- "The survivors of the Hammer Strikes - the Stranded - didn't want anything to do with a government that sacrificed civilians."
- —Lt. Anya Stroud on the Stranded.
The Stranded were groups formed by human survivors of the Hammer of Dawn Strikes.[3] As the Locust Horde approached the COG capital of Ephyra, occupying human cities and obtaining the spoils of war, Chairman Richard Prescott deliberately set a prohibitively short time limit to allow for evacuation to the Jacinto Plateau so that the Locust Horde would not be able to prepare for the impending attack. Millions of civilians that were unable to reach the safety of Jacinto Plateau before the enactment of the Fortification Act and the Hammer of Dawn strikes were abandoned and left for dead in the outlying cities to survive and fight against the Locust. After the invasion of Jacinto Plateau by the Locust in 10 A.E., pockets of Stranded established themselves inside the cities. The perception of the Stranded by the COG were depraved thieves and looters, as they would steal equipment from any dead Gear or destroyed vehicle.
Shortly before the Fall of Ephyra, the COG began an outreach recruitment program for the Stranded with Operation Lifeboat, in which the COG would provide Stranded families with protection in exchange for the conscription of the males into the army. Despite the elimination of the Kryll on the surface of Sera following the Lightmass Offensive in 14 A.E., numerous Stranded groups began moving below the surface and into the Hollow. When the Hollow was flooded and the Locust Horde presumably defeated, tensions between the COG and Stranded factions started brewing again, breaking out into the Stranded Insurgency after the COG relocated to Vectes. The two groups called for a truce following the emergence of the Lambent. Not long after Chairman Prescott abruptly disappeared in 15 A.E., the COG disbanded and everyone on Sera became Stranded.[4]
Following the conclusion of the Locust War and Lambent Pandemic in 17 A.E., the COG was reestablished by rebuilding their capital into New Ephyra and constructing new walled-cities called Settlements. The Stranded population that still resented the COG fragmented into two groups. Tyran Stranded who organized into independent communities and villages living outside of COG jurisdiction in the Tyran Wilds were referred to as Outsiders. This led to a social movement that protested the authoritarian politics of the COG. Vasgari and Gorasni Stranded developed similar independent communities in desert of Vasgar, known as Nomads. The Stranded that remained abandoned and destitute, driven nearly feral by their desperation, were referred to as Pickers, as they scavenged the ruins of Sera and raided both COG and Outsider settlements. [5]
History[]
Locust War[]
Creation[]
One year after E-Day, the newly elected Chairman Richard Prescott tried to lead a counterattack but failed as every single head of state couldn't look past their own borders. With very few options left and the Locust getting closer to Ephyra every day, the Chairman fell into his last possible option; using the Hammer of Dawn to burn the Locust infested areas. Though the Chairman gave a three-day evacuation, it wasn't enough for the whole planet to escape.
After the Hammer strikes, cities like Char were completely devastated leaving only small places to hide. While on a recon mission, a few days after the strike, Padrick Salton and Col. Victor Hoffman found a woman who had survived the attacks, though Padrick tried to offer her a bottle of water, she violently refused it, arguing they had left them to die and that he would return with people who cared about her. She went underground with a large group of people. These people who survived the strikes would call themselves "Stranded" who refused the COG and viewed them as traitors and fascists because of this.
Assassination of Ukkon[]
Despite their dim view on the COG in the immediate aftermath of the Hammer strikes, Sgt. Gabriel Diaz and Major Sid Redburn were able to convince a force of Stranded led by Mikayla Dorn to aid them in their operation to assassinate the Locust scientist Ukkon after rescuing the Stranded from a Locust attack. Working together, the COG and Stranded forces were able to eliminate Ukkon's army and kill Ukkon himself, preventing Ukkon from creating more monsters to further the Locust war effort. Diaz and Redburn subsequently became Stranded themselves and dedicated their force to hunting down and killing Ukkon's creations.[6]
Operation Lifeboat[]
By 9 A.E., the COG army was overstretched and Chairman Richard Prescott initiated the Lifeboat program, allowing Stranded men and women to join the COG Army. In return, the COG government would protect their loved ones.[7] Recruited Stranded were sent to the temporary barracks at Wrightman Base. Most Stranded rejected Operation Lifeboat remembering that the COG abandoned them during the Hammer of Dawn attacks across Sera in 1 A.E, while some chose to join the COG army in hopes of saving their loved ones from famine, diseases, and the Locust Horde. The COG would recruit Stranded by introducing a recruiting officer, campaigning in the streets, or performing leaflet drops over Stranded camps.
Fall of Ephyra[]
Lightmass Offensive[]
Fourteen years after E-Day, some Stranded relocated to some of the cities of the Jacinto Plateau, most notably Ephyra. However, during the Lightmass Offensive, most of the Stranded camps and checkpoints were assaulted by the Locust. With the destruction of Chap's Gas Station and the damaging of Franklin's outpost, Stranded humans quickly left the city.
Some Stranded hid themselves in the Lethia Imulsion Facility, however most (if not all) were killed by Lambent Wretches. Though one was able to lead Delta Squad through the facility until he was killed by the "glowie" Wretches.
