North Crater

North Crater (北のクレーター), also known as the Northern Cave Crater (大空洞火口), or just Crater (クレーター), is a geographical location in Final Fantasy VII. It appears in the Icicle Area on the Northern Continent of the Planet. It was created when an asteroid or meteorite fell thousands of years prior to the game. This, in tandem with the continent's titular proximity to the Planet's North Pole, makes most of the Northern Continent a frozen desert. Because the crater is such an enormous wound to the Planet, huge amounts of mako are brought around it to heal it.

When the player first approaches the crater, they do not realize it is a crater. The cliffs that make up the crater's circumference are known as, Gaea's Cliff. After descending into the crater, the Whirlwind Maze lies at the bottom. Beneath the crater lies a cavern system known as the Northern Cave which leads down to the Planet's core. It is suggested in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- that the Great Cavern of Wonders is also in the crater, suggesting it is "a second subterranean den near the northern cave." It is explored in the ninth set of missions entitled Great Cavern of Wonders.

In Final Fantasy VII, when the party gain access to the Highwind they cannot access the crater as it has a force-field over it. Gaea's Cliff also becomes inaccessible after its storyline visit, and therefore all areas of the crater become inaccessible apart from the Northern Cave only visited on Disk 3 after the force-field is destroyed.

There are three areas of the North Crater not technically belonging to other areas. The first two areas are referred to as "Crater" and are traversed by the party as they run down into the crater after reaching Gaea's Cliff's peak. The other area is known as "Northern Cave Crater" and is the area before the player descends into the Northern Cave.

Story
The North Crater was created when the asteroid or meteorite that contained Jenova crashed into the Planet thousands of years before the start of Final Fantasy VII. From here, Jenova began to destroy the Planet's lifeforms, until the Cetra sealed her within the crater. The Planet placed its guardians, the Weapons, to lie in the crater until another threat as great as Jenova would appear. Jenova was left dormant until Gast Faremis, working for Shinra Electric Power Company, unearthed her, thinking Jenova to be an Ancient.

Later, when Sephiroth was defeated by Cloud Strife at the Nibelheim Mako Reactor, he traveled through the Lifestream to the Northern Cave to recuperate. Five years later, Sephiroth, controlling Jenova and making her use his form, leads the Sephiroth Clones to the crater.

Cloud and his party follow Sephiroth north after the events of the Forgotten City. The party through the Great Glacier and are confronted by Gaea's Cliff. After conversing with Mr. Holzoff, a climber who never reached the cliff's peak, the party climb up. After reaching the cliff's peak, the party discover that it's a crater and run down the descent into the Whirlwind Maze. Here they discover the Sephiroth clones.

Sephiroth takes control of Cloud and the party go to the Northern Cave where Sephiroth is for Cloud to give him the Black Materia, which is used to summon Meteor. The Weapons awaken, sensing the cataclysm, and rampage across the world. Sephiroth seals the crater's entry with a massive force-field, and begins to remake his body to prepare for his ascension into a God.

With their very existence threatened, Shinra uses the Sister Ray cannon to destroy the Diamond Weapon and blast through Sephiroth's force-field. With the crater's defense down, Cloud and his party descend into the crater to access the Northern Cave to defeat Sephiroth.

Trivia

 * In Final Fantasy VII, if the player rides the Highwind backwards into the barrier around the crater, they can pass through it. However, if the player tries landing the Highwind within the crater, they will be knocked out by the barrier.