21 October 2012, 01:02 AM
Seabreeze Brink stretches from bay to Atlantic Coast. Most of the land is relatively low in elevation and pockmarked with glacial effects. The occasional erratic stone can be seen even in central Ethereal Eclipse, far from the raised beaches of the Shattered Coast. There are numerous rivers, kettle lakes, and other small bodies of water; streams and creeks snake through thick inland forest before reaching the rocky, jagged shoreline.
Much of the coast here is particularly cool and wet; as the Atlantic Ocean meets the Bay of Fundy, the area is subjected to some of the harsher tides and weather the cold waters can muster. Fog covers the coastline frequently, snaking far inland to serenely cling to the drier inland wilderness. Evidence of humanity remains in scarce traces, for most of it was scattered during the cataclysmic events in the Spring of 2016.
Statistics- Climate: The central parts of Nova Scotia are the most moderate -- the surrounding bay and ocean do much to mitigate the harshness of Canadian weather. The summers are especially warm and beautiful, and the central regions have been spared winter's sharp bite in previous seasons.
- Geography: Seabreeze Brink is a dramatic region of 'Souls -- the Trenches consist of proud drumlins, glacially raised hills; whereas the inland Ethereal Eclipse consists of the Kejimikujik. The Annapolis Valley, lowlands to the north, sits between two low ridges at the heart of Nova Scotia.
- Demographics: The Kejimikujik, a national park, dominates the region, spanning Ethereal Eclipse and Serena Reserve. The Atlantic Coast was heavily populated, Halifax's residents spilling out and into the countryside. Overgrowth Sunrise, part of the lush Annapolis Valley, was also dominated by two human villages.
- Prey: Abundant, despite heavy canine predation. The inland forests are well-populated by prey of varying size and shape.
- Fauna: A vast number of rodent and small mammal species are found here; Southern Flying Squirrels are found in the Serena Reserve territory. Eastern Red Bats and Silver-Haired Bats commonly roost in forests. While reintroduced Elk are the dominant species throughout the inland forests, Whitetail and Moose are also commonly sighted. Golden eagles roost in the summer.
Elk are the dominant species, though they do not frequent the coasts. Peregrine Falcon and the Osprey as well as various species of cranes, plovers, and sandpipers are among the shorebirds found in this region. Horses can be found on Cheval Island and, rarely, along the mainland coast close to the island.
- Flora: Tamaracks and Black Ash trees are found over the inland forests, as they prefer a damp environment. Atlantic White Cypress and Silver Maple trees are also found in this area. Invasive English Oak dominates parts of the Ethereal Eclipse territory. Bog laurel and American Cranberry can be found along streams and beside lakes. Labrador Tea is found abundantly in this area.
The Northern Bayberry finds even the rocky and unforgiving soil of the coast suitable; Sweetfern and invasive Fennel prefer inland forest. Eastern Hemlock, Black Spruce, White Pine, and American Elm are the dominant tree species.
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21 October 2012, 01:04 AM
The DampwoodsQuote:
This lowlands forest contains a multitude of tall conifers and even taller deciduous trees, with hearty underbrush and thickets of tangled shrub growth. The ground is lined with an elegant bed of pine needles -- they provide excellent sound cover for the stealthy hunter. Innumerable streams, rivers, and lakes snake through the forest, thus the name Dampwoods. To the north, the forest gradually thins and the soil becomes rocky, evidence of the western hills of The Waste. The same thinning occurs along the southern edge of the territory, and although the Dampwoods do not touch the shore, the ocean's roar can be heard on quiet days.
Musquodoboit ValleyQuote:
The rural Musquodoboit Valley was expansive farmland prior to the virus. Hidden by the Wittenburg Ridge and Glenmore Mountain to the north, the area has since flourished with vegetation. The shallow, narrow Musquodoboit River runs through the center of the valley. A sawmill sits along the southernmost bend in the river, while the northeast parts of the valley consist of sweeping agricultural fields. The southern half of the vale is primarily woodland, littered with stones and boulders glacier movement thousands of years ago.
Dawn's BreathQuote:
A short distance south of Halcyon is a strange territory, something of a continued outcropping of the mountain range. Dawn's Breath seems peaceful and serene upon first glance, but is in fact rocky and treacherous. In the easternmost parts, Dawn's Breath begins as sparse grassland and graduates to small, rolling hills, thick with ferns and deciduous trees. A small rock face forms a crescent around around the western half of the territory; crags and small caves are reminiscent of the northerly Howling Caverns, with small caves and underground streams.
