The Fall of Greendale and the Rise of Hollow Lake

The Waning of Greendale (2350 – 2325 BGW)

For generations, Greendale stood as the pinnacle of human ambition, a beacon of expansion and dominance in the Northern Kingdom. The Ashwood dynasty, emboldened by centuries of prosperity, sought to solidify its rule through conquest and control. At the peak of this ambition, King Ramarvis Ashwood ordered The Burning March in 2350 BGW, a military campaign meant to subjugate the dwarves of Kharak-Dur and seize control of their legendary forges.

The campaign was supposed to be Greendale’s crowning achievement, a demonstration of its unchallenged might. Instead, it became the catalyst for the city’s downfall.

The War’s Cost – The prolonged conflict drained Greendale’s treasury, diverting vast sums of gold, manpower, and resources toward a war that yielded no gains. Greendale’s elite, once eager for conquest, grew disillusioned as the campaign dragged on, turning their attention to safer investments.

The Loss of Prestige – King Ramarvis, once regarded as a ruler of ambition, became a king of folly. His obsession with dwarven submission weakened his hold on the kingdom, and his eventual withdrawal from the mountains was seen as an embarrassing retreat.

The Fracturing of the Council of Three Seeds – Greendale’s allies, Goldencliff and Wildbay, had supported the war effort under the promise of expanded trade and shared spoils. When the campaign ended in failure, support for Greendale vanished. By 2345 BGW, distrust between the three cities grew, and the council that once bound them began to fracture.

The Dwarven Embargo – Though the dwarves never formally retaliated, they severed all trade with Greendale. The flow of Drakthorite weapons, armor, and tools—once the cornerstone of Greendale’s military superiority—came to a halt, crippling its economy and leaving its armies weaker than ever before.

As Greendale faltered, another problem emerged—internal unrest. Without wealth or military dominance to hold them together, noble houses and merchants began to turn against the king, seeking a way out before the kingdom collapsed entirely.

In response, the Ashwoods made a fateful decision: abandon Greendale and build anew.

The Founding of Hollow Lake (2330 – 2320 BGW)

Recognizing that Greendale’s decline was inevitable, the Ashwoods sought a new stronghold—one untouched by war, unburdened by the failures of the past. Scouts were dispatched to locate a defensible, resource-rich location, and their search led them to a vast inland lake hidden between towering cliffs—a natural fortress unlike any in the north.

By 2330 BGW, the first foundations of Hollow Lake were laid, but the construction of the city was kept secret. Resources and wealth were quietly siphoned from Greendale, funneled into the hidden construction of the new capital. While Greendale withered in plain sight, Hollow Lake grew in the shadows.

Strategic Secrecy – The Ashwoods knew that Greendale’s fall could not appear intentional, or it would weaken their legitimacy. Instead, they framed Hollow Lake’s development as an “alternative capital”, even as they poured their wealth into its fortifications.

A Shift in Power – By 2325 BGW, key noble families, military commanders, and merchants had relocated to Hollow Lake, effectively abandoning Greendale.

The Final Collapse – With the nobility gone, Greendale’s remaining people were left in ruin. By 2320 BGW, its once-bustling streets lay empty, its halls abandoned, its fields overgrown. The Council of Three Seeds, now a hollow institution, dissolved entirely, marking the official end of Greendale’s reign as the heart of the Northern Kingdom.

The Legacy of Greendale’s Fall

The transition from Greendale to Hollow Lake marked a fundamental shift in the Ashwood family’s rule. Where Greendale had been a kingdom of open conquest and expansion, Hollow Lake became a city of secrecy, control, and quiet power.

The Ashwoods had learned a painful lesson—overt ambition breeds ruin. Hollow Lake would not repeat Greendale’s mistakes.

A Fortress of Isolation – Unlike Greendale, which stood open to attack and reliant on alliances, Hollow Lake was designed to be impenetrable, shielded by cliffs and hidden waterways.

A New Approach to Rule – The Ashwoods centralized their power, ensuring that no noble house or military force could challenge their authority as they once had in Greendale.

The End of Open Conquest – No longer able to rely on brute force after the failure of The Burning March, Hollow Lake’s rulers turned to diplomacy, trade manipulation, and subterfuge to maintain dominance.

For those who had suffered under King Ramarvis’s failed ambitions, Greendale’s fall was a moment of quiet vindication. The Wood Elves, long at odds with human expansion, watched as their enemy’s legacy crumbled. The dwarves, ever patient, outlived yet another kingdom that had dared challenge them.

But while Greendale faded into history, its shadow remained.

Hollow Lake had not abandoned ambition—it had merely learned how to wield it more carefully. Though built in secrecy, its rulers still carried the same fire that once fueled Greendale, only now, it burned behind closed doors, waiting for the right moment to reignite.

Greendale had fallen, but its legacy endured—not as a warning, but as a lesson in patience, control, and the careful balance of power.