Hollow Village Data Transmission

Playing repeating public frequency message:

A message broadcast over a radio begins to play, the person speaking is clearly panicked and sounds like they've been physically exerting themselves for some time now. A layer of static plays over the message, making it unclear exactly who - Or what is outside during this message.

"Is...Is this thing even working? It's not a scroll, I don't know if it's going to the right place look- That's...That's not important right now. What's important is that there's something seriously wrong in Hollow village. It's not what we thought it was, this is something so much bigger than we thought. The...The disappearances, they're not... [The sound of multiple unknown things banging violently against a wooden door can be heard in the background] ... Oh goddess...Their eyes are completely empty. This isn't enough for students! We made a mistake, we should have seen the signs sooner! The other three...I don't know what's happened to them, I'm the only one left. [The sound grows even louder, almost drowning out the panicked breathing from the one sending the message] I wish we hadn't found the truth. ... I've set this message to repeat, please someone...Send help. And whatever you do, don't trust-[The sound of the wooden door breaking open cuts the message's sender short as they move straight into trying to fight back against someone...or something.]"

This is the final transmission we've received from Hollow. There were other public frequency broadcasts, and there were other volunteers in the area that showed up to try and resolve the situation... We've yet to hear back from any of them. This last one is now set to repeat on that public frequency indefinitely.

The Headmaster has put much consideration into this, and has decided that this is an opportunity for you all to earn some experience out on the field. Normally a test of this nature would come much later on, but the situation is dire enough. The teachers will be coming along with you, to gauge your ability to deal with this kind of work -- it is also true that one way or another, you'll be learning what this kind of work is really like...

As we don't know the full scope of the situation in Hollow, we'll be recommending that you start with recon and setting up a base camp. Limit combat and stick together. When you're settled in and have a grasp of the situation, your investigation can begin in earnest. Beyond that, follow your instincts and the orders that your teachers have for you.

For everyone participating in this course, you'll be receiving a map detailing the village and surrounding areas. Our intel is still limited, but some of the previous volunteers did establish contact with us and tried to keep us updated before...

Well. I'm sure you know from that message.

Study the map, and prepare for your mission accordingly.

Transmitting Map Data...

Professor Oobleck has insisted a short history lesson of the area is necessary for this mission. After much deliberation, we've come to agree with his viewpoint. Having additional information will only assist in your efforts, and help to better establish yourselves in the region. There will be very little communication of this nature moving forward, so it is best to brush yourselves up on the history during your trip there. The following is data transmitted by none other than the Professor himself.



Yes well, what better place to start than with the village itself? No doubt you're all quite familiar with the name itself, but I'm certain very few of you have studied the historical past behind this sleepy little village, and dare I say it is quite an interesting one indeed! Going by the earliest records we have the village as it is today was founded sometime in the mid 1400s. It has survived many great calamities due to the relative safety provided by Vale's mountain range; the very same mountain range I'm sure you're all aware are responsible for providing our capital city with it's impenetrable defenses! Though it is far from a town, this safe location that provide safety, a close source of water, and a bounty of natural resources has allowed Hollow to thrive up until the present day.

Perhaps most interestingly is that due to this history of safety, many families from before the great war have continued their lineage here unchanged. Many of the surnames you're going to witness are quite unusual to our modern culture! A glimpse into the past as it were. But more than this history, perhaps the most important role it played was that of the great war itself. Many of the residents were forced out by occupying Mistral forces and joined a war they had previously kept out of entirely. Some families turned their backs on Vale, siding with the invading army in order to keep their homes, others? They swore an oath of revenge, joining up with the retreating armies and feeding them vital information on the region! This was quite a turning point, as though yes the battle on the border of Vacuo may have occurred first, but when Vale and Vacuo's armies were finally running the offensive, it served to absolutely crumble the defenses set up in this village! When the war finally concluded, those who left their homes behind were finally able to return. As for the traitors? They were punished severely, and for 30 years were barred from Hollow, until finally the acting mayor of 1,609 took pity on them, and pardoned their crimes, allowing them to return. Though those grudges ran deep, with time they faded away, and those of Hollow were able to forgive the past. If only the rest of the world could be so forgiving.



