Standing at a towering 4'8", Vecnagon is an intimidating archlich. With steady calm steps, tapping every other step from his specialized prosthetic, he approaches his newly made dwarf zombie. As he leans forward to whisper into the zombie's ear his mind travels back to an almost forgotten time. The beginning.

Ages ago as a young buck, a neighboring farming village of mostly humans, using deception and careful planning, slaughtered his entire husk . Kitten and Coney alike. The humanoids believed if a normal rabbit's foot brought luck,  what magics would come from fey rabbits. Feet, hands, and every other tidbit. After what seemed like endless days and hours of wailing, screaming, crying, bloodletting, and other gurgled sounds,: only one human remained to finish the 'work' for that last day. Fate would have it that he was the last harengon on the chopping block. Somehow, with the loss of both his left eye and left foot, he managed to injure his would be torturer and escaped into a storm. Cursing both his lost eye and foot as he did so. Perhaps some of that Harengon luck remained in him (if you can call that luck) mixed with some magics gave him the fortitude to escape. Who knows. At this point who cares. 

He crawled through that downpour for what felt like an eternity. It was as if something was pulling him forward not allowing him to stop. Finally ending up within the hollow of a large dead tree upon a small hill. The rain still falling upon him through this "roofless" hollow. Still feeling and following that pull, he found a barrow warren deep below within the roots of the tree. And within the main area in the center of that room, half buried in mud and murky water was a  book. Even without the mud, it was an ugly frayed decomposing putrid thing that somehow did not fall apart. He brought the book to one of the shafts of moonlight that somehow found it's way into this warren. Although barely functional himself, his hand with a will of its own, opened the book. He could not stop himself from  reading it. Although written in different tongues, he was somehow able to understand it all. It was a grimoire. A dark grimoire. Learning the foul spells from it's pages, he drained the life of the local livestock and vermin to "heal" himself and regain strength. After eight weeks of recuperating and gaining strength: and three months of studying the texts, working and practicing spells, and preparation, he was ready to begin. He was always a fast learner. His hatred of the villagers now had form. He went forth, book in tow, to claim vengeance for his lost flesh. With his horde of  zombie chickens, rodents and various fowl, wraith hogs, and mummified cows: his plan moved forward. No one escaped his vengeance. Not a single male, female, or child humanoid. Even the land itself died beneath his remaining foot. 

When all the bloodletting, screaming, crying, wailing, and other gurgled sounds were done: he stood on the blood fed soil pleased with his view. Influenced by one of the book's authors in particular, it was then he chose a new name for himself.  Who and what he was, was no more. Now and forever he is...Vecnagon. He was now master of the death that lay before him. As his reign of death grew, he would not allow death to reign over him. So he became the powerful undead lich he now is. Apparently the curse placed on his lost eye and foot also grew. Taking on an unlife all their own. (Heavens forbid he should ever regain them).

His mind returning to the present, he speaks in a whispered gargled voice to his new zombie dwarf. "I must thank you for assisting in the decimation of your comrades." He looks down at the zombie's feet seeing the extremely bloody large bladed weapon in the zombie dwarf's hand and the bits of bloody partitioned elf next to it. He quickly looks behind himself at the lifeless body of the other dwarf. His head turns back to speak into the zombie's ear once again. "You know, I would have paid your lot no mind...no mind at all....." Pausing just a brief moment to take in a deep breath. More like a half forgotten habit rather than actually needing to. "....You  should  never  have  jested.  Now. Destroy yourself, utterly, "Wee thing." With that Vecnagon knocks an oil lamp from a counter near them at the zombie's feet and pushes a lit candle close to the counter's edge. Vecnagon then calmly and steadily begins to walk out of the room. 

The zombie dwarf then drops the candle onto the spilt oil, lighting himself and the pieces of elf. Other items begin to catch the flame in the room. As this occurs around it, the zombie then takes his weapon and begins to hack at himself  forcefully and wildly. Vecnagon thinks to himself: " Hm. I wish the grimoire would have stayed with me a bit longer....ah well." With that several very gurgled "bawks" come from the zombified chickens at his "feet" as they follow him closely out the room.

