Heartwood
The island of Heartwood is a unique mix of lowland subtropical rainforest in the west and high-elevation mixed forests in the eastern half of the island. A 1500 foot sheer cliff splits the island in half, a natural barrier that makes travel into the western side of the island difficult. The western coastline of the island is a mix of hazardous, dense marsh and lowland swamp, while the eastern coast is a mix of overhanging cliffs and thin, rocky beaches that together make entering the island nearly impossible. The one path inland that is relatively safe and simple is through the Ra'ëo River and its adjoining trails through the selhama port town of Ocean's Caress.
The climate of Heartwood is generally hot and humid, a subtropical region on the edges of the temperate zone. The hot climate is strongly influenced by the southern winds that blow in from the plains and jungles of the southern tropical regions. Precipitation varies through the region, and due to the humid climate takes on the form of huge mist clouds and rolling fogs that billow down from the east-central mountains.
Heartwood has a varied elevation that rises in steps. Elevation on the western half of the island rises up to between 750 feet, with much of the elevation being half that. The coastlines gently slope upwards, but after only a few miles inland the elevation grade becomes sharper. In many cases, the ground rises straight up in heights ranging from 5 to 100 feet, or more in some extreme cases. The Ra'ëo River, for example, follows many such steep drops resulting in numerous waterfalls that make river traversal difficult.
Halfway across Heartwood is a towering escarpment roughly 1500 feet high. The selhama call it god's step. It is a massive cliff wall that spans the width of the island from shore to shore. The escarpment is composed of layers of different stones that creates colorful stripes across its surface in shades of brown, black, green, and yellow. Beyond the cliff the terrain continues its typical steep elevation shifts, centered around the island's largest mountain, The Mother, whose peak is estimated to be around 3300 feet high. On this western half of the island the coastline is marked predominantly by sheer cliffs that range between 500 and 1500 feet high. The lowest of these cliffs are on the easternmost coast along the lagoon of Sheë'ama. At the base of these cliffs is the only beachhead along the eastern coast, though the overhanging cliffs make it nearly impossible to scale.Ecoregions of Heartwood
Despite its size, the island of Heartwood contains several similar but distinct ecoregions. The western half of the island is dominated by lowland moist forests and coastal mangrove forests and swamps. The eastern half of the island, situated hundreds and thousands of feet above sea level, is marked primarily by cloud forests and montane forest. Two unique ecoregions exist on the western half: a feymarked forest and a forest of dead, stoney trees.
Heartwood Lowland Forests
The western half of the island is dominated by lowland subtropical moist forests. Along the coasts are dire-mangrove forests, swamps, and marshes, a pleasantly muddy home to much of the aquatic life in and around the island. The interior moist forest features large rainbow gum trees, giant kapoks, and massive hanging rope-vines. As one continues inland the varied species of trees grow larger in all dimensions, and the soft ground becomes shadowed by a weave of moss-covered roots that bind the gargantuan trees together for stability.
Coastal Mangrove Swamps
The coastal swamps are home to many tall grasses, ferns, and thorny shrubs that grow on silt and soil deposits. Flowering, hanging vines are common in the swampy coasts. The mangroves are key nurseries and breeding areas for fish, crustaceans, and shellfish, and the trees themselves support a wealth of bird, reptile, and small mammal species. The dominant predator of the region is the dire crocodile, second only to the incredibly rare and equally dangerous tentacle-beast.
More information...Flora
The predominant tree of the coasts is the dire-mangrove, a species of mangrove tree that grows to heights of 20 to 50 feet. It is a slow-growing tree, and as such is sparingly harvested for lumber. It's seed pods are large, spherical, woody capsules, 12 to 36 inches in diameter, which split open to scatter hundreds of seeds. This has led to many sailors referring to the mangroves as "cannonball trees". While old-growth dire-mangroves are protected, young mangroves are carefully harvested for the construction of furniture, boats, and more. The bark, rich with tannins, is used for strengthening ropes, dying cloth, tanning leather, and is also added in teas as part of herbal remedies.
Other flora consists of various species of trees, vascular plants, vines and flowers. Tree species include palms and red mahogany. The coasts are also home to many species of ferns, mosses, snake grasses, marsh orchids, and rope-vines. The most common vine is the weeping cotinga vine, a thick, soft vine with blue-green flowers that from a distance resemble a cotinga bird. The weeping cotinga vine's flower is used as an anti-inflammatory, and the vine itself is harvested and corded into ropes for construction of homes and ships.