Return of the Locust[]
Following the Lightmass Offensive, the explosion of the Lightmass Bomb awoke the Riftworm, which Skorge communicated with to turn to their cause of wiping out humanity and the Lambent by sinking cities. After the sinking of Tollen and Montevado, Stranded began to move underground to escape the Locust counter-offensive on the surface. While they knew it wasn't safe in the Hollow, there was nowhere safe left to go. At least two Stranded groups headed underground, Stu's group and Chaps' clan. Stu and his Stranded clan were captured including Maria Santiago. Chaps and his clan survived underground until the first days of Frost when Delta-One entered the Hollows and rescued Chaps and his Stranded camp. Before being taken to the surface, Chaps helped Delta by telling them about Nexus and Maria and how to reach both.[8]
Stranded Insurgency[]
Attacks on Vectes[]
After Jacinto sank and several attacks on Port Farrall, by the Savage Locust, several people left the city to join the Stranded, figuring they had a better chance of survival there. Later, the COG decided to move to the island of Vectes which was protected from the Locust by an abyssal trench and Delta-One was sent there to check it out. There, they discovered the town of Pelruan and the Stranded settlement of Massy's Territory which were hostile Stranded. The Stranded from that settlement launched a raid on the town in response to Delta's arrival, but were defeated and Massy was killed in the attack. Later, some of the population joined the COG while the rest destroyed the settlement and headed inland to start the Stranded Insurgency. They were joined by the seagoing Stranded after an exchange for John Massy ended in a Gorasni sub destroying the ship of the leader of the Lesser Islands Free Trade Association. The Stranded launched raids and traps against the COG on the island, inflicting some casualties but losing even more to the COG before the Lambent Pandemic started to affect the island.
Lambent Pandemic[]
Abandoning the Coalition[]
When that happened, the Stranded contacted Lyle Ollivar to evacuate them from the island. After finding out about the evacuation, Marcus Fenix agreed to allow it, but asked Ollivar to help defend the island from the Lambent, suggesting an alliance between the Stranded and the COG to battle the Lambent. Ollivar refused, but when he arrived at the island, he changed his mind and the Stranded helped set up defenses for the expected attack. The Stranded helped win the Battle of Pelruan and the First Battle of New Jacinto, but afterwards decided to leave the COG to its fate, abandoning the island and ending the insurgency. After the COG fell, the Stranded, led by Lyle Ollivar, approach the remnants of the COG on the CNV Sovereign and offer to trade with them and help them as with the COG gone after being forced to abandon Vectes, everyone was Stranded now. Captain Michaelson promised to think about the offer.
Victory Day[]
Later, during the Mission to Hanover, Mission to Mercy and Mission to Char, various Stranded groups were encountered with various degrees of helpfulness, varying from kind and willing to trade goods to aggressive and xenophobical towards the COG. Also during the Mission to Halvo Bay Damon Baird's team came in contact with a Stranded outpost inside the city, with Garron Paduk remarking he didn't like Stranded. After the Second Battle of Azura, the threat to the Stranded by the Locust and the Lambent ended as both groups were destroyed by Delta-One and Adam Fenix with the Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon.
Interwar Period[]
Outsiders, Nomads, and Pickers[]
During the twenty-five year period following the end of the Locust War and Lambent Pandemic, the Stranded continued as a brand of identity among humans who resented the Coalition of Ordered Governments, which became rebuilt shortly after Victory Day. The known Stranded-based groups to form were the Outsiders, Nomads, and Pickers.
The Outsiders resided in villages within the Wilds - living off the land and outside COG jurisdiction. Many of these people were Tyran citizens and would take in people who became disillusioned with the COG and abandoned their Settlements. Nomads were similar to Outsiders in terms of their views and ways of life. However, these were mostly comprised of Union of Independent Republics survivors, namely Gorasnayans. They lived in the red sand deserts of Vasgar.
Pickers were the lowest forms of Stranded survivors. Often lone survivors or part of small groups, Pickers were merely scavengers who lived within the ruins of Sera and salvaged whatever they could to survive, and were many times dangerous - willing to kill anyone for supplies. The Pickers were shunned by the Outsiders and Nomads for their lack of civility. However, First Minister Mina Jinn was preparing to relocate the Pickers in COG Settlements for treatments, but was unable due to the Swarm Invasion.
Swarm Invasion[]
Rescue of Fort Umson[]
Siege of Outsider Villages[]
COG-Outsider Truce[]
Alliance with the Nomads[]
Views on the COG[]
After the orbital bombardment of Sera, there were millions of humans left to fend for themselves. The now-dubbed "Stranded" generally view the COG and the Gears as fascist for sacrificing them to the Locust onslaught.[1] However, with the resurgence of the Locust Horde, some Stranded clans, while still suspicious and cynical towards the COG, cooperate with the COG to some extent in order to obtain much-needed food and shelter by signing up for Operation Lifeboat, while other clans continue to raid COG squads for goods and weapons.[2] Later, after the COG fell, some Stranded groups became more cooperative with the remnants because as Lyle Ollivar pointed out "everyone's Stranded now."
