Rifts: The West Coast- New Haven, Quakezone, Ashfall:fanmade

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I have been playing Rifts now for 20+ years and have always enjoyed it. I love the setting and, like other players, have tons of ideas for expanding the world as it is in 109 PA. I've not posted much here, mainly because I kind of forget about the forums...(d'oh!)...I'm on one forum for Transformers collectors (current collection count: 1,185 figures) most. However, I've been in the new World Book thread a bit the last few days, throwing out hints at what I wrote. So, I decided to post some of what I've written (it's a TON...excess of 100 pages on Word) to get some honest feedback and throw out some new material for everyone to try out. If you want more info, I have a detailed map of the redesigned West Coast and lots more stuff I'll be happy to send out. I haven't finished all the new creatures yet, but a lot is pretty in depth. Enjoy!

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Rifts: The West Coast- Quakezone, Angel Islands, Ashfall, and New Haven

The West Coast of the old American Empire was a cultural and technological haven in the early 22nd century. The folks of California and Washington especially benefited from the tech booms of the 21st and 22nd centuries in many fields including medicine, cybernetics, computers, and military tech while Oregon was a beautiful tourist haven boasting a few small cities but millions of acres of pristine wilderness. Metropolises like San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Los Angeles became meccas of education and industry. Many coastal cities built up their port facilities as industry advancements led to more exports. Later, as the new Cold War advanced, military facilities and munitions plants began to pop up more and more, especially in areas like San Diego and Southern California where it was densely populated and the weather was pleasant year round. In addition to the businesses, the coastline was filled with great universities and schools and also was an extremely popular tourist area. Many theme parks, shopping centers, and natural attractions drew millions of people to live and visit the West Coast every year. Of course, geologically, the entire area was very active; it made up the eastern border of what was known as the “Circle of Fire” around the Pacific Tectonic Plate- a line of faults and active volcanoes that encircled the entire Pacific Ocean. The Circle of Fire ran up the entire west coast of the U.S. and Canada, into Alaska and following the Alleutian Islands into the northeastern tip of Asia heading south again through Japan, the Phillipines, the East Indies, Australia, New Guinea, and the northernmost border of Antarctica and finally running north along the western border of South America. Thousands of active and extinct volcanoes were part of this ring as well as hundreds of fault lines, most notably the infamous San Andreas Faultline and the Haywood Fault. The San Andreas alone caused dozens of small earthquakes in California and the Baja every year. However, since the two huge quakes that occurred in the San Francisco Bay area in the 20th century and the great Haywood quake in the Central Valley region, there had been no major tectonic activity along the San Andreas or virtually anywhere else along the volatile coastline. There was lots of talk about the coastline breaking up and off and many scientists believed it would happen someday, but as civilization flourished on the west coast nothing ever happened. By the time of the Great Cataclysm, the area that was California, Washington, and Oregon supported over 120 million people and was the cultural heart of the American Empire. Los Angeles, Anaheim, Santa Monica, and San Diego were essentially a giant metroplex of over 40 million people- the largest in the world at the time. San Francisco, San Jose, Vallejo, and Oakland had also merged into a single mega-city surrounding the San Francisco and San Pablo Bays. Despite the urbanization of the California coastline many farms, vineyards, and forests still thrived including the stunning Yosemite National Park, Redwood National Forest, and many others- mostly around the area known as the Central Basin between the Sierra Nevadas in eastern California and the western Coastal Ranges. Essentially the state of California had become self sufficient in and of itself and, at the time of the Cataclysm, there was much talk of California seceding from the American Empire to become an independent country. It may have happened eventually, but it never did; they never got the chance.

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The Great Cataclysm hit the West Coast of North America perhaps harder than any other location on the planet. It all began with a dull rumble and a minor earthquake- barely a 3.0 on the Richter scale. People were used to this, so initially people went on with their lives. Unknown to them it was a sign of things to come. Within minutes of the small quake’s end, a sustained earthquake started- weak, but the entire west coast shook for the better part of 15 minutes. The quake finally stopped as news reports began to flood in about some kind of military incident occurring in South America. People stopped in the streets to watch the reports, but barely gave the event a passing thought. After all, this was the American Empire. Then a report came in that people paid very much attention to: the Yellowstone Supervolcano had erupted. People were confused and frightened by this event, not realizing that most of the force of the eruption would be blocked by the Sierra Nevada and Klamath Mountains. Panic erupted and the streets of the great west coast cities returned to a long-lost legacy of the past as looting, violence, and fear spread like a wave. Without warning, the metroplex of LA vanished in the flash of a mushroom cloud- a nuclear detonation that instantly killed over 20 million people! The instant release of psychic energy tipped the fragile ecosystem of the West Coast off into the danger zone. An earthquake the likes of which had never been seen struck the Coast- experts would eventually recount the quake as exceeding a 9.9 on the Richter scale. The quake was felt in Hawaii, Alaska, New York, and Chile. Buildings toppled. Highways collapsed. Cars collided. Virtually every one of the dozens of fault lines along the coast instantly became active with a vengeance, as if the very ground were in death spasms. With an unimaginable roar, the San Andreas and Haywood faults split right down the middle just south of San Francisco- near Monterey Bay- and water from the Pacific Ocean flooded into the newly created gap killing hundreds of thousands. The Transverse Mountains near Santa Barbara collapsed completely into the earth and created a new waterway that separated most of Southern California from the rest of the mainland, creating what would eventually be named the Angel Islands in the region where the smoking ruins of Los Angeles lay. In the San Francisco-Oakland area, the entire bay bucked up to the level of dry land for a moment then fell back into the earth. The surrounding areas were flooded as the water rushed out of the bay onto land and then back to the Pacific, killing hundreds of thousands. The worst part of all this was that the cataclysm was just starting. In Southern California a network of dozens of faultlines in the Mojave Desert activated, tore apart the land, and then collapsed completely eventually forming a new inland sea fed by the Colorado River. Every volcano on the west coast from the Baja to the Alleutians erupted and yet another massive earthquake- one that may have been stronger than the previous one- tore through the land. Lightning raged in the volcanic ash, pyroclastic flows and lava claimed millions more, and fields were burned and buried. As things calmed after the first series of eruptions, the ash from dozens of volcanoes proceeded to bury virtually every city and town; anything that wasn’t destroyed by water or earthquake was buried in up to 120 feet of volcanic ash and rock! The Sierra Nevada Mountains grew immensely- nearly 4,000 feet higher than they had been- as the Pacific Tectonic Plate pushed under the North American plate. The Coastal Ranges and Klamath Mountains also grew to nearly the equivalent of Sierras; these ranges, formerly topping out around 8,000 feet in height, grew to over 12,000 feet tall literally overnight. The sudden increase in height destroyed anything on the slopes, causing avalanches and rock slides. Water from the Pacific flooded into the southern part of the state turning the Baja California into an island completely separate from mainland North America. Further north in Oregon, Crater Lake’s Mount Mazama- despite not having erupted in hundreds of years- completely blew up! The force of the explosion was tremendous- bigger than anything ever seen on Earth. It seems that the mountain was a long-festering supervolcano of immense power! The heat and shockwave from the blast was a hundred thousand times greater than any thermonuclear device created. In its wake, the blast destroyed the mountain completely and had a blast radius in excess of 220 miles, leveling EVERYTHING- the force of the blast was even enough to level other mountains!! Chunks of rock and lava were shot thousands of miles…some even managed to leave the atmosphere altogether. The water from the lake vaporized and eventually rained down over the entire region and into California, Nevada, Washington, Idaho, and Montana causing some mild flooding locally. Lava bubbled up from the core to fill in the hulking blast crater and millions of tons of ash and rock settled over the cooling magma crust. Eventually, the result was a huge barren flatland of lava and volcanic ash over 200 miles in diameter. Essentially a giant hole was blasted in the Cascade Mountains, Klamath Mountains, and most of Oregon, from the city of Valley Falls all the way to the coastline. Even as far south as Yreka in California the blast leveled buildings and ignited trees. The cities of Eugene, Medford, Ashland, Lebanon, and Cottage Grove were completely leveled by a gigantic pyroclastic flow that radiated out from the center of the blast. Virtually all lakes in the radius were completely evaporated as the landscape was reshaped. Portland, Salem, Gresham, and Lincoln City were all destroyed as Mount Hood, Mount Ranier, the Three Sisters, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Jefferson erupted, spewing forth noxious gases and pyroclastic flows. Forest fires raged completely out of control from the Pacific Coast to the Columbia Basin. The Willemette River became clogged with ash and soot, cutting off water supplies and making any firefighting extremely difficult. Most nearby cities and towns were buried in up to 200 feet of ash. The state of Oregon- once known for its majestic forests, scenic mountains, and quiet outdoors- was reduced to a scarred, burnt flatland known in the new Earth as Ashfall. This is partially due to the fact that it was mainly the volcanoes that wiped the area clean and partially to the fact that- even now, 300 years later- ash continues to fall on the area from dozens of new micro-volcanoes and vents along the Pacific Coast.

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Then the Rifts came.