 On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Vecnagon can take a lair action to cause one of the following magical effects; Vecnagon can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:

Hollow on the Hill 

These are Vecnagon's  refuge. His research facility. His haven. His sanctum. His den. His.

It is a large spooky looking dead tree that appears as if it's branches are going to snatch you up. Black and gray bark with cracks and peeling like dead flesh. Dark dead vines of varying size twist and wind about the tree looking as if it's squeezing whatever life that is not there out of the tree. It's roots thick and large protruding here, there, and over there and over there there. The entrance is almost invisible as it is a giant knot in the tree just touching ground level.  The ground surrounding the tree is littered with small long dead things: farm animals mostly. Particularly what appear to be dead chickens. The tree above ground is truly hollow. There is no "roof' or cover of any kind in this "entry hall." The hill upon which this hollow is rooted upon is very much a part of the Hollow as the roots that are vigorously enmeshed with the earth and stone of the hill. The 'entrance hall' within the outer bark of the tree is a roughly 30 feet in diameter. It's a tree. it's not an exact circle in shape. There are three passages that lead down to the burrow directly beneath this 'entry hall.'  The fateful room where the grimoire lay in wait. This room is roughly 60 feet in diameter. Again not a perfect circle/sphere. At least not in this Hollow. From here passageways lead down to various other levels, rooms and other passageways. The downward passages are steep. Not so steep to be difficult terrain, but easier to go down rather than up. So if a creature is carrying something heavy.... If a profile cross section were done of the Hollow on the Hill  it would appear as a triangle with the passages making the sides of the 'triangle' with a few passageways running parallel to the ground/horizon. With passages ending or connecting to various rooms. Eight rooms total not including the 'entrance hall.' Although it may appear as a triangle from this vantage point...it is not. If you were to look at a cross section of the Hollow on the Hill from above, a bird's eye view, it would look more like an 'open' broken step ladder. Missing sides and steps or half steps here and there. From the 'side' profile it would appear that a room was right next to another room or passageway, but from above that room is nowhere near those other spaces. In this Hollow on the Hill the passages and rooms are shaped and sculpted with the appearance of, and most likely, dug out by a large creature. Like a mine and/or mine shaft but without the added wood or metal supports. One of the rooms of the "original" Hollow on the Hill (doesn't matter which one) has 7 small pillars surrounding an eighth. They all appear to be lecterns about 4 feet tall. Each made wholly of a different material. Quartz, diamond, bismuth, stone, olivewood, lonsdaleite (a.k.a. starmetal), orichalcum, and the center lectern is made of adamant. Each appears as if they have decayed from the top book pedestal down. So the bases appear more solid and "healthy" than the tops which have eroded. The lecterns are in different states of "decay." For example the stone lectern has a strong solid base and midway down the stone is seriously cracked. And when you touch the book pedestal part of the lectern it "swooshes" down to the ground as the dust that it has become. Not sand...dust The part that was under the dust may be sand. The only thing that can be "detected" in this room is presence of an evil no longer here...sort of. Something powerfully evil was here and definitely left it's mark. That's why the former lecterns are in the condition that they are in.

The secret of the Hollow on the Hill is that there is more than one. There are numerous Hollow on the Hills existing in all types of locations, worlds, and planes of existence. Vecnagon did not create the Hollow on the Hill but he did claim them. The Hollow on the Hill will usually have its outward and inward decorum matching whatever landscape or worldscape it occupies. For example on the plane of fire the tree of the Hollow on the Hill will be on fire. The inside of the structure may be made of obsidian, quartz, lava strewn rock, etc. No matter what size it is, whatever decorations it may have, or what plane it's in, all of the Hollow on the Hills have the same floorplan and outwardly appearance. The hollow tree is the same hollow tree. Same grabby branches, vines, knots, roots, and spookiness. The rooms within the barrow hill may or may not serve the same purposes in the different locations. The landscape around the hollow tree is different from place to place, world to world, plane to plane. It may be littered with jagged rocks, open field with grass and flowers, wooded areas with living or dead trees,  just plain barren and dead, or uber heated/cooled bismuth (or other metal or crystal)  formations. All dependent on it's location.

