Xarlaitelan Wooded Hills

Place

Place Name:

Xarlaitelan Wooded Hills

Biome:

Wooded Hills

Size:

1220 km2

Continent:

Unknown

Subcontinent

Unknown

Geography

The hills are in the region known as Raskia. The geography of the Xarlaitelan Wooded Hills is very similar to that of the other Raskian forests. It is very hilly, with lots of trees. The land is fertile, allowing for a great deal of plant and animal life. You can look up a more detailed description in the book "Raskian Wildlife." There are two major cities in this area, each belonging to one of the zu'aan factions near the forest: One is Terrallia, belonging to the Felkan Kingdom. The other is Astande, belonging to the Kingdom of New Dessel. They exist at opposite ends of the forested hills.

The middle is controlled, of course, by the Larale Kin'toni Clan. The only other city of note is the small abandoned town of Sinkhole. It was once a bustling mining town, but its mines were abandoned when they ran out. However, it's still worth noting because it is the closest settlement to where the nomads make their camp. The nomad’s camp is actually quite large and has many tents. It isn't a permanent settlement. It moves around within a certain range, but never too far away from the forests, mountains, and plains where they can find the best grazing lands for their horses.

A few paths cut through the forest, but for the most part the kin'toni do a good job of keeping people from getting too much into their lands. There are, of course, stories of travelers who foolishly decided to cut through the forest and got themselves lost. Some of them were found months later, raving about green-skinned fairy folk. Nothing but hallucinations from lack of food and water, and probably the sight of some fireflies. The burned part of the forest is to the south. These are the remains of the great fire of the Parunas season.

For a while, it looked like the whole forest was going to burn, but the fire suddenly petered out before too much damage was done. Still, the dry trees and the hot weather made it the perfect conditions for a wildfire, so it is always wise to be careful with open flames in this time of year. To the east lies the Arat border. The Arat Desert isn't that far and one can see sandstorms billowing from it. There is no major threat from Arat, but there is still some petty banditry that goes on. It's not unlikely to find wandering Aratians looking for things to steal.

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much there. Arat bandits, even the ones that are relatively prosperous, are a very poor people. That is why they flock to the Forest in the search of better trade routes to raid. Some of them are disguised kin’toni, but most of them are regular zu’aan. They can be distinguished by their plain white clothes, which they use customarily to keep out the heat generated by the white sun of the desert. They keep these clothes even while hiding in the forests, as they normally can’t make or find new ones.

Plants

The variety of plant species in the Xarlaitelan Wooded Hills is actually quite impressive, and has attracted the interest of investigators from not just Rask, but also the southern Nalin province and even distant Telis. There are plants that can kill you with a single touch, plants that can cure disease, plants that provide tasty snacks, and plants that can turn a boring evening into one of revelry and frenzy. The possibilities are endless thanks to the very fertile ground rich in minerals. This is most likely due to the large deposit of xarlite in the nearby mountains.

The most fascinating part of the wooded hills are the rafi-hy trees. Though there are a wide variety of tree types here that exhibit exceptional qualities, none are as fascinating as the rafi-hy trees. Rafi-hy trees can reach as high as ten or even twenty feet and appear to be completely normal on the outside. But inside of their trunks, whole microbiomas abound in strange bioluminiscent bacteria. The glowing is most prominent in the spring when the tree is putting out new buds, which is also when the trees are most poisonous. The bacteria are nearly always fatal when ingested or inhaled.

And even cause severe rashes and vomiting if touched directly. The bacteria is otherwise indifferent to other forms of life and will not attack or defend themselves in any way. The trees can be harvested for their xarlite as usual with only minor protective gear. The other major hazards in the wooded hills are the dopari ground algae. These algae, unlike their aquatic cousins, grow vertically on the ground. They are considered tasty snacks by many of the creatures here and are used as bait by many hunters. Though tasty, they are completely fatal if eaten without due preparation.

However, some creatures have built up an immunity to it over the years and even seek it out for its hallucinogenic effects when ingested. The dopari algae seem completely immune to the poison of the Rafi-hy trees and have been known to happily grow underneath them at night. Another famous kind of tree native to the forest is the Tarlami Cedar. These trees are very tall evergreens with dark purplish wood and long, flexible branches. They have a reputation of being wise and are often sought out for "advice" by shamans, who claim to hear voices from them when under hallucinogen smokes.

They have a tendency to lean slightly eastward towards the Arat province. This is because they seek the morning sun, that rises in the East. They thus grow East slowly over the years, but obviously never quite seem to reach the sun. Small flowers called the franollas are a prized decoration of the tarlami. They have six white petals and a yellow center and grow in a cluster at the top of each branch. The trees bloom twice a year, once in spring and once late in the fall. The wood of the cedar is strong, flexible, and aromatic. It is often used to make bows for hunters or violins for bards.

It can also be carved into totem poles by the natives.

Animals

The animals of the Xarlaitelan Wooded Hills are mostly silent and brisk. They have crepuscular habits and prefer to spend the day sleeping. The forests are also full of insects, such as ya'i and okth which provide plenty of background noise. The two major predators at least one can find here are the garalatu and the ashumari. The garalatu is a large omnivorous mammal that lives among the caverns of the wooded hills. While omnivorous, they prefer to feast upon berries and fruits when they can get them.

They're usually content to live alone but can also be found living in small groups of two or three. They grow to a length of nine or ten feet and can weigh up to a ton. They have a life span of around 40 years. The ashumari is a very large serpent with three heads. It is very long, growing to a length of over twenty feet with a diameter of half a feet. It weighs about 500 kilograms as an adult, but few reach this stage. It has a life span of around 50 years at most. The serpent prefers to spend most of its time underground, eating small rocks and minerals in order to support its large size.

It resides primarily in underground caverns and only surfaces to migrate to other parts of the hills or to hunt. Each head hunts differently, with one preferring smaller prey, one larger, and one preferring mineral deposits. They have no eyes whatsoever but instead "see" using their venom which is laced with a mild form of sound-sensitive bacteria that gives them a sort of radar vision. It can sense prey tens of feet away, even through solid rock. It typically eats small mammals, reptiles, and birds but can also eat zu'aan. It usually eats once every two weeks.

Its skin is very tough and flexible, being layered with scales that overlap. Its teeth are relatively weak, more adapted for holding prey than killing it. It can go up to a month without food, depending on its size. The serpent is vulnerable only in the soft underside near the jaw. Amongst the smaller mammals in the forest, the yurana should be mentioned. The yurana is a small omnivore found commonly in the hills. It is around the size of a cat and has a life span of around 10 years. It has a short tail and whiskers, and long furry ears that can rotate independently of each other.

It has a strong sense of smell to help it find food, and sharp claws for scaling trees. It prefers to live in trees, eating leaves and fruits. It can jump from tree to tree using its claws as third point of contact. Kerutas are also a fixture of the wooded hills. Keruta is a small herbivore found commonly in the sharpest peaks of the hills. It is around the size of a goat and has a long tail that it uses as a balance. The keruta prefers to live among rocks and boulders, and can often be found sunbathing on them. It eats any vegetation it can find, but has a special preference for rock moss.

As such, it often lacks bodily coloration, instead being a dull brown or grey. Despite this rather boring appearance, the Keruta is sadly hunted, despite being inoffensive to the Zu’aan. The reason is its fur is valued to make winter coats and camouflage.

Place

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Xarlaitelan Wooded Hills

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This article is written by Anima U. Copyright 2026 Anima U. All rights reserved.