Earthrise: The Blasted Area

When the reborn humanity explored their new home, they found the ruins of one of the last cities to be occupied, but gave it no more thought than to note that its surroundings were now inhabited by viscous mutants – much like everywhere else on Enterra. Continoma soon set in motion their plan for terraforming the island, but during the extermination of the flora and fauna in the southern parts of the island the Backlash occurred. The exterminators found themselves in the worst possible scenario facing a mutant stampede and were forced to use all the tools at their disposal to trigger total chemical devastation on the region. The destruction had little strategic impact on the Backlash, but the landscape in the region is now composed of scorched black hills and ravines and came to be called The Blasted Area.

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Even now no plants grow in the barren wasteland that is The Blasted Area, despite the influence of A.S.H.E.S. What was once the stage of the last skirmishes between the few survivors of the Last Wars has once again become a stage for conflict. Continoma and Noir sent vanguards of armed contingents to take control of this uninhabited wasteland, hoping it would turn out to be the foothold for the invasion of the enemy headquarters. Current routes were through the north where the majority of unaffiliated societies took residence and would oppose any military operation to the best of their abilities.

Both factions delegated autonomy to their vanguard forces regarding the formation of strategies to be used and tactical deployments. From this independence rose the societies of SVS in Continoma and the Grenadiers in Noir. Neither side has spared resources or support for the ongoing fight, but both militaristic societies are on the lookout for any and every opportunity to gain even the smallest edge over their enemy. As a result, mercenaries have entered the fray on both sides more than once, and tipped the scales in both ways on many occasions.

The SVS advance from the west and the Grenadiers from the east, but neither of the two sides have an advantage over the other right now. While the battle for control over the zone rages on, raiding forces wage their way into Sal Vitas Valley and The Cascade Mountains, striking at the vulnerable backs of both sides. The war on Enterra is developing into a slug fest between the two factions, ultimately becoming a test of the endurance of their citizens and the ideals for which they fight. It is still unclear which side has the upper hand in such a situation: the civilians in Sal Vitas Valley are taking the brunt of Noir's aggressive sabotages, but tension grows in the Cascade Mountains where tentative agreements that keep them as a unified force in the face of Continoma are stretching thinner with every passing day and infiltrators' strike.

From the southern beaches of the island, the Hatchery has begun its expanse towards the Blasted Area, which though slowed by the poisoned soil in the region, will eventually succeed if left alone. For now, neither side seems concerned to see the danger that the Hatchery presents and are more focused on gaining one more blood soaked meter of The Blasted Area under control. Slowly, but steadily, more and more of the Hatchery organisms enter the region gathering biochemical information of the chemicals in the ground to return to the Nucleus to begin adaptation. Beyond the scorched badlands lay lush territories abundant with biomass for the Hatchery to incorporate, the only goal it strives for besides its own survival.

So far, the efforts from both factions to stopping the Hatchery from swarming the region are far from sufficient. Generals from both sides see the infestation only as a temporary threat to their maneuvers in the region, and pay little heed to its imminent threat. Several habitats, formed by the parasitic spores, were scorched to cinders simply to suppress the advancement of the mutant swarm. Neither Continoma nor Noir combat doctrines use massed force to prevent inconsistent threats, such as the weak signs of mutant infestation in the area. Overconfident with their recent victory against the Backlash, human leaders tend to overlook the possible disaster, preferring to direct their efforts towards destroying the opposing force.