Fauna
The dire-mangrove swamps, like the rest of the island, have a rich biodiversity. Amphibians such as frogs and salamanders are very common, as are reptiles that have adapted to both swimming and climbing, such as snakes, monitors, and crocodiles.
Aquatic life includes eels, whiprays, snappers, mudskippers, and barracuda. Dolphins are uncommon, entering the mangroves from the bay to search for food. The mangrove roots provide suitable homes for various bivalves such as giant-oysters and king mussels. The mud and silt floor of the coastal waterways, as well as the interior riverways, are home to several species of fiddler crab and mud lobster. The giant mud lobster, found only coastal areas where the trees are less dense, is a terrifying animal to encounter for unprepared travelers, and is capable of firing a powerful stream of water at prey up to 60 feet away.
Birds of the swamps are a mix of tall-legged waterfowl such as pelicans, herons, and egrets, as well as a mix of smaller branch and canopy dwelling avians such as kingfishers, hummingbirds, and fantails. Few falcons live in the area, with the notable exception of the black hawk.
The mangroves are home to few terrestrial mammals. Aside from small mammals such as rodents, the only notable species of mammal is the golden tamarin, a brightly colored monkey that makes the branches and canopy of the mangroves its home.
Crocodiles and their dire-crocodile cousins are the primary predators of the area. The dire-crocodiles of the swamps hide in the deepest, most secluded coastlines deep within the swamps. While the average crocodile can grow up to 20 ft. long, the dire-crocodile is a gargantuan monstrosity that on average is twice as large, with some reported sightings of dire-crocodiles between 60 and 80 feet long.
While dire-crocodiles present a tremendous hazard to anyone braving the mangroves, the coasts are also home to a few species of aberration: the tentacle-beast, and the palm mimic. Crawling along the mud floor and hiding in root balls and dark, silty waters is the rare and violent tentacle-beast. The tentacle-beast is a monstrosity, an aquatic aberration that whips and thrashes through the water searching for prey. It attacks using its long tendrils to choke and constrict prey as it draws its quarry towards its maw. At the center of the mass of tendrils is its mouth, a sharp beak-like opening filled with circular rows of razor sharp teeth that the tentacle-beast can spin in a grinding, eviscerating manner.
The palm mimic is endemic mimic aberration that takes the form of a palm tree. These mimics will hide in waiting, posing as a normal palm tree before ambushing prey. They stalk upon hundreds of root-like tendrils that allow the mimic to pull themselves through the mud and soil. They use these same appendages to grab onto victims, drawing them into their wide, razor-filled maws. Palm-mimics can be spotted by their frond-like brows, three long, thin, bright green appendages that they use to alert them when prey is close.
Inland Moist Forest
As one travels inland the forest becomes less dense, though the trees themselves become larger both in width and height. One only has to travel five miles inland for this change to become readily apparent: trees are spread between 15 and 20 feet apart, growing up to 15 feet wide with heights reaching 100 to 200 feet, and the canopy becomes far denser, providing spare light to the floor below.
The floor of the inland forest is a weave of moss-covered roots that bind the gargantuan trees together for stability. These roots are hard and woody but padded by the various mosses and lichens that grow upon them. Fungi, fallen leaves, and decay also serve to soften the woven floor. This weave provides lots of hiding spots and more for the multitudes of small creatures and insects that live in the forest.
More information...Flora
The edges of the inland moist forests where the forest meets the coastal swamps are densely packed with rainbow gum trees, rubber trees, waxy-leaf albizia, guava trees, weave-root cotton trees, and corded machaerium. Groundcover consists mostly of woven roots, thick clumps of vibrant green and yellow mosses, and uncommon patches of tall fibrous grasses. River banks are covered in flowering bushes that attract fat-forest bees, hummingbirds, and other small pollinators. Most of these flowering bushes, although pretty, are toxic to humanoids.
The shrub and understory layers of the forest are marked by the many vines and lianas that hang from and between the trees. These vines provide perches for birds, insects, and more. Many of the woody lianas end up serving as makeshift beds for flowers that cling to the vines in sunny spots. One notable vine is the wooly climber. It is carefully cultivated by the selhama and is processed into a soft but durable water-resistant cloth that is mostly used for sails, bags, tarps, and some clothing.
The canopy prevents most sunlight from entering the forest, and what little does provides a misty illumination of the woven floor of moss-covered roots. In rare spots where the trees are farther apart, the sun comes down like a spotlight. In these patches, flowers and ferns grow strong and provide stable feeding grounds for the much of the animal life. Only a few plants grow outside of these patches. The hazy light of the forest provides for ample growth of moss, fungi, and lichen.
