Description:

The Starfall Expanse was created several hundred years ago when a meteor combusted 2 to 5 miles above the surface of the earth. The explosion flattened over two hundred square miles of forest habitat. The debris from the celestial object has soured the earth and preserved its destruction through near-instantaneous petrification. While it can be used to cut down travel time significantly to certain destinations it is strongly cautioned against.

Landmarks:

• Star’s Eye Lake - At the heart of the impact, the lake is less than a quarter-mile in diameter but a staggering 150 feet at its deepest point. The green waters can be described as perfectly serene. Not surprising given that the water is unlivable and undrinkable. On clear nights it reflects the heavens like a mirror. Particularly strange lights (distinctively different from the aurora borealis) can be seen overhead occasionally.
• Devil’s Scar - Once a lake that vaporized upon impact. All that’s left now is the bed, cracked and dry as a bone. The ominous title was bestowed upon the location because it is littered with the remains of hundreds of thousands of animals that were present during the impact. Dust and debris in the air caused widespread cases of silicosis (a disease caused by inhaling crystalline silica dust that destroys the lungs). Animals flocked to the once lake in an attempt to alleviate their symptoms only to find the bed dry. Too unwell to leave, animals died en masse leaving behind warped bones (another side effect of silicosis). Similar die-offs have been observed post volcanic eruption. The dust is still considered a danger to tokotas and humans alike and both are advised to avoid the area.
• The Flat Woods - A general name for the area within the Starfall Expanse. Trees that weren’t vaporized on impact were flattened. The dust that coated them along with cold temperatures and few surviving detritivores preserved the fallen trees. One could walk for miles across millions of downed logs. The air in the area is described as perpetually grey and staying too long in the area can prove hazardous to one's health.

Lore:

The land was pronounced damned after the meteor strike took place several hundred years ago. Very few living souls have dared entered since. It is a common belief that vengeful souls roam the area.

There is a never-ending supply of stories and rumors pouring out of the region. Tales of hearing the howls of bygone tokotas in the Devil’s Scar are a common one. Another is to see black forms moving across the fallen timber only to vanish from sight. More outlandish rumors surround the Star’s Eye area where it is said gazing into the water on the nights when the lights appear in the sky will grant anything from great powers to grave misfortune.

Occasionally, one can catch wind of stories about meeting strangers in the Starfall Expanse only to have them disappear without warning when one’s back is turned. Some even claim these encounters to be with people they have known or know.

Warnings are more grounded in truth. Avoid upsetting the dust and inhaling it serves the practical purpose of preserving one’s lungs. Overall traveling around the area is the best suggestion one can give.

Original location inspiration by Clockrobber
Location art by USERNAME