Earthquakes of 2020

The 2020 year was already off to a bad start with the Blizzard that hit in January. Mother Nature wasn't through, however, and sent earthquakes throughout the 'Souls region in the following month of February, and then again in the warmer months of May. The Eastern Realms were greatly devastated and changed as a result.

Pre-Earthquakes

Post-Earthquakes

February 2020
May 2020

1.  February - 5.9 magnitude earthquake

Sometime during the middle of the night on February 6th, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake rattles northeastern Nova Scotia. The worst of the damage is suffered in the Eastern Realms, especially the Concrete Jungle, which sees tremendous catastrophe as the largest and most unstable of its remaining structures collapse. The same occurs in neighboring Skeletal Sanctuary. Exposed underground pipes finally burst, and freeze and thaw throughout the month. Pieces of the overgrown streets begin to collapse, opening sinkholes at random.

Though the southwestern portions of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick will feel the earth tremble, and its aftershocks, damage is significantly less.

Unfortunately, the large amount of snow dislodged from the Halcyon Mountain finds its way into the surrounding waterways. The Pictou River swells at its banks. In the Eastern Realms, The Yahraw River, Vapor Lake and the Sosye Basin flood.

As the temperature climbs past freezing around the middle of the month, a midwinter thaw strikes and more flooding occurs throughout the territories. All waterways are affected.

1.1  Additional Considerations

1.2  Terrain Updates

  • Areas damaged during the earthquake will be highly dangerous. Exploring them should reflect this!
  • Flood water is likely to carry debris, increasing its danger.
  • The water will mostly recede completely by the end of the month.

In an eerie bit of deja vu, portions of the northeastern Nova Scotia coast begin to splinter off in the aftermath of the quake, with various small islands breaking off into the sea. Black Rock Isle gains many small satellites, and even parts of neighboring St. Paul Island begin to break away. Other parts of the coast seem to disappear entirely, sinking into the sea and vanishing overnight. The edges of the Skeletal Sanctuary now face the sea directly, with some houses falling halfway and others only a few feet from what seems like an inevitable fate.

On the other side of the peninsula, some of the islands near Fundy Crossing seem to have shifted, or grown larger? Or multiplied? It's hard to tell from a distance. The bridge itself remains only accessible during the low tide, but the sharp, icy rocks are still more treacherous than they seem.

2.  May - 7.8 magnitude earthquake

Echoing February, another earthquake strikes the region. This time, however, the scale is unparalleled...

A 7.8 magnitude major earthquake strikes midday on May 10th. The force can be felt throughout the territories, as far north as the Serpentine Mountains and as far west as Freetown.

The epicenter, Primeval Memories, is ripped asunder when a fault forms. The Yahraw River seems to split apart, widening to accommodate torrents of rushing water and fracturing into thousands of small, overflowing streams and creaks. The land becomes marshy and the already flooded, fire-recovering forests fester begin to rapidly rot. As the aftershocks strike, more and more damage is dealt. Weakened trees collapse, and the Sosye Basin, unable to drain, begins to transition to wetland.

2.1  Damage

2.2  Territory Updates

What remains of the Skeletal Sanctuary and the Concrete Jungle are completely destroyed – many buildings fall apart, fall into the sea, or are reduced to rubble, and human architecture in Charlottetown and the Colchester Quarter suffer similar fates.

The Areas/Devil's Backbone, the sandy coast that lay against Death Mountains, disappears entirely and angry ocean waves now crash directly against the rocky inclines. Meanwhile, the two large islands north of the former coast seem to be drifting further away.

Further out from the Eastern Realms, damage is less severe, but taller buildings in city ruins, including Halifax, Amherst, and , see a series of collapses, triggering chain reactions in some areas as former skyscrapers collide violently with the earth and each other.

Curiously, the land bridge dividing the former Bay of Fundy seems to further fortify itself in the quake's aftermath, collecting debris fed towards it during previous flooding and as previously splintered islands lodge themselves against the land. With the additional surface area and the undeterred surge of spring growth, the bridge forms a solid carpet of bright grass and a marshy, spongy path remains accessible even with the high tide.

Nevertheless, waves on the western side can be tumultuous and the wind unpredictable, so Luperci and their steeds alike should take care to making crossings carefully. The ground still seems to tremble sometimes, but it's hard to tell if it's just the force of the waves...

  • Devil's Shoreline -- destroyed
  • Vapor Lake -- destroyed/absorbed into Yahraw River
  • Moaning Wood -- destroyed/absorbed into Sosye Basin
  • Black Rock Island & St. Paul Island -- begin drifting out to sea
  • Concrete Jungle, Skeletal Sanctuary, Colchester Quarter, Charlottetown -- in ruins; all buildings mostly rubble
  • Halifax, Amherst, -- collapse of all buildings taller than 10 stories; some structural damage to other buildings
  • Loch Fundy land bridge -- now accessible even at high tide


Category: Plot