One notable fungus is the globular bursting mushroom. It is noted by its spherical shape that can expand up to 6 inches in diameter, and its bright coloration, typically orange, red, or violet. Globular bursting mushrooms grow in clusters on dying trees and fallen logs. When disturbed, these mushrooms explode violently, releasing a thick cloud of spores. When inhaled these spores disrupt the lungs of creatures causing asphyxiation. This is usually fatal, though magical healing causes the spores to go to inert and clear from the victim's airways.
Fauna
Animal life endemic to the lowland moist forests are primarily reptiles, avians, and some primate. The inland moist forests are particularly known for its numerous avian species, particular the dozens (or possibly hundreds) of species of climbing cotinga. Other notable species include the horse-sized bird called yadëhamach, carnivorous apes, and the giant ridgeback lizard.
Avian species make up the dominant group of animal life with possibly hundreds of different species and colorations of climbing cotinga. The flightless climbing cotinga run along the root floor hunting for insects and gastropods. The climbing cotinga have strong legs and feet that allow them to not only sprint and hop across the rough ground but also climb trees to escape predators such as giant lizards and spitting snakes, as well as some carnivorous primates such as the red spider monkey or the green-back ape.
In addition to the primates above, the inland forest is home to a few other mammal species. Other mammals include a few species of rodent, nagapies, and a few different species of omnivorous spider monkey. Notable small mammals include the mossy flying squirrel, the ring-tailed jumping mouse, and the burrowing bark mouse.
The inland moist forest is home to the yadëhamach, or blood-drinker, a horse-sized flightless bird named after their long, thin beak that some say resembles the proboscis of a mosquito. The 8-foot-tall yadëhamach is a cultural icon of the selhama who have domesticated the giant bird for many important uses. The yadëhamach is used for transportation throughout the forest, as both a riding and a pack animal. The bird's ability to climb trees and even rough cliffs allows it to traverse the uneven terrain with great ease; with a perfect stride, the yadëhamach can sprint up to 20 miles per hour, though only in quick bursts usually for catching prey or avoiding danger.
As well as for transportation, the yadëhamach is herded for its meat and down, which is used as stuffing for pillows. Their colorful wing-tip feathers are used ornamentally for a variety of accessories such as headbands, earrings, anklets, and to adorn sleeve and edges of shirts, trousers, vests, and more. Despite their name, the blood-drinker does not actually drink blood. Though it will feed on small animals when it has the opportunity, the diet of the yadëhamach consists mainly of fruit, insects, snails, flowers, and fungi.
The inland moist forest is also home to a few kinds of giant insects. Unlike some giant insect species, these ones are considered to be "natural" by the selhama, who have recorded their existence for hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of years. The two most common form of giant insect are the giant mantis and the giant rainbow weevil, the latter of which are herded by the selhama and are used in much of the same way as oxen.
Just as in the mangrove swamps and forests, palm mimics are a threat within the moist forests. The mimics typically cling close to the waterways where more sunlight shines through. Seldomly, one will find them roaming around more inland. These unfortunate mimics only threaten the slowest, most oblivious creatures.
In addition to the palm mimic, the inland moist forests are also home to orchid mimics. These frightening aberrations appear as large blossoming orchids in the same shades as actual orchids of the area. The round flower face contains numerous eyes and the feather-like petals mask the tooth-filled maw beneath it. The body of the orchid mimic lays flat on the ground, appearing as a bush, a bundle of moss-covered debris, or similar. When prey is near, it rises into a quadrupedal stance and lunges forward up to 15 feet, striking with its tough, wood-like nails before going for a vital spot such as the neck with its teeth. Orchid mimics can be spotted most easily by if the "orchid" is growing in a patch of sun and by the direction of the flower faces. It can also be spotted most easily as an orchid with several petals missing on one side, indicating the side where the mimic's mouth would be.
The most terrifying creature to inhabit the inland moist forests is the giant ridgeback lizard. A gargantuan creature, it feeds on anything that it can find. Small mammals, primates, birds, and even yadëhamach and humanoids if it gets the opportunity. The giant ridgeback can grow up to 50 feet long and 15 feet tall. It has a short but powerful snout with three rows of tiny, sharp teeth that it uses to eviscerate prey. Thankfully the beast is rare, though travelers should always be on the lookout for its mournful roar that some say resembles an adult man groaning and shouting in agony.
