The Golgelen Woods

Written by strawberryAle

Easily one of the most iconic locations found in Devkarth, the Golgelen woods are legendary for the enormous trees that populate the jungle. So great are the trees that they leave the forest in an almost perpetual state of shadow, earning it the moniker of the 'Shaded Woods.'. The Golgelen woods are seldom explored due to the dangerous fauna that can be found lurking within.

Geography

Truly, what sets the Shaded Woods aside from any other jungle in Veska are its enormous trees. While the foliage below remains just bare enough to allow for navigation, the trees remain the tallest in the world. So great are the Golgelen trees that they cast an almost perpetual shadow upon whatever lurks within it, blotting the sun with their thick canopies and leaving anything within the forest to be permanently kept in the dark. These trees reach thousands of feet tall, with thick, massive trunks that cover the forest floor. A Golgelen tree can remain tall for centuries; and one tree alone is said to be capable of building a small village.
The Golgelen woods are located upon a large peninsula that stretches out to neighbor an enormous bay to the east. The eastern coast drastically raises into a series of small hills -- the only place within the jungle that isn't covered by thick trees.

Fauna & Flora

Golgelen Tree: The Golgelen tree is what gives the Shaded Woods its name; they are enormous trees that reach several thousand feet tall, and have an incredible thickness. Golgelen trees are said to be immortal, and to never fall without direct interference. While this has yet to be proven, it could certainly explain why the trees have kept so high for so long. They also form multiple dense canopies of branches and thick leaves. These leafy 'rooftops' provide ample living space for wildlife.
Flora rarely grows around Golgelen trees, and the jungle is densely packed with them. Due to this fact alone, it is much more navigable than your average forest, though the wildlife typically serves as enough of a deterrence to any explorer. Still, dense collections of ferns, brush, or leaves can be found growing in between the gigantic trees.
Mangrove: Closer to the western coast are the mangroves that are found lining the beach. Their tangled roots are notoriously long and form twisted nests that snake deep through the sands. Some roots are known to create dangerous natural pitfalls within the beach, creating small, hidden spikes that can prove painful to any unsuspecting explorer.
Kazigi: The Kazigi is a bird native to the forests of the Golgelen woods. They are long legged, long necked birds with wings powerful enough to carry them. The most curious thing of the Kazigi bird is its beak and wide ears perched upon its head. Kazigi birds navigate through echolocation, and are capable of producing loud squawks that help them find prey or detect predators. The most striking thing about the Kazigi bird however, is its method of hunting. Their beaks are notably long and slender, yet remain exceptionally hard. When a Kazigi finds suitable prey, it dives straight into them, beak first. The beak is so sharp that it's capable of impaling its prey.
Often times, Kazigi's are called 'Spearhead Geese' for this very reason.
Kanyaras: Also called 'Pale Bats' or 'Eyeless Bats', the Kanyaras is an enormous bat that can be found lurking within the Golgelen woods. They lack eyes, but make up for this with their extraordinary hearing and sense of smell. The Kanyaras are very pale, but are quite large for a bat, usually reaching around two feet tall, with a wingspan large enough to cover a full man. These bats primarily subsist off of blood.
Maymun: These strange creatures are found lurking in small packs throughout the woods. They're known for being relatively docile pacifistic, but have developed the strange defense mechanism of vomiting an exceptionally noxious fluid to scare away prey. Maymuns are strange in the fact that they're six-legged mammals, covered in soft brown fur with flat, ape-like faces. They have four bright, beady eyes with large pits found at the sides of their cheeks. They're capable of clambering upon trees with their long legs.
Primates: Various primates call the Golgelen woods their home. Most prominent are no doubt the Golgelen Gorilla; an enormous creature that is known for developing silver fur when they've reached adulthood. These apes are positively enormous, far larger than an average ape, with fists large enough to pulverize men with one strike. These mighty primates can reach incredible heights, much like the trees they dwell near.
Dragon Tortoise: The Dragon Tortoise is a dangerous creature found throughout the forest. They are essentially enormous tortoises with very long necks, ending with spiky ridges along its elongated head. The head ends with a hooked beak capable of shearing and snapping through bone with one bite. They are also known for sporting a very long, coiled tail plated with thick scales. Too large to hide, but still flexible enough to batter enemies with deadly swipes.

Natural Resources

Wood should be obvious. The Golgelen trees provide so much wood that a single tree may potentially build a whole village on its own. This has fortunately lead to the Golgelen forest's favor; as the trees are so great in size that few would dare attempt to bring them down. The wood yield is also so great that, it would potentially be a waste altogether. The sheer weight alone is too much of a challenge to carry outside of Golgelen, and so the forest has remained relatively untouched, though shipments of Golgelen wood occasionally come in from time to time.
Furthermore, rare herbs can be found within the Golgelen woods, most notably the greatly valued mandrake root -- an exceptionally rare plant that acts as a powerful anesthetic.

Alternative Name(s)

The Shaded Woods

Type

Jungle

Location under

Devkarth