diff --git a/common/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/common/wrappers/WrapperFactory.java b/common/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/common/wrappers/WrapperFactory.java
index dd71daf24..7b885fc5f 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/common/wrappers/WrapperFactory.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/common/wrappers/WrapperFactory.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import com.seibel.distanthorizons.common.wrappers.world.ServerLevelWrapper;
 import com.seibel.distanthorizons.common.wrappers.worldGeneration.BatchGenerationEnvironment;
 import com.seibel.distanthorizons.core.level.IDhLevel;
 import com.seibel.distanthorizons.core.level.IDhServerLevel;
+import com.seibel.distanthorizons.core.util.LodUtil;
 import com.seibel.distanthorizons.core.wrapperInterfaces.IWrapperFactory;
 import com.seibel.distanthorizons.core.wrapperInterfaces.block.IBlockStateWrapper;
 import com.seibel.distanthorizons.core.wrapperInterfaces.chunk.IChunkWrapper;
@@ -83,10 +84,21 @@ public class WrapperFactory implements IWrapperFactory
 	
 	@Override
 	public IBiomeWrapper deserializeBiomeWrapper(String str, ILevelWrapper levelWrapper) throws IOException { return BiomeWrapper.deserialize(str, levelWrapper); }
+	@Override 
+	public IBiomeWrapper getPlainsBiomeWrapper(ILevelWrapper levelWrapper) // TODO is there a way we could get this without the levelWrapper? it isn't necessary but would clean up the code a bit
+	{
+		try
+		{
+			return BiomeWrapper.deserialize(BiomeWrapper.PLAINS_RESOURCE_LOCATION_STRING, levelWrapper);
+		}
+		catch (IOException e) 
+		{
+			throw new LodUtil.AssertFailureException("Unable to parse plains resource string ["+BiomeWrapper.PLAINS_RESOURCE_LOCATION_STRING+"], error:\n " + e.getMessage());
+		}
+	}
 	
 	@Override
 	public IBlockStateWrapper deserializeBlockStateWrapper(String str, ILevelWrapper levelWrapper) throws IOException { return BlockStateWrapper.deserialize(str, levelWrapper); }
-	
 	@Override
 	public IBlockStateWrapper getAirBlockStateWrapper() { return BlockStateWrapper.AIR; }
 	
diff --git a/common/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/common/wrappers/block/BiomeWrapper.java b/common/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/common/wrappers/block/BiomeWrapper.java
index 9b8f889f6..2d5f95ca8 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/common/wrappers/block/BiomeWrapper.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/common/wrappers/block/BiomeWrapper.java
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ public class BiomeWrapper implements IBiomeWrapper
 		return this.serialString;
 	}
 	
+	// TODO would it be worth while to cache these objects in a ConcurrentHashMap<string, IBiomeWrapper>?
 	public static IBiomeWrapper deserialize(String resourceLocationString, ILevelWrapper levelWrapper) throws IOException
 	{
 		if (resourceLocationString.equals(EMPTY_BIOME_STRING))
@@ -274,7 +275,16 @@ public class BiomeWrapper implements IBiomeWrapper
 		{
 			throw new IOException("Unable to parse resource location string: [" + resourceLocationString + "].");
 		}
-		ResourceLocation resourceLocation = new ResourceLocation(resourceLocationString.substring(0, separatorIndex), resourceLocationString.substring(separatorIndex + 1));
+		
+		ResourceLocation resourceLocation;
+		try
+		{
+			resourceLocation = new ResourceLocation(resourceLocationString.substring(0, separatorIndex), resourceLocationString.substring(separatorIndex + 1));
+		}
+		catch (Exception e)
+		{
+			throw new IOException("No Resource Location found for the string: [" + resourceLocationString + "] Error: ["+e.getMessage()+"].");
+		}
 		
 		
 		try
diff --git a/common/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/common/wrappers/block/BlockStateWrapper.java b/common/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/common/wrappers/block/BlockStateWrapper.java
index 4b2d1e0c5..5e5fca6b1 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/common/wrappers/block/BlockStateWrapper.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/common/wrappers/block/BlockStateWrapper.java
@@ -336,6 +336,7 @@ public class BlockStateWrapper implements IBlockStateWrapper
 	}
 	
 	
+	// TODO would it be worth while to cache these objects in a ConcurrentHashMap<string, IBiomeWrapper>?
 	/** will only work if a level is currently loaded */
 	public static IBlockStateWrapper deserialize(String resourceStateString, ILevelWrapper levelWrapper) throws IOException
 	{
@@ -357,13 +358,21 @@ public class BlockStateWrapper implements IBlockStateWrapper
 		}
 		
 		// parse the resource location
-		int resourceSeparatorIndex = resourceStateString.indexOf(RESOURCE_LOCATION_SEPARATOR);
-		if (resourceSeparatorIndex == -1)
+		int separatorIndex = resourceStateString.indexOf(RESOURCE_LOCATION_SEPARATOR);
+		if (separatorIndex == -1)
 		{
 			throw new IOException("Unable to parse Resource Location out of string: [" + resourceStateString + "].");
 		}
-		ResourceLocation resourceLocation = new ResourceLocation(resourceStateString.substring(0, resourceSeparatorIndex), resourceStateString.substring(resourceSeparatorIndex + 1));
 		
+		ResourceLocation resourceLocation;
+		try
+		{
+			resourceLocation = new ResourceLocation(resourceStateString.substring(0, separatorIndex), resourceStateString.substring(separatorIndex + 1));
+		}
+		catch (Exception e)
+		{
+			throw new IOException("No Resource Location found for the string: [" + resourceStateString + "] Error: ["+e.getMessage()+"].");
+		}
 		
 		
 		// attempt to get the BlockState from all possible BlockStates
diff --git a/coreSubProjects b/coreSubProjects
index f33bfa1d6..7cfcfb069 160000
--- a/coreSubProjects
+++ b/coreSubProjects
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit f33bfa1d696de9cdc628d1b232cd7b8b89f83942
+Subproject commit 7cfcfb0695cae172df7ec48e0bb30cc57246fa3f