I found a bit on one of the Sanguine
Reapers' suspected hideouts. It may not be much, and it's more then a decade
out of date, but it's still better than nothing. Every little bit helps, after
all.
The Perdition Sea was a large inland sea
located in Andiron’s northern hemisphere. Like much of the planet's water, it
was heavy with minerals and other contaminants, and was only suitable for human
consumption with purification and treatment. During the Star League era, this
was done with extensive purification facilities, but those quickly succumbed
following the fall of the League.
Conversely, the fish and other sea life
found within it were actually suited to human consumption, even if they usually
had a bitter, salty taste to them. Fish farming became a major source of
protein for the planet's population, especially after the fall of the League
and the world’s abandonment by the Lyrans left it cut off. Extensive fisheries
grew up around the Perdition seas' shores, enabling the planet's diminished
population some degree of sustainability.
When the Word of Blake began to rebuild the
world, one of the first things they did was build new and far more extensive
water purification facilities around the Perdition Sea. Much of the water
flowing into it was used for growing, crops industry and clean drinking water,
while the reduced flow was actually less suited for native life than before. In
order to offset this, the Word's engineers seeded the sea with introduced
species that were better suited to its new conditions while also being easier to
farm on an industrial level and better suited to human consumption.
The same adaptations would also be the cause
of its demise. During the 49ths inexplicable attack on the world, the Water
Purifiers around the Perdition Sea were among those assets destroyed. The
resultant damage also blocked off most of the flow of water into the sea, which
caused it to begin to shrink. At the same time, the water within it became more
heavily contaminated, killing off the introduced sea life and leading to the
collapse of the fishing industries around it (and also aiding in the planet's
slide into anarchy)
 |
| Abandoned fishing boats on the (former) Perdition Sea |
By 3130 (the last known survey of the area),
the sea had lost more than half its volume, and had shrunk into two smaller and
isolated lakes. Both were considered to be effectively dead, with high salinity
and levels of mineral contaminant, as well as very little remaining life. The
exposed seabed had become a salty dustbowl, punctuated by patches of scrubby
vegetation and the rusted hulks of long-abandoned fishing ships. Dust storms
are common, often blanketing out large areas for days at a time.
Feurbok was a large fishing community on the
(former) western shore of the sea. Previously the site of substantial fishing
and shipbuilding industries, it was abandoned when both collapsed during the
sea's retreat. It also would make an ideal hiding place for a pirate band;
while the place has long ago been stripped of anything valuable, the buildings
themselves could be repurposed for shelter, living quarters, support facilities
and the like. Similarly, the port facilities could be used as landing pads for
dropships. Finally, the dust storms could be used to mask movements or even
launches (much like we used Fletcher’s cloud cover and permanent storms to our
advantage).
Several obvious hazards present themselves
in any attack. The salt flats arte perfect for the hovercraft that the Sanguine
Reapers are known to use, which would give them ample opportunities to harass
or divide our forces. The buildings could be trapped or used to conceal troops
for ambushes. The terrain itself could be a problem, with high eat, dust storms
and sinkholes all representing situations we could encounter.
It's ugly, yes, but I do think that this
looks like a good target. If I was a pirate, it'd be one of the spots I'd hide
- NK
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