[[:Template:Forest of Myr]]
Forest of Myr
The Forest of Myr is the last true remnant of the greatest forest on Ta Los: Farithik. Perhaps the greatest forest that Ta Los has ever seen was the forest of Farithik. It expanded through the central portion of modern Southern Realms, from the shores of the Ithangar Sea to the shores of the Sea of Magnara and from the modern day Desaryn Mountains to the Meminak Mountains. It was home to hundreds of new and growing creatures from the mighty centaur to giant-kin. It was very dense in many areas and thinly spread with great oaks, tall pines, and spindly tall white aspens in others. Due to drying conditions, unparalleled activity of demons and fiends, and the numerous wars that the great forest saw, it has slowly been reduced into a savanna-like environment with sparse copse of trees separated by a sea of grass, brush and bush.
All that remains of this once great forest is the Forest of Myr. Situated between the Tuurith Nyg Mountains and the Kazhar Mountains, it is the only great true forest left in the south. Here the forest is dense, packed with great oaks, tall pines and red alder. Its floor is covered with ferns of all types, along with a host of other temperate rain forest plants. Because of its proximity to the Sea of Ithangar the forest is extremely wet as most of the cloud cover from the sea passes between the two mountain ranges. Its temperatures range from low 30s in the winter to over 90 in the height of summers heat. The forest is so densely packed in regions that the canopy is intertwined to such a degree that some areas are incredibly dark, even in the brightest days. The canopy and the clinging vines are innocuous and hide greater dangers such as green fungus, man trappers, and many colonies of manchu creepers. There are a great number of animals, monsters and insects to be found through out the forest. Ranging from jaguars, boar, brown and black bears, deer, elk and wild buffalo, to giant sized insects. Towards the Kazhar Mountains there is a known infestation of giant and colossal spiders that are known to hunt the mountains and the forest.
It is also home to the Ta’Jahu city of Qeturie Nal’T Valoth (City of Light) that was established by Myrth Via’Sylth for House Via’ Sylth and it is the only city of the Ta’Jahu so far west. It was originally founded as a military outpost in an effort monitor and observe the Southern Realms nations and their ongoing wars and battles with darkness and evil. It remained hidden in the forest for nearly 1,000 years before it was stumbled upon by a group of explorers investing rumors of and legends of undead living within the center of the forest.
The forest covers a series of hills that divide the forest into the eastern side and the western. These karst hills are notorious for their web of caves and tunnels that lead into the depths of the Tav Aeduhn and into realms controlled by fir darrig and aurox. This is known as the Realm of Durach and the Underhalls of Tharch Onych. They are responsible for the slave trade that plagues this region of the Southern Realms as well the numerous fiends and demons that make their way out of the dark below.
Where the forest meets the Sea of Ithangar there are numerous towns and villages along the western edge of the forest. Along its eastern border with the Empire of Rinsha Adynshra there are fewer towns as the forest holds a sense of fear to most in the Empire. Its northern side is home to several stand alone inns, some caravanserai and the hold largest town: ColdIron. This small frontier town sits along the Gheldhur River and the Kingsway Road south of the Tuurith Nyg Mountains and is slowly becoming a free-city between the Sea of Ithangar and the Empire of Rinsha Adynshra.