Compared to the rest of North America, the Pacific Coast suffered very little from Rift activity. A few major ley lines came forth- mainly in California near former population areas- but for the most part the area was devoid of magic energy. The area really didn’t need the ley lines to finish destroying it- nature had already done a more than complete job on its own. Demons, monsters, and other D-Bees appeared into a land that was virtually devoid of life altogether. Most of them realized that there was no quarry here or decided they would not be able to survive in such a harsh environment, and subsequently moved to greener pastures to the north or south. As a result, ley line activity in the area stabilized and demonic activity was largely minimized.
Now, in 110 P.A., California and Oregon are barely recognizable from when they used to be. Oregon has largely remained abandoned by man and D-Bee alike. Forest fires still smolder in some areas, especially further northeast towards the former Washington and Idaho borders as well as in areas surrounding the many active volcanoes and vents in Oregon. The eastern part of the states, aside from an occasional scorched forest and a stray ley line, are largely mountainous joining the Rockies and has remained largely unexplored. The Columbia Plateau is more rugged than ever- most mountains in this area were also affected by the geological forces that heightened the other ranges along the Pacific Coast. Hells Canyon has once again been cut through by a newly reborn and more powerful Snake River; the canyon is much narrower than previously and its sheer cliffs cut downward some 6,000 feet. The water table for the western half of America has been altered by the creation of a New Continental Divide- the line which divides which direction water flows down mountains, either toward the east or toward the west. The New Divide is much higher and further west than the original and has created a third runoff area, located in between the original divide and the New Divide. The New Divide runs along the Sierra Nevadas north through the eastern portion of Oregon and veers back toward the original Divide though Idaho and Montana. Almost all of the new runoff drains into the wider and deeper Colorado River, eventually flowing into the Boiling Sea- formerly the Mojave Desert area- or Banning Bay- a new extension of the Bay of Baja located on the Banning Fault. California, once home to 100 million people, has been completely shattered by the numerous geological forces in the area. Nearly a quarter of the former state’s land is now submerged under new lakes and rivers. Most of the rest has become jagged mountain ranges, uninhabitable by virtually anything. Vast forests cover these mountains. The only truly inhabitable areas are near the Pacific Coast. Southern California was fractured into a half dozen new land masses and the Great Valley has been flooded and now rests under a great inland sea.

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Geography of the New West Coast
Total Area: Approx. 262,093 square miles
Total Land Area: Approx. 181,468 square miles
Total Water Area (excluding Pacific Coast): 80,625 square miles
Highest Point: Mt. Whitney- 18,669 feet (formerly 14,494 feet)
Lowest Point: Ashfall Crater- 460 feet below sea level
Population: Unknown, but likely less than 3 million- most of these in the New Haven region; formerly 122 million

California
On Rifts Earth the former state of California is pretty much divided into five major regions: the Central Sea, the Highlands, New Haven, the Quakezone, and the Angel Islands. We will explore each region one at a time.

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The Central Sea
Before the Cataclysm, the Great Valley was one of the few expanses of truly flatland in California. Farms, vineyards, and cities filled the valley. The capital Sacremento was nestled in this valley along with Fresno, San Jose, Redding, Hanford, and Bakersfield. A dozen small rivers flowed into the area from the nearby Sierras. The rivers eventually joined together and poured into a series of small bays before finally reaching the Pacific. The Great Valley by itself was larger than most states, running parallel to the state’s eastern border from northwest to southeast for about 650 miles. It measured over 100 miles across at spots as well. A number of small military facilities were also located in this great expanse including Concord Weapons Station, Lemoore Naval Station, and Camp Roberts. Though relatively free of faultlines, the area was often affected by surrounding quakes. However, that effect would not be as severe as other cities located closer to the Pacific coast. The only “opening” into the Great Valley was through the “line” of bays- Suisson Bay, Grizzly Bay, San Pablo Bay, and San Francisco Bay- that led to the Pacific Ocean. The bays were much like a chain of lakes that led to the Pacific to the west or into the Great Valley to the east.
Very little is left of the Great Valley now. The upheaval of the great earthquakes and reemergence of Atlantis has turned the Great Valley into the Central Sea- an enormous inland sea that measures in excess of 34,000 square miles! The land of the Valley sunk more than 1,000 feet during the geologic upheavals of the Cataclysm, causing water to flood from the Pacific into the Valley. As the Valley sank, the surrounding mountain ranges grew significantly in height; the water runoff from these eventually flushed the salt water out of the Valley, creating what may be the largest fresh water body on Rifts Earth. Much like the rest of the seas and oceans of the world, the Central Sea is a place of strangeness and danger. The northern portion of the lake is haunted by the souls of millions of people who died when the water crashed into the area from the Ocean. Divers searching for relics from the past do so at their own risk. The cities of the Valley were either washed away or completely submerged by water. A number of dangerous demonic predators live in area as well. On the other hand, the water is replete with freshwater fish such as trout, salmon, bass, perch, and walleye. As a result, the few settlements in the area fish the Sea for food. Trees and wildlife have now sprung up along the very slim coastlines. Most settlements are located primarily at the mouth of the Central Sea that drains into the former Suisson, Grizzly, and San Francisco Bays and through the only truly inhabitable areas in the entire region of California and Oregon- a fairly large, flat expanse of land containing the farms, towns, and city of New Haven.
Surrounding the Central Sea are what have become the two largest mountain ranges in North America: the Sierra Nevadas and the Coastal Mountains. 95% of the coast of the Central Sea is made up of steep, sharp cliffs. If not for the size of the Sea, it could have easily been a hidden lake. The cliffs serve to isolate the lake and prevent settlement or land usage. The cliffs average between 500 and 4,000 feet in height and are mostly hard types of volcanic rock and hardened sediment. What little usable shoreline exists is overgrown with lush, thick forests of redwoods and conifers. These magnificent trees grow taller than ever- with some almost reaching the height of the fabled Millenium Trees. These enclaves are some of the region’s few magical places, filled with faerie folk but little else.
The Sierra Nevadas tower over everything in the region, thanks to the massive seismic upheavals of the Cataclysm. These mountains line the eastern border of the Central Sea, from the Klamath Mountains in the north to the Boiling Sea in the south. Before the Cataclysm, these mountains averaged a mere 8,000 to 9,000 feet in height and were easily traversed, being relatively smooth; now they are much more rugged, are prone to avalanches, and are nearly twice as tall! The land area taken up by the range is largely unchanged but they are much more jagged, angled, and severe. Mountain passes are mostly gone and anything that had been on the slopes has been completely leveled. The lands are virtually uninhabitable; nothing grows on the slopes and there are not enough plateaus for construction- the land isn’t stable enough anyways. The only inhabitants of the Sierras now are several types of earth elementals, giants, mountain animals, and dragons. The dragons are especially fond of this area- there are lots of large, hidden caves for them to sleep in.
Only one truly active volcano remains in the Sierras- the Long Valley-Mammoth Caldera’s Mammoth Mountain, now called Black Mammoth Mountain. This mountain is located in about the center of the Sierras and is very close to Central Sea. On the average, it erupts roughly once a month. The longer between eruptions, the more powerful the next one will be (See the section on Volcanoes below). Black Mammoth now resides at a very respectable 15,002 feet in height. The mountain is home to many earth and fire elementals. Elemental Warlocks and Fusionists may travel to the area occasionally but few stay- there isn’t much to survive on.
The second major mountain range around the Central Sea is the Coastal Range. The range lies along the western border of the Central Sea between the Sea and Pacific Ocean. The Coastals are split into the Northern and Southern Ranges by San Francisco/ New Haven Bay; the Northern Range begins south of the Klamath Mountains while the Southern Range ends near the San Andreas Straight. Like the Sierras, the Coastal Ranges virtually doubled in height during all the seismic activity of the Cataclysm; they rose from between 5,000-9,000 feet to between 10,000 and 16,000 feet. These mountains also became more rugged and steep and anything on the slopes has been destroyed. This range also has only one active volcano- Clear Lake Mountain (10,466 feet). Its activity is virtually identical to Black Mammoth, also erupting around once a month. The largest mount of the Coastal Range sits at the mouth of the San Francisco Bay- Haven Mons (15,997 feet). Haven Mons eventually flattens into the only truly inhabitable region in California- a large flat expanse that the city-state of New Haven and its associated communities occupy. Across the Bay to the south is Overlook Mons (14,210 feet) which begins the Southern Coastal Range. From Overlook, one gets an amazing view of the sprawling metropolis of New Haven across the Bay to the north.

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New Haven
New Haven is the center of civilization on the West Coast; actually it’s the ONLY sign of civilization on the West Coast. The region itself is the only truly inhabitable area remaining in the state of California- most everything else was completely destroyed or has become far too rugged and mountainous for settlement. The New Haven region surrounds the chain of Bays descending from the Central Sea and proceeds up the coastline. The fertile region surrounding the bays is roughly 1,500 square miles. The city itself has been constructed in the side of a mountain, partially for defense and partially to maximize land usage. The city and suburbs itself take up roughly 250 square miles. The surrounding flatlands are now fertile farmlands, vineyards, and small towns under the jurisdiction and protection of New Haven. What once was a thriving cityscape supporting millions of people during the 22nd century was completely wiped clean or buried under the newly fertile volcanic soil. The city has managed to unearth much pre-Rifts technology from the area and used that to build itself up and thrive. Much technology came from the remains of many military bases in the area as well as from the buried remains of Silicon Valley- the center of the technological world during the Golden Ages. The city-state utilizes a mix of this technology and magic to create a stable and safe environment for many races. It has been termed “Lazlo West” by more than a few adventurers who have managed to survive the wild and dangerous terrain to reach the city. The city proper sits very close to where San Francisco had been. Most of the remains of San Francisco and the surrounding cities were washed away during the brief upheaval that forced the Bay to empty onto land then buried under volcanic ash and dirt washed down from the newly elevated Coastal Range. A large amount salvage was actually discovered in the Bay shortly after the city was founded, composed of remains of buildings, cars, computers, and other equipment. This turned into a huge boon for the fledgling city state. Other excavations resulted in significant technical advances, making the city the only true hope for civilization on the west coast.

