Golgelen Jungle (Gol-Jel-Enn Jungle)
Golgelen (Darkwoods in Dekarti) is a well known area within Dekarth, primarily due to it often being considered the lushest section of an otherwise barren and dry continent. Unlike most of the remaining continent, Golgelen is a massive jungle that takes up almost the entire peninsula, before eventually terminating into a grassy marsh around The Pinching Gulf. Despite being rife with life, it's often considered to be even more inhospitable than the desert due to the fact that there are mile-wide patches where the sun fails to touch the ground, thanks to the trees having a canopy so dense that it shrouds sections of the woods in perpetual darkness.
Geography
Golgelen is primarily known for its vast jungle that takes up a majority of the peninsula; stopping only at the coastal shores -- and the brief stretch of tall grass found at the edge of the eastern peninsula. In terms of topography, most of Golgelen is fairly flat save for the single mountain found at the center of the peninsula, forming a small chain of forested hills amidst the otherwise flat terrain that's found perpetually shadowed by the vast canopy.
Golgelen's trees are humongous; they tower hundreds of feet towards the sky and support a vast canopy of branches and leaves that blot out the sun below. As a result, Golgelen is often considered to be divided into two biomes; the 'Altinlen' -- or 'Underwood' that makes up the shrouded landscape below, and the 'Uzerlin', or 'Overwood' that's found stretching across the entire jungle. Some branches even grow into other trees, forming a complex framework that allows the support of an ecosystem just as complex within the canopy as it is below ground.
Thanks to being low to land, much of the terrain beneath the trees are fairly lush and rife with foliage that's so dense that it's nigh impossible to travel through without compromising sight.
Due to these treacherous conditions and the dangerous wildlife lurking within, Golgelen remains wildly unexplored and is actually home to several mysteries and myths found within the darkness.
Flora
Harika Trees
Harika Trees make up the backbone of the ecosystem. They're massive, towering trees that form lofty pillars, supporting a canopy that spans across the entire jungle. Patches of the jungle are perpetually locked in darkness thanks to these massive trees, but it allows for a unique and diverse ecosystem.Kapana
Kapana are a type of bioluminescent fruit found growing deep within the Golgelen forest; they typically only grow beneath the denser parts of the canopy, making them both easy to find, yet dangerous to reach. 'Kapana' is also the Dekarti word for 'trap', the fruit are named such due to their bright lights often luring unsuspecting adventurers into a dangerous situation, as even the herbivorous beasts that graze upon them are dangerous enough to pose a threat.Rootworm
Rootworms are curious flora; some often argue that they're more worm than plant. True to their name, they are shaped much like a root, often connecting to the base of nearby Harika trees to form a tangled mess of roots. The rootworm has a massive, brightly coloured flower that's renown for its beauty, with three tendrils tipped by a glowing, bioluminescent pod at each tip. When unsuspecting prey draws close, these tendrils wrap around the victim and draw them inside the body of the plant, where the petals then clasp hold for the prey to be seared down into a slurry by digestive juices.Fauna
Golgelen Greatboar
Golgelen Boars are a common species of boar found within the dense jungle. While mostly herbivorous, they're also opportunistic omnivores that will attack and charge just about anything unlucky enough to be caught within their poor sight -- partly due to their rapacious appetites, but mostly due to their poor vision leading to them believing most approaching them are dangerous predators.Manticores
Apex predators found within the Overwood, manticores typically roost within the massive canopies that overlook the rest of the forest below. Manticores are mostly known for being one of the greatest threats to face within the Golgelen woods, due to their tendency to swoop onto anything small enough to be caught within their venomous grasp.Barking Ape
Called Havla Maymum in the Dekarti language, Barking Apes are a species of primate that typically live high up within the jungle. They are notoriously territorial and form troops that will attack anything and anyone unfortunate enough to be seen as 'trespassing' -- in this case, typically anywhere within a few feet of their troop. Barking apes get their name from the fact they howl raucously and loudly, relying on tracking their prey through sound.Golgelen Hydra
Perhaps the most infamous beast to be found slithering within the jungles is the hydra. Whilst Manticores rule the skies in the Overwood, the hydra keeps itself low to the ground with a long, serpentine body. Powerful forearms guide its front and help it maintain direction due to its sizable bulk. As with many other hydras; Jungle Hydras sport between 2~4 heads, all of which are capable of regrowing when severed.Emikan
