Aldergrove Craters

The Craters were formed in a natural wetland climate at near sea level. As a result, it gets a lot of annual rainfall, and it seems likely they will transform into crater lakes over time. However, the Craters remain largely barren, in part because exposing the topsoil and destroying the natural greenery allowed a sudden erosion effect in which the topsoil largely blew away.

The natural content of Meteoric Iron and other ferrous minerals recently deposited and formed by the meteor crashes attracts significant lightning storms.

The natural climate of the area is temperate, and it borders the temperate rainforest of the North American West Coast. It receives about 1487 mm (58.5 inches) of annual precipitation, most of which is in the form of rain, but also occasionally sleet, hail, or sometimes snow.

Fauna is just beginning to return to the Craters, and the rate is slow. Mostly, it features tough plants, such as blackberries and dandelions, which can handle the minimal soil mineral content and thrive in rough, rocky environments.

Limited mining rights have been granted in the Craters for access to ferrous metals, of particular use in tech manufacturing and magical functions.

Aldergrove was primarily an agricultural region, part of the Agricultural Land Reserve (a policy that started in British Columbia when it was part of Canada, but was upheld by the Lapin government,) and home to about 15-20,000 people. It was the site of Naval Radio Site Aldergrove, the Royal Canadian (and then Royal Lapin) Navy's primary communication station for their Pacific fleets. It was also the home of the Greater Vancouver Zoo, four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. Most importantly, however, it was the site chosen for Lapin's first Transcontinental Portal, because of its close proximity to Navy assets, its agricultural support, and its proximity to, first, the Protectorate of The Missing House and then the Ailurus Protectorate.   The transcontinental portal was attacked by the Undead Horde during The Battle of Aldergrove as the survivors of The Battle of Kin Beach attempted to evacuate to the Sauropoda Protectorate. In the battle, the area was completely swarmed by undead. King Bob came to help evacuate the Woodlanders himself, and when he saw the area was lost and overwhelmed by the enemy, he called down a Meteor Swarm spell upon the area as they made their escape. The spell destroyed the area, the portal, and all remaining undead on the field completely.

A monument to those who died in the battle, from soldier to civilian, stands as an obelisk on the Crater site. War tourists observe the monument with its thousands of names solemnly, while scientists come to study the geology and the changing primordial landscape.