Difference between revisions of "Tolmeshal forest"

Revision as of 18:04, 12 December 2009

Danger: normal
Sub zones: Safe Harbor, Fairy pond
Inhabitants: nagas, kensha beasts, fairies, dryads, echydins, noghdongs, podmaws, arboreal frogs, starkala bugs, canopy pantaurs, duikers, glouteux, spine Beetles, drakewillow nexolts, mumansis, bugle lizards, dridders, boom bees, black skin-divers

The name Tolmeshal comes from the Sagolian "Tol-Mesh-al". The signification is uncertain, but some believe it means "the hungry forest". This name is rarely used anymore though. Most people would simply refer to it as "the middle forest", as it's situated roughly in the center of most Felarya maps.

Tolmeshal forest is an immense jungle area sprawling from the west of Ur-Sagol and the foothills of Frost peak, to the Forest of whispers, and to the Ascarlin mountains in the south, as well as the Grove of carnivorous plants. It's also believed Miragia forest was part of Tolmeshal, before an accident turned it into what it is now. It's crossed by the Shard river and includes the Giant tree as well.

Tolmeshal forest is your typical Felaryan jungle. It's a beautiful and thick, lush jungle, teeming with life. The atmosphere is hot and humid. Some trees grow to truly gigantic size, dwarfing their surroundings, and stretching majestically toward the sky. It's common to see thick vegetation grow on these behemoths, even smaller trees sometimes ! It's quite possible to navigate and find your way on those giant branches, hundreds of feet above the ground. You need to have sure footing though, as the slightest slip can be fatal, and to watch out for canopy predators, such as arboreal frogs or pantaurs. The jungle floor is much more shadowy and damp, and while you don't risk falling to your death here, sometimes the vegetation will turn into an impenetrable wall of vines and poisonous creepers.

Tolmeshal forest is as deadly as it is beautiful. It is inhabited by a large variety of hostile beasts and giant predators, more than ready to catch and gobble up any unaware adventurer. It's a dangerous and predatory world, full of subterfuge and camouflage. Nothing is as it appears. A large, bright, beautiful flower could reveal itself to be a deadly trap, and what look like a quiet cave could be the hungry mouth of a dryad lying in wait. You can’t sit down without running the risk that something big and hungry will find you, and during the night, the place becomes even more frightening, full of strange, scary sounds and even deadlier creatures. It takes lot of courage and determination indeed, to venture deep into the jungles of Felarya.

Fairy pond

Danger : Hazardous
Inhabitants : fairies, dryads, echydins, doormat plants, mermaids

Situated in the eastern part of Tolmeshal forest, the fairy pond is one of the wonders of Felarya. The ground is covered by bluish grass and beautiful flowers, and the air is filled with their intense aroma. The pond itself is of the purest water and the sound of the nearby waterfall is relaxing. This place is truly enchanting and you could lose yourself in contemplation for hours.

However, the water is magically enhanced in more ways than one. One of the magical enchantments is that of purity, as the water stays totally pure. If you were covered in mud and took a bath here, the water wouldn't become even the slightest bit murkier, nor would it become even a tiny bit less clean. Another magical enchantment is an enchantment against drowning, which has been in place since a day long since past when a mournful fairy enchantress cast the enchantment over the waters to ensure no one else would ever drown in it like her daughter had. The last and most interesting enchantment is an enchantment of size changing. The waters of the pond will instantly shrink any human or neko who touches it to a height of three inches... providing an easy and quickly replenishing source of food for the numerous fairies who dwell here.

The whole area is saturated with magic, making it very pleasant and refreshing for magical beings. Along with the fairies, a few dryads live here, and sometimes mermaids from the adjacent Shard river come to visit as well. Besides being relaxing and a great hunting ground, this place acts as a safe haven. The neighboring areas have been overrun by insects, the main danger for fairies in Felarya since most insects have strong anti-magic abilities. However, the pond keeps them away.

Safe Harbor

Danger: normal
Inhabitants: Under construction

descript

Safe Harbor is the name of a small settlement in the Tolmeshal forest. The small place was founded by a handful of human settlers and the giantess Jade. During the first months on Felarya, Jade began to wander through the world and tried to protect every human who was in danger, her goal was to ensure that no human would have to fear of becoming the meal of some bigger creatures. The first time Jade was able to help many humans, nekos and other smaller races but soon she had to accept, that Felarya was many times bigger than she thought and that she would never be able to protect every human on this world, beside this her actions against the inhabitants became more and more dangerous for her.

After Jade rescued a group of vagabonds, she accompanied them for a while and told them more about her goals and her plans, these humans were the first one who suggested her to give up her never ending task and founding a fix place where humans and other small creatures could be safe; a Harbor were they could live in safety … the idea of Safe Harbor was born.

During the next months she and the group of humans began to search for a good place until they could find a place on a bigger glade in the middle of the Tolmeshal forest, not too far away from the Great Tree. This location had some special reasons; first the Giant Tree was close and Jade knew that the two Nagas Anna and Crisis wouldn't be any danger for the inhabitants of Safe Harbor. Another reason was that the cave of Jades friend, the giantess Jora, wasn't too far away. At least Safe Harbor was close to a side canal of the Silver-River, the best circumstances to create a new settlement here.

The Vagabonds began to build up the first houses for their own and with time more and more humans heard of the small village and also those who were rescued by Jade often decided to stay in safety before they would try to survive in the wilderness of Felarya. The first time many predators tried to attack the village, they just saw Safe Harbor as a free buffet but Jade defended the inhabitants every time and showed the local predator that nobody should even think about eating those inhabitants.

Today Safe Harbor is more than a simple place where some huts and houses are built up, it became a fix part of Felarya and even in Negav the place is known. From time to time the inhabitants are traveling to Negav to trade with some gods but the most supplies they get by their own during hunting and crafting, which made Safe Harbor extremely independent from the rest of Felarya. Also the local predators have given up attacking the settlement, the brutal giantess that protected it was a too hard enemy and everybody knew that another giantess was living close to her, so there was no need for more troubles.

• credits to Ravana3k for the Safe harbor idea, and to Servomoore for some ideas to develop the fairy pond.