DM NOTE: There may be up to 3 hidden rooms/closets in addition to the eight 'normal' rooms. Like any other lair, there are a combination of traps, puzzles, special locks, random and posted monsters. How many and what they are, are up to you. Remember just keep it in theme with the location and Vecnagon. No humanoids. No dogs. Of any kind. He has wights, zombies (mostly), skeletons,  and perhaps a few ghostly beings. All beasts. Hulking zombies could be bulls/cows or very large hogs/boars. Wights could be goats (known to have bad temperaments). Skeletons  could be sheep, rams, horses, goats, pigs, or even rabbits. He does like his zombies though. Remember these beasts have been raised/made by Vecnagon. He generally deals with/has farm animal undead. Having said that, he has been around and there are numerous beasts even undead beasts that he can make use of. My monster knowledge is limited, but I am sure there is plenty out there to use. Undead giant skeletal snakes. Crocodile mummies. You get the idea. Their weapons are the weight and size of their bodies, the hooves, claws, fangs or just plain scissor like rodent teeth. Even constructs like flesh and bone golems can be interesting beast concepts for use here. Flesh golem with a griffons body type and large tentacles (octopus, squid, other) instead of wings and giant snake head(s) and giant scorpion tails or giant insect rumps. The bone golem can be even more creative. Bestial with 3, 8 legs (more or less), giant skeletal snake torso/tails whipping around from it's back and/or sides, etc, etc, etc. Also, this does not mean that Vecnagon's creations don't work well with "normal" undead types. They're undead. They don't care. Except for carrying out their given commands. Apologies for the long "note."

The "original" Hollow on the HIll is located near the village where Vecnagon's story began. The village is situated about a half hour walk from a forest's edge and about a three hour walk from the Hollow on the Hill. The village itself, although still standing (somewhat) is in a state of falling apart and being overgrown from time. What little remains of it's farmlands, the mostly gone roads and paths, the village proper and even the plant life is in a state of decay. but not dead and gone.  It is a dark grey place with touches of shades of brown from the color of dead and dying plants. Although sunlight seems muted here as if on a rainy day. There is sunlight. A daytime and nighttime. Although countless generations old it still has the appearance of a place that suffered from a major illness/disease/contagion/catastrophe about one maybe two generations ago. As time passed it has had many names. It's original name long forgotten. Presently it is simply called Zombie Village. Even after all this time and even with some new tenants, the majority of the original inhabitants still reside here. Both big and small. Inclusive of many of it's livestock (especially chickens). The only exception is that there are no dogs here. At all. In any living or unliving state. The attack on this village by Vecnagon was and is the only time he has raised and kept non-beast creatures as the undead. An eternal punishment for the taking of his flesh and spilling of his blood.

The local living populace stay away from this place. Far away. The nearest village is eight miles away. And even with that distance the people of that village are considered by others as  "mad" and not brave for living so close. Those villagers, however, are not so mad as to travel in the direction of Zombie Village. Despite the known history that none of Zombie Village's tenants have ever left the village. For whatever reasons they have never left or leave that place. No exceptions save two. It's as if there is an invisible gate around it. The undead don't "bump" into this border, they just don't cross it.

The populace of Zombie Village consists majorly of zombies (humanoids and beasts), hence it's name. It does have other tenants. A sprinkle here and there of: Skeletons (humanoids and beasts). One banshee (the mayor's wife). One wraith (the mayor). Specter(s). Ghost(s). Shadow(s). Tortured spirits of those that died here.- noise makers mostly. Vecnagon's Flock of Zombie Chickens (not large multitudes, but a group here and/or there). No ghouls. If you (DM) make it so a small part of the village (home/hut(s) with a farm) has been flooded for a very long long long time, you may include a ghast or more. Remember these undead can be either humanoid or beast. Beyond/above zombie they are most likely humanoid, but can be beast. Some of the undead go about their business as if replaying their lives in a half forgotten manner. Some aimlessly wander. Some seem to be patrolling like town guards accompanied or led by a Warhorse Skeleton. And then some just seem to be still as if waiting for some kind of trigger. They are not all bunched up together in the town square. This is how they are found as one would walk through the village 'streets' and structures.