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The Highlands
Located in the northern part of California, the Highlands are an extremely rugged and mountainous region composed of the northern Coastal Range and the Klamath Mountains. The area is rife with active volcanoes- both new and old- and is virtually devoid of life. Most of the area is nothing but rock outcroppings, pillars of stone, steep cliffs, and narrow canyons. Very little grows here. As soon as something would begin to sprout a volcano would erupt and destroy it. The northern portions of the Highlands start to have a much softer look to them. What appear to be long rolling hills begin to appear the closer one gets to the former Oregon-California state borders. In reality, the hills are mountains, rubble, and the remains of towns all buried in hundreds of feet of ash! One begins to notice that the sky starts to take on a “smokey” appearance to the north and the air has a heavy sulfuric smell to it. These hills serve to separate the Highlands from the area formerly known as Oregon- now called Ashfall. In addition to these ashlands, the northern part of the Highlands borders the huge crater that was formed when the Crater Lake “super” volcano blew. The outer ring of the crater is made up of a debris wall thousands of feet high. This debris field extends a short distance into the Highlands and now, 300 years later, has compacted into a mountainous barrier separating the northern portion of the Highlands from Ashfall.
There are five primary volcanoes in the Highlands: Mount Shasta, Mount Redding, Mount Lassen, Medicine Lake, and Mount Eureka. Mount Shasta stands an impressive 17,023 feet tall now and remains the most famous volcano in the Highlands. Mount Redding, a fairly new volcano, sprung up during the Cataclysm and is among the smallest of the Klamath’s active volcanoes at a “mere” 12,888 feet high. Mount Redding is located just north of where the city of Redding once stood. The town is now buried underneath the mountain that bears its name. Mount Lassen- formerly known as Lassen Peak- is located due east of Mount Redding. This active mount stands at 14,957 feet in height. Medicine Lake is an interesting mountain, to say the least. This volcano marks part of the southernmost blast radius from the destruction of Crater Lake in Oregon. A huge chuck of the northern side of the mountain was sheared away; it remains so to this day. The mountain has begun to rebuild itself from the top down, but most of the northern face is a sheer cliff. It is a remarkable picture indeed, seeing a sheer, blackened cliff face over two miles tall. One can actually see the differing layers that had built up the volcano over the millennia as well as some of the volcanic vents and tunnels dug by nature. Medicine Lake has an overall height of 14,003 feet. Mount Eureka sits on the former site of Eureka, California. Any evidence that there was ever a town there is gone, buried under the 13,238 foot volcano. As with most of the mountainous areas of the west coast, this region has no communities to speak of and little civilization at all. A large number of fire dragons populate the areas around the volcanoes- it may be the single largest population of fire dragons on Earth. They love the volcanoes and often sleep in the many volcanic vents. Several new and unique creatures have also made these torrid peaks their home, but they are few and far between. For the most part, very few creatures will choose to live in the Highlands of their own free will.

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Quakezone
The entire West Coast of North America has always been geologically active. Major volcanic eruptions and earthquakes were fairly common along some of the major faultlines in the area. The regional focus had always been on the two major faults- the Haywood fault and the San Andreas fault. These two lines were responsible for majority of the death and property destruction from quakes in the 20th and 21st Centuries. However, literally hundreds of other small faults dot the region. One of the most fault-intensive areas of the state was the Mojave Desert. Located in the southeastern portion near the Arizona border, the Mojave was regularly one of the hottest locations on the planet. The entire southeastern portion of the state of California was completely altered by the Great Cataclysm- maybe more than any other location on Earth, save Atlantis. After the detonation of what was apparently a nuclear warhead in Los Angeles, the tectonic activity altered the water table in southeastern California. Specifically, the size and power of the Colorado River was increased due to the newly created New Continental Divide. All the water from the vast region now drained into the Colorado. In addition, the delicate network of faults underneath the Mojave collapsed completely creating another new inland sea. However this sea and the surrounding areas are under constant duress. Most of the faults in the region are still active on a continuous basis. There are so many faultlines underneath the Mojave region that they constantly activate each other, creating and ongoing chain reaction. Thanks to this, the entire region from the Angel Islands in the west to the Colorado River in the east shakes in one enormous continuous earthquake. Though it is not a major quake by any means, the continuous shaking has made the entire region completely uninhabitable; the quake is basically between a 2.0 and a 3.0 on the Richter scale and is ongoing 24/7/365. In fact, it has several unusual effects on the landscape. First, the inland sea that sits where the Mojave used to be shakes so much that it appears to be boiling- hence the area’s new name: the Boiling Sea. The sea has developed some very unusual wildlife as a result. Second, the continuous shaking has begun to erode the landscape at an accelerated rate. Sinkholes are frequent and most of the region consists of small rubble, sand, and pulverized dirt. The mountains in the regions are granite and extremely solid; however rockfalls, avalanches, and collapses are very common. No plant life exists at all in the region. Anything that tries to grow in the soil is shaken until crushed. Seeds may penetrate into the soil but are eventually crushed under the weight of the ongoing seismic anomaly. The region has cooled considerably as well due to the presence of the Boiling Sea. Rainstorms and flooding are present more often as well as the new height of the surrounding territories traps more of the moisture blowing in off the Pacific Ocean. The rain results in vast muddy plains; however the mud dries quickly as water is actually shaken loose and strained into the ground. The entire region is essentially a barren lifeless wasteland that only elementals could love. The Boiling Sea is home to a fairly large population of water elemental beings of several types. There are no other inhabitants and very few venture into Quakezone, even in emergencies. It is essentially a forbidden area too unstable for use or travel.

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The Angel Islands
It had been said many times in the latter half of the 20th century and early 21st centuries that Los Angeles and most of that region would eventually fall into the ocean in The Big One- an epic earthquake along the main faultlines of Southern California. As that infamous quake failed to manifest, Los Angeles grew into a huge megaplex of commerce and tourism. It became one of the richest cities in the American Empire, populated with athletes, movie and vid stars, CEO’s, famous lawyers and politicians, and the like. Home prices in the early 21st century had quadrupled in the region. Underneath it all though ran a ring of corruption; the weak and poor were constantly exploited. It seemed Los Angeles was building up a massive bank of sins that one day would have to be atoned for. That day finally came with the Great Cataclysm.
No city suffered more than Los Angeles when the Cataclysm struck. Once word came of the Yellowstone supervolcano eruption, the city panicked. People began looting, pillaging, killing each other. Then, a terrorist strike of epic proportions: a local religious extremist group, hellbent on punishing the city for its wrongdoings and sinfulness, managed to smuggle a thermonuclear warhead into the downtown area during the confusion. They believed that the Yellowstone eruption was a sign from their God that the time of reckoning was at hand and, in one of life’s great coincidences, they detonated their bomb at the exact same time as Japanese scientists in Hiroshima activated their experimental dimensional teleportation device. Hiroshima disappeared into a pocket dimension; Los Angeles disappeared in another way altogether as a massive mushroom cloud expanded over the downtown region. Over 20 million people were vaporized instantly. The blast wave worked its way through the megaplex, tearing through megasteel buildings like tissue paper and leveling hundreds of thousands of businesses and homes. But the effect it had on the fragile ecosystem was far, far worse. The shockwave from the massive blast helped to loosen the geological locks in the area’s fault lines which led to the massive earthquakes and geological events that followed, as well as finally collapsing large areas of the land and separating the former city from the mainland and shattering it into several large islands. More importantly, the region was instantly charred and leveled, as well as being highly irradiated for many years. The release of psychic energy in such concentration created a super nexus point where downtown LA had been. A series of small, but powerful ley lines intersect the area and rift activity is heavy. The islands themselves are extremely dangerous, not only from the rift and demonic activity but from geological instability. The area rates at least 5 small earthquakes (4.0 or less on the Richter scale lasting 1d6 minutes in length) a day and at least one large earthquake (4.0-6.0 Richter rating lasting 1d6 minutes) a week. On average the area will be crushed with a powerful earthquake (greater than 6.0 Richter rating) once a month. Thanks to the unstable geography, very little grows on the Angel Islands and very few living creatures call them home. The area is mostly populated with ghosts, banshees, and neuron beasts- creatures that do not have legs and don’t require normal nourishment for the most part.