During the Mission to Hanover, one group was much more friendly to Damon Baird, Clayton Carmine, Augustus Cole and Samantha Byrne than most Stranded due to Cole's legendary reputation as the Cole Train, a famous Thrasball player from Hanover itself. Even members of Franklin Tsoko's group were more friendly to Cole for the same reason, with Baird's complaining showing that many were still fans and were asking for Cole's autograph and to relive plays for them. Though the leader of the Hanover Cougars stadium Stranded was not COG friendly, both the leader of another Stranded group and her own people, who still loved Cole, thought that she might be more amenable to him due to his fame. However, she was not, though this was at least in part motivated by anger over her outpost having just been overrun by Lambent forces just after the COG showed up, though the Gears had helped to repel the attack. Notably, this group did not melt down Cole's giant statue in the stadium concourse for resources which showed their level of devotion as fans to the former Thrasball star.
Land-Based Stranded[]
The land based Stranded that populated around Tyrus were nothing more than a pest and thieves to the COG. Some clans would use women to distract Gears while the men would steal equipment from them and loot the dead and dying soldiers, while other Stranded clans would make deals with Gears and some joined the COG Army as part of Operation Lifeboat. Franklin Tsoko had an armed gang protecting his outpost.[1] During the Mission to Hanover, Mission to Mercy and Mission to Char, Stranded outposts were shown to be in each city, but under serious threat from both the Savage Locust and the Lambent.
Sea-Based Stranded[]
Some Stranded groups became pirate groups and raided near Merrenat Naval Base, where Quentin Michaelson lead anti-piracy operations, while other pirate groups raided in the Lesser Islands chain. One notable pirate-stranded was Massy, who raided Pelruan city and kept a base nearby. Another Stranded pirate group was raiding UIR ships around a Gorasnayan protectorate.
Lifestyle[]
The Stranded have overcome their lack of technology by simply utilizing whatever COG equipment they find, such as Lancers and APCs, and constructing crude but functional settlements from wood and scrap metal. They rely heavily on propane tanks for fuel. They often have to make do without medical supplies and proper sanitation. Until the Lightmass Offensive and the Sinking of Tollen and Montevado, Stranded were able to live on the surface, but those events forced many Stranded to move underground.[8][2] In Franklin's outpost, women have been seen grilling rats and Kryll.[9]
Weapons[]
Notable Stranded[]
- Alisa
- Ash Man
- Annalisa
- Balcony Man
- Blake
- Michael Barrick[10]
- Hank Bissell
- Camille
- Miles Carver
- Chaps
- Corey
- Gabriel Diaz
- Mikayla Dorn
- Emma
- Faraday
- Aaron Griffin
- Hanley
- Hanover Cannery Leader
- Hanover Pier Guard
- Sofia Hendrik
- Henny
- Hondo
- Mina Jinn
- Jerry
- Johnson
- Jonboy
- Lily
- Kevin Mahoney
- Massy
- Jonn Massy
- Bernadette Mataki
- Matron
- Molly
- Miranda Beth Morris
- Mo Morris
- Montevado Survivor
- Patrick O'Rourke
- Old Man
- Lyle Ollivar
- Garron Paduk
- Sid Redburn
- Padrick Salton
- Maria Santiago
- Shawna
- Tyrone Shephard
- Stu
- Thecelia
- Marcella Trinh
- Franklin Tsoko
- Torres
- Reyna Torres
- Dizzy Wallin
- Maralin Wallin
- Rosalyn Wallin
- Teresa Wallin
Known Outposts[]
- Aldair
- Industrial District - Mikayla Dorn's Group
- Char
- Griffin Imulsion Refinery - Aaron Griffin's Group
- Griffin Tower - Aaron Griffin's Group
- Dorado Hills
- Ephyra
- Aspho Gas Station - Chaps' Group
- Checkpoint One - Franklin Tsoko's Group
- Checkpoint Two - Franklin Tsoko's Group
- Lethia Imulsion Facility
- New Ephyra Outpost - Franklin Tsoko's Group
- Halvo Bay
- Beached Imulsion Rig - Garron Paduk's Group
- Halvo Bay Shopping Plaza
- Seahorse Hills - Garron Paduk's Group
- Regency Hotel
- Hanover
- Jilane
- Kadar Valley
- Mount Kadar Ruins - Stu and Chaps' Groups
- New Hope Research Facility
- Mercy
- Mercy Church
- Mercy Fuel Refinery
- Mercy Fuel Station
- Mercy Sewers
- Mercy Town Hall
- Montevado
- Timgad
- Vectes
- Zenic
- Zenic UIR Laboratory - Torres' Group
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Gears of War
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Gears of War: Aspho Fields
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etwR_GFaBl4
- ↑ Gears of War: Ascendance
- ↑ Gears Tactics
- ↑ Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 364
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Gears of War 2
- ↑ Gears of War: Act 2: Nightfall: Grist
- ↑ Gears of War: Hollow Issue 4