Bloodwood Forest

Centered near the center of Alkeria, the Bloodwood forest serves as a natural blockade for the different areas of the continent. Anything south of the Forest tends to be managed by the Southern Kingdoms while the north is a bit more unruly, managed by whomever has the most power at the time. In order to be such a feature, the size is enormous. Attempts at mapping the forest have managed to just the outer fringes, but anything deeper simply proves too challenging for most.
Scholars have long studied the nature of the Bloodwoods, and have come to understand a bit about its nature. The most external portion, nicknamed the Wilds, is a ring that surrounds the forest. Scholars surmise that this is the most 'natural' part of the forest, and what would be expected out of a normal forest. Danger lurks throughout, just like it would anywhere else, but the unnatural portions aren't quite as prominent as you might find deeper within.  The forest itself allows some light in, and travelers can find various topographies as they travel within.  Open glades, dense forest, small lakes, and forested valleys are all topographies you'd find travelling.
If you continue deeper into the Bloodwoods, you enter what scholars surmise as the Ancient. Home of the Taenya Elves , the Ancient is a playground for predators and prey. Everything in the Ancient is dangerous, and attempts at penetrating it have met with failure most of the time. There is a reason that the Taenya Elves are met on their own terms.  The Ancients are the overgrown portion of the forest.  Large, massive, ancient trees that reach the sky are littered throughout this area.  Very little light makes it through the canopy, and there is actually a bit more open space on the forest floor than there would be in the Wilds.  This gives predators more room to move and travelling is always a hazard.
As to what lies in the deepest part of the forest is up to conjecture. Discussions with various Elves (when said Elves are enjoying the luxury of a strong drink) have hinted that deeper into the Inner Forest lies the Heart of the Forest. The Heart of the forest is a magical place, where the magical creatures live and protect. The Magic of the Heart flows outwards to help the forest thrive, and thus all denizens of the forest will listen if the Heart commands them. This aspect of the magic flowing is also where the name of the Bloodwood was derived as the Heart pumps magic throughout the forest.  There is enough evidence to support the theory, but nobody has actually SEEN the Heart to determine if this is actually true.
One reason nobody has ever seen the Heart (most Taenya elves included), is that it's protected by the Veil. The Veil is a magic barrier separating the Inner Forest from the Heart. Invisible and magical in nature, the Veil can only be felt by those able to sense magic. The very nature of the Veil repels natural creatures. Sentient creatures will feel a sense of discomfort, as if they're being watched by the forest itself. Once a creature enters the Heart, they cannot leave without help from the creatures that live there. There is no known instance of this happening although every few years, an insane citizen is found wandering the streets of the Southlands claiming they've been captured by the Elves and escaped.
The size of the Bloodwood is unfathomable to most.  As such, the number of organized or semi-organized groups that live in the Bloodwood are too many to count.  Splinter Cells of Elves are known to live there.  At least one Human settlement has setup residence there, and a multitude of various bands, camps, and gangs of various creatures regularly meander in and out of the Forest.

Type

Forest