The SugarwoodsQuote:
Prior to the rise of the Luperci, humans made use of this sugar maple forest. The Sugarwoods, as they called them, are a densely stand of syrup-producing trees; the sap of these trees was processed into maple syrup. Though the humans are gone, the tools of their activity remain. The sugar houses used for the processing still stand in various states of disrepair; some trees still bear the taps used to drain them of sap. In autumn, this copse is especially wondrous; all the sugar-maple leaves turn to fire-red, and the forest seems made of flame.
21 October 2012, 02:12 AM
Quartz ShorelineQuote:
Although the Atlantic shoreline is more forgiving than the bay coast, the beaches are still rough and foreboding, hardly tropical paradises. The surf is treacherous, and the cold ocean waters are unforgiving to any foolish tempters of fate. Rocky outcroppings jut into the ocean, beckoning for landed canines to try their luck at reaching any one of the dozens of tiny islands. Some isles are even large enough to boast hardy, sea-toughened fauna; most are frequented by Nova Scotia's marine fauna, such as seals. The western border of Quartz Shoreline is forested, the beginnings of the nearby Dampwoods; the terrain consists of rolling dunes comprised of rocky, rough sand.
Moonstone LakesQuote:
Nestled in the southern end of the Quartz Shoreline territory are a cluster of lakes, their size ranging from puddle to vast expanse. Rivers and streams snake between the various bodies of water, feeding into one another and eventually emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. On a few of the larger lakes, tiny rural communities slowly decay into the encroaching forests; some are little more than stone foundations and piles of wood. Overgrown dirt roads connect these tiny villages to larger asphalt roadways, though even these are cracking and wearing under the pressure of decades.
21 October 2012, 02:14 AM
HalifaxQuote:
A city once centralized around an urban core, Halifax has long since gone to ruin. While unique for its incorporation of suburbs into the city, time and the elements have destroyed many of the less well constructed buildings. To the east, the harbor is scattered with the skeletons of ships, some of which have grounded themselves on the smaller islands within the harbor itself.
21 October 2012, 02:15 AM
Whisper BeachQuote:
Whisper Beach sits along the Bay of Fundy's shoreline, subject to the irresistable tug and pull of the bay's tremendous tides. Nonetheless, the beaches here are sandy and far less rocky than those found in surrounding coasts; as a result, this area was once a prime tourist attraction. Now the sandy shores have been empty for many years, and the only remnant of man is the thin, overgrown roadway snaking along the coast, following the beach. To the south, it becomes a highway, long-dominated by surrounding forest. Only crumbling fragments of the blacktop remain as tree roots crack and destroy it from beneath; here, nature was quick to reclaim what humanity had so boldly proclaimed as their own.
21 October 2012, 02:15 AM
Overgrowth SunriseQuote:
The Overgrowth Sunrise area was formerly known as the Annapolis Valley, a long and rolling valley carved by glaciers thousands of years ago. It is surrounded on two sides by ridges of raised land, too small to be called mountains; nevertheless, the "micro-climate" in this valley is mild even for Nova Scotia. Along with the fertile soil provided by the glacier to carve the valley, it was once primarily farmland area, dominated by two large towns and numerous tiny communities. Now, of course, remaining plants grow completely wild, untamed by any hands.
Berwick and WolfvilleQuote:
Two towns and their surrounding farmland sprawl once made up the majority of this area. Berwick's small town has become mostly overrun by the wild. Orchards, farms, vineyards, and forests envelope the town though they have long since become overgrown. To the east, the slightly larger coastal town of Wolfville still stands. The tiny harbor here is now completely empty twice a day due to the pull of the tides in the Bay of Fundy. Once a popular tourist spot, the town's remaining shops are filled with all sorts of odds and ends, and the suburban homes still stand, though the town has been silent for years.
Flanders FieldsQuote:
Situated at the southern end of the valley dominating Overgrowth Sunrise, Flanders Fields seems to be no more than a particularly verdant and fertile field. The once well maintained cemetery has long since become overgrown with wildflowers, weeds, and natural tobacco. Still, if one pushes back the flora, they can find worn down gravestones. Named after the famous field in Belgium, Flanders Fields is said to have the most fertile soil in all the lands, a perfect place for growing just about anything that can be imagined.
18 November 2013, 12:21 AM
Shattered CoastQuote:
The Shattered Coast, south of Halifax, lives up to its name -- the shore is rocky and lined with a multitude of ocean caves, coves, and spits, as if the ocean has been biting chunks of coastline since the dawn of time. Despite the foreboding rocks and danger of fast-turning tides, a daring fisherman might also find some of the best Atlantic catches of the entire Nova Scotian peninsula. The inland areas consist of thin, rolling plains that quickly become thick woods, the beginning of the Ethereal Eclipse's forests to the north.