Zombie Village despite being very dilapidated and overgrown with dead vegetation, is a fair sized village. It is not a huge village but it's not tiny either. It has somewhat of an open landscape style. Buildings, fairly spaced apart, has/had a rustic style. A large meeting house/hall for all the important gatherings that once were. The house/hall is located to the "back" of the village on the opposite side of where the "entrance" to the village would be. The meeting house/hall has a floor both below and above the main hall. They are both a little more than half the size of the main floor. With one small tower ( connected or not connected to the "hall") The homes/huts and barns range in size from small to big (mostly small). They may or may not have basements or second floors. One 'big' house is dressed as an inn. It's only difference from other 'big' house/huts is that the first floor is filled with tables and chairs (or what's left of them). Several farms, various sizes. It has it's "main square/street" where the majority of artisans used to be located. Blacksmiths, bread makers, tailors, metalworkers, butchers, and farmer's market. Keep in mind the condition of these buildings. This is just reference for what is/was in the village and where you can ambush the players (oops, did I write that out loud?).

Lair Actions

The lair has an initiative count of 20, Vecnagon can take a lair action to cause the following effects; Vecnagon can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:

• Hollow Hill Stride

  Vecnagon has the ability to enter the tree (meaning the tree itself and not through the front door) of the Hollow on the Hill and move from inside it to inside another tree of the same kind within 500 feet or to anywhere within that  Hollow on the Hill or to any of the other existing Hollow on the Hills. (so yes, Vecnagon can use this action to free himself of some troubles) A tree of the same kind means a dead tree and it must be at least the same size as Vecnagon. He must use 5 feet of movement to enter a tree. Vecnagon instantly knows the location of all other trees of the same kind within 500 feet as well as that of all the other Hollow on the Hills. As part of the move used to enter the tree, he can either pass into one of those trees or step out of the tree he's in.  Vecnagon appears in a spot of your (DM's) choice within 5 feet of the destination tree, using another 5 feet of movement. If he has no movement left, he appears within 5 feet of the tree he entered. Although he may travel back and  forth between all the available trees, inclusive of all the Hollow on the Hills, the Hollow Hill Stride must begin with him entering the Hollow tree on the Hill first.

  Vecnagon can use this transportation ability only once on each of his turns. He must end each turn outside a tree.

Regional Effects

The region containing a legendary Hollow on the Hill lair is disturbing and horrifying place, which creates the following effects:

• Aura of Despair:  Except for Vecnagon, once a creature has set foot on the hill  of a Hollow on the Hill they are filled with an overwhelming sense of dread. They begin to doubt themselves. ALL checks and saves made have disadvantage. Affected creatures may make a Wisdom save DC 18 to break free of this effect. As long as the affected creature is on the hill proper or within a Hollow on the Hill,  a save can be made once every 24 minutes. As most creatures do "try" to regain their composure, when initiative rolls are made, they may make a Wisdom save at the end of their first turn. If the save is failed, they may make a Wisdom save every third turn after the first. Fighting for one's life can bring moments of epiphany. If the save is successful, the effects of Aura of Despair end.

If a creature still affected by Aura of Despair leaves the presence of the Hollow on the Hill (meaning it's away and out of view),  these effects fade over the course of 1d3 days.

The region containing the area known as Zombie Village is a dark grey dead place, which creates the following effects:

• NO living dog will go near this place. They will avoid it at ALL costs. Any and all Were dogs/wolves (no matter which form they bear) and any type of "dog/wolf" humanoid will suffer from Aura of Despair with no save to remove it. 

• If the affected dog creatures leave the area past the borders of Zombie Village, they will immediately be free of Aura of Despair.

