Description:

Iluq forest is a large and terribly expansive place packed to the brim with trees and foliage during most of the year. Hunting here is plentiful but dangerous as such a densely packed forest can make pursuing prey difficult at best and the terrain's tendency for blind turns and sudden drops means a wrong step can go terribly, terribly wrong. This is a vastly varied and often quickly changing place, moving and shifting as if it has a mind of its own.
The Iluq forest is where the elusive Freki and her nomadic pack lives, traveling from one nest to another all year long and taking advantage of the night to hunt. Travelers and hunters alike brave the forest in an attempt to better understand the supposedly magical nature of the place, but more often than not they end up finding things they really shouldn't be messing with. Benjamin Nakamuro has been a long-time advocate of the forest, often calling out and making an example of travelers' and campers' poor mistakes to ensure that the public remains aware of Iluq's dangers.

Landmarks:

• The Breathing Hills - A high-altitude area of the forest where there are apparent underground cavities. The wind blows through these cavities at lower altitudes, creating intense pressure underground. The result is that the soft topsoil moves in the higher part of the forest, creating the apparent "breathing" of the hills.
• Freki's Rest - A series of massive sandstone pillars clustered in a particular area of the woods. Only a few small pine trees are able to grow atop some of the rock formations. It is apparent that these landmarks were carved by water in the area thousands and thousands of years prior. They are difficult to climb with nearly vertical faces, but a skilled Tokota or climber could manage with significant effort.
• The Split - One of the many caverns and gulches in the Iluq Forest is identified only as "the Split." It is estimated to be at least 50 yards across and 300 yards long, though it is estimated to grow a few inches every year as soil erosion is constantly making the gorge bigger. The Split is identifiable by both its size and the fact that it is filled with a thick layer of fog. The bottom cannot be seen from the lip of the cavern, and few dare to venture further than 20 feet below the surface level.

Lore:

There is said to be small entrances to a sprawling underground cave network dotting the region that have no mapped locations or set order of appearance. Falling into one of these small openings usually sees the person or thing never coming back. Likely due to the fact that many of these holes run all the way down to the water table.

Vibrating with life energy is a common way that locals describe the place. While not outright hostile, it's more...spiritually crowded and residents can find themselves rubbing elbows with natural magic more than they'd like to deal with. It's made a career out of magically oriented beings taking up the job of monitoring and dealing with such conflicts. And there's never a shortage or work or job openings for that matter.

This can certainly be a locals-only place. New travelers are better in groups because you can and will get lost here and good luck trying to read a map. Even the locals have to stick to well-worn and defined routes, often marked in traditional migrations, to avoid becoming a sad little statistic. Also, bring a rifle and plenty of ammo. Moose are numerous here and very, very bold. Don't feed them.

This region is right within view of the south side of the Tartoks and lacks that place's terrible weather. Instead, the forest tends to stay very prosperous and supportive of life due to huge groves of evergreens which ends up drawing in bigger and bigger prey as the year drags on. While it certainly does get cold, it's somehow much more tolerable when not dealing with bare rocks and sticks in place of trees. However, such a huge population makes for a lot of...living energy. Perhaps that explains the forest's supposed ability to shapeshift at a moment's notice?

Original location inspiration by Storm-Blue and Lachtaube
Location art by Lightningspam