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Oregon
The area that had been the state of Oregon is a vast, smoky wasteland. The terrain is rugged and virtually impassable- in the regions not buried in ash and mud. The northeastern portion of the state- mainly the region of the Colombia Basin- is a jagged, uninhabited area full of thousand foot cliff faces, volcanoes, charred forests, and powerful rivers. As mentioned above, the Snake River has become incredibly powerful; the forces of its waters are powerful enough to crush even the most sturdy mega-damage materials against the sheer cliff walls of the New Devil’s Canyon it has created. The Snake River now feeds into the Colorado River as well, contributing a large amount of runoff and silt to the newly enlarged waterway. The river at this junction is viscous, prone to flooding, and rising continually in its bed as more and more ash and rock is deposited in it. Fires do still burn in the region frequently as a dozen active volcanoes reignite the remains of the Basin’s thick forests. A community or two are scattered in this region at higher altitudes, but nothing one would call civilized- even by Rifts Earth standards.
Ashfall Crater is now the largest natural volcanic formation on the planet. The hole left in the wake of Mt. Mazama’s mega-eruption covers an area of nearly 31,000 square miles and rests a good 400 feet below sea level. When the original eruption occurred the Earth’s crust was blasted nearly a quarter mile deep over the entire area; it was as if some mighty force had simply scooped out the ground. Lava and ash have slowly filled the crater over the course of the last 300 years, packed-in strata of watered down ash, soot, pulverized rock, and liquid rock. The area has increasingly solidified over the years, but still remains uninhabitable; the area is frequently rocked with earthquakes (3d6 per month- strength 2+1d6 on the Richter scale) and has begun to fill with fresh water. At this point only the very center of the blast crater is filled, creating a large, blackened lake. Ash continues to fall throughout the crater and is washed down into the lake; dozens of vents continually kick out thousands of tons of ash a year. Only a couple life forms are able to survive in the soot-stained waters. Ash is constantly in the air, making breathing difficult and clogging intake valves.
Around the entire border of Ashfall Crater as well as scattered everywhere throughout the state (roughly 1d4 every 200 square miles) are so-called microvolcanoes. These small hills are actually vents from the Mount Mazama supervolcano that continually spew forth heated gases, sulfur, methane, ash, and the occasional lava flow. The sheer number of the vents has helped to give the region its name; from the Pacific Coast to the border of Idaho, ash is ALWAYS in the air thanks to these vents. The presence of the vents is both a nuisance and a blessing. Why a blessing? The vents continually blow off pressure from the Mount Hood site, releasing pressure which would otherwise be building up underground, possibly causing future super-eruptions (granted the timeframe is hundreds of thousands of years). The nuisance- ash is EVERYWHERE. In some places the ash is up to 1,000 feet deep, but most areas average 400-500 feet in depth. The ash is virtually impossible to traverse in much the same way as deep snow- one sinks deeply into the ash and may even be unable to climb out. The closest the area gets to being traversable is 1-3 days after a heavy rain. The rain packs the ash down temporarily and might allow for safe movement of man-sized objects- in much the same way that a frozen top layer of snow allows limited passage to lightweight objects. It also can increase the distance that one can see through the constant haze. However, VERY few make the trek; besides the difficulty of the ash, the entire region is thick with sulfur, methane, carbon monoxide, and other volcanic gases. If one does not don environmental armor or a gas mask or filtration unit, the gases will lead to poisoning and death within 2d4 days. The mountains to the east and west serve to hold the gases in the region as well, creating a huge noxious cloud thousands of square miles in size. The air does tend to clear up the higher one gets, usually around 4-6,000 feet above sea level, but the smell lingers for longer. This region has become a haven for fire dragons and elementals. A few other life forms have adapted to the region as well, such as the flatfoot iguana, smokewalker, ashwalker, and sootspitter. The entire region has maybe 3 or 4 ley lines- and weak ones at that. The only one of interest runs along the southeastern corner and connects to a major ley line in both California and Montana. This allows for some limited ley line messaging to the region, but little is done.

[kevarin]

thats a cool setting but my kingdom is in northern california along the coast up by the redwood forests i take it this area is a wastland in your setting but could do a pocket dimension like in the yucatan walking thru a smokey wastland next thing you know your in a forst could be interesting

[Primus]

Excerpts from the report of Staff Sgt. Damian Whiteshoe, NNMC
October 9, P.A. 103

“While on a recon mission of unexplored portion of the western coastline of the U.S., our patrol group from the U.S.S. Ticonderoga encountered a group of four flying armored units of previously unknown design. The inbound bogeys altered course to intercept us. We broadcast a warning on all radio channels and readied our weapons in case they were needed. We asked for identification and emphasized we were not hostile but would defend ourselves if necessary. The approaching units cut their speed and approached us slowly. They replied over wideband and in American that they were also not hostile and were members of the ‘New Haven Civil Defense Forces’ and were patrolling the area. We identified ourselves as New Navy and again replied that we were not a threat. They acknowledged and asked us to accompany them back to their city, a town called New Haven, to talk and possibly open diplomatic negotiations. After conferring by radio with my superior (see attached documentation), my patrol swung our Semper Fi suits into formation with them. To my surprise, the units actually appeared to be slightly modified versions of the old USA SAMAS armor suit.
“We proceeded northward from our position toward the area once known as San Francisco Bay. On our right stood the Coastal Mountain Range; grand and beautiful, it provided a breathtaking backdrop for our flight. I should note that almost all of these mountains are, according to our readings, three to four thousand feet taller than they are recorded in our databases- no doubt the work of forces released during Great Cataclysm. As we continued, we began to see small villages and farms in the coastal areas below us. Nice houses, well-paved roads, and fairly high levels of technology were evident. When I asked if this was New Haven the reply I received was, ‘No, this is only CoastSide, but we’re getting closer’. I also began to notice a fairly large ley line nearby, but since our guides seemed unconcerned I let it pass. The farms gave way to quaint, quiet neighborhoods, factories, and- to our great surprise- a monorail transport system. As we continued up the coastline, we noticed a huge dock area, very similar to the one at Salvation Base. The docks were filled with boats of all sizes and, much to our surprise, what appeared to be a Ticonderoga-class submersible carrier! When asked about them, we were told they were salvaged from the old San Francisco-Alameda area and that all would eventually be explained to us. I do seem to remember mention of an old U.S. Naval base being located in that area, but I’m not sure entirely.
‘As we skimmed over the ground, our guides moved to pace one of the monorail trains running on the track. Both humans and non-humans were on the train, smiling and waving at us. Deciding to wave back in our own way, I ordered my patrol into a quick barrel roll, eliciting chuckles from my wingman. The people on the train appeared to be clapping and laughing appreciatively. I shook my head in amazement. Even in Tritonia, the humans and non-humans have their differences. Here they seemed to be content living next to each other. I even spotted a couple of giant winged gargoyles chasing the monorail playfully as others pointed and laughed at their antics.
“After a minute or so of following the train, we finally saw the city. I believe I actually gasped out loud- along with my men- at the sight. What appeared to be the city proper was spread out at the base of a huge mountain (which I later learned had been renamed Haven Mons). However, the main “downtown” area was actually built INTO THE MOUNTAIN! A face of the mountain actually overhung the city sections. Gleaming towers of glass, steel, and stone sat nestled in a huge cavern that had been hollowed out of the rock face itself. Buildings towering 1,500 feet high actually disappeared into the ‘ceiling’ of the city. Eight in all, these huge pillar-like structures actually appeared as if they kept the weight of the mountain from crushing the city below. A half-dozen monorails ran under the city walls and the same number of gates allowed people on foot, steed, and vehicle into the city.
“It was toward one of the towers that our escorts led us. Staying in formation as they flew between the city buildings, we were all humbled by the breathtaking view we received. Besides the 8 towers, there were at least a half-dozen other buildings topping the thousand foot mark and several more well over 500 feet. All different types of architecture were evident, from Earth and from beyond Earth. People and beings of every imaginable race walked along the well-appointed streets. As we reached the center of the city, the buildings gave way to a huge open marketplace easily 2 times the size of the flight deck of our carrier. From what I could tell, all manners of food and wares were for sale, again Earthen and alien. Children ran and waved at us. We saluted them back as we angled for a gleaming white stone and durasteel tower near the rear of the cavern. Following our escorts, we landed in a small hangar area on the far side of the tower. Our hosts had told us we would be greeted on arrival and would be escorted to meet with the Presidents. Upon landing, we were approached by what could only be an honor guard of 2 dozen smartly dressed troops. At their head were a human and a tall, dog-like humanoid. The human smiled and introduced himself as Commandant Aaron Diaz, the commander of the New Haven Community Safety Corps. The dog-creature was introduced as General Drak Mul, leader of the New Haven Civil Defense Force. Commandant Diaz stated that we were among friends and asked that we remove our suits, as they were not allowed to be worn in the city except by CDF or CSC operatives. Not wanting to cause trouble, we complied; we were allowed to hang on to our sidearms however. Introductions of the rest of my patrol were made (and I must make commendations for their poise in a most unusual situation). Commandant Diaz shook everyone’s hands while General Mul merely nodded. Diaz then slapped Mul on the back and made a crack about him being entirely too uptight. Mul merely grumbled but I think I caught a hint of a smile, though I’m not sure considering his race is unfamiliar to me. Finally the honor guard escorted us to the High Office, where the Presidents were waiting...”

[Primus]

At this point, I will stop with my "copy/paste" session as I'd really like to hear some feedback from other experienced players. Constructive criticism is most welcome. Thanks all! If this goes over well, I'll throw in more tidbits from what I've written.

[Primus]

Kev, depends on your location. You may be underwater! Do you have a place in specific that it is located? What town would it be near? Some of the redwoods in this setting are Millenium Tree sized thanks to the fertile volcanic soils.

[kevarin]

i think you got a good rifter series or small sourcebook if you wanted to just off what iv read tonight

[Primus]

Thank you! I appreciate it! I'm working on getting my maps scanned into the computer, but apparently my printer only scans pictures and not documents so I have to wait till Tuesday to have access to a full sized doc scanner. Then I can post a map and everyone can see the devastation I have wrought...heh heh.

