after he published a story that was later discredited by powerful interests. He's come to Hollow Hill chasing redemption and a front-page scoop, but his motives are tinged with a desperate need to prove he was right all along. He is dogged, cynical, but possesses a core of idealism he tries to hide.
Elara Finch
Neutral
The town archivist and librarian, a descendant of one of Hollow Hill's founding families. She is a repository of the town's official history and, more importantly, its forgotten stories. Elara is deeply aware of The Resonance and studies it privately, fearing its power and the lengths some will go to control it. She is cautious but possesses a fierce protectiveness for the town's true soul.
Silas Crowe
Neutral
The long-serving Sheriff of Hollow Hill. He presents himself as a folksy, slightly weary peacekeeper, more concerned with parking tickets and bar fights than cold cases. In reality, he is a high-ranking member of 'The Keepers of the Veil', using his authority to steer investigations away from the society's activities. He is a pragmatist who believes his terrible choices are necessary to maintain the town's fragile stability.
Maya Chen
Neutral
A corporate lawyer from Seattle representing the interests of 'Northwest Timber Holdings', which is attempting to acquire large tracts of land around Hollow Hill for development. Officially, she's here to negotiate with local landowners and smooth over regulatory hurdles. Unofficially, she's investigating the disappearances on behalf of her client, who fears bad publicity or legal liability. She is pragmatic, ruthless, and sees the town's mysteries as problems to be solved or contained.
⚡ Key Events (7)
Arrival in Echoes
Leo arrives in Hollow Hill and must choose his first point of investigation: the ominous, resonant clock tower or the town's social hub, the tavern. Each location offers different clues and introduces different townsfolk. At the clock tower, he might experience his first faint, unsettling echo—the sound of a pocket watch ticking backwards. At the tavern, he hears conflicting rumors and catches the wary eye of Sheriff Crowe. The event ends with Leo securing a lead, but also the distinct feeling he is being watched.
The Archivist's Trust
Following his initial clue, Leo seeks out the town archives and meets Elara Finch. She is initially reticent, but Leo can gain her trust by demonstrating genuine curiosity, showing respect for the town's history, or revealing his own experience with an echo. If successful, she shares restricted records: a map of the town with locations of historical 'disturbances' marked, and the diary of a missing teenager that mentions 'the men who watch from the woods'. She warns him about the Keepers, though not by name. If trust is not gained, she provides only bland public records, forcing Leo to find another way.
A Keeper's Warning
Sheriff Silas Crowe intercepts Leo, either at his motel, the diner, or on a lonely road. The confrontation is polite but steel-cold. Silas obliquely references Leo's past disgrace, suggesting he's repeating old mistakes. He offers a 'deal': drop the story, write a fluff piece about the town's autumn festival, and leave with a generous 'consultant fee'. If Leo refuses or challenges him, Silas's demeanor shifts. He doesn't threaten directly, but mentions how easy it is for an outsider to have an 'accident' in the deep woods. He leaves Leo with a final, chilling piece of advice that is also a clue: 'Ask yourself why all the missing had no family left here to mourn them.'
The Offer
Maya Chen approaches Leo, either at his motel or a quiet corner of the diner. She presents herself as a potential benefactor, offering access to private databases, satellite imagery of the forests, and even a retainer fee for his 'consulting'. In exchange, she wants copies of all his findings and first right to any story before publication. She hints that she has her own theories about the disappearances, suggesting they might be tied to 'environmental activists' or 'trespassers' on corporate land. The offer is tempting, but accepting it means owing a powerful, amoral entity.
Echoes in the Foundry
Following a clue from Elara's map or the diary, Leo ventures to the abandoned iron foundry on the town's outskirts. The place is a decaying shell, heavy with the Resonance of past industry and tragedy. Inside, Leo experiences a powerful, overlapping echo: the roar of furnaces, the shouts of men, and a single, sharp cry of panic. If he pushes through the disorientation (Resolve check), he can locate a hidden office. Within a rusted safe, he finds payroll records showing several missing persons were employed here shortly before vanishing, and a cryptic note about 'quelling disturbances' signed with a symbol—the Keeper's sigil.
A Fractured Alliance
If Leo has allied with both Elara and Maya, tensions between them come to a head. Elara discovers Leo is sharing information with the corporate lawyer and is furious, seeing it as a betrayal of the town's secrets. She may freeze him out of the archives or even give him misleading information. Maya, in turn, pressures Leo to get the 'eccentric librarian' to hand over any historical documents about land rights. Leo must mediate between them, choosing whom to prioritize and potentially permanently damaging one relationship.
The Watched House
Leo tracks down the last known residence of a missing person—a lonely cabin deep in the woods. The place is clearly under surveillance: fresh tire tracks in the mud, a recently discarded cigarette butt. Inside, the Resonance is a quiet, sad hum of loneliness. Searching the cabin (Insight check) reveals a hidden floorboard compartment containing the missing person's final journal entry, which describes being followed and hearing whispers in the trees. As Leo leaves, he has the unmistakable feeling of being watched from the tree line. A car engine starts in the distance.