Forest of Amtar

The Forest of Amtar (known as the Forest of Amlar to some Dambraii ) was a large forest in south Faerûn.

Geography
During the Era of Upheaval, the Forest of Amtar was about 400 miles (650 kilometers) long and roughly 150 miles (240 kilometers) at its widest point. Centuries and millennia before, it was much larger. After the Spellplague, the Underchasm swallowed a portion of the forest and surrounded it on the west, north, and northeast sides. The Gnollwatch Mountains formed the forest's southern border. The River Ammath had its headwaters in Amtar and flowed eastward out of the forest.

The Amtar Forest formed the northern border of the nation of Dambrath covering nearly half of its land area.

Geographical Features
Before the Spellplague, the Landrise cut into the northeastern part of the forest, but the cliffs ended before reaching the other side. The eastern part of the forest hid many stone ruins of past cities, built by human-sized inhabitants as well as giant-sized, that made for break-neck drops and break-ankle ditches covered by profuse undergrowth.

Description
This lush forest was extremely hot and humid, with temperatures typically above 90F (32C) even during the night, for most of the year. The majority of trees were suthwood which intertwined with each other to form nearly impenetrable barriers in the densest parts of the forest. Interspersed among the suth were tall shadowtops and slightly shorter pine trees, all towering over a thick underbrush made of ivy, climbing vines, and brambles like living, leafy spider webs clawing their way upward.

The canopy and reaching vines blocked most of the sunlight from reaching the ground, creating a green gloom in the understory. The floor of the forest was typically covered with dead leaves to a depth of at least a foot (thirty centimeters) that decomposed in the damp dark to form rich but smelly black soil.

While many of the vines that clung to the canopy were innocuous, the Forest of Amtar was riddled with choke creepers and had large populations of assassin vines and ropers as well. The constant heat and humidity made it a perfect habitat for crawling and flying insects, include giant beetles such as the giant rhinoceros beetle. Many species of snakes and lizards were at home in the Amtar, including giant varieties.

Many jungle mammals could also be found within the forest: jaguars, leopards, and tigers prowled the underbrush; wild boar were fairly common; monkeys, gorillas, and carnivorous apes made their home generally in the northern half of the forest, but packs of dire apes and girallons could be found wandering the entire Amtar.

Inhabitants
The Trunalor(or star people) were a small group of wild elves that lived in the southern center of the forest.

Several groups of organized bandits plagued the eastern edge of the forest, preying on travelers of the Trader's Way.

Notable Locations
The small logging city of Elveswatch could be found along the southeastern rim of the forest. Along the southwestern edge sat the abandoned Gate of Iron Fangs.