VAST

Giants’ Wood—perhaps the most fitting name for any region throughout Karadas. To say the Giants’ Wood is vast would be an understatement. In fact, the woodland accounts for almost one tenth of the entire realm. At its widest point, it would take an experienced explorer at least six days to travel from one side of the woodland to the other. The trees stretch all the way from the gates of Tower Town to the shores of the Unfathomed Lake. Only the Crescent Peaks to the north and the Heart Mountains to the south keep the trees from spreading even further.

MYTH

Even today, some areas remain wholly unexplored. An eerie valley packed with ancient oaks at the northern periphery is one such location. Little wildlife can be found here, and an uneasy silence dominates the understory. Abandoned structures and settlements can be found throughout the Giants’ Wood, although the civilisations that created them vanished long ago. Many folk believe that actual, living giants were a common sight among the trees in the past, and it was these legendary creatures who raised the structures. Although the tales appear rather far-fetched, oversized bones and skulls exhumed from the ground certainly lend support to the idea of giants roaming the woodland once upon a time.

SPECTACULAR

The Celestial Halos close to the Crescent Peaks are considered to be one of the most striking relics anywhere in the realm. Here, an ancient race—perhaps even giants—created a mile-long walkway paved entirely in silver and gold tiles. Huge brass rings loom over the road, and an equally impressive canal runs alongside. Each ring is etched with curious runes. Vents cut into the metal allow the wind to pass through, giving rise to wondrous music. These alluring harmonies can be heard for miles around.

A highly unusual building method can also be found at the same location. Colossal trees alongside the canal rise to twice the height of any other trees found in the woods. This alone makes for an impressive spectacle. But even more startling are the enormous stone window slots and doorways fused directly into the massive trunks using some extraordinary, ancient sorcery. Regardless, the composite structures now stand abandoned and in severe disrepair.

CREATURES

As with any woodland, a wide variety of wildlife can be found living high in the branches, scurrying through the undergrowth, and flourishing in the many streams and rivers that criss-cross the forest floor. Many birds, reptiles, and insects are nothing out of the ordinary. Nonetheless, there are several strange and deadly creatures that you would definitely want to steer clear of.

Colossal turtles large enough to build a house upon lurk in secluded lagoons and marshes, and fuzzy black caterpillars brimming with toxic barbs grow to the size of marrows. Aggressive primates battle for domination among the treetops in unimaginable numbers, and carnivorous plants are not uncommon. One particular species—the Split Lurker—can easily snare an animal as large as a wild boar by releasing a poisonous mist. Hooked vines are used to drag the carcass down into a sludgy opening in the earth where a gaping, hungry mouth awaits.