Arcadian Forest

The largest forest in the entirety of Eregost, the Arcadian Forests are known for their vast biodiversity, moderate temperature and the occasional sightings of Fae spirits.

Geography

The Arcadian Forest spans for hundreds of kilometres, and is always blanketed in shade thanks to the treetops. Bushes and shrubbery are dotted across the forests. The ground is mostly level, though there are small hills and rocky areas. Four rivers goo through the Arcadian Forest, the Tachyt river being the biggest, followed by the Dysares river, with the Filikos and Erifan rivers being small streams.
The north of the Arcadian Forest is met with the Ziria Mountain Range, with Mount Cyllene being the largest of these mountains. These mountains are rocky and incredibly steep, with very few mortals having the ability to climb these mountains without magical support.

Localized Phenomena

The natural world is one populated and composed of by spirits, from Nymphs to Kelpies. The four rivers that run through the Arcadian Forest are actually highly powerful spirits of the natural world. Tachyt is the most powerful of these spirits, though he is almost always dormant. Dysares is more active than the other river spirits, and is known to be ill tempered and dangerous. Filikos is said to be rather friendly, and enjoys conversing with those who visit the Arcadian Forest. Erifan is rather timid, and refuses to take form near mortals unless he is adamant that they mean him no harm. These river spirits are capable of taking physical forms and shapeshifting, and can strike with the full force of a river. Only one river spirit has ever been killed by a mortal, Xanthus was a river spirit, and was killed by Achilles during the Trojan War.

Fauna & Flora

Flora

Hecatoncheire Oak trees were given their name due to the fact that they always have over one hundred branches, giving them a rather strange appearance, especially when they are smaller. Squirrels and Gryphowls typically make homes in these trees, with the former feeding on their the trees' acorns.
Vrykolic Weeds are a small slender plants that are strangely sticky. While they seem mundane at first glance, the manner in which they obtain sustenance is rather sinister. When a small animal like a rabbit, gryphowl or rat brushes by a Vrykolic Weed, they become stuck to it, unable to move. They can remain stuck for hours, during which the chance of a wolf finding them is rather high. When the wolf eats this small prey animal, their blood seeps into the ground and is absorbed by the Vrykolic Weed's roots.
Deimos Caps are a rare kind of mushroom only found in the Arcadian Forest. They are a dark grey in colour, with small hexagon shaped bumps scattered across the cap. Deimos Caps produce a powerful hallucinogen that causes intense and terrifying visions in whatever creature consumes it. Deimos Caps have been used in the past by mercenary groups to create a fear inducing poison.

Fauna

Arcadian Wolves are the second largest type of wolf, with only dire wolves being bigger. They are slightly smaller than the average horse, and are considered to be the apex predator of the Arcadian Forest. Thankfully, they rarely encounter mortals, and even are unlikely to care about their presence unless provoked or brought to the brink of starvation. The last recorded case of an Arcadian Wolf killing a citizen of Arcadia was in 1312, when one killed a nine year old child. This child was named Edward Pióni.
Authenian Cougars are vicious predators that stalk the Arcadian Forests at night, particularly in the more northernly areas. They have greyish brown coats of fur, are roughly 90 centimetres tall at the shoulder and 2.4 metres long from nose to tail. They primarily prey on deer and goats, though they are known to resort to eating fish if they have exhausted all other options. They are occasionally hunted by packs of Arcadian Wolves, though their ability to climb both trees and mountains makes this a rare occurance.
Hanat Wasps are large wasps that create underground nests in the south of the Arcadian Forest, close to the city of Arcadia. Hanat Wasps are responsible for pollinating the olive trees grown on the outskirts of Arcadia. While Hanat Wasps primarily feed on pollen, their young need meat in order to survive, and so Hanat Wasps strip the meat off of carcasses that they find, making them important decomposers for the ecosystem.
Fisher Drakes are large lizards that live near the rivers and lakes of the Arcadian Forest, as their main prey is fish. They have long, narrow bodies, short stumpy tails, short legs with broad claws and a long snout. Their most prominent feature is their tongue, which is over ten feet long and rather thin. The end of their tongue has a small bud which glows a bioluminescent blue in colour. Fisher Drakes launch their tongue into whatever body of water they have chosen to feed from, and the bioluminescent glow of their tongue attracts fish to it. Whenever a fish bites on the end of their tongue, the Fisher Drake quickly retracts their tongue back into their mouth, and the fish along with it, before their prey even has time to react.

History

"Many important events have occurred within the Arcadian Forest, such as the creation of the first Satyr at the hands of the forest god Pan. Though the most important event that comes to mind is the birth of Hermes, which happened in a cave in Mount Cyllene, on the outskirts of the Arcadian Forest." ~Church Paratir, Grand Archivist of the Authenian Archives.

Tourism

The followers of Artemis regularly visit the Arcadian Forest, in search of large prey to kill. While they often seek to hunt abnormally large specimens, they do occasionally hunt standard wildlife, such as Authenian Cougars, Arcadian Wolves and Dire Bears.
Anthropologists from the ASC occasionally visist the Arcadian Forest, in order to make contact with the Nymphs that are native to the area, as there are large amounts of both lake nymphs and mountain nymphs in the forest. Some Authenian Anthropologists also come in order to research the traditions of the Satyr that live in the Arcadian Forest, as they are believed to be the oldest of the Satyrs.
Mount Cyllene is considered sacred to the Church of Hermes, and as such, many followers of Hermes travel through the Arcadian Forest in order to reach Mount Cyllene. Once they reach Mount Cyllene, thay often pray in one of the caves, and leave offerings for Lord Hermes.

Type

Forest

Owning Organization

Authenian Republic

Inhabiting Species

• Phonoi