Ngarohere

The Ngarohere is a huge swath of forest and bush in the west of Motunui. Timberfel sits slightly above its northern reaches, and its southernmost point reaches into territories owned by Rivermouth. Thankfully for the people of Crossroad, the inward curve of its east border keeps them far away from it.

Ngarohere is barely settled, despite its rich abundance of lumber, edible wild foods, and many small streams. Only a few small, well fortified settlements exist barely within its edges, the famous forts and pa of Timberfel.

This lack of settlements is owed to the Taniwha, bipedal, human-like lizards. These savage and isolated creatures react with great violence to any humans within their forests. Despite many rumours, legends, and tales about Taniwha elsewhere, none have ever been reliably reported outside of Ngarohere.

Not much is known about Ngarohere; nobody has ever peered beyond the very edge of its borders, and the place has long been avoided by the vast majority of Motunui's people. Aside from the Taniwha, it seems like a typical forest, populated by regular native flora and fauna. There are many wild bard's tales, local legends, and religious claims about what lies at its heart, but nobody knows for sure.