The Black March

The Black March Forest is a volcanic forest region located east of the Cauldron, distinguished by its darkened soil and tree bark permanently blackened by drifting ash. Due to its extreme climate, the area is primarily inhabited by heat-adapted insects, lizards, and other resilient fauna. Average temperatures range between 40 and 50 °C, with heat levels rising sharply closer to the Cauldron’s rim.

The Black March Forest holds historical significance as the first recorded site of foreign creature incursions resulting from accidental Rifts. The earliest confirmed encounter, dated to 115 aS, involved several small entities later classified as “extraneous fauna.” Scholars widely attribute these Rift anomalies to unstable sphere-manipulation experiments conducted by Bo Yang within the Alchemist Guild.

Geography and Environment

The forest’s dense, char-stained canopy traps volcanic heat, creating an ecosystem adapted to perpetual warmth and low moisture. Periodic ashfalls from the Cauldron further alter the terrain, forming layers of soot that both enrich and choke local plant life.

The Black March Forest hosts a unique ecosystem shaped by extreme heat, ash deposition, and occasional Rift interference. Its flora and fauna have adapted to survive in temperatures that often reach 50 °C near the Cauldron.

Flora and Fauna

Flora:

• Ashwood Trees – Tall, blackened trees with char-resistant bark and sparse, waxy leaves that reduce water loss. Some specimens exude a sap that can ignite spontaneously under extreme heat.
• Embergrass – A low, resilient grass that glows faintly in the dark due to bioluminescent fungi living symbiotically on its roots.
• Sootshrooms – Mushrooms that grow in clusters on fallen trees and ash layers; some species release small flammable spores when disturbed.
• Cauldron Vines – Climbing plants that thrive near the crater rim, their thick, heat-absorbing stems often used by Juru to construct protective dwellings.

Fauna:

• Scorch Lizards – Reptiles with heat-resistant scales that reflect sunlight, capable of surviving near lava streams.
• Ashwing Insects – Large, winged insects with metallic-black exoskeletons that feed on Embergrass and are known to congregate in swarms during high heat periods.
• Magma Beetles – Hard-shelled beetles that tunnel through ash deposits and feed on mineral-rich soils near the Cauldron.
• Rift-born Creatures – Unstable, foreign fauna first observed in 115 aS. These beings vary greatly in form and often exhibit unpredictable behavior; their presence has shaped local predator-prey dynamics.

The forest’s extreme conditions and the occasional Rift incursions make it both a dangerous and scientifically valuable region, attracting scholars, Guild researchers, and adventurers seeking rare specimens or forgotten relics.

Places of Interest

• Melting Village – A Juru settlement located at the base of the Cauldron, known for its fire-hardened structures and its inhabitants’ extreme heat tolerance.
• Alchemist's Guild – A research complex specializing in volatile elemental experiments, including the sphere trials linked to early Rift events in the Black March Forest.
• Drago's Dungeon – A subterranean labyrinth beneath the eastern ridge, rumored to contain relics from before The Stranding. It is rumored that the Juru man Drago had built the whole building by himself.