Oldbark Forest

Ancient trees spread out, trunks cracked and rugged with exposure. Dense canopy blots the sun out, interspersed with patches of ground illuminated by Pelor's Rays punching past the leaves. The Oldbark forest is a place regarded in fear and respect, an unchanging sprawl across the world. The pathways and roads that wind through it divide the forest into several regions. Travellers rarely leave the cleared routes and during the night many have reported unusual sounds and tracks come morning.

Geography

The Oldbark forest covers a sprawling region of Bukhisal, an obscuring wall of wood even during winter. The terrain is predominately flat and grassy, though as the southern border approaches the Court of the Old Ones it ends next to the dead zone. Much of the northern border folds around The Rise where it pushed up.
Within the forest itself, the ground is composed of flatland interspersed with hills, gentle rises and clearings. The northern area of the forest is cleared away, the settlement of Farmloss established within it. However, the forest is now encroaching upon the settlement and reclaiming the outlying farmland.

Fauna & Flora

The forest is thick with life. Many different species of plants exist within the woods, such as ferns, herbs, flowers, and more. A number of the plants found within can be used in the creation of medicines and poultices, though the collection and gathering have proven difficult for many who have little experience with such activities. Rumours of trees coming to life and attacking outsiders have become common in recent years, particularly around some of the oldest trees in the forest.
Animal life is prolific, with many species mundane and exceptional within its land. Squirrels and birds are common game species, while more unusual species like giant spiders and darting, guiding shapes behind them have been seen in the branches.

Natural Resources

Strong lumber and plentiful fruit can be found in the forest, accompanied by many herbs and plants that have beneficial effects. The ground is fertile, and though no new farms have been established the management of those which still exist has led to many from less developable regions seeking to gather from the soil to create their own farmable land elsewhere.

History

The forest is one of the oldest in Bukhisal, with many considering that the other wooded areas were, in fact, part of a continent-spanning forest, cut back in the oldest of eras to create room for the races of the world to inhabit. Though it has been used for resources and had roadways cleared through its depths, the forest has always recovered in some other direction.
Even the Cataclysm was not enough to destroy it, and in the time since the forest has recovered to its previous size once more. The forest is still able to be traversed now, the roads as clear as when it was first created, well-travelled dirt packed down by feet, hooves and wheels.

Type

Forest, Temperate (Seasonal)

Location under

Bukhisal