Ah yes, Fort Refuge! A fitting name considering the role it played in history. As the naming may suggestion, it is Mistrali in origin, though it was not always designed this way. It was initially constructed in 1,562 by the advancing Mistral army as they pushed through the mountains. Its purpose was to create an impenetrable defensive line in order to halt any attempts from the Vale-Vacuan armies to push back through the mountain paths. It stood for quite some time, and did indeed succeed in carrying out its intended purpose. Though many attempts were made to push back through by small squads of soldiers, all efforts were utterly crushed. Refuge was indeed its namesake for those controlling it. However, it was not to last. Finally in the year 1,577 as the war was in it's waning days, the Vale-Vacuo armies pushed through full force, utterly crushing the mistrali defensive line, and rendering Refuge a ruin.

One would believe that to be the end of this storied fortress, but history is a series of surprises at times! The advancing armies rebuilt the fortress from the ruins, keeping the name but changing its entire look and purpose. The fortress was fitted with dungeons to carry out incarceration of the traitorous villagers who still remained in Hollow and for the prisoners taken from the Mistralian army. As for the reason behind the name being kept? The Valesian soldiers believed it to be a good omen, after all, refuge meant safety. And for over a decade it did indeed serve out it's namesake for the army they had defeated. Even once the great war had come to a close the fortress saw continued use for several more decades.

Refuge played a part in the faunus rights war, where it stood as a vital defensive position for the Valesian armies. Despite the best efforts of gathered faunus armies, the fortress stood strong, never falling even once. However, all good things must come to a tragic end. in 1,631, the fortress was finally abandoned by Vale. The land and the fort itself was given to the mayoral family, who held onto it until late last year. Fort Refuge is now owned by a local physician, who purchased the property from the mayor 5 months ago when he moved here. It has been rather spectacularly restored by the doctor, and despite now being used as a medical clinic, its historical value has been respected, and it stands as a great relic of the past.



The mayoral estate has a long history, arguably as deep and varied as the history belonging to Fort Refuge. Though the home has changed over the years, the land it sits on has stayed the same ever since the village's founding. After all what better place for a leader than an elevated space where he can watch over his people and ensure all is well? That is indeed a priority for most. The mayor's role is perhaps most relevant of all. A tradition started by the very first mayor was allowing the citizens of this village to visit the estate freely in order to share concerns, complaints, or general information with the mayor. Thankfully despite the name behind the role changing hundreds of times, this one benign decision has remained. Strangely even the invading Mistral armies held onto this tradition. I suppose some things never change, even across cultural boundaries. The current mansion resting on the estate was constructed in 1,585, not so long after the end of the great war. The impressive construction has allowed it to stand in the face of inclement weather, war, and even time itself. Though it has some visible wear and tear today, it is no less well cared for thanks to the extensive on-site staff that work and indeed live here.

It is unfortunately unknown how the current mayor is responding to this mission, but I believe it would be wise to report to him none the less, his cooperation in all of this could prove useful. After all, for the villagers of Hollow, their history is filled with great leaders who stood vigilant watch from that hill outside of town.

Bruno Bruschetta
Age: 49
Occupation: Mayor
The current mayor of Hollow Village, a man who has led this sleepy town for a decade now. He is stubborn, but fair. He tends to take a "no-nonsense" approach to conducting business and as such will always get straight to the point when addressing other people. Though he might come off as pushy, his way of speaking doesn't necessarily reflect who he is as a person.

Spruce Waetz
Age: 39
Occupation: Lumberjack
Spruce is the village's dedicated lumberjack and only the latest in a long family line of lumberjacks. He lives in the southernmost house in the village. He is hearty, tough, and a bit cold towards outsiders, but reliable to those who require his services. His opinion on the disappearances are that they don't concern him, and shouldn't. "It's just the grimm, same as it has been for years." He is not a particularly superstitious person and believes the recent happenings to be completely mundane.

Emile Gage
Age: 29
Occupation: Trapper
The local trapper, a down to earth man who very closely watches nature, carrying a great respect for it and believing that if one gives back to nature, it will give in return. Provides animal products for the bakery, allowing them to sustain themselves without needing such a heavy reliance on imports. He has responded to the disappearances by scouting out the forests himself. May very well have info for those asking.

