Curse

Curse is the common name for a large, dense forest which covers approximately 38% of the Northern Continent, predominately filling the eastern coast, midlands, and southern regions.

Origin of the Name
The name Curse (sepe-ni-e in Miranen, literally the person of ill will) comes from folktales and rumors that have built up in the villages and cities that lie around the outer borders of the forest. The forest itself is incredibly dense, with sparse patches limited to the interior. When combined with unique phenomena that occur around the forest (such as the perpetual rain, described below), it provides an atmosphere of mystery that lends itself well to both children's stories and urban legends.

Popular folklore states that the forest itself is cursed and will pass the curse along to anyone who dares to enter. The menace of this particular legend is less than effective since Curse is home to a large number of individuals and communities.

Ecology and Climates
The forest is home to thousands of species of plants, animals, invertebrates, and fungi. With its broad reach across the Northern Continent, the variety changes along with the climate and location. However, Curse is unique in that it also maintains its own microclimates.

These microclimates are found in isolated regions that are often located near the sites of ancient plant-related die-offs, usually from disease. As a direct reaction to the pestilence, the forest tends to build dense layers of plant life that seal away sections of the forest to protect it from succumbing to the same. While the majority of Miranen people consider all of Curse to be the same region, the majuyue of the Order of Scripts refer to these areas as himere, or "lonely people."

The most well known of these himere is one of the largest, located roughly eight miles outside of Mi-Fe Cie. Within this particular section of the forest, the density of the plant life and abundant water from naturally occurring springs and rivers have combined to give the illusion of perpetual rain. In reality, geothermal warmth causes moisture to evaporate at a swift rate in some areas of the himere. This water condenses quickly as it rises, gathering on the leaves and trunks of the trees and foliage before falling back to the ground. So much water passes through this section of Curse that springs originating within the forest flow all the way into Mi-Fe Cie itself.

Habitation
With the forest covering such a large portion of the Northern Continent, it is only natural that some populations would look to Curse as a source of shelter. The Order of Scripts accounts for the most notable establishments within the borders of the forest. There are 41 separate Order shrines spread throughout Curse. Many of these are attached to villages made up primarily of mishu and shan, something firmly denied by the Council of Leaders.