| Category | Forests |
| Continent | Brucrumus |
| Region | Grashakh, Miradelgûn |
| Alias | Terrible Tangle |
| Map | Maar'tolaak Forest |
Maar'tolaak, Draconic for Terrible Tangle, is a vast forest that stretches from the edges of the Tyermur Swamp northeastward for six hundred miles, culminating in the foothills of the Inghild Peaks. This landscape is characterized by an unusual terrain, dotted with isolated hills, towering rock spires, and immense mesas. Some of these spires rise hundreds of feet in height, their surfaces blanketed in vines and vegetation, serving as nesting grounds for magnificent birds, as well as aeries for griffins, wyverns, and chimera. During the eras of the Gimhak (1306 HE - 1479) and the Estandarenya, the griffins of this region were captured and trained as aerial mounts. When the Orchish Empire rose to power, they employed a similar approach with the wyverns.
The towering mesas of the forest, arrayed in succession, are vast and intricate structures. Their caverns and tunnels provide shelter for a variety of formidable inhabitants, including ferocious beasts, gargantuan entities, brigands, and other malevolent beings.
Maar'tolaak has dozens of thick, tangled areas that during the Lith-Crillion Era served as the home of nearly a dozen green dragons. These were soldiers that served Tiamat in the Demon Spawn War (89 GE - 269 GE). After the war's conclusion, this tightly-knit group settled in the forest. As they matured and gained power, they employed their nature magic to reshape the forest to suit their needs. These thick, labyrinthine areas, some still inhabited by green dragons, cover miles of the surface and extend into the subterranean reaches below. These regions are also home to quicklings, malevolent fey who came to the area alongside the dragons, having also served under Tiamat. When necessary, the quicklings assisted the dragons with maze maintenance and other menial tasks, though they proudly recounted how they had slain or driven away a few dragons. This dynamic persisted until the Orchish Empire began to push eastward from Inirthak into Thingrorn. This led to organized warfare by the quicklings, with Fograth battle reports indicating leaders capable of unleashing deadly clouds of chlorine gas that wiped out entire units. The military records describe the quicklings as skilled guerrilla fighters, some of their commanders possessing the abilities of high-level druids. The cost of incessant raids and upkeep eventually compelled the Orchish Empire to withdraw from Maar'tolaak, leaving the wicked fey, its dragons, and its ancient evils in control. In the Second Epoch, the High Command abandoned efforts to establish imperial holds in eastern Grashakh, instead turning to entities like the Crimson Eye to find a way to stabilize the region.
The southwestern region of this forest, surrounding the Estandarenya ruin, is inhabited by hostile wood elves. They are descendants of the ill-fated kingdom of Lorthrindal, which fell during the War of Nárfaltuin (1048 - 1130). Losing their capital, they eked out a wretched existence in the long-dreaded Tyermur Swamp. Within this dismal wetland, they became an embittered, vicious people. Legend claims they are cursed, driven to insanity passed down through generations. Some of the local elves are reportedly cannibals, believing that by consuming the dead, they gain the wisdom of the recently departed. This region has also produced several immensely powerful elven witches.