August Focaccia
Age: 63
Occupation: Seamstress
August has been the village's seamstress for decades, as such the villagers all have a great deal of respect for her. She is calm, collected, and wise in many ways. Any travelers coming in with damaged fabric will find themselves very quickly being pointed towards her home, and she often welcomes outsiders with a warm hospitality. She has done her best to keep spirits high in the face of the recent disappearances.

Aurelius Grista
Age: 29
Occupation: Fisherman
Aurelius was the local fisherman who lived in a secluded shack by the lake. One of the ten missing residents of Hollow, he kept to himself for the most part, only coming into the greater village to sell his catches.

Cole Everette
Age: 43
Occupation: Farmer
Cole is the village's farmer and spends his days either working the land or selling his crops in the village square, his home is the westernmost house in the village, resting right on the edge of the forests. He has suffered perhaps the most in these disappearances, and has grown bitter and distrusting of others as a result. Quick to anger and even quicker to act, one should be cautious if approaching him.

Elise Everette
Age: 40
Occupation: N/A
The wife of Cole Everette and one of the ten missing residents of Hollow. She was one of the initial disappearances that seemed to begin this string of incidents.

Etna Everette
Age: 15
Occupation: N/A
The daughter of Cole Everette and one of the ten missing residents of Hollow. Another member of the same family gone in the dead of night. Her disappearance came after her mother's.

Clint Everette
Age: 10
Occupation: N/A
The son of Cole Everette and yet another one of the ten missing residents of Hollow. The farmer's youngest child disappeared only one night after his sister did.

Mark G. Winston
Age: 30
Occupation: Village Trader
Mark is the village's sole provider of imported goods, if you want something that didn't come from the land he probably has it, and if he doesn't have it he can probably get it with enough time. He's a shrewd businessman at heart and can never pass up a good deal. Runs a caravan of pack animals to the city of Vale, taking orders from the villagers for specific items. Has probably seen a lot of strange things going in and out of Hollow so often. What does the G stand for? We're not sure.

Heather Blackstone
Age: 27
Occupation: Carpenter
The village's carpenter, having inherited the job from her father. She is upbeat and constantly busy. Despite the disappearances her day-to-day activities haven't changed. She works pretty closely with the lumberjack. Her sister is the village's blacksmith.

Ester Blackstone
Age: 25
Occupation: Blacksmith
The youngest of two sisters who work in this village, where her elder sister does woodworking, Ester works instead with steel alloys. She inherited the job from her mother. Much like her sister, she is constantly busy, although she is very serious and tends to be grumpy when interrupted.

Agnes Evergreen
Age: 41
Occupation: Head Maid
The head maid working in the Mayor's estate. She has served the mayor loyally for years now, ensuring all of the maids under his leadership remain laser focused and utterly perfect in their jobs. She can be fairly strict, although it is only because she considers herself a professional of the highest degree.

Albert Worthington
Age: 53
Occupation: Butler
The butler of the mayor's estate and a man who - despite his outward graceful appearance - has quite a sense of humor. He has grown softer in his old age and is surprisingly approachable despite his stature. Has been keeping a close eye on the working staff ever since the disappearances started.

Red Glare
Age: 39
Occupation: Militia Leader
A man who loves his home and wishes to defend it at all costs. Founded the "Sleepy Hollow Militia" after the disappearances began to escalate. Somewhat desperate, constantly warning others to watch out for "Pinkos", caution is advised.

Fresco Risotto
Age: 23
Occupation: Militia Soldier
A loyal member of the Sleepy Hollow Militia. Wanted to make a difference ever since the disappearances began and jumped at the opportunity to join in Hollow's defense. Pretty naive.

Estelle Polpette
Age: 33
Occupation: Militia Soldier
Much like Fresco, Estelle had become deeply concerned over the disappearances and wished to do something about it. A close friend of the farmer Cole Everette, she can most often be found watching over the farmstead.

