The eastern forest of Avalon, covering the highlands where the kingdom approaches Dern and the Widebarrow Mountains. Unlike Avalon's other forests, Shorolyn has no special religious significance. It's simply woodland, harvested for timber and left wild where harvesting isn't practical.
Geography
Shorolyn Forest spreads across eastern Avalon's rising terrain, roughly 100 miles from the settled lowlands to the Dern border. The forest thickens and the trees grow shorter as elevation increases; the highest reaches are more scrubland than true forest.
The Honor Creek flows through Shorolyn's western portion, draining northeast from the main Honor River. Several smaller streams descend from the highlands, eventually feeding the same watershed.
Character
Shorolyn is working woodland. Logging operations claim the accessible portions, cutting timber that builds homes and ships across Avalon. The forest regrows; the operations are sustainable, managed by foresters trained in Promisewood who know how much can be taken without depleting the resource.
The interior remains wild, unprofitable rather than forbidden. The terrain is steep, the timber harder to extract, and there's plenty of easier wood closer to the settled areas. Wildlife thrives where the loggers don't reach: deer, boar, wolves, and the occasional bear.
Border Zone
Shorolyn's eastern edges approach Dern. The border is poorly defined; mountains don't follow straight lines, and neither does the forest. Dernish loggers sometimes work Shorolyn's eastern slopes; Avalonian hunters sometimes pursue game into Dern. Neither kingdom makes an issue of minor incursions.
The main road from Karahoroz to Dodi passes through a gap in the forest, following the easiest route between the kingdoms. Traffic is regular; Avalon and Dern maintain friendly relations, and trade benefits both.
Settlements
Several towns cluster around Shorolyn's edges:
- Karahoroz: The city on the forest's western edge, hub of eastern Avalon
- Civicvler, Sarihalliler, Kochisar: Towns in the northeast, near Honor Creek
- Yasyan, Taylilar: Towns on the forest's southern edge
The interior has no permanent settlements, just logging camps that move as operations shift.
Location
Shorolyn Forest fills eastern Avalon between the Honor River valley and the Dern border, roughly 50 miles east of Tarolin at its nearest point.
See Avalon for broader context.