This forest is what happens when trees give up on life, but it's still a beautiful and unusual environment. Abundant stone and still water add to a sense of calm and serenity.
In the Shipwrecked and Single story, Professor Rhinehart sends the protagonist to retrieve the Staff of Tuzu from the Petrified Forest. He tells the protagonist that the staff is the only way to open the House of Tuzu, which must contain the cure for the disease. The protagonist takes the risk to believe him and sails to Volcano Island. They strand on the Volcano Shores and travel through the Lava Pools to get to the Petrified Forest, where they find the Staff of Tuzu laying inside a hollow petrified tree.