Wesker Cobalt
Age: 32
Occupation: Physician
A new resident of Hollow, a faunus physician who specializes in several different medical practices. purchased Fort Refuge from the mayor six months ago. Though the villagers consider him to be rather eccentric, he takes his work seriously, and is dedicated to providing healthcare to all of Hollow's residents.

Willow Aubergine
Age: 24
Occupation: Mayor's Assistant
A loyal assistant to the mayor, she handles most of his paperwork when he quite frequently becomes overwhelmed. Though she has only been in his employ for two years, she has done her job exceptionally. Works with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. Ever since the disappearances began she has been taking on the advisory role for the mayor.

Esta Browning
Age: 19
Occupation: Cartographer
A rather timid cartographer in the employ of Vale's acting government. While not a resident she has been here several times before. Her job means she has likely mapped out the region quite thoroughly and can share many specific details. However getting that information may be rather difficult...She is reclusive by nature and rarely leaves her room at the inn.

Oskar Overland
Age: 20
Occupation: Beacon Student
A third year student at Beacon who went missing after investigating the disappearances in Hollow. The leader of this team. Total radio silence is...Troubling to say the least. He took his role very seriously and never failed to provide updates on their investigation. The final transmission was not sent by him.

Rita Blue
Age: 19
Occupation: Beacon Student
A third year student at Beacon who went missing after investigating the disappearances in Hollow. She was the second in command of sorts.

Navy Nadeshiko
Age: 20
Occupation: Beacon Student
A third year student at Beacon who went missing after investigating the disappearances in Hollow. She didn't excel in her studies in the academy, but was still loyal to her team.

Grant Green
Age: 21
Occupation: Beacon Student
A third year student at Beacon who went missing after investigating the disappearances in Hollow. The final transmission that was publicly broadcast seems to have been sent by him despite all previous updates coming from the team leader. He was the last to be heard from between the four of them.

Tia Einz
Age: 20
Occupation: Maid
One of the maids working in the Mayor's estate. Though the staff has been relatively unaffected by the incidents, she vanished in the dead of night. Most troubling however is the fact that the estate becomes quite secure after dark, and none of our information indicates she ever had reason to leave the estate grounds...

Fran Steel
Age: 57
Occupation: Huntress (Retired)
Fran was a native resident of Hollow who left decades ago to become a huntress. She spent many years after graduating from Beacon abroad, but eventually settled down back in her home village after retiring. Affectionately called "Granny Fran" by the children of the village. She went missing after looking into the disappearances of the Beacon students.

Athena Tawny

Age: 19

Occupation: Groundskeeper

An Owl Faunus who is the acting groundskeeper for Hollow village's graveyard. Her father Barny is one of the people who have disappeared. Her family has trained to deal with the harsh realities of patrolling a cemetery. For those grounds have a tendency to attract grimm.

Athena herself is a very serious, no-nonsense type of individual. She doesn't socialize much with the rest of the village, save for when she walks in for supplies. As a result, there are rumors swirling about her involvement in the recent events.

Altina Lilcette
Age: 18
Occupation: Innkeeper
A young woman that has inherited the family business of running the Inn. She does her best to make any guests feel welcome during their stay, even as the dark rumors and stories spread like wildfire in the otherwise quiet village. She insists that anyone staying at the Inn cast such worries aside, however. No disappearances at her Inn, ever! She prefers not to bring them up at all if the guests are unaware.

Lilina Toset
Age: 24
Occupation: Baker
She always had a love for cooking. Working at the Bakery was a no-nonsense choice for her. Though one would not expect anything fancy at a small village like Hollow, she makes due with little -- a testament to her culinary skills. Whether they're simple dishes or intricate ones, she can bring out the flavor and make it a delight both to behold and to eat. She's a sympathetic sort, and sends what she can to help out those that have lost loved ones during the recent troubling events; free of charge.

Jonathan Russell
Age: 30
Occupation: Priest
A devout fellow that spends most of his time at the church when not checking on the villagers that have lost their loved ones. He has found the vanishings around the Village to be most troubling. Tends to coordinate his efforts with the Baker to offer what assistance he can to the ones that are most in need. Very few have needed to seek shelter, but it is suspected that he would gladly offer it if it were necessary.

