Yudao Rainforest
The largest rainforest on the continent, yet untamed by the hands of man
Map of the Yudao Rainforest
Geography
The Yudao Rainforest is, as its name suggests, a rainforest - meaning it resembles a jungle with enormous, towering trees that form a canopy that block out most, if not all the light coming in from the sky. The Yudao is full of enormous, towering trees that reach towards the sky like heavenly pillars, their massive leaves blocking out the rays of the sun and keeping the rainforest hot, humid, and tropical - it is full of teeming estuaries and rivers and run-offs, and is chock full of natural beauty - so much so that it is said to be one of the most beautiful locations on Zheng-KItar.
However, it is not without its dangers, as its sheer amount of biodiversity means both plants and animals are capable of doing harm or killing those who enter it without preperation.
Ecosystem
Owing to its nature as a Rainforest, the Yudao is one of the most diverse places on the planet - its biodiversity is the stuff of legend, and its ecosystem is home to countless unique species of plants, animals, monsters, and more - all cohabitating under the canopy of the great Life-Wood(So it is called by the tribes that live there). It is a natural wonder of the world - with so many complex layers of animals, plants, insects, and more combining to create a unique ecosystem all its own that biologists and druids the world over come to bask in on a daily basis.
Fauna & Flora
The Flora and Fauna in the Yudao are some of the most diverse in all the world - as the continent's largest rainforest, it is home to countless species of plant and animal that cannot be found anywhere else, from uniquely colored Toucans to massive, prowling Dire Bears as tall as trees.
However, this also means that while the Yudao's Flora and Fauna are the most impressive and beautiful, they are also some of the most dangerous in all the world, as well - travelers must take care and be well-equipped to survive a foray into the Yudao's interior.
Natural Resources
As a rainforest, the Yudao is overflowing with natural resources - wood and water being the most plenty among them. However, since it has never really been developed by many successfully, its natural resources, though they might be plenty, yet lie undiscovered by most, aside from one - its ruins.
The ruins of the Yudao Rainforest are what makes it so sought after by adventurers - promises of forgotten dungeons, lost hamlets, crumbling towers, and more that lie in the depths of the Yudao have tempted countless adventurers and explores over the centuries, some of which have even attempted to establish frontier towns...though these adventurers almost never return intact, if at all.
History
Just as the trees of the Yudao Rainforest have hundreds of years of history encoded in their trunk rings, so too does the Rainforest itself have a long and storied history - it has long been a home to the continent's most xenophobic and barbaric tribes furthest from Civilization's reaches, and many thousands of years ago, during the Age of Apostasy, it was the seat of power for the Tyrant Cao Lu, and his capital Ssarizzax - built by his High Lamia honor guards and the barbaric tribes beneath his banner in his honor.
Ever since Cao Lu's death and the collapse of his empire, however, the Rainforest has returned to being an untamed, barbaric wellspring of biodiversity - the temples, villages, and ruins left by Cao Lu and his servants slowly reclaimed by the rainforest's vines and trees over the centuries. Countless have come to settle the Yudao over the centuries, as well - ruins of these ill-fated efforts can be found all across the Rainforest, as can other, more ancient and supernatural ruins - places where the worlds beyond The Material hold great power over the land.
Alternative Name(s)
The Yudao, The Life-Wood, The Lifewode, The Great Green Frontier, The Adventurer's Afterlife
Type
Forest, Jungle (Tropical)
Included Locations
Related Myths
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