[kevarin]

Kev, depends on your location. You may be underwater! Do you have a place in specific that it is located? What town would it be near? Some of the redwoods in this setting are Millenium Tree sized thanks to the fertile volcanic soils.

its along the river by the hyperion tree looked like a nice little area there city is on the ground and up in the trees or at the meeting of the redwood creek and the tom mcdonald creek

[Primus]

Kev, depends on your location. You may be underwater! Do you have a place in specific that it is located? What town would it be near? Some of the redwoods in this setting are Millenium Tree sized thanks to the fertile volcanic soils.

its along the river by the hyperion tree looked like a nice little area there city is on the ground and up in the trees or at the meeting of the redwood creek and the tom mcdonald creek

If I'm interpreting this right, you are just south of the Redwood National Forest and northeast of Eureka. According to my map, that is in the Highlands. That particular region experienced an altitude increase of about 2,500 feet and was also subject to earthquakes from the nearby South Fork Mountain Fault- a fault line in the northwest corner of Cali that runs down to a point just south east of Eureka. In addition, the coastline in that area was affected by raised sea levels from Atlantis. Honestly though, I don't see why your kingdom can't be nestled in between the Klamath Mountains which expanded westward almost to the Pacific coast. Otherwise, a neat little twist could be the pocket dimension you mentioned. Make the entrance something cool like an opening in a large redwood or something along those lines. ANyways, that's how I'd fit your state in. Remember, none of this is "official". Just some stuff I wanted to throw out for opinions from other players...if you choose to use the setting however, I would be ever so flattered!

[Dustin Fireblade]

Might want to work a bit on the formatting of the posts - breaking things up a little more to make it easier to read.


Other than that, the only major complaint that I have is that (unless I missed it) you have no mention of the Native Americans. There is a major "preserve" where Central Valley is now, rebuilt on the ruins of Stockton. According to the map on WB 15, it looks like they pretty much dominate the entire valley from there.

[Primus]

Might want to work a bit on the formatting of the posts - breaking things up a little more to make it easier to read.


Other than that, the only major complaint that I have is that (unless I missed it) you have no mention of the Native Americans. There is a major "preserve" where Central Valley is now, rebuilt on the ruins of Stockton. According to the map on WB 15, it looks like they pretty much dominate the entire valley from there.

Hmmm...I must have missed that. Should be easy enough to rectify though...they can live "Pueblo" style, very similar to the way the Lyn-Srial have constructed their cities...the Great Central Sea covers virtually the entire valley. My reasoning was, as a low lying area, the rise in ocean levels would flood the entire region completely. Most of those areas, according to the US Geological survey, are very low- in a good number of cases, lower than areas of the Midwest and Great Plains. A rise in global water levels would likely submerge them in an extremely forceful way- especially since the only real opening in the basin is the SF Bay chain; it would be like a dam burst.

As for the formatting...yeah, I see what you're saying. Need to break it up a bit...was just copy/pasting from my documents. Probably a lot easier to read there...heh heh. Thanks for the input! I really appreciate it...I suppose that's what Kevin and Wayne do all day- look for little omissions and errors and correct them.

[Shadow Wyrm]

I just started to read though the material and I noticed that you made the Cal. Central Valley a an inland sea, cool, I like to see people put one there in there games. Since, if the sea level did rise as much as they say there would be one there.
and one little correction San Jose is the major city in the South Bay area of SF bay not in the Central Vally. Though if you moved it just to flood it thank you, I never liked that place anyway.

[taalismn]

Brutal and thorough. You did your geography homework well.

[Shadow Wyrm]

Brutal and thorough. You did your geography homework well.

Yes. Yes. Thanks for picking up an atlas, I wish people a Palladium did that.

[Primus]

I just started to read though the material and I noticed that you made the Cal. Central Valley a an inland sea, cool, I like to see people put one there in there games. Since, if the sea level did rise as much as they say there would be one there.
and one little correction San Jose is the major city in the South Bay area of SF bay not in the Central Vally. Though if you moved it just to flood it thank you, I never liked that place anyway.

Moved it just for you bro!

Thanks everyone for the compliments! I'm really flattered at the positive responses I've gotten. I'll be putting up a little more either tonite or tomorrow evening, getting into the actual geological activity, active volcanoes, and more destructive goodness.

[Primus]

Did some research on Native Americans in California and made a few notes in relation to my setting ideas. First, Native Americans dominating the Central Basin as proposed in WB 15 is highly illogical as the region holds less than 10 small reservations. The VAST majority of reservations are located in southeastern California in or near the Mojave Desert, specifically in the area that now resides under the Boiling Sea. The rest of the reservations in California are sporadically located in the Coastal Ranges and Sierra Nevadas- areas that were crushed under the full force of the geologic upheavals that heightened those ranges. Looking at the map provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the only real area in the region that Native Americans would possibly thrive (aka they managed to survive) would be the Warm Springs Reservation in north central Oregon. Of note is the fact that it is a HUGE reservation (over 1,000 square miles or 3k Sq KM) so the population base would be adequate to survive. They would have had enough time to fortify or relocate to safer terrain in Washington. I'm not saying that there aren't pockets of Native Americans in the region, but using their locations it would be illogical to say that they dominate the Basic/Central Sea the way WB 15 suggests in my setting.

[Primus]

More destructive goodness for all to peruse. Enjoy!

Geology of the West Coast

Author’s note: In order to truly understand the current state of the West Coast on Rifts Earth, we must review the basic geography of the region. One must realize that what I have done as an author does have some basis in scientific fact, though great liberties have been taken in the results of the geological forces that are believed to have occurred during the Great Cataclysm. In no way am I saying that this result is what will happen to California and Oregon down the road. I don’t pretend to be a scientist or a geologist and do not completely understand the forces that make up our world. A lot of my research was done thanks to the US Geological survey which provided two maps in particular which proved invaluable to the designing of the resulting landscape of the new West Coast. These two maps showed all known faultlines in the region. To be honest, I had no idea the complexity of the network of faults in the area. Like most people I was familiar with the San Andreas fault; the other two major faultlines- the Banning and Haywood faults- follow it in popularity. Needless to say, once my research began I realized just how daunting a task it would be to remake the region. However, once begun the information provided twists and turns that I hadn’t thought of before and helped make the task more fun than I ever imagined. Though I have tried to be as accurate as I could on the facts I’m presenting, it stands to reason it may not be completely correct as I am attempting to generalize a large amount of information.

The Western Coast of the United States is a geologist’s paradise. The area is replete with what one might term geological events. The region running literally the length of the coast of North America from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska all the way south into Central America is littered with mountain ranges, active and extinct volcanoes, faultlines, and differing landscapes. The West Coast region is home to four tectonic plates: North American, Pacific, Cocos, and Juan de Fuca. A tectonic plate is essentially a giant island of the Earth’s crust that floats on the layer of magma directly beneath it. The locations where these plates contact each other produce enormous pressure, heat, and friction. This energy often creates dramatic changes in the landscape. These connection points often form faultlines- such as the San Andreas and Haywood faults. These faultlines are located where the actual contact between two tectonic plates occurs; the land masses move against each other. In the case of the West Coast, the Pacific plate is slowly moving under the North American plate as well as slowly moving northwest. It is this movement that has created the various mountain ranges on the West Coast- the Rockies, the Coastals, the Sierra Nevadas, the Cascades, etc. On occasion, the pressure of the plates moving against each other creates cracks in the Earth’s crust. Heat, gases, and magma can make their way to the service through these cracks and a volcano is born. There are a wide variety of types of volcanoes; these will be covered a little later.

[Primus]

Shaking Up the West Coast

Faults do not just occur where the plates meet. They can occur in a wide variety of locations, such as the famous New Madrid Fault located in Midwest. Such is the case in California and Oregon as well. The stresses of the tectonic plates have created literally hundreds of small faultlines, covering huge regions of the West Coast. The United States Geological Survey provides ample resources to explore and exploit these for game purposes.

As mentioned before, the tectonic plates move against each other at a very, very slow rate, usually between 1 and 3 cm a year. Occasionally major seismic events can cause larger movements, but these are very rare. When the Great Cataclysm occurred, it wasn’t so much a movement of the tectonic plates but a massive spasm of the entire Earth. There was relatively little actual plate movement but the pressure caused by the spasming- partially induced by the nuclear explosion in the Los Angeles megaplex- was sudden and great. This energy was released in the hundreds of earthquakes and dozens of volcanic eruptions. These sudden releases reshaped the entire region in a matter of moments.

[Primus]

The Mojave Desert had a tremendous concentration of faultlines lacing it. Once the energy releases of the Cataclysm began the dozens of faults in that region activated and began to feed off each other. The constant shaking that occurred caused the entire desert to collapse into the earth, from the Colorado River in the east to the Helendale Fault in the west. The myriad of faultlines continued to feed energy to each other well into the Post Apocalyptic calendar. Over the centuries since the Great Cataclysm the region was fed by runoff from the New Continental Divide and the Colorado River, resulting in a massive lake where the desert used to be, and thanks to the constant shaking of the area- now known as the Quakezone- the waters of the new lake appear to be boiling. Thus was born the Boiling Sea.

[Primus]

The mountain ranges of the West Coast were formed by the transforming border between the North American and Pacific plates- and in small part to the Juan de Fuca plate (located off the coast of Washington and Oregon) and Cocos (located primarily in the Gulf of Baja). It is believed that the ranges were formed when the plates initially collided. One plate was forced under the other. This resulted in the earth being forced upwards, forming mountain ranges. When the plates spasmed during the Cataclysm, these same forces pushed some areas of the region upwards and caused some other regions to collapse. A vast majority of the mountain ranges were bucked upwards into the skies, growing taller by up to 100% in some cases. These ranges included the Klamath Mountains and Cascades in northern California- the region now known as the Highlands-, the Sierra Nevadas, and the majority of the Coastal Ranges. The same forces that bucked these ranges upwards also created counter forces along other faultlines. The Transverse Coastal Range- originally located north of the Santa Barbara Channel- fell victim to the competing forces of the San Gabriel Faultline and Big Sur Faultline. The energies released crushed the Transverse range, creating a subterranean void that the entire range collapsed into. Ocean water rushed in, further aggravating the delicate tectonic balance.

