Ira's Forest

Description:

A large forest north of the The Crossroads. Trees grow no more than five feet apart, with plenty of spiderwebs to make anyone uncomfortable. A fog concisely permeates the forest, as well as a sense of eeriness. A massive trunk resides in the center of the forest, larger enough that it would be a skyscraper if it stood upright. The wood is rotting, web-covered, and infested with the many spiders ruled by Lyssal Ira. Within the log, Lyssal Ira has the highest room saved for herself, using it as a throne/bed-chamber room of sorts.

Sub-Areas:

Though there's an entire forest, there's not much change in terrain in terrain, the only difference being a few small rivers and streams that come from the Teafil Mountains, this causes the forest to be more humid, making the slightly cold environment feeling even colder. The other major difference in the terrain is the massive log thats used as a fortress for Lyssal Ira.
Log Opening:
The main entrance to the log-fortress is at one end, with the massive opening extending almost the entire diameter of the log, with the edges being warped and rotten to almost look like the gaping maw of a giant monster, with it immediately growing dark inside. From it comes 'the monsters breath', a sickly warm that causes anyone to be wary of the place, all of which is simply generated by the hordes of spiders dwelling within.
Ira's Chambers:
The topmost section in the log-fortress, with only Ira being the only inhabitant of the room. Many thick webs hang in the corners of the room, some simply because she is a spider, others she uses as beds, shelves, and so on. Directly across the room from the entrance is a throne, delicately made of spider-webs, bones from various creatures, and three points on the top adorned with three different types of skulls. The ceiling is lost in shadow as well as covered with webs, allowing Lyssal Ira to hide up there if need be. Not to mention the floor, which often feels soft, isn't due to the wood being rotten, but rather its a tight woven carpet of web and wood that Lyssal Ira can cut a hole open in at anytime to send her prey into a tunnel that leads into a large cavern under the whole place thats full of spider webs and sharp stalagmites, used for the sole purpose of defeating any strong enemies Lyssal Ira might have since Lyssal Ira can manipulate the webs to have a complete advantage over anyone else, making her practically unbeatable, even against any army that can fit in the cavern.

History:

The entire forest was nonexistent, but rather a single World Tree existed, right next to the adjacent Parvus Frater Mountains. It used to be a gift from the Earth's Heart to William Anderson before it got cut down during the Desolation Trials. As a result, the trees trunk became what is now home to Lyssal Ira, and the many branches and leaves planting themselves as entire trees. The forest was then called the 'Old Forest', being inhabited for a long while. At some point between the Desolation Trials and Darkness of a Cursed Light series, Lyssal Ira came to inhabit the forest, infecting it with her webs and darkness. A mist settled over it, as well as a constant sense of dread, leading to the forest being renamed as Ira's Forest, due to the many sightings of her, the strange dissaprearences around the forest, as well as the constant audible clicking of spider claws heard from everywhere in the forest. Sometimes even outside if the spiders are loud enough.

Inhabitants:

Hardly any animals live within the area, those only being the unlucky deer or such to wander into the forest seeking food and shelter. The main (and terrifying) inhabitants are Lyssal Ira and her many spiders. They have taken complete control of the forest, making it their kingdom. They string up webs over trees as traps and wait patiently for food to wander in. Though the spiders can't communicate with other sentients, Lyssal Ira understands them and will sometimes translate if an unfortunate soul asks what they are saying. The spiders aren't necessarily aggressive, but rather function on what Lyssal Ira tells them to do.

Rumors and Mysteries:

People who live at the The Crossroads exchange many stories with any travelers that come, most often about the forest and the strange occurences. They will tell how giant beasts will come from the trunks of the trees and make you disappear, or how the forest itself eats people alive. There even stories (some of them being true) about how sometimes the very mist will wander from the forest into the The Crossroads at night. In the morning a single person, even a dozen people might be missing from their beds, never seen again (the mist being the spiders controlled by Lyssal Ira).

Foul:

The place is so seemingly cursed that even the small rivers and streams in the forest taste vile and only add to the gut feeling of dread. If you drink enough, you will fall sick and very soon die. The spiders however love this water more than any others, as well as other dark creatures. Anything one might scavenge from this area carries the same effect, even the very air you breathe, all of it infected by Dark-Energy (which explains the constant feeling of dread that hangs over the area).