Gren’s Hollow is a small river settlement built around a watermill and a two-storey tavern on the safest route between the southern plains and northern mountains.
Settlement
The Hollow occupies a clearing that opens away from a fast river. A waterwheel and mill stand near the bank; wooden homes, stores and lodges spread inland around Gren’s two-storey tavern.
Its position on the safest north-south route makes it a familiar stopping place for travellers despite its small permanent population.
Gren and Gene
The tavern is run by Gren, a large half-orc who left Vöartenstadt in search of a quieter and friendlier life, and Gene, his ogre wife. Gren’s insults, uneven service and fierce loyalty are part of the establishment’s reputation. Norri’s drinking alone has allegedly financed an extension.
Gren is friendly with Norri, Jinpachi and the late Telson. His relationship with Jinpachi has survived a complicated history involving Gene, gnomish mead and one decisive uppercut.
Refuge after the eruption
When sinkholes and the eruption drove people south, Gren kept the Hollow open as a refuge for the displaced. The tavern filled beyond its normal capacity while volunteers watched for goblin attacks.
Gren declared that the settlement would remain a safe haven until the danger reached its doors. He later sent an older volunteer guard, Trefarfinkle Haardenhoosten—universally called Pat—to escort Jinpachi and Norri out of the valley.
Notes and record
This article combines campaign record, spoken lore and the mythic account preserved in the Earin archive.