Zikamasu Forest

The Zikamasu Forest (also known as the Zikamasu Forestry, Zikamasu Woods or simply Zikamasu) is a sprawling, largely untouched temperate forest in the Republic of Cadaland Island, located in the state of East Cadaland. Although the boundaries of the forestry are disputed, it is commonly accepted that it spans from the shores of Lake Hagen in the northwest of the state, to the Cape Cad peninsula, 212 miles south. Another, less commonly accepted southern edge of the forest straddles the northern outskirts of Cad City, however this area of forest is sometimes colloquially referred to as "the northwoods", principally by the population of northern Cad City.

The ecoregion is bounded on the east by the Sockrash Sea. Roughly 1/4 of the oceanic coastline of East Cadaland state is spanned by the forest. Several small lakes and rivers are dotted throughout the woods, with Lake Hagen being the largest. The southeast of the forest straddles the northeast shores of the vast Lake Jane.

Zikamasu is the largest forested area in the country, however it is similar in size to Hector's Woods and the Ocean Woods, in Central Cadaland and the W.C respectfully. The part of the woods that spans Cape Cad is designated as the Zikamasu National Forest, this also being the most developed part of the woodlands.

Sparsely populated, the region is only home to a few human settlements, mainly resort communities on the coast. The largest settlement is by far Clearwater, a beachside town located on the western point of Cape Cad, with a population of around 40,000 in the summer. The town is a popular holiday destination for the people of Cad City, and is wealthy due to this tourist industry. Tourism in the town began developing rapidly in the 2120's, with Clearwater developing from a lazy beach town to the hub it is today. Other settlements within the forest boundaries include Hawkins Beach, a smaller and much quieter beach town home to a few thousand people, located halfway on the coast between Lake Hagen and Cape Cad. Wilmington Hollow, the third largest settlement, is a fishing town located on the shore of Lake Jane. Hagen, a small logging town a few miles west of its namesake, the large Lake Hagen, is the fourth largest town in the region and the only non-coastal official town in Zikamasu, with other small settlements being designated as villages or communities.

Fort Lasco, a large Z-MARINE military base, is situated deep within the southern part of the woods, a few miles north of Cad City.

Etymology, History & Urban Legends
The word Zikamasu is derived from the native Cadanian language and has been used in relevance to the woodlands for millennia, long before the arrival of humans on Planet Cadaland. In English, the word roughly translates to "land of the leaves".

Zikamasu was among the first areas on the planet to be discovered by explorers, after the first humans from Earth managed to enter the Jane Galaxy via portal at what is now Cad City, on Cadaland Island. After the humans made friendly contact with the natives of the island, the alien race of the Cads, some groups of people were sent north to explore and colonize land. The most successful expedition out of the bunch was led by Sir Christian Hagen, who's team discovered and named Lake Hagen in the far north of the forest, aswell as discovering the Aerial Hills, New Island and Melancholy Island in the months following.

Prior to human settlement, the ecoregion was largely uninhabited by Cads and void of any civilization.

Feral Cads Legend
Some archival reports from the expeditions of Zikamasu state that their groups were sometimes attacked and ambushed by animalistic, primitive cads who lived in the trees, using only long claws and their teeth as weapons. It is stated that several people went missing during the night, without a trace. A hunter named Colm Woods, who was part of Hagen's expedition, reportedly managed to find, battle and kill a "feral cad", but the corpse was eaten by wild boars one night. Since then, hundreds of sightings of "feral cads" have been reported, along with several cases of hikers and tourists going missing deep within the trees. When questioned, cad elders of the local Zzazk tribe proclaimed they had no knowledge of any aggressive, animalistic tribe inhabiting Zikamasu, further adding to the mystery. No such cad has officially been caught and studied, and it is thought the tribe has either died out or retreated deep into the many cave systems of the forest.

To this day, the legend is well known and feared throughout the area. In the town of Hagen, there is a group of hunters dedicated to finding feral cads, who claim to have found several clues leading to modern proof of their existence.

Geography & Climate
The terrain of the forest is mostly flat, with the highest altitudes occurring in the most northern parts of the woods, near Lake Hagen and the Aerial Hills. There are several large, complex cave systems scattered throughout the region.

The climate of the forest is described as being temperate, especially the southern sections.

Flora & Fauna
TBA

Settlements
(In order of population)

Towns

 * Clearwater
 * Hawkins Beach
 * Wilmington Hollow
 * Hagen

Villages/Hamlets

 * Zzaskville
 * Woodrow Vale
 * Pleasance
 * Zyrzk Cross