Westwood

The Westwood is a large forest located in the kingdom of Navarene.

Background

Vast, lush, and green, the Westwood is a verdant forest dominating Navarene's coastline. It's known for the ancient redwoods that stretch taller than any trees in the Steadfast. One particular tree - simply known as the Emperor of Green - rises high above the rest. Twice as tall as any tree around it, the Emperor stands at almost 700 ft. It's clearly of a slightly different species than the other trees. Its trunk is more than 60 ft. in diameter at the base, and at seemingly random times in the year, a door appears at the north-facing side. It disappears again after an hour. Few, however, have reached the tree to look for it. Far fewer have seen, and if they have, they haven't returned to report what lies on the other side.

For long years, people feared the Westwood, calling it both impenetrable and dangerous. Rumors commonly spoke of ghosts and ravenous beasts dwelling within. The Westwood and its hungry spirits were part of the folklore all along the coast. But today the peopleof Navarene have claimed the forest for their own, determined to carve out safe roads to the coast and land for farms and towns. For their efforts, they've stirred an enemy - not the ghosts or tree spirits of legend, but the culovas. These creatures claim the majority of the Westwood for themselves and attempt to defend it against encroachment.

In the eastern edge of the Westwood you can find many mills that supply lumber to Navarene and the surrounding lands. Lumber is a major export for the country and is part of the kingdom's wealth. The wood - particularly the redwood - is highly prized.

A noble family, the Emols, owns and operates a huge, mobile machine that cuts down and processes trees at the same rate as a hundred loggers. Called the Dark Smoker for the greasy muck it belches into the air while it works, the machine is a jury-rigged mess, requiring a staff of mechanics to continually service and repair it to keep it operational. Repeated attacks by the culovas damage the rickety device frequently, but technicians and Nanos always manage to fix it. The current head of the family, Charina Emol, has placed a 10-shin bounty on the head of any culova brought to her.

Near the Westwood, you can also find a number of paper mills, particularly around the city of Harmuth.