Heartwood Plateau Forests
The eastern half of the island is set 1500 to 3000 feet above sea level atop a tightly-sloped and sometimes concave plateau. Sheer cliffs follow the southern and northern coasts ranging from 500 to 1500 feet tall. In the east the plateau slopes tightly downward at angles of 70 to 80 degrees. On the eastern coastline the cliffs jut and hang over the rocky beaches below, making climbing near impossible.
The plateau is divided into three distinct ecoregions. The first and largest is the cloud forest that covers most of the plateau with hearth trees and is where the selhama have settled. These forests range in elevation, with the highest point being The Mother, a 3300 foot tall mountain in the center of the plateau. In the northeast corner of the plateau, behind The Mother, is a misty feymarked forest. In the southeast corner is the deadwood, a forest of tall dried and dead trees that most people steer clear of; dangerous beasts dwell in the deadwood, and the ground is said to be so tainted that the dead rise again with fury and hunger the moment they hit the ground.
Cloud Forest
So named due to the heavy presence of fog and mist, the cloud forest is the primary ecoregion on the plateau. The forest is composed of massive trees, sprawling vines, and bright flowers that stand out in the hazy mist underneath the forest canopy. There is a rich biodiversity in the cloud forest, with hundreds of unique species of plants, animal, and fungi.
The forest's climate is hot and humid most of the year with a short cold season during the standard winter months of the northern hemicylinder. Temperatures range between 70 and 80 degrees. Combined with the high humidity and near-constant presence of fog the temperature can feel up to 10 degrees warmer. Precipitation is high with rain all year long. Mist and fog account for close to half of the yearly rainfall.
More information...Flora
The cloud forest at the top of the plateau consists primarily of gargantuan broadleaf hearth trees, alongside smaller broadleaf trees such as pepperbark, cedar, and trumpet trees. Additionally are many species of evergreen, including feathermoss and glittering woodmoss.
Hearth trees make up roughly 30% of all tree species in the cloud forest and the driving species of the emergent layer of the forest structure. They are gargantuan trees with large buttress roots that sprawl out for 20 to 40 feet in all directions. Their trunks are up to 20 feet wide. The oldest hearth trees reach heights of up to 400 feet, towering over the forest. The crowns of hearth trees are tall and pointed like knives piercing through the canopy of smaller trees. Hearth trees are protected by the selhama, who believe them to be extensions of their forest gods.
Epiphytes are abundant below the canopy, including hundreds of species of orchids, bamboo, and bromeliad flowers and mosses. Hanging mosses draped over branches and towering vines can be found at the lower elevations. As one approaches the central mountain the trees become larger and denser, making travel increasingly laborious. It is said that the peak of the mountain is insurmountable as the already large hearth trees begin to grow wider and closer together.
Fauna
The cloud forest is home to many of the same species of animal as the lower elevation inland moist forest. Yadëhamach are common, as are many species of lizard, snake, and many of the same climbing cotinga are present at this elevation in addition to many species unique to the higher elevation, such as the chubby-crowned cotinga.
The chubby-crowned cotinga is bright orange with a red head, this bird always appears as if it is overweight. The most curious feature is its crown, which is an actual tiny crown made of wood. Nobody is sure where it gets this crown, but all chubby-crowned cotinga have one. Local folklore says that if a chubby-crowned cotinga is found without its crown it will die, and that anyone who gives it a new crown or finds its original will be blessed with good luck for a season.
Another notable species of bird are the paradise orchid astrapia. These birds have varied colorations that match the flowers that they feed on and roost near. The paradise orchid astrapia will hang onto vines in groups of about 3 to 6 and in doing so, along with their long flowery tails, will resemble the same hanging flowers found on other vines. This camouflage allows them to go unnoticed by some predators, though sometimes a discouraged hummingbird gives the astrapias away.
Notable mammals are the tapir, the hairy armadillo, the striped agouti, and the deer-like red brocket. Other mammals include numerous rodents and small burrowers. Predatory mammals are few, with the most commonly sighted being the feathered puma, a dark-colored medium-sized cat with feathers in addition to fur. The feathered puma is able to glide short distances using large retractable flaps on its legs. Notable primates include spider monkeys and the banderlog, a green-skinned baboon that is semi-intelligent. Banderlogs keep to the cloud forest, avoiding their larger and more aggressive carnivorous ape cousins.
The giant ridgeback lizard (described above) is also at home at this elevation. It stalks through the forested plateau using the fog as cover to stalk yadëhamach and anything else it can catch.
