KOP
I don't know where you're from, and honestly, I don't care. This is the KOP goddamnit, we look out for each other here, we have enough problems to deal with, without you stirring up trouble. -disgruntled Mall Citizen
Geography
The King of Prussia Wasteland is an enormous spread of wasteland that is blanketed in dense irradiated forests and the remnants of pre-war cities, towns and neighborhoods. The wasteland is similarly outlined by the interstates as they are the largest manmade structures within the region capable of mapping territories. The southern band of the wasteland is outlined by the I-76 until it meets with the I-176 in Morton on the western fringe of the wasteland, the I-176 follows up to Reading where the border opens and is only loosely marked by what remains of route 222, this line extends up until it reaches Iron City, where I-476 and 222 crosses. The I-476 lines the entire eastern side of the wasteland and makes its origin in Hocken a settlement on the northern most tip of the Nova Wasteland, the interstate then climbs until it meets route 222 in Iron City. Fighting between the Brotherhood of Steel and the Enclave has split the KOP wasteland into two subregions, the first being the Iron Hills Wasteland in the northern mountainous regions of the wasteland. And the French Creek State Forest which was first founded by the Enclave back in 2201, this forest encompasses everything south of Reading and Boyerville.
Ecosystem
KOP is covered in a dense and versatile forest and mountainous landscape, the settlements and ruined cities that dot the countryside of this wasteland are all built in and around these hills. On the western side of the wasteland is Reading, one of the last pre-war cities within the Keystone Commonwealth, much of Reading has been destroyed by fighting post war and even more so now with the battle between the brotherhood and the enclave. Reading stands as a last bastion of civilization within the wasteland before its borders give way to the dense and mountainous landscape of the French Creek State Forest. This forest was first named by the Enclave in 2201 when they first settled the region and drove out much of the mutants and dangerous fauna of the area. But the Keystone wilderness is a big and unforgiving place and without constant patrols from either the Enclave of the brotherhood, many of these dangerous and predatory fauna have returned.
The forests of the wasteland are primarily populated by rad stag and wild brahmin, but also house a large mix of other smaller fauna such as the Spotted Rad Squirrel, the mole rat, and the foxy raccoon. These species are predated upon by the predatory species that dwell within the state forest and the iron hills, mutant wolves, mongrels and even yao-guai still stalk the woodlands of the Keystone and can pose a very real threat to those who settle within the untamed wasteland.
Ecosystem Cycles
Due to the largely rural aspect of the KOP Wasteland, the temperature and weather cycles of this region are relatively tame compared to the southern wastelands and the Philadelphia Dark Zone. However, due to the bombing of both Reading and Iron City during the Great War the woodlands of the wasteland have become irradiated like many other wastelands within the Keystone Commonwealth. As such, radiation storms and even aurora bursts are not uncommon within some of the more irradiated parts of the wasteland, particularly in the areas nearby to both Reading and Iron City.
The KOP wasteland undergoes nuclear winters, where the temperatures drop dramatically and well below zero with large amounts of snow fall. Due to this the number of settlements and settlers within the wasteland fluctuates after every winter, with more and more settlements succumbing to the cold every year. Surveyors from the Enclave make it their mission to take as accurate of a census as possible of the settlements within the state forest, but sometimes all they find are abandoned homes and frozen skeletons.
Localized Phenomena
Many mysterious creatures live within the woods of the Keystone Commonwealth. Some talk of strange hairy beasts that stand larger than a man, others say that strange reptiles and serpents hunt the lakes and rivers of the state forest.
More localized phenomenon that occur are the aurora bursts that spring up around the irradiated wastelands nearby Reading and Iron City. These bursts are the aerated radiation of the bombs that hang in the lower atmosphere and scramble radio transmissions for several hours before disbursing. When these bursts occur during the night, they create a beautiful but haunted aurora that hangs over the outskirts of these cities.
Natural Resources
In the centuries before the Great War the mountains of the KOP wasteland were mined for their coal and iron, but since the discovery of atomic energy the coal mines were largely abandoned, while the iron mines began to increase in their prevalence and operation. In addition to this the natural gas fields of the upper regions of the KOP provided much of the pre-war natural gas heating and petroleum products across the country.
During the Great War the many plastics and steel production factories were retrofitted to create the base components use in the US militaries combat armor. After the war these buildings were either bombed into oblivion or taken up by roving mutant gangs, brotherhood forces, or enclave personnel.
History
The KOP Wasteland has been disputed over by the Pennsylvania Chapter of The Brotherhood of Steel and the Enclave for the last 10 years. The brotherhood has used their access to the I-76 from their seat of power at Iron City to move swiftly down into the wasteland, taking every settlement and military site all the way down to Fort Trooper just outside of West Norton where the Enclave's forces have rallied and repelled the brotherhood to a stalemate. But this stalemate has still turned the areas north of The Schuylkill outside of The Mall into a warzone.
Alternative Name(s)
The King of Prussia Wasteland
Type
Wasteland
Included Locations
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