• Near the 'entrance' of Zombie Village is the largest barn turned slaughter house. This is where Vecnagon lost his leg. This is probably the most intact building of the village. Vecnagon cannot enter this space. Not that he visits this place, but he would 'say' that  he need not enter or some other excuse. There is a cursed cleaver and table in this space...somewhere...yet near to each other. These two items prevent him from entering this place. When he cursed his eye and leg, he cursed his flesh and blood. His blood stains the metal and haft of that cleaver and a good portion of the table. As far as the undead are concerned, these two items only effect Vecnagon. The other undead have no such qualms roaming the buildings and 'streets' here. For the sake of village residents, remember there was no mercy shown here. Every last male, female, child and beast were slain. Harengons are the only humanoid race not wandering around in this village as undead. Although very very old harengon remains can be found.

• Cursed Cleaver and Table.  Table. Any creature (including Vecnagon) who touches the table where the blood stains are must make an immediate DC 22 Wisdom Save. If failed they suffer seeing, hearing, and feeling images of an innumerable gamut of levels of fear and pain in their mind. A slaughter. All at once. They are overwhelmed. For 3 minutes they suffer disadvantage to all rolls they make. If the first Wisdom Save is failed they must make a second DC 22 Wisdom Save. To see if they have enough self control to not scream, shout out, crash into one or more things making noise. Loud noises attract the local residents. If they succeed they do not make enough noise to attract attention. If they fail they've made noise and those 3 minutes will seem like a long long time.
• Cleaver. This is the cleaver that removed Vecnagon's leg. It's located on the floor half hidden somewhere very near the table. Nothing special in its appearance. It's a large butcher's cleaver. Rusted and rotted but not rusted and rotted through. What looks like a large dried slightly faded black blotch stains a good portion of the blades' edge and haft. The blade and wood haft are and look "old". It looks like it should fall apart. But it does not. When lifted and held it feels like a pretty solid 2lbs.. [ 1d6 slashing damage. Vex: If you hit a creature with this weapon and deal damage to the creature, you have advantage on your next attack roll against that creature before the end of your next turn ]. Both items 'act' like holy items that can turn undead, but only against Vecnagon  (he has no turn resistance against these items). If struck by this blade, Vecnagon can actually feel the pain of the blow. The cleaver curse. Anyone holding onto or carrying this item is cursed and will become bloodthirsty.  First it's thoughts of "we should've killed him/her/it" or "I'm gonna kill you" to being more vicious when fighting. hacking a bit more than one should. Running all the way up the pole to NEEDING to see blood everywhere and the source of the blood doesn't matter. Basically the cursed creature changes their behavior to become a maniacal murder machine. The alignment even changes to chaotic evil when that murderous state has been reached. It takes 3 to 8 days for the change to fully mature. Up to the DM how many days suits the flow of the story best. Like all cursed items, the cursed creature is not going to get rid of the cleaver and keep it on them. The cursed creature will seek out sources of blood to spill. Preferably humanoids, with Harengons always considered the first choice for the bloodletting. If Vecnagon is present, he is the only choice, period. If the creature holding the cleaver previously knew about Vecnagon, the cleaver will suggest finding him again. The cleaver does not need to be used to kill with. It just needs to carried. Although in this state of mind it will be the creature's first weapon choice. To remove the curse is simple. Take the cleaver away from the cursed creature. If successful in this endeavor, the cursed creature must make a Constitution Save of DC 22. If successful the creature is no longer cursed but has the poisoned condition for 1d6+2 hours. If the roll is failed the creature goes into shock and passes out for 3 hours. When they awake they have the poisoned condition for 1d6+2 days. If no one is holding onto the cursed cleaver for at least 3 hours, it will fade away. Not into dust or nothingness. It has ported back to where it was originally found.
• NOTE:  If the players decided to take the table and somehow are able to do so (despite it's condition it's a very heavy sort of solid wood table) it would prove to be a cumbersome and difficult thing to do. Anyone touching the blood stained part of the table (which is about 1/3 of the table) they suffer it's curse. It's a bulky thing to carry around. About 5 feet long and 3 feet wide, height is different for each corner. Unlike the cleaver (which is trying to seduce someone to hold it by "hanging" around), if the table is not held onto for 3 minutes, the table will port back to it's original location.