Also known as Giant Mosquitos, Emikan are a species of massive mosquito that are known for forming humongous hives within the jungle. They are incredibly dangerous; for one mosquito is capable of draining a fully grown man until their flesh is left bloodless and dry. They are also known for making a bizarre gel using the blood they consume; Emikan pollinate carnivorous plants. In exchange for the blood they give to the plants, they are allowed to procure a special pollen safely, which is then returned to the hive to be made into a red honey.Whiptailed Hydra
Named so for their ability to regenerate their tails as well as their heads; this species of Hydra is exclusive to the Golgelen. They are mostly serpentine, possessing only a single pair of muscular forelimbs that they use to aid in clambering along the massive trees that are found throughout the woods. While manticores are said to rule the skies of the jungle, the Hydra is seen as the apex predator on land.Fisherman's Lizard
A massive lizard; at least by most standards. They're a reptilian creature that's not too dissimilar from a chameleon; roughly the size of a dog. While in most circumstances this would leave them vulnerable to the massive predators found throughout the wilds, what makes them unique is their ability to cloak themselves. They use this adaption nearby riverbeds, allowing them to laze beneath what little sun sheds through the canopy whilst they lance unsuspecting fish with their spiked tongue.Ecosystem
A constant display of predator against prey. The Golgelen is is often seen as inhospitable due to the dangerous wildlife found living within the shade-cloaked treeline. Due to even the flora being dangerous or difficult to reach, many of the creatures within the ecosystem are often optimistic omnivores. Due to the danger that the jungle presents, most of the wildlife views anything living as either threat or food; both fatal cases for travelers brave enough to triapse into the jungle.
Localized Phenomena
Home of Misfortune
The Golgelen woods is already known as a treacherous and perilous place. To say that walking beneath the shadow of its canopy is 'bad luck' should be an obvious statement, but the jungle is known to harbor bad luck and misfortune to those that venture within its depths -- in ways that are far more bizarre than any savage, skulking predator. Misfortune runs the jungle. Anyone unfortunate enough to walk within it find that things simply don't go in their favor. A flight from danger will lead to a wayward root tripping them into a face full of muck. Hunting after wildlife will end with a foot crunching upon a once-unseen branch, alerting prey and predator of your presence.Coin Unfound
Whilst the Golgelen being a 'wood of bad luck' is something shrouded with nothing more than rumor and hearsay, a consistent phenomena is the coins that find themselves disappearing from the pockets of anyone wandering into the wood. All manner of profit is pilfered from the pockets; those that are well off often prefer travelling around the jungle by way of sea vessel instead.Sinister Shrines
Countless shrines are found within the woods, to who, or what, remain wholly unknown. Throughout the history of Dekarth, the jungle was left widely unexplored due to the dangers that dwelt within the woods. The only faith found within the country is Amelia, and yet the shrines within the jungle do not match the architecture one would expect from a traditional temple erected in her faith. These shrines are all left widely abandoned; left in a state of complete disrepair.Demonic Scars
Corruption still scars the jungle to this day. Centuries ago, when the jungle remained wholly unexplored by the Dekarti people, it was riddled by demons that took advantage of its position by opening countless rifts into Gehenna. Their mere presence scarred the jungle and left demonic taint lingering throughout the woods to this day -- and is often the primary blame for the misfortune that plagues the forest.History
Forest of Splendor
San-Jegal. ['Forest of Splendor']; The old name for the jungle is something that's managed to only survive through oral history, and thus, time has long eroded the rhyme or reason that the Golgelen jungle had such an ironic name. What is known is that the woods used to be known as a place of fortune rather than misfortune, and was often sought out by the Khans that lived throughout the Perosian era.Demonic Incursions
While the era of Khans referred to the jungle as a wondrous place filled with fortune, the Golgelen grew notoriety shortly after it the first demonic war.[Write lore on this]Tourism
Given the dangerous nature of the Golgelen jungle, tourists are often warned not to ever enter the woods. This does not stop particularly adventurous spirits, however, who are directed into the depths of the woods through sheer curiosity.
Type
Jungle
Location under
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