Bhitiram

Bhitiram On the west side of the Jungteran Mountains runs a long coastline about 100 miles wide with towering trees, many over 300 feet high. They are so tall that shorter trees grow below them and small trees and bushes below those. The people of northern Jaati who have even heard of the area call it the Giant Coast because of the height of the trees. Tales told to children say the people and animals of the forest are as large as the trees. However, the area is generally considered to be uninhabited. People of Jaati do not travel there — a prohibition on traveling around the mountains is one of their oldest taboos — so that assumption has not been verified for many generations.
The climate to the west of the mountains is noticeably cooler than the climate of Jaati proper, and different types of trees grow well there. Giant redwoods are common in the moist, humid climate along the coast. Giant sequoia trees grow inland along the western slopes of the Jungteran Mountains. They are not so tall as the redwoods (though they can still reach over 300 feet), but in girth they far outdo the lower trees. Both types can live for millennia.
Unbeknownst to those on the eastern side of the mountains, the forests to the west are indeed inhabited, including by some humans. The people in Bhitiram are mostly worshippers and guardians of nature who for thousands of years have revered and cared for the giant trees. That is to say, they have assisted the giants living in the area to care for the ancient trees. These giants of the rainforest and woods generally stand two to three times the size of the human inhabitants, yet they are still tiny compared to the trees. Giants and humans live peacefully in villages near each other, or in some cases even in the same villages.
One strange thing about the populations of giants and humans in the area is that they tend to be shapeshifters. Many humans have the magical ability to change shape and use this to roam through the forests with more freedom than their two-legged forms would permit. Most giants, on the other hand, are some type of were-creatures. Werebears are the most prevalent, with boars also frequently encountered. Giants dwelling on the mountain slopes are often were-raptors and prefer the heights for their soaring wings.

Northern Wildlands

Type

Forest