Zalrel Ancient Forest

Place

Place Name:

Zalrel Ancient Forest

Biome:

Ancient Forest

Size:

Unknown

Continent:

Unknown

Subcontinent

Unknown

Geography

Around the forest lay fields as far as the eyes can see, mountains that reach above cloud level and there were rumors of great beasts that live within the deep depths, rumors that if you climbed all the way to the top of one mountain you’d reach the stars and the planets above. Within the fields lay lakes and below the lakes lay even more stories as that is the nature of being alive, is it not? Creating story after story over what we can see, passing it along for someone else to be fascinated by. The stories of these places lay nestled deep within the very existence of towns and cities, folklore but for an entire world of people.

A traveler from one place singing a drunken song about the monster of the Yakr Swamps or the hushed tale of the Zalrel Hound over a candlelight within the night. Such a beautiful existence in these dark ages. Despite the age of this forest it still holds its beauty and enchanting nature, the vibrant green leaves of the trees contrasting against the darker grass make it seem like it has a natural glow, with low-hanging leaves that have can grow down to touch the floor, vines covering the trees and roots growing up out of the ground- the years taken for the life of this forest to behave in such a manner is truly phenomenal when considered.

Within the forest it is possible to find caves hidden behind overgrown leaves from the trees, within the caves though you do need to be careful- the zu'aan that once lived in the now-overgrown city would avoid going into them due to the risk of being crushed by falling debris or even just falling to their deaths due to the sudden drops and how unsteady most of the ground is. In the fields surrounding the forestry, there are dips in the land that are caused by ruptures in the ground- these can go into cave systems but can also just be crater-like holes within the ground, the bottom of these ruptures are usually sharp and pointed rock formations which can cause impalement if any being were to fall down into them.

In the forestry, there are a few lakes dotted around the place- some with old, broken docks and some completely untouched due to that part of the forest not being explored. Roughly 80% of the forest has been fully discovered however as it is so large overall and rather dangerous to go through, even with the current knowledge on life within some things may still lie undiscovered. As stated, the forestry stretches for miles upon miles with the trees usually above 20ft tall. Most of the cave systems within the forest intertwine and overlap, it’s incredibly easy to get lost within them if you even manage to survive long enough to explore that much.

There are relics of lost mines and even the bones of some zu'aan who tried to explore the depths, lost gemstones and precious jewels can be chipped away from the cave walls- mine at your own risk though, one wrong move and you’ll be crushed beneath stone and rocks.

Plants

The native berry of the forest is called jitur, for zu'aan they have a natural calming effect, the berries are bright orange in colour and hang onto trees with vines. Unfortunately there is a berry that mimics the look of the Jitur and can be distinguished by the one red spot on the very bottom of the berry, these mimics are known as Hua-Hina. The first effects of the hua-hina are a light-headedness to the being that has ingested them, then a growing pain in the stomach. By one day passing post-ingestion the being will be in a state of paralysis and within a few hours of that state the being that ingested it will have died by a very slow and painful poisoning.

Kra’ni, a poisonous fruit that hangs down from the trees will beckon out to any travelers that may find themselves in need of something refreshing whilst moving through the twists and turns of the forest itself. The kra’ni is a light blue coloured, round and smooth fruit and after only three hours post-ingestion the being that ate it will have thrown up blood and will have died from their normal bodily systems shutting down. Vrino-ta is a prickly, thick bush leaf that has a healing property- they’re very difficult to find and are usually one of the key things that are looked for when entering the forest.

They have a thick outer-layer which is used as protection against possible predators for the plant, inside is a thick and sticky substance which can be both digested (usually through soup or hot beverages) or can be placed directly onto wounds. Vrinto-ta both eases pain and also prevents infection on wounds and can also prevent or cure nausea for short amounts of time. Yrin is a thick green and blue mixed vine that hangs from the forest trees, usually it is seen with different berries and fruits attached to it like the ones mentioned- they can be harvested and used as a strong rope and are found in abundance all across the land.

