Locust Burial Site

Locust Shells in Osmium Mine Bravo.

"You know, awhile back, I looked up how many Locust burial sites there actually were. And I got a big ol' 'Classified'."
"There were dozens of 'em. Maybe even hundreds."

—Delmont Walker and Marcus Fenix discussing the burial sites.

Locust Burial Sites are locations where the crystallized bodies of the Locust and other Hollow creatures were buried following the Locust War as a result of the Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon. The majority of burial sites were abandoned outposts, mines, ravines, and other large, underground areas. The crystal shells acted as a chrysalis for the Locust, evolving them into Scions. Emerged from their shells was a bio-organism called the Swarm. As burial sites became active with reemerged Locust, they became the first Swarm Hives of the Swarm Invasion.

History

Interwar Period

"Marcus, this Locust burial site -- have you been there?"
"Once. Twenty-five years ago. James' mother and I went down to supervise the disposal. By then the grubs' bodies were completely covered in that crystal shit -- pretty much indestructible. So they sealed 'em up and walked away."

—Kait and Marcus discuss one burial site

After the detonation of the Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon to end the Lambent Pandemic, the bodies of the Locust became encased in crystalized shells that proved to be completely impenetrable. In order to deal with the remains, the newly-restored COG began burying the Locust bodies in burial sites all over Sera. One site personally overseen by Major Anya Stroud and Sergeant Marcus Fenix was the burial site in Osmium Mine Bravo near Fort Reval. However, there were dozens, possibly even hundreds of burial sites across the planet. The locations of burial sites became need-to-know with very few people holding the information on their locations. Every burial site had a monitoring station reporting back for decades on the site's state.

During this period, the Outsiders built the villages of Croya and Bravelle, partly due to an abandoned COG bunker in Bravelle stocked with supplies. Unknown to the villagers, the bunker in Bravelle contained a burial site in its deepest levels.

Swarm Invasion

In 42 A.E., the Locust, having never died, began to emerge from their shells evolved into the Swarm. Slowly, Locust burial sites around Sera began to go active and transformed into the first Swarm Hives instead. Two of the first burial sites to go active were the ones at Osmium Mine Bravo and the Tollen Dam.

After the Swarm attacked their village, Kait Diaz, Delmont Walker and JD Fenix took an Imulsion crystal from the severed hand of the Swarm leader to Marcus Fenix for help. Marcus recognized it as an Imulsion crystal, but their discussion was interrupted by an attack by DeeBees. As they escaped, Marcus directed the group to Fort Reval.

Upon arrival at Fort Reval, Marcus revealed that there was a Locust burial site in the abandoned osmium mine on the other side and that he wished to check it out to see if the Swarm and the Locust were connected to each other. After being rescued from the Hive, Marcus confirmed that the Locust hadn't died but instead evolved into the Swarm. Having been connected to the Swarm Hivemind, Marcus was able to inform Kait that her mother had been taken to another Locust burial site close by.

After the group emerged from the mine, Marcus warned the others that they needed backup as the second burial site, located on the other side of the Tollen Dam, was twice the size of the one at the mine, but both Kait and JD refused to listen. On the way to the dam, Del revealed that he had once tried to find out just how many burial sites there were but only learned that it was classified. Marcus informed him that there were dozens, possibly even hundreds of Locust burial sites.

Shortly after JD and Del rejoined the COG, the burial site at the Orzabal Crater went dark as the monitoring station stopped transmitting. First Minister Mina Jinn assigned JD and Del to find out what had happened and if it was a mechanical error or if the site had become a Swarm Hive. The burial site at the crater was proven to have become a Swarm Hive, proving that the problem wasn't just limited to the osmium mine and the dam. A week later, reports started coming in from Settlements, Outsiders and even one of Jinn's counterparts from across the borderlands that Locust burial sites all over the planet were going offline or showing signs of "strange activity."

Later, a Locust burial site near Settlement 2 began seeing activity and, correctly assuming that it was transformed into a Swarm Hive, Jinn initiated the Evacuation of Settlement 2.

When planning the Hivebuster Offensive, one of the people selected for Team Scorpio by Colonel Victor Hoffman and Major Donneld Mathieson was Outsider Leslie "Mac" Macallister who had lost his entire family after the Locust burial site under his village of Bravelle had turned into a Swarm Hive. The first target of the operation was the Swarm Hive on Pahanu which was created from the burial site beneath the Sanctum doomsday bunker becoming active.

Known Locust Burial Sites

• Azura Research Facility (Azura, Serano Ocean)
• Bravelle Outpost (Bravelle, Tyrus)
• Kadar Nethercutt Mine (Kadar Valley, Tyrus)
• Orzabal Crater (Wilds, Tyrus)
• Osmium Mine Bravo (Fort Reval, Tyrus)
• Sanctum (Pahanu, South Islands)
• Tollen Dam (Tollen, Tyrus)

Appearances

• Gears of War 4 (First appearance)
• Ascendance
• Gears 5
• Bloodlines (Mentioned only)
• Gears: Hivebusters
• Hivebusters