Forest of Stone Towers

2022 Location Lore Event Entry
Author: DeafDragon

A massive rainforest covering structures of stone, towering towards the sky. Tall trees cover everything except for the towers which are covered by shorter rainforest trees. Nearly green everywhere except for pinnacles made of colorful stones. There are so many towers - the locals counted approximately 275 towers with some under debate to be counted as such. The heights reach an average of 330m with the tallest at 400m. The expanse of rainforest spreads beyond and underneath the towers towards the massive cavern which houses the cold churning lake where many rivers collide before heading to the ocean. Several towers house their own lakes which leads to constant twinkle of waterfalls. The majority of water comes from the rain that occurs very frequently as the total volume per year is incomparable, especially during monsoon season during which the cavern system is flooded to deadly levels. Along with year-round rain, the average temperature is to be at tropical levels of 27c to 30c. The underground lake has average temperatures of 18c to 25c. The flora are widely varied with notable instances being tall trees and gardens of various plants of colorful blooms. Even fruits and vegetables are widely varied. Fauna consists of mostly paradise birds, feline predators, gravity defying reptiles and goats, colorful amphibians, annoying insects, bountiful fish. The beautiful place is well maintained by a balanced ecosystem and a group of Shiji dedicated to caring for it.

The beautiful place is not without dangers: aside from the deadly monsoon season there are plants capable of feasting on fauna, animals with venom, insects with disease, and parasitic worms/bacteria. The majority are easily handled as Shiji are on sharp lookout for anything that brings harm with most of such dangers nearly wiped out, but they never guarantee such safety, even with such a high percentage of survival rate. At least, remedies are well known and easily prepared in case of such rarity to occur. The only exception is the monsoon flooding itself in which there are no remedies. Even during monsoon season, there are also strong winds that flying in is strongly advised against. There is also a season of intense sunlight in which the only danger is dehydration and hyperthermia.

Some of the pinnacles have artificial caverns inside where Shiji build their homes at safe height from the ground so as to avoid monsoon flooding. The stone is carefully carved and eroded to allow for safe residence while avoiding causing damage that could befall a tower upon one’s head. Though locally agreed that none shall live too high for such same worries and the dangers of winds and rain to erode too fast, but some pinnacles are wide enough to allow for carved walkways up to the very top, but most don’t bother using them as Shiji-Long can easily get up to top. Some pinnacles serve as a garden from top to bottom as the rain moisturizes the soils on its way down. Gardeners know to manage the water as they could shelter the garden from the worst of the rains from wiping away fruits of labor, especially during monsoon season. Some Shiji-Long here even hunt by going down to hunt/fish for food out of the various fauna, but it also does not prevent them from raising some animals for farming. Shiji named Ninema resides in one of the pinnacles.