Flatstone Forest

Flatstone Forest is an old growth forest within the borders of Dis.  It is famous for being one of the largest contiguous Wildlands regions in the known world.  Despite this, it is known for people to make their way into the forest, seeking out things that potentially could be found nowhere else.   History     It is not possible yet to truly date the trees in Flatstone, but conservative estimates state that the area has been forested and emanating magic for at least 700 years or more.  There is historical record of a "flat stony expanse" in the area from a millennium prior, but whether or not that refers to the current location of the forest is not in consensus yet.     Flatstone Forest is given its name due to the unique ground structure underneath the trees: there is little ground cover, and most of the earth is covered by flat scales ofhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonalite.  The trees and other plant life either emerge from cracks in the stone, or seem to otherwise burst forth of their own strength.  As such, the land is largely smooth and easy to walk on, with the exceptions being the uneven cracks from which the stone can no longer connect itself.     Human settlement around and within the forest has never been largely populated or consistent.  In decades past, the forest's wild magic would spew forth great deals of monsters, which preyed upon any who would step on the stone.  The few communities which remain living in the forest have developed somewhat precarious methods of travelling and habitating, living in treehouses connected by rope bridges and ramps.  The communities there are generally recognized as having created the world's first elevator systems, in order to allow for easier access to the ground.     In the modern day, the number of beasts coming from the deeper forests have subsided, but not disappeared entirely.  Local superstition still prevents major logging work and settlement, but there is still a community of around 4,000 people that live within the direct vicinity of the forest.   Flora and Fauna     The most common type of tree in Flatstone Forest is the Cold Alder, with some specimens growing upwards of 45 feet tall.  However, the alders are dwarfed by the Empty Aeon tree, which are believed to have cracked the stone and allowed other plant life to grow.  The Empty Aeon has its name - and its nickname of "Dead Giant Tree" - due to its curious growth pattern: the trees seem to not sprout leaves at all until they stop growing.  This is not actually true, of course; in fact, the Empty Aeon tree has the smallest leaves in the world relative to its size.  In fact, it is common for an Aeon's millions of leaves to be mistaken for moss or lichen.  The Aeon's leaves are a common food source for people and herbivorous creatures within the forest.     The undergrowth of the forest is entirely dependent on the space granted by the trees.  In between the Alders and the Aeons are long lines of grasses and clovers sprouting from the cracks in the stone.  The local nickname for these lines of undergrowth are "tree trails."  Depending on the length of the stone cracks, the tree tails can sometimes be followed like a trail through portions of the woods.     Rain is not common in the forest's edges, but storm clouds can be observed pouring heavily in the middle of the forest, in between some of the largest Aeon trees.  It is believed by some scholars that there is a river network running underneath the stones which feeds the plant life, but that is only speculation at this time.     The most common animals seen in and around Flatstone Forest are the Snub Deer, known for its almost piglike snout; the Rain Monkey, the only common monkey species in the Southland, whose defense mechanism is a painfully strong spray of saliva; and the Arbfox, a species of fox who have the ability to walk alongside the edges of trees by digging its dewclaws into the bark.  Birds, specifically crows and owls, make their nests in the branches of the Empty Aeon tree.   When the Magic comes     Being a Wildland, Flatstone Forest has bouts of extreme magical output that change the landscape and summon grotesque monsters.  The beasts that emerge most often tend to the the forms of walking shadows, animalistic of humanoid shapes with sharp red eyes.  When these times come, the sound of the flatstone grinding against itself serves as a warning for any people within the vicinity.  The tree dwelling populations pull up their elevators and rely exclusively on their bridges for survival.  The beasts prowl the forest floor, seeking out any people which have their feet planted on the stone.     The stone on the forest floor will shift and change, as well.  This can lead to old cracks closing around the tree trunks, or new openings emerging elsewhere.  There are folk stories of people who tried to "trick" the shadowy beasts of the forest by walking inside of the cracks, only for their feet to be trapped by the moving stone.  It is believed that tracing all of the cracks can have some kind of magical effect, but there is no strong proof of any specific result or finding.   Local Culture     The closest major city to the Flatstone Forest is Grandin, the capital of Dis.  The royal family of Dis regularly send workers the thirty mile distance to harvest stone and lumber from the forest's edge, but the local communities are largely left undisturbed.     The people who live in and around Flatsone Forest either have small farms outside of the forest, or live in treetop villages.  Often these communities are subsistence farmers or fur hunters - the Arbfox in particular has a reputation for a luxurious pelt.  However, these communities are very particular about who they give aid to.  There is a local superstition that mistreatment of the forest or its natural resources causes the Magic to resurface sooner, and they will regularly give very specific warnings to interlopers as a method of preventative action.