Fossil Crater

Fossil Crater is the great scar of Tonkir, created by the meteor summoned to kill the tarrasque. After the tarrasque was summoned by a group of shadow legion members led by Naidak, the blue dragon born, the only way to kill it was through yet another feat of epic magic. A massive crater hundreds of miles in diameter is the product of this spell, a spell which created a massive meteor large enough to kill even the tarrasque. At the very bottom of the crater lies the town of Rockhelm, which studies the bones of the tarrasque, the resources dug up from the impact of the meteor, and the contents of the meteor itself. Many bones of long dead creatures have also been unearthed from the soil, giving Fossil Crater its name.

Geography

Fossil Crater is one of the most colossal landmarks of Laeriss, being hundreds of miles in diameter. Big and small diagonal spires of rock face away from the bottom of the crater, which has long since filled with a massive lake, known as Fossil Lake. A huge river coming from the Perinè Plateau flows down the crater, reaching all the way to Fossil lake at the very bottom. Since the land of Fossil Crater is rough and jagged, the river is intercepted many times, creating a great branching effect. Fossil Crater is fairly desolate since two-hundred years are not enough for a massive meteor sight to repair itself, because of this, Rockhelm is one of the only towns within Fossil Crater.

Fauna & Flora

While the supply of fresh topsoil in Fossil Crater is not close to being replenished since the meteor struck, green plants wind through the rocks and cracks within the ground. Small animals eat the weeds from the ground and birds will sometimes stop to rest and search for seeds hidden between the boulders. Over the last two-hundred years a species of bird only native to Fossil Crater has arisen because of its specific environment; the lance beaked grey bird has an extremely long and thin beak which it uses to pick worms, bugs, seeds, and small plants out from in-between the cracks in Fossil Crater. It has evolved to have grey feathers which blend into the environment. Its competitor, another native Fossil Crater species of bird, is the blue ladle bird. The blue ladle bird has a ladle-like beak which it uses to scoop fish out of the river, it is the natural predator of the lance beaked grey bird. Even in an environment which seems so uninhabitable as Fossil Crater, life manages to survive and thrive.

Natural Resources

Fossil Crater is rich in precious metals, gemstones, and subjects of scientific research, all unearthed by the great meteor. While towns like Rockhelm do bring in a lot of their wealth from the mining and selling of metals and gemstones from the land, they also earn from their research exploits. While one of the main attractions studied are the bones of the tarrasque, within the crater exists fossils of many other extinct species. Rockhelm's economy thrives on the tourism of rich nobles who wish to see rare sights. Large teams of people are often sent out both for scouting new lands to mine for precious resources, and to find rare fossils which they can display in museums. Scholars from places as far away as Xalia may journey to Rockhelm, in order to buy books or seek knowledge about the tarrasque and other extinct species. Much of the information studied in Fossil Crater is sold to Oarilī, where it is then resold to scholars throughout Laeriss.

Alternative Name(s)

The Great Destruction

Type

Crater / Crater Lake / Caldera

Location under

Tonkir