18 November 2013, 12:22 AM
Ethereal EclipseQuote:
Dominated mostly by the invasive English Oaks and the native Black and White Ash tree species, the territory was once a wilderness park. While the thickly packed forest was once capable of blocking out the sun, the cataclysmic events of 2016 wrecked havoc in the area. Great swatches of trees came down in mass, leaving behind towering piles of wooden rubble. With new gaps to allow sun in fresh growth has already begun to take advantage of this. The forest seems like a less overbearing place these days, though dark hollows made up of the oldest, sturdiest trees still hold lordship over the place. Ethereal Eclipse is generally a cool and damp forest, dotted with streams and brooks. The area is well-populated with fauna, as well -- moose, deer, and other large ungulates often make their home in the forest, along with an innumerable variety of smaller creatures.
18 November 2013, 12:23 AM
Shiloh HillsQuote:
The Shiloh Hills are an area made up of sparse trees and brush, consisting largely of low, rolling grassy hills. There are some rocky outcroppings and other evidence of glacial activity, and in many places these appear more recently disrupted. The forest sweeping in from Ethereal Eclipse ends abruptly, as with the jagged and sharp cliffs found in the Shattered Coast area to the north -- the Shiloh Hills coast is more serene than to the north. The area is peaceful and serene, and exceptionally foggy.
Rabbit LakeQuote:
No stranger to the turbulent forces of nature, Rabbit Lake nevertheless remains a picturesque place. This previously instigated its protection by humans prior to the virus. The land has continued to flourish, and the lake is pristine and clear. Rolling hardwood hills surround the lake. Few trees dot the hills, and much of the land is home to white-footed moose, the common shrew, short-tailed shrew, and red-backed vole. Low shrubs and black spruce trees are more plentiful than other plants, but white and red oak trees are slowly beginning to grow. Following the spring events of 2016, Rabbit Lake swelled beyond its banks -- and shows no sign of receding.
Broken OccidentQuote:
Formerly a solid landmass marking the western coast of Nova Scotia, the Broken Occident was created following offshore impact of a meteor in April of 2016. The affects of the collision has left the rocky coastline devastated, with many areas sinking straight into the sea or splitting off into unstable islands. Caution is advised when exploring the broken up area and newly formed islands.
In the spring of 2018, after years of settling and shifting, a landbridge, later named Fundy Crossing, appeared near Clements Park, connecting the peninsula with the mainland.
Fundy CrossingQuote:
Since the meteor of 2016, tectonic activity in and around the former Bay of Fundy has caused dramatic changes to the land and seascape. Portions of the Nova Scotian peninsula's western tip broke off into the sea, formed islands, sank islands, formed again, and shifted again. Even two years later, the land is still changing, and a rocky landbridge has formed in the middle of the bay, connecting the peninsula with the mainland and creating a large lake from the heart of the bay.
Clement's ParkQuote:
Clements Park was a planned construction in a rather desolate area of Nova Scotia. Far from the population centers of Halifax and other larger towns, the park was intended to be an amusement area and zoo. It began construction in early 1988 amid heavy controversy, and it remained unfinished upon the demise of humanity. Now, the collapsed and skeletal structures of half-finished amusement rides stand between containment areas for the animals. All of Clements Park stands in haphazard disarray, though the introduction of non-native plants to the planned preserve offers an interesting variety of flora in the area.
Wolf's PeakQuote:
The low and rolling hills of the southern mountains begin in the Trenches and wrap around the Serena Reserve lowlands. Along the coast mountains again rise from the earth, though here they are rounded, low-leaning peaks. An extremely large drumlin forms a menacing, long ridge of land named Wolf's Peak. The highest elevations of this mountain are thickly forested, with a clear treeline providing the perimeter of Ethereal Eclipse. The downward slopes include a few exceptionally dangerous sheer drops. A few rocky beaches below the ridge are dotted with tidal pools.
Mersey CoveQuote:
The lowest land in the area, Mersey Cove once collected from the Mersey River before the 2016 meteor strike. A former meadow-turned-floodplain, Mersey Cove started out as a lagoon that filled with water and finally refused to drain. Following the meteor, it became a lake but as the land continued to settle, the lake sunk into the ocean to form its current incarnation as a cove. Game in the form of deer and grouse frequently navigate its soft grounds, and one can procure a meal easily within the Mersey Cove area. There is little in the way of cover surrounding the cove, as trees only grow on its easternmost face.
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