Most of the edible plant life attaches itself to the vines, making it easy for the animal life within the forest to eat it. Another plant is one that acts as sort of a trapper for animals or even zu'aan- it looks like a green bush with purple berries on it, though once the berries begin being picked and/or eaten, it releases a toxin into the air that will promptly start to swell the throat of whatever it is that comes into contact with it, upon death it will start to slowly grow out vines that will dig into the dead being.

The rarest plant of all though is the acia fruit- a small fruit that is found within the caves of the forest making it difficult to reach for anyone who is looking for it. The acia fruit is a sweet-tasting natural energy boosting fruit and is said to have benefits on both health and life expectancy for zu'aan. The outside of the fruit is an ombre of orange and yellow with a sort of fuzz to it and small, pink dots all around it- on the inside, it’s a bright white with flecks of green, an odd contrast.

Animals

Rumor has it that there’s a hound that lurks within the depths, its fur is said to be softer than any material ever thought to have existed, though within the pleasantries that the outside appearance of the being is welcoming and seemingly harmless, the jaws of the beast open up into three splits, the flesh on the inside of its maw pulsating as it does its best to devour any trespasser whole. The fur on the beast is said to be a mix of a dark green and black, eyes that are bright yellow and they seem to glow within the dark. This creature has impressive hearing, able to hear a single branch snap from 200ft away from itself, though its vision is slightly impaired.

Its claws can cut through flesh easily and its jaw strength can bite through bones if it so wishes or well, that’s what witnesses of such a creature say.There’s many stories of what you may find within this forest, new and old. Stories from before the new dark age began and stories of the aftermath and what new fresh hell was released upon the area once all life had finally grown back. Not one traveler that has entered this forest ever wishes to go back, each one with a story worse than the last. A tale told by a sole survivor out of a whole army or maybe a story told by a woman who was once just exploring as a child, only to still be left horrified years later.

There is life where there is also death within this forest. For its beauty, there are boundless monsters that ache to protect what has become their home, a sanctuary where they will no longer be the hunted but the hunters. Other predators include minor feline-reminiscent beings called the orikantu- they’re rather harmless to kin’toni and zu'aan- they have dark purple slick fur and are often found laying on the thick branches of the trees, their usual prey include the smaller bird life such as the Rituana, small birds that are flightless but fast, they’re non-predatory and feed on the native berry of the forest.

Bird life in the forest is thriving, with more birds flocking to the abundance of trees to make their homes in there is always something new to see, like the eurkrya- with a wingspan of 10ft these magnificent creatures have a mixture of green, blue and red feathers across its body, with a single black spot on its black beak. Their eyes are a dark black and they are most known for hunting at night, being excellent hunters of smaller animals and they always are seen in groups of four or more. Located in the caves around the forest is the extremely dangerou ber’it- a fur covered, 7ft tall animal that usually walks on all fours but can be seen standing to reach to any prey or fruit that might be higher up.

They have retractable claws and usually use them to rip over prey or thick-skinned fruit.

Historical Timeline of Ages

Age Name	Dates	Controller
Stone Age	Before 1E 0	Unknown
Copper Age	1E 1–1E 2200	Unknown
Bronze Age	1E 2200–1E 4400	Unknown
Iron Age	2E 0–2E 700	Unknown
Ancient Age	2E 700–2E 2200	Unknown
Middle Age	3E 0–3E 2050	Unknown
Early Modern Age	3E 2050–3E 2600	Unknown
Industrial Age	3E 2600–3E 2700	Unknown
Machine Age	3E 2700–3E 2800	Unknown
Atomic Age	3E 2800–3E 2850	Unknown
Space Age	3E 2850–3E 2875	Unknown
Information Age	3E 2875–3E 2900	Unknown
Genetic Age	3E 2950–3E 3000	Unknown
Awakening Age	3E 3000–3E 3415	Unknown
Twilight Age	4E 0–4E 500	Uskaw Kin'toni Clan

Place

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Zalrel Ancient Forest

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This article is written by adekha. Copyright 2026 adekha. All rights reserved.