A Guide To Key Locations On Dante

The Maze

The Maze is a vast, secretly constructed Thresher underground complex that was discovered by SLA forces build out in one of the desert areas sometime in 649. Plans were immediately put into effect by Dante High Command to take and destroy the base so as to deny it to Thresher as a staging point for raids against Archangel, Coral Sea and the Fist. This operation though has taken much longer than originally anticipated.

Much of the Maze is abandoned now, but in its depths Thresher units still fight on, constantly expanding it, moving back into old sectors and shifting their location in the miles of tunnels and rooms, making it nearly impossible for SLA to wipe them out completely. Somehow over the years Thresher has been able to slip fresh troops into the base along with supplies and equipment, allowing the fight to go on despite SLA's best efforts to destroy all the access points to the Maze and seal it forever.

Fighting in the underground complex is a nightmare for troops, as since the conflict there began both sides have used every weapon at their disposal to drive the other out. Navigation and travel through the Maze is difficult at best and near hopeless at other times, since the labyrinth is constantly undergoing changes as cave ins, fighting and tunneling operations open and close different sectors at random, making any attempts at mapping impossible. Numerous biologicals and war gasses have been released into the tunnels and these often linger on, trapped in rooms or at the bottom of shafts, waiting for an unsuspecting infantryman with his helmet unsealed. While long forgotten booby traps and sentry guns lie in wait in the rubble choked corridors, ready to come back to life whenever anyone stumbles into the sector. These weapons also have the added danger that their unpredictable fire could cause cave ins or collapses, in the battle damaged roofs.

Robotics and drones have also been employed throughout the Maze and many of these units have become lost or trapped, but still remain active. On most their FOF codes are long out of date or their receiver units have become damaged, so that they will now attack anything that disturbs them. In addition to the other hazards any Crazies make the complex their home, often being troops who could no longer take the darkened, stinking tunnels and simply flipped out, deserting their units to stumble away into the labyrinth and go quietly mad.

New Hamilton AKA Murderville

One of the original cities on Dante and now one of its most fiercely contested bits of territory. New Hamilton was originally constructed to take advantage of the rich mineral deposits in the area and the first colonists intended it to become the planets capital. When the war first began too intensify it was decided that the city was impossible to defend and having no real military significance at the time, its civilian population was evacuated. This though was before Thresher decided to set up one of its main bases on the continent immediately to the west of the deserted city and use it as a land route to attack SLA facilities.

The vast, 100 kilometer wide, abandoned city straddles a narrow causeway of land linking the eastern edge of Threshers second largest stronghold with the mainland and which has now been blockaded at its eastern end by SLA. This is to prevent the rival company having easy access to the central land mass.

Soon after the blockade began, New Hamilton was to rapidly become an immense, urban combat nightmare and forces from both sides have been at stalemate there ever since. Neither side has ever being able to gain enough ground from the other to make a difference in the acres of ruined tower blocks, abandoned factories and wrecked shops and most assaults towards enemy territory result in retreat as they become bogged down in the maze of wreckage choked streets.

Offensives are also severely hampered by the number of mined areas, booby traps and automatic defense systems that have been placed by both sides since the start of the conflict. Murderville, as it has become known among the troops stationed there, is now the site of several small SLA and Thresher bases along its outer perimeters, from which each side constantly mounting forays into the contested areas of the city. New Hamilton is also notable as it has the highest population of Crazies, Scavengers and general weird stuff on Dante which can also often severely hamper the efforts of the units fighting there.
For the last two hundred years FEN, and several other companies, have had small research centers established on the outer limits of the city which have been responsible for the development of several successful weapons designs. This is largely due to their use of the conflict in New Hamilton as a testing ground and the many unique problems it represents.

The Grey Keep

Threshers central command base on Dante and the heart of its war effort. The Grey Keep stands at the center of the largest piece of Thresher held territory on the central continent and has remained impervious to all attempt by SLA to destroy it with orbital and airborne weapons.

The Keep is constructed under one of the planets many permanent cloud shields and this fact helped to keep its existence secret from SLA's recon satellites for many years. Even today this phenomena still prevents the effective use of space based observation systems and greatly frustrates SLA's efforts to monitor activities at the base. Much like Archangel on a smaller scale, the Keep is almost as big as some cities and is the chief training, manufacturing and command facility the company has on planet. The base derives its name from the vast grey fortress that lies at its heart and which contains the companies High Command and control centers.