The Great Valley was the central region of California and really the only large region of flatland in the state. Though the region is largely free of major faultlines, the western border of the Valley is replete with them. One might say that, with the Sierra Nevadas on the east and the faults on the west, the region was between a rock and a hard place. When the Cataclysm released the seismic forces that increased the size of the region’s mountains, it affected the Valley as well. Most of the rock and earth beneath the Valley was pushed upwards with the upheaval of the mountains. As a result, the lower levels of earth below the Valley were forcefully evacuated. There was a sudden void beneath a huge portion, causing most of the Great Valley to collapse into the earth. The water runoff from the region’s rivers were aided by the increased sea levels from the reappearance of Atlantis in filling the newly created crater with water; the sea water rushed in through the only real gap in the mountainous circle surrounding the Valley- the chain of bays that began in the former San Francisco area. The end result of these seismic forces was the Great Central Sea- one of the largest fresh water bodies on Rifts Earth.

[Primus]

Finally, we come to the most famous feature of Southern California: the San Andreas Fault. A powerful fault, immense potential energy is constantly present along its border. It was this fault that activated the others during the Cataclysm. And it was man that activated the fault. The nuclear blast that vaporized the LA area sent massive shockwaves through the geologically unstable earth. Though San Andreas lays a short distance outside LA, its border absorbed a tremendous amount of the detonation’s energy. This extra energy tipped the balance and caused a tremendous upheaval along the entire length of the fault, from Eureka to Yuma and beyond. This energy was transferred further into the immediate area- as an incredible earthquake, the likes of which hadn’t been seen for millennia. The energy was transferred to surrounding major faultlines- the San Gabriel, the Banning, and the Hayward. The region simply could not take the stress of all the major faults spasming simultaneously. As a result, Southern California shattered, breaking apart into a myriad of islands. The Angel Islands, as they have come to be called, still quake frequently due to proximity to the faultlines-which now rests underwater as the San Andreas Straight, San Gabriel Sea, and Banning’s Pass- and the Quakezone to the east.

As far as the state of Oregon goes, most regional faultlines are located offshore. The damage from any earthquakes in the Oregon area was strictly related to tsunamis along the coastline, but Oregon didn’t need earthquakes to destroy it- Oregon had volcanoes.

[Primus]

Too Hot To Handle

Author’s Note: Again I must reiterate that the information presented here is “based on” facts, but by far and away not the be-all-end-all of scientific knowledge regarding volcanoes. On a personal note, volcanoes are truly fascinating things. Few things in nature seem as fickle; they can be breathtakingly lovely- anyone who has seen Japan’s Mount Fuji can agree- or they can be mind-numbingly destructive. Perhaps most of all, there are SO many ways for a volcano to destroy. I think humankind’s fascination with the fire mountains is justified and perhaps highly motivated- partially out of a concern for safety and partially out of the place in each of us that looks at these mighty forces with our mouths agape and our eyes wide and thinks, “Dear God, how can anything be so completely and utterly powerful?”

Volcanoes remain one of the most awesome spectacles on the planet. Able to throw clouds of ash miles into the sky, spew forth superheated rock and magma, and destroy large areas of land in an extremely short amount of time. A volcano, by definition, is an opening in the Earth’s (or another planet’s or moon’s) crust that allows the escape of magma, gases, and ash from the mantle, sometimes in explosive fashion. These openings are most common at places where the tectonic plates come in contact with each other or where a plate is expanding (such as in the middle of the Atlantic Plate). The types of volcanoes and their eruptions vary as much as their locations. A wide variety of geologic phenomena are known to often accompany a volcano including geysers, earthquakes, hot springs, and mud pots (heated mud).

[Primus]

To understand what the different volcanoes are capable of, one must first recognize the three primary types of volcanoes. The first type is the “shield dome”. These volcanoes are characterized by wide bases and smooth, sloping flanks- like a classic shield placed on the ground. They tend to have large craters at their peak, will have vents on their slopes, and do not have explosive eruptions. They almost always have lava eruptions, releasing very fast, hot liquid rock that can travel a great distance from the crater, giving them their shape. The eruptions tend to be prolonged; perhaps the most famous shield volcano is Hawaii’s Kilauaea, which has been erupting continuously since 1983. The second type is called a “cinder cone”. This is quite often a one-shot volcano. It is composed of small chucks of volcanic debris similar to pumice or cinders, hence the name. This type of volcano can form as a vent on larger volcanoes as often as they form as a stand-alone mountain. Eruptions are usually short lived, consisting of superheated debris and lava bombs, ash, and gases. Lava occasionally breaches the large crater at the peak of the cinder cone; otherwise it comes from vents on the slopes. The third type, and possibly the most popular, is the composite cone or stratovolcano. This is the type of volcano that most picture when asked to imagine a volcano. The mountain is conical in shape and may or may not have a crater at its peak. This volcano has the most diverse possibility as far as eruptions, allowing for mild lava eruptions, powerful explosive eruptions, and gaseous explosions- though the explosive eruptions are by far the most common. They often will have lava domes inside of their craters- small domes that often cover or plug the main volcanic vent allowing the pressure to build. Lava may be present, but is rarely considered dangerous as the flows are usually very thick and slow moving. However, rapid mud flows and landslides can occur as a result of the heat of the eruption melting snow and ice on its faces.

Pyroclastic flows can occur as well; pyroclastic flows are ground-hugging clouds of superheated gas and debris that travel down the slopes of the volcano at speeds that can exceed 50mph. The gases and debris in the cloud can reach close to 2,000 degrees F and the force of the flow can level trees and knock down buildings- it is like being hit with a superheated train; the flow size can range from a couple hundred cubic meters to thousands of cubic kilometers. The explosive energy behind the eruptions of composite cones is immense, rivaling nuclear warheads for sheer destructive force and often destroying large portions of the mountain. It is the composite cone that is by far the most common on the West Coast of the United States; this is directly related to the contact zone of the Pacific and North American tectonic plates. The constant pressure released as the two plates contact each other is a sure catalyst for creation of cracks in the Earth’s crust and, subsequently, volcanoes.

[Primus]

A couple notes about volcanic eruptions. One cannot understate the damage potential of a volcano; history is replete with cases were these mammoths of nature have wiped out whole cities in a matter of days. Perhaps the most famous of these is the eruption Vesuvius, a composite volcano located near Naples, Italy. In one day in AD 79, this mountain buried two Roman cities in up to 30 feet of ash and pyroclastic flows; the mountain is considered one of the most dangerous on the planet to this day. Krakatao, a small island volcano near Java, is responsible for the loudest single sound in recorded history by producing, during an eruption in 1883, an explosion that was distinctly heard approximately 3,000 miles away while destroying hundreds of villages and damaging hundreds more. The volcano is capable of producing air-to-ground lightning in its ashplumes, earthquakes, fires, and noxious gases. It can rain ash over an area of thousands of square miles, change the color of sunsets, and alter global weather patterns- sometimes for years into the future. It can create land where there was none before and destroy land that may have existed for millions of years. It can create tsunamis and rockslides, mudflows, and completely level an area the size of Rhode Island. So to include a volcano in an adventure adds an element of danger that everyone can feel, from the most powerful robots to the most adept mages. This list provides some information on the major volcanoes of the West Coast, their relative location, and their type of volcano and whether or not they are active, dormant, or extinct. Keep in mind, these are KNOWN volcanoes; needless to say, much of the New West Coast is unexplored and, thanks to the geological instability of the region, new volcanoes and vents are always popping up.

[Primus]

• Black Mammoth Mountain, stratovolcano; active; 15,002 feet; located on the Long Valley Caldera about 100 miles northeast of the former location of Fresno. Note that the Caldera is a haven for volcanic activity and Black Mammoth is not the only volcano in the area, just the largest.
• Clear Lake Mountain, stratovolcano; active; 10,235 feet; located in the spot where Clear Lake had been and north of New Haven by 130 miles, the site had been volcanic ages before and reactivated during the Cataclysm.
• Mount Lassen, lava dome, developing to stratovolcano; active; 14,997 feet; located due east of the former site of Redding, CA, by about 50 miles.
• Mount Redding, lava dome, developing to stratovolcano; active; 12,888 feet; located on the former site of Redding, CA.
• Mount Shasta, stratovolcano; active; 17,023 feet; located 100 miles north of Redding, CA.
• Mount Eureka, lava dome, developing to stratovolcano; active; 7,338 feet; located on Eureka Bay in northern California.
• Medicine Lake, shield dome; active; 14,003 feet; located 30 miles northeast of Mount Shasta.
• Ashfall Dome, lava dome; active; 437 feet; located in the center of Ashfall Crater.
• Newberry Volcano and Caldera, shield dome; active; 10,003 feet; 20 miles southeast of the former site of Bend, OR; of note, this volcano had a large collection of cinder cones, vents, and fissures before the Cataclysm, numbering into the dozens so one can assume with the increased volcanic activity post-apocolyptic that continues in the Rifts world.
• The Three Sisters: North Sister, stratovolcano; dormant; 10,230 feet. Middle Sister, stratovolcano; dormant; 10,111 feet; South Sister, stratovolcano; active; 13,774 feet; located 20 miles northeast of Bend, OR.
• Mount Jefferson, stratovolcano; active; 11,855 feet; located north of Three Sisters approximately 20 miles.
• Mount Hood, stratovolcano; active; 13,858 feet; located 50 miles ESE of the former site of Portland, OR.