Feymarked Forest
The feymarked forest is located behind The Mother in the northeast corner of the plateau. It is a dark, misty place where the natural trees of the cloud forest become twisted and gnarled, their bark turning to dark shades of brown, green, and purple. Ferns here grow larger, and their stems begin to grow sharp thorns that when stick seem as if they draw blood into the plant, feeding it. Vines become brittle and disintegrate with a touch. Mosses and lichens turn vibrant, into bright glowing greens, yellows, pinks, and reds.
More information...The fungi of the feymarked forest is particularly. Huge stinkhorns swell to heights of two to three feet, their caps a bright lattice of orange and yellow. When disturbed, the stinkhorns release a cloud of spores that paralyze animals and in hours kill those who are left untreated. Pitcher-head mushrooms grow inverted caps that collect dew and water, attracting poisonous frogs and salamanders that leap out at unsuspecting prey. The most dangerous are the roving shriekers, four-foot tall violet and black fungi that use long sticky tendrils to pull themselves across the forest floor. When disturbed or when they detect prey, the shriekers let out an high-pitched "shout" that alerts other shriekers in the area. The aggressive fungi then lash out with their tendrils to choke and constrict prey, similar to a constrictor snake.
The feymarked forest is also home to phase spiders, who have the supernatural ability to slip into an ethereal state where they can maneuver without worry into position. They have a penchant for appearing behind foes, striking quick and quickly slipping back into their ethereal state. The phase spiders of the feymarked woods are mostly white, with bright streaks of green or yellow marking them as male or female respectively.
Worse still, the feymarked forest contains what the selhama call abominations, or bothrach. These abominations are all different; some are towering beasts of fungus and flesh, others are giant, supernatural versions of smaller creatures that have been horrible twisted with extra appendages and strange supernatural powers, and other still are seemingly trees that have come to life, filled with fungus and dead matter and a malice for life. Once every couple of years a new abomination emerges from the forest. The selhama believe that the longer between abomination sightings, the more powerful the creature to emerge.
It is known that deep within the feymarked forest is a village of pixies. The exact location is unknown, and due to the mysterious magical qualities of sylvan beings it is likely that the village is never in the same place twice.
The selhama elves of Heartwood avoid the feymarked forest. They view it as a cursed place of darkness, a place only chaotic beings [fey] could dwell. The selhama keep a manned outpost at the edge of the cloud forest. There, ranger keeps a watch on the feymarked forest to ensure it does not overtake the cloud forest, and to keep beasts and dangerous creatures from leaving the feymarked forest.
Deadwood
The deadwood is an area in the southeastern corner of the island, high up on the cliffs of the plateau. As one approaches, the verdant forests of the plateau grow sparser until not even the smallest ferns and grasses can be found. The land turns to dry dirt and ash, and after three miles the 'forest' can be seen.
More information...It is an expanse of craggy, dead trees that tower 100 to 200 feet tall. Spaced 30 to 40 feet apart, the trees are between 5 and 15 feet in diameter. Their bark appears burnt, blackened all over and letting off a sickly, sulfurous smell. Despite their appearance, the trees are nearly impossible to cut down. Their bark is hard as stone, their branches the same, and their roots are even harder, capable of chipping metal blades. The trees are seemingly the only plant life in the area, which is blanketed in grey and pale soils unsuitable to traditional plant life.
The deadwood is home to few living things, and numerous dead things. A noted phenomenon within the deadwood is that any creature that dies will rise as a zombie or skeleton within a couple of hours (1d4). These undead have no thoughts or feelings other than to kill anything that lives within the forest of the dead. Ghosts and shades are known to haunt the deepest groves of the deadwood, perhaps the spirits of a former selhama town that experienced some catastrophe, though the elves' records indicate no such settlement ever existed there.
The Mother
The Mother is a forested mountain located in the center of the eastern plateau. It is roughly 3300 feet tall and covered in dense, broadleaf forest and moist forest. Fog and mist collect near the summit and filter downward onto the forests below, creating an effect where the mountain appears to be exhaling clouds into the forest.
The forests of the mountain are very similar to the ones within the moist cloud forest around it. However, as one climbs higher the trees grow larger and thicker. 300-feet from the summit, the trees are so dense that they almost merge into one, growing into and around each other. This has created an impenetrable wall around the summit. The selhama claim that is where one of their gods reside, the goddess of forests and protector of nature, Ëshmazüloch. Their stories say she resides at the summit in a palace of wood, stone, bricks made of sap, and clay tile, surrounded by a river-moat of honey.
Because the mountain is so revered by the selhama, it is forbidden for outsiders to ascend, and none, not even selhama, may cut any tree from the mountain.