The following is a log of all transmissions received from the Beacon team that came before you. Combing through their reports may prove useful in your mission so we recommend studying it closely.

Report 1:

This is team ORNG, reporting from Hollow Village. We landed about two hours away and walked the rest of the distance on foot. Nadeshiko and Green complained about how creepy the forest is, but nothing seems particularly wrong here. Complained about feeling like someone was watching them, but to me it seems like pre-mission jitters. I think we've all been there before, but as their leader I had to reassure them; this is going to go fine. The villagers are going about their business as though nothing has happened, but they probably just don't want to put off travelers. We'll be grilling as many of them as we can manage once we've set up a base of operations. Frankly, I think this will be a routine mission, all the signs point to grimm attacks, these forests seem pretty thick.

Team leader Oskar, signing off.

Report 2:

This is...Team ORNG, about five hours after our initial log. We've had time to settle in, spoke to some of the villagers, and investigated the scene of the latest disappearance. Green's getting more and more uneasy about this whole thing...Nadeshiko seems to have calmed down at least, but it's hard running a mission without the full team at their best. The crime scene...Well it didn't turn up anything. No markings that match up with a grimm, no signs of a struggle, not even any items dropped from the victim. Rita theorized it could have been some kind of flying grimm who carried the victim off, but I'm not so sure. I think it would be hard to miss that kind of creature.

When I followed that line of thought asking the villagers, none of them mentioned seeing anything like that. No nevermores, no wyverns, no echos. In fact, from the sounds of it a local around here keeps those threats pretty far away from the village with a high powered rifle. The fort has also got these crazy things I can only describe as giant bug zappers. Frankly I'm not convinced they'd even work, but that weirdo doctor insists anything flying is going to get caught up in those trying to attack the fort. Good thing the airship didn't pull in too close.

We've exhausted our search for now, we tried spreading out and searching the area surrounding the crime scene but Green was too shaken up to go along with it. The rest of us didn't find anything anyway. All we can really do from here is continue interviewing the villagers and see what we can come up with. I'm just certain there's some kind of lead here. There has to be. Grimm can't possibly do anything subtle on purpose.

Report 3:

It just doesn't make sense...None of this makes sense. The fisherman vanished in the middle of the night! We spoke with him just yesterday! Green's getting even more paranoid...He's locked himself in his room in the inn, just like that weird cartographer who wouldn't speak a single word to us. We got a spare key to the lake cabin from a friend of the fisherman who lives in the village. We checked the place out and it just made everything even more confusing. There's no signs of anyone entering or leaving the place at all. It's like someone just walked straight through the walls and spirited him away.

... That's ridiculous, I think Green's panic is starting to get to the rest of us, ignore that last statement. I guess speaking more realistically; The door was locked tight and nothing was out of place. We can rule out a trip to do some night fishing; His fishing gear was still inside the cabin, and it's unlikely he had extra equipment for something like this. At least our search didn't turn up anything of the sort. We asked around the village, and no one has any answers, claimed his disappearance wasn't anything different from the rest of them. One of them even started recruiting for some kind of makeshift militia earlier today. Claimed what happened last night was the last straw, I don't think they trust us. Considering what happened right under our noses, maybe they're right not to. Our biggest lead is the farmer. A few people pointed us towards him. We're going to call it a day here and go speak to him in the morning.

Report 4:

Dear goddess. He...Lost his entire family to this. Same as the fisherman none of them even showed signs of having been taken. They just disappeared without a trace. The farmer was pretty angry with us, but after we managed to get him calmed down he finally gave in and told us everything. The poor man is understandably upset about all of this. He's mad at Vale for letting it go this far, mad at us for not arriving sooner, I don't think I can blame him. We're all starting to get paranoid about this whole mission. Something is seriously off here.

We're...We're going to do a stakeout tonight. We can't get Green to leave his room, but at this point it doesn't matter. It will just have to be the three of us. We've decided to set up near the farm house, somewhere we hopefully can't be seen. If his house has been targeted so much we think he might be next. I hope we're wrong about this, but we can't take any chances anymore, working in the daylight isn't turning up anything. Will be sending our next report at daybreak. Hopefully we'll have good news for you the next time you hear from us.