Fifth of Trees

The Fifth of Trees.

The Fifth of Trees is a large forested region, said to cover one-fifth of the land. It is located in the northern part of a large continent, bridging the populated landmass to the desolate polar region. It spans temperate and boreal zones and borders mountain ranges, two oceans, and the highlands of Belegon.

It is composed of nine characteristic regions. The established boundaries of the forest regions are features of the geography of the Fifth of Trees. They are somewhat analogous to defended political zones of control in some regions, though much of the region is not centrally governed by anyone.

Geography

Most of the territory of the Fifth of Trees is a vast and nearly contiguous temperate forest. Other significant zones include the taiga of the Wild Dark and the four notable lakes.

Regions

The Fifth of Trees is divided into nine major Forest Regions:

• Old Forest
• Western Wood
• Southern Forest
• Edilyn Forest
• Gray Forest
• The Wild Dark
• Great Corthan Wood
• The Northwoods
• New Forest

Topography

The wooded region begins in the south at Talkyra Canyon and extends north to the edge of the inhospitable polar region. Elevation tends to increase toward the north and west in the region. The overall altitude of the entire region is high. It meets the sea at tall cliffs and has no ocean ports or access to the ocean from its waterways.

Features

• Mount Heinor, in the Gray Forest
• Talkyra Canyon

Waterways

Rivers

The Fifth of Trees has two major rivers:

• The Sarena courses through the Edilyn Forest into the Great Corthan Wood, terminating at Aina. It historically formed the southern border of the Edilyn state, which is now defined by Lake Bala. It is the longer of the two major rivers. It is the namesake of Satesarena.
• The Heynan begins at Lake Taddan, near the Corthan city of Dèa, and runs southeast toward the Corthan Spring. Although shorter, it carries significantly more water than the Sarena and is both wider and deeper on average. It terminates at the entrance of the Spring, which also has outlets into the Underground River, forming a major source of that waterway.

Other Waterways

• The Bell, variably referred to as a river and a creek, courses the Western Wood, and is the namesake of the village of Bellwy.

Lakes

The region contains four lakes of significance:

• Lake Bala, which lies between the Edilyn and Southern Forests, with its westernmost extent within the Western Wood;
• Aina, the smallest major lake, located in the western part of the Great Corthan Wood;
• Great Lake Taddan, a vast lake mostly between Edilyn and the Northwoods. It contains an island that is part of the Edilyn Forest. Part of its southeastern section, including the mouth of the Heynan River, is located in the Great Corthan Wood.
• The Corthan Spring is a reservoir-turned-lake in the Great Corthan Wood.

Population

The Fifth of Trees is home to diverse and well-established human communities as well as a multitude of wildlife and other creatures. The major population centers are mostly clusterd in a wide band stretching across the south-central area along the region's two major rivers.