The Great Forest or as the elves call it, Loren Lacoi,[2a] is as its name suggests, the largest of the five major forests that encompasses much of the lands of the central and northern Empire, with the Province of Talabecland being the most covered. The forest domains lies precisely in the center of the Empire, separated from the Drakwald Forest by the road from Altdorf to Middenheim and the Howling Hills.
Due to its size, economic benefit and significant importance to the Imperial deity, Taal God of the Wilderness, the people of the Empire has come to both respect, prize and fear this sea of near unbroken trees.
Though a majority of the land of Talabecland is covered by the Great Forest, large swaths of it were cut down and made into farmlands, or to supply the Empire with a large influx of wood to fuel their burgeoning Lumber industry.
With miles upon miles of untamed wilderness, the forest became home to many types of creatures both natural and supernatural. Bandits and outlaws that seek to avoid Imperial authority often hide their encampments within the forest canopies. Greenskin tribes and Beastmen Warherds have often claimed large territories within the deepest parts of the woods, which the Imperial Armies struggle to locate and eradicate. The forest has also been widely known as a haven for bands of the Chaos followers that were initially defeated in a previous invasion into the Empire.
As with in the other forests of the Empire, many areas have also been cleared for the construction of roads, villages and towns, but the forest is still vast and covers much of the central Empire. Roadways through the forests connect towns and villages to one another, dotted with fortified inns and watchtowers. Regular patrols by Empire state troops, such as the Drakwald Patrol, and militia bands are routinely carried out to guard against the threat posed to travellers and caravans from bandits, Beastmen, Forest Goblins and other dangers. Despite the areas the Men of the Empire have cleared over the years, the forest can never be truly conquered, and under the dark forests canopy unknown numbers of horrific creatures that crave for the destruction of Mankind's civilizations watch and wait.