[Primus]

Oregon, at the beginning of the 21st century, was home to 5 known active or dormant volcanoes. Even in a state the size of Oregon, 5 volcanoes was more than enough to completely decimate everything- especially when they are all going off at once. Throw in the emergence of the hundreds of new volcanic vents that formed with the cracking of the earth’s crust from competing geological forces and you are looking at a catastrophe.

When you look at a geographic map of Oregon, one thing is easily noticed. All of the populated areas are located in the Willamette Valley between the Coast Range in the west and the Cascades in the central part of the state. The entire state outside of this region is extremely mountainous and rugged. In addition, hundreds of rivers and streams cut through the state to drain melting snow from the mountain peaks. With that amount of water and the presence of volcanoes, the possibility existed of massive mudslides in the case of volcanic eruption or earthquake. This is what happened to the city of Portland. With the eruption of Mount Hood a mere 50 miles away- especially on the scale that it erupted- Portland was hit from both directions. First, the blast itself leveled a good chunk of the city. Second a massive pyroclastic flow rushed from the pulverized mountain into the beleaguered town, crushing all in its wake. Lastly, a flood of melted water, ash, and mud raced down the flanks of both the Cascades and the Coast Range to meet in the middle of downtown Portland. New volcanoes erupting in the Coast Range added their might to that of Mount Hood, producing similar effects. By the time all was said and done, Portland, Salem, and virtually the entire Willamette Valley was buried in hundreds of feet of mud, ash, and debris. Further south, the city of Eugene received a full dose of not one, not two, but FIVE volcanoes; the city never stood a chance. In addition to the eruption of dozens of cinder cone volcanoes in the Newbury Caldera and the blasts from the Three Sisters composite cones, Eugene was also a front line recipient of the full fury of Mount Mazama’s mega-eruption. To have been in Eugene on the day of the Cataclysm was a death sentence. One could look to the east and see the plumes of volcanic eruptions and feel the earth shake, then turn to the south and see a fall of fire, rock, and gas hundreds of feet high roaring at you at a hundred miles per hour- a wall so wide it obscured even the huge 10 mile high ash plume from Mazama’s explosion. So fierce was the blast from that single eruption that NOTHING was left of the city taller than 1 foot. One would never have guessed that there was ever a city there, even if the region wasn’t buried under millions of tons of debris from the Mazama eruption.
The final straw for Oregon was the fact that, since it sits between two large mountain ranges (the Coast Range received the same “shot in the arm” as far as height that the California ranges got from the Cataclysm), any gases that are heavier than air would be trapped in the region. Needless to say, with as many eruptions as were occurring, volcanic gases were plentiful. Those not killed by the eruptions soon had to deal with enormous quantities of poisonous gases such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, methane, and carbon monoxide. Thousands suffocated to death as these heavier gases displaced the normal oxygen and nitrogen mixture common in the air. These gases still linger in Ashfall to this day, making it one of the deadliest places on the planet.
The rest of the state was decimated by the millions of tons of hot ash that fell from the primary volcanic eruptions and the secondary development of hundreds of micro-volcanoes and volcanic vents that still blast out hot gases and ash 300 years later.

[Primus]

There's some more stuff for ya'll to peruse. Keep the comments coming...I really appreciate them!

[Dustin Fireblade]

Did some research on Native Americans in California and made a few notes in relation to my setting ideas. First, Native Americans dominating the Central Basin as proposed in WB 15 is highly illogical as the region holds less than 10 small reservations. The VAST majority of reservations are located in southeastern California in or near the Mojave Desert, specifically in the area that now resides under the Boiling Sea. The rest of the reservations in California are sporadically located in the Coastal Ranges and Sierra Nevadas- areas that were crushed under the full force of the geologic upheavals that heightened those ranges. Looking at the map provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the only real area in the region that Native Americans would possibly thrive (aka they managed to survive) would be the Warm Springs Reservation in north central Oregon. Of note is the fact that it is a HUGE reservation (over 1,000 square miles or 3k Sq KM) so the population base would be adequate to survive. They would have had enough time to fortify or relocate to safer terrain in Washington. I'm not saying that there aren't pockets of Native Americans in the region, but using their locations it would be illogical to say that they dominate the Basic/Central Sea the way WB 15 suggests in my setting.

Do you have WB15?

Reason I ask is because millions of Native Americans "came home" from the spirit realm vastly increasing their population, gathered up all the "modern native Americans" survivors and then led them to their ancestral home. In this case the Preserve is led by the Miwok.

Basically its not so much the fact of a single small preserve surviving the cataclysm, but that the Native Americans pretty much cheated and had lots of help to make it through the cataclysm. Note that the west coast has two major preserves - the "Valley Preserve" in California and another in Washington, known as the "Water Point Preserve"

This is pretty much always the problem I've seen with folks wanting to write about the west coast - they either don't know about Spirit West or for some reason want to ignore that its canon.

[kevarin]

Kev, depends on your location. You may be underwater! Do you have a place in specific that it is located? What town would it be near? Some of the redwoods in this setting are Millenium Tree sized thanks to the fertile volcanic soils.

its along the river by the hyperion tree looked like a nice little area there city is on the ground and up in the trees or at the meeting of the redwood creek and the tom mcdonald creek

If I'm interpreting this right, you are just south of the Redwood National Forest and northeast of Eureka. According to my map, that is in the Highlands. That particular region experienced an altitude increase of about 2,500 feet and was also subject to earthquakes from the nearby South Fork Mountain Fault- a fault line in the northwest corner of Cali that runs down to a point just south east of Eureka. In addition, the coastline in that area was affected by raised sea levels from Atlantis. Honestly though, I don't see why your kingdom can't be nestled in between the Klamath Mountains which expanded westward almost to the Pacific coast. Otherwise, a neat little twist could be the pocket dimension you mentioned. Make the entrance something cool like an opening in a large redwood or something along those lines. ANyways, that's how I'd fit your state in. Remember, none of this is "official". Just some stuff I wanted to throw out for opinions from other players...if you choose to use the setting however, I would be ever so flattered!

its actually allmost right in the middle of the redwood national park along the reedwood river if you look on googlemaps its just south of where it marks the redwood national park
thinking the d pocket might work went looking online and found a pick of the hyperion tree and it just happens to have a tree growing right next to it could make a nice gateway to this d-pocket walk between the trees and you enter walk past on either side and you just keep going
the other tree could have fallen over too making a doorway too still thinking this out heres the pick i was looking at

http://imageevent.com/mdvaden/redwoods3 ... =4&s=0&z=2

[Primus]

Canon is canon fodder, especially here. We've seen a number of things that have changed over time in the Rifts world. Like I said before though, it's a simple matter of living Pueblo style in the cliff faces or in harmony with some of the Millenium Trees that grow in the Sea. Easy to adjust.

The fact is, I'm just throwing stuff out for people to use. This is not "canon" at all, just some stuff I've put together that may help others with their games. It's not "canon" until Kev and Wayne sign off on it...

Besides..like I said before, that's what editing is for! I shouldn't be difficult to work the Preserve into the setting at all...gimme a couple weeks to work on it. I actually already have an idea that would work well and be very cool on top of it.

[Primus]

its actually allmost right in the middle of the redwood national park along the reedwood river if you look on googlemaps its just south of where it marks the redwood national park
thinking the d pocket might work went looking online and found a pick of the hyperion tree and it just happens to have a tree growing right next to it could make a nice gateway to this d-pocket walk between the trees and you enter walk past on either side and you just keep going
the other tree could have fallen over too making a doorway too still thinking this out heres the pick i was looking at

http://imageevent.com/mdvaden/redwoods3 ... =4&s=0&z=2

Nice selection. Another tree smahing into it or forming a doorway would be extremely likely. In fact, by being IN RNP instead of south of it, the gate would actually be closer to the fault I mentioned- meaning the likelihood of a tree collapsing would be high. I will mention that the Redwood NF area is one of the few areas with ley lines present. One could even theorize that Hyperion became a Millenium Tree.

[gaby]

will you give info about New Haven,s Government and it,s military?

[BIGKILLA]

this is pretty good stuff,as a washintonian i would love to see more info on washington especially if you made any info on Whidbey island.

[Primus]

There will be more information on New Haven coming, including military, government, and a few OCCs I've designed. I'm especially proud of the Psi-Mecha OCC...it was developed by studying the Mechanoids and their ability to use psionic powers.

[Jack Daniels]

When you look at a geographic map of Oregon, one thing is easily noticed. All of the populated areas are located in the Willamette Valley between the Coast Range in the west and the Cascades in the central part of the state. The entire state outside of this region is extremely mountainous and rugged.
. . .
To have been in Eugene on the day of the Cataclysm was a death sentence. One could look to the east and see the plumes of volcanic eruptions and feel the earth shake, then turn to the south and see a fall of fire, rock, and gas hundreds of feet high roaring at you at a hundred miles per hour- a wall so wide it obscured even the huge 10 mile high ash plume from Mazama’s explosion. So fierce was the blast from that single eruption that NOTHING was left of the city taller than 1 foot.

This is nice work. Being a resident of Eugene I'm a little bummed that you saw fit to wipe us out, but at least you did it in a properly thorough manner. Aside from that I thought I'd throw in a few notes on things that you specified, in case you are working strictly off of maps and haven't actually traveled the state.

Most of Eastern Oregon (and Eastern Washington) is not at all mountainous, but rather high desert. It's not flat, but more a series of rolling hills that stretch off to the horizon, certainly not anything that could be considered mountainous. Those rolling hills are actually sediment deposits from enormous floods that occurred repeatedly during the last ice age, search Lake Missoula or check http://www.glaciallakemissoula.org/ for some information and cool ideas about what really big floods can do to landscapes.