Ringed with defenses and operating under strict military rule, very few SLA agents have every been able to penetrate the tight security of the Keep and learn its secrets. One fact that is known is that the base operates some form of advanced air defense system similar in design to Archangels Valhalla lasers, but functioning on a different, unknown principle. However the system works it appears to be effective and is capable of knocking out the majority of missiles and aircraft sent against the Keep by SLA. Several commando raids have been mounted on the Grey Keep by SLA over the years and although damage was done to some of the outlying areas and manufacturing centers non have ever been able to breach the defenses of the central command buildings or control centers.

Tiger Bay

Threshers largest naval facility on Dante, the Tiger Bay complex has long been a problem for SLA's sea based operations since its establishment in 401 right up to the present. Constructed on a large island to the south west of Dante's main continent, the base is at the center of an enormous, natural, almost circular bay which has been heavily fortified over the years to prevent access to enemy shipping. Numerous large caliber gun emplacements, mine fields and missile batteries guard the entry channels, making the complex extremely hard to assault from the sea and has ensured the safety of Threshers submarine and surface vessels against attacks by SLA Dreadnoughts.

Tiger Bay has extensive naval repair and re-supply facilities and is also the home of the two Thresher capital ships the 'Alvarez' and 'Lord Veldron'. Theses are the largest surface vessels Thresher can field and have been used on numerous occasions to mount raids on SLA Industries shipping and shore installations, usually acting in support of submarines or ENO units. The Lord Veldron is currently though to be heavily damaged after an engagement with the SNV 'Lady Kumiko', although orbital observation has been unable to confirm this due to the constant atmospheric disturbances over the bay area.

The Wreck Of The MCT 'Mondragon'

In mid 890 Thresher mounted a series of concerted attacks on SLA's orbital assets in an attempt to hamper the planets re-supply. Although largely unsuccessful, each one of these had the effect of tying up the fighter wings and picket ships for several hours till the attacking fleets could be destroyed or chased off.
Unfortunately during one of these battles the Military Cargo Transport 'Mondragon' entered the system on a routine supply run and without the customary fighter escort soon came under attack from several Thresher vessels. In attempting to escape from it pursuers the foldship passed too close to Dante's gravity well and suffering heavy damage to its secondary ion drive engines was forced to undertake an emergency re-entry.

Thanks to the skill of the crew, the Mondragon narrowly escaped crashing into the ocean and instead ended up on the northern tip of one of Dante's many small islands. Although the majority of the remaining engine systems were further damaged in the impact preventing it from taking off again. Close to the pole this mountainous area is snowbound much of the year and is the site of many fierce storms blowing in from the sea. It also borders the edge of the area known as 'The Sea Of Eternal Mist' because of the vast permanent banks of freezing sea fog that exist there, making the region around the many islands extremely hazardous to aircraft and surface vessels. Both DarkNight and Thresher forces operating in the area realized the great wealth of equipment on the ship and quickly launched bids to capture it before SLA forces could arrive.

As a result the Foldship's remaining crew soon found themselves in the middle of a three sided war, as assault teams from both rival companies swiftly arrived. With the help of the ships still function gun batteries and by breaking into the cargo holds for weapons and equipment the Mondragon's crew were to hold the ship for the five days needed for SLA to send the SNV 'Rickenharp' to their relief. Armoured hovercraft and transport helicopters from the Dreadnought reached the wreck on the sixth day and beat off the remaining attackers, now severely depleted by fighting each other and the ships crew. In a hurried salvage operation most of the cargo was removed from the wreck, but due to the worsening weather conditions the ship itself had to be deserted.

To this day the Mondragon remains trapped on its island, despite numerous attempts to salvage it by SLA. Too valuable to destroy, there is a constant fear that Thresher or DarkNight might make a bid to capture the wreck one day, as they have few if any Foldships of their own to match its size. Many suspect that if the engines and maneuvering thrusters could be repaired it would be possible to get the ship into orbit and out of the system using an Ebon crew.

Red Dusk

The vast secret submarine base constructed by Thresher, 'Red Dusk' was for many years the center of the companies naval operations against SLA's fleet and shore installations till its discovery and destruction in 858. The complex had been covertly constructed under a vast stretch of cliffs along the eastern shore of Dante's central continent and allowed submarines to enter and