The Sylvan Highlands
by WingofCootThe Sylvan Highlands is a region of low mountains and dissected plateau cut by multiple valleys, on the eastern border of the main mountain spine of Jomphur in the southern temperate zone.
The topography, vegetation, and climate is more or less similar to that of the Ouachitas/Ozarks of Arkansas and Missouri or the lower elevations of the southern Appalachians, with the adjustment that the Hollow World's near permanent daylight means that there is no dramatic daily variation in temperatures (Shadowfall is not long enough to create a true night). Thus the highest temperatures are lower, and the lowest temperatures higher, than the real world equivalent - the largest implication of this is that frost is rarer, occurring only in the middle of winter (the frost-free growing season is longer); some of the deeper valleys never freeze.
The uplands are rocky and very formidable for travel despite their low absolute elevation (highest peaks around 2500', much of the area around 1800' to 2300'). There is almost no level ground. Nearly the whole area of the uplands is covered with oak-hickory forest.
The Westryn Vales are valleys running between narrow but long ridges, with the floors of the valleys running from 800' to 1200' and the ridge tops around 1600' to 2000'. With the exception of a few isolated hills, the higher elevations here are not generally distinct peaks. This area is predominantly pine forest in the valleys with oak-hickory-pine on the slopes.
Evershadow Forest: This forest lies in an elongated, elliptical, bowl-like valley about 9 miles long and 3 miles wide, with only one narrow open end. Its floor lies at about 1400' elevation, with steep walls rising 500'-600' to the main level of the uplands.
This region is almost unaffected by the change to the Hollow World, as the sun does not shine into its depths - the difference between the red fixed sun of the HW and the yellow-white moving sun of the OW is scarcely discernible from within its depths. The canopy here is composed primarily of oaks, with a vast spread of limbs that intertwine and climb over one another. Enormous vines - poison ivy, creeper, wild grape - loop over the branches and spread their own leaves. capturing nearly all sunlight in an unbroken green roof.
Not all the trees in Evershadow are only trees. Gakaraks are common here, and indeed this is their stronghold in the Sylvan Vales. Given the small size of the area, they may be more abundant here than anywhere else in the Hollow or Outer World.