Also, there are significant (for Oregon) population centers outside of the Willamette Valley. The Umpqua and Rogue River Valleys in Southern Oregon are home to Ashland, Medford, Grants Pass, and Roseburg which total about 125,000 people today, maybe 150,000 in the region. They are growing pretty quickly due to some nice weather and cheap property prices and will probably be much larger by the time all this happens. These two valleys are between the Coast Range and the Cascades, and the cities are stretched out from south to north all about 50 miles to the west of Crater Lake. They would probably have the land they are on get tossed into the air as part of the eruption, that might be a cool scene you could describe in your text.

Bend is on the east side of the Cascade Range opposite Eugene and by itself holds 50,000 people in its high desert environment. It is also the fastest growing community in Oregon over the last couple decades, based almost entirely on tourism and outdoor adventure, there are ridiculous amounts of things to do at any time of the year. If there are people in Oregon that could potentially survive the end of the world, the Bend area is a good place for them to have been making a living when it happens.

Along the south bank of the Columbia there is also the Umatilla-Hermiston area which is the second biggest agricultural region outside of the Willamette Valley. Not a lot of people, but good productive land for farming, it was one of the first regions populated by people traveling along the Oregon Trail back in the day. If the Columbia River still exists all the ash from the volcanoes would eventually make this area as fertile as ever.

Speaking of the Columbia River. . . sort of. If you divert the Snake River to flow south to the Colorado instead of joining with the Columbia, then Hells Canyon would not really exist as you've described it. The Snake River flows north through Hell's Canyon on the way to meeting the Columbia River. The Colorado is to the south so if the Snake were heading that direction it would not flow through Hell's Canyon at all, unless within the last 400 years it has cut an entirely new canyon to the south that is now called Hell's Canyon (not very much time to do that, geologically).

Also, you talked about the Warm Springs Reservation as a potential source of NA power based on its size supporting its population base. The population today is less than 3500 people which would be a nice population density for survival purposes, except that the reservation is in the high desert of Eastern Oregon, and thanks to the policies of the Indian Bureau and Oregon Territorial government early on, it is some of the worst possible land in Eastern Oregon. If anyone on the Res survived, they did so by abandoning Warm Springs.

Finally, I have a concern about the setting of New Haven in a mountain with an overhanging cliff in a geologically unstable region. If you haven't already justified them building this way after the history of the area you described you should put some thought in that direction.

Just some information and suggestions on what is already a good read.

[Primus]

Thanks for the info Jack! I have been working off a lot of geological maps, river maps, etc, and first hand information is great to have! My condolences to you and your friends 100 years in the future...heh heh. I've got a few responses that should help clarify things.

Ashland, Medford, and the other southern towns you mentioned are no longer there at all; with the Mt. Mazama super-eruption, those towns were literally blown to pieces. If you go out from where Mt. Mazama/Crater Lake currently is about 150 miles in all directions, you'll get the blast crater from the explosion. It literally destroyed a third of the land in Oregon in a moment. From that blast, heated debris and millions of tons of ash rained down in an easterly/northeasterly direction (depending on the jet stream at the time). Combine that with the other eruptions (it's kind of funny that all the active volcanoes in Oregon are in a straight line north to south), and a cloud of noxious gases and ash would work its way into the high desert region, setting fires, burying towns, and suffocating people. The odds of surviving did improve the further east one got, as it would take time for the ash and debris to make it out there. My ideas for the I-84 corridor included upheavals similar to those that occurred on the coast; I had pictured a vast plain of sharp spires thousands of feet tall, littered with debris and prone to collapse and avalance as time eroded them.

The NA angle is something that another poster brought up and it is something I plan on expanding on. Yes, I knew that the population was pretty low there (relatively), but I expected the NA gods to protect them and move them en masse such as was previously mentioned. My location is probably going to be a mystical Preserve in the Central Sea; in keeping with the Native American theme of being one with nature, I plan on them living in tremendous Redwoods, Sequioas, and Millenium trees provided by the spirits- a truly harmonic setting at one with the land (think Ewok Villages on a grander scale and without teddy bears).

Lastly, the roof of New Haven was carved out of the mountain, reinforced, and enchanted. Believe me, with all the earthquakes i was throwing around, I wanted to protect the city. However, since so much of the energy that would normally build up along the faultlines is constantly being released in the Quakezone, it somewhat stabilizes the other parts of the region.

Thank you so much for your input! I'll be posting some of the details of New Haven here soon.

[Primus]

The City State of New Haven

As the Coalition’s persecution of D-Bees grew in the early years of the Post-Apocalyptic calendar, an underground movement of D-bees and human supporters decided that a future for them in the Coalition was bleak. They decided to leave the vicinity of the Coalition States. Realizing that the Coalition’s influence was confined mainly to the Midwest and likely would stay there or move eastward, they decided to travel west into the wilderness to find a new home. The entire group numbered about 1,500. Five hundred of them gathered and raided a small Coalition outpost on the far western border of Chi-Town. They ransacked it, tied up the remaining soldiers, and took everything they could, including a new Death’s Head transport, data (including some top secret files on a secret form of powered armor called SAMAS), computers, electrical equipment, weapons, and months of supplies. After burning what was left of the outpost, the group began their trek westward. The trip was long and slow, but the group became very closely knit. It also grew significantly as people realized that there was safety in numbers. Also, a number of the group were powerful mutants and D-bees and they served to protect the people they traveled with. By the time the group reached the Pacific Ocean, they numbered nearly 6,000 strong. Eventually they settled near a town called Haven, populated by about 300 magic-users and led by a mystic simply known as Bob. The communities soon merged and in the early spring of 34 P.A., New Haven was founded.

[Primus]

As a city-state, New Haven has grown significantly since it was founded. It covers an area of more than 1,000 square miles and populates nearly two million. Every race is welcome in town. Magic-users, psychics, D-bees, and humans all live, work, and play side by side. As a marvel, New Haven may only be equaled on Rifts Earth by the city of Splynn in Atlantis. The fact that the main part of the city is built into the face of a 17,000-foot mountain is only one of its many splendors. Wondrous sights abound: the New Haven Triad, the Eight Towers, the Marketplace, and the civil safety networks are only a few of the sights in the city.

[Primus]

The city-state of New Haven is made up of several sections or “suburbs”. Each is unique in and of itself, but reside under the jurisdiction of New Haven, much like the city of New York and its boroughs. The suburbs of New Haven are:

CoastSide: a quiet coastal community located west of the Triad pyramids, the town may have the highest population concentration of pneuma-biforms on the planet along with many water-oriented mages, warlocks, and water-dwelling creatures (some of the town is actually underwater).

DockSide: this community is more industrial than anything, consisting of many small businesses, warehouses, factories, and the New Haven Harbor docks; it is here that both New Haven Weaponsmiths and Hellfire Weapons have built their huge assembly factories and primary testing facilities as well as the New Haven Navy Docks; DockSide is located north of CoastSide.

ForestSide: this community, located to the north of the Triad in an area thick with magic and trees, is home to hundreds of forest dwelling creatures, biomancers, and faeries; it also has some of the more upscale neighborhoods, golf courses, and nature parks in the area; it is generally regarded as the most tranquil of the Suburbs and many visitors flock to it daily for picnics, leisure, and quiet contemplation.

MountainSide: easily the largest of the Suburbs and sprawling at the base of Haven Mons, this Suburb is defined by huge areas of houses, paved roads, and stereotypical suburbia; the quaint neighborhoods give way to the city; several main highways make travel to both the city and DockSide for those who work there easy; note that all six of the main roads and monorail lines running into the city proper pass through MountainSide.

New Haven-city proper: this is the main “downtown” section of the city; many businesses, schools, and the city’s main University are located in the cavern that protects the city; government, military, and civil safety headquarters are also located here, as well as hospitals and apartments; the cavern has been terraformed and reinforced to protect from collapse; the 8 Towers are actually pillars of original stone from Haven Mons that serve, not only as buildings, but as supports for the vast ceiling; the pillars have been magically and technologically reinforced; the city is also surrounded by a defensive wall, defense perimeter, and has emergency evacuation procedures in place to protect the populace. These will be described later.

[Primus]

City Geography

When the Great Cataclysm struck the West Coast of the United States, it did so with the full force of nearly everything Mother Nature could muster. The Yellowstone super-volcano erupted; huge tsunami from undersea earthquakes crushed unprotected coastal areas; fault lines moved causing land earthquakes; the seas suddenly rose as the continent of Atlantis reappeared; every volcano on the west coast erupted, coating the land with lava and volcanic ash. The various mountain ranges expanded and grew, sometimes over 100% in height, in the span of one day, causing avalanches, mudslides, and destroying towns and villages on the slopes. All of California and Oregon were turned into a burned, volcanic wastelands. Nothing was left. Then the ley lines came and erupted, spewing forth new threats to humankind: demons, vampires, monsters, and other D-bees entered the world. However, Nature had so thoroughly cleansed the western coastline of life that all but a handful moved east or south into more fruitful regions.

The magnificent Coastal Rangers now stand a mere 6-30 miles from the Pacific Ocean. It is in these mountains near where San Francisco once stood that New Haven has spread its wings. The base of the mountain, renamed Haven Mons, which contains and overshadows the city stands about 7 miles from the ocean allowing for easy access to food, materials, and potential trade routes. The immediately surrounding areas, once blackened with lava and ash, have become lush and extremely fertile over the course of 300 years. Forests and other growth dominate the landscape. The lava fields have become flatlands where farms, homes and parklands may be built, the hard lava rock turning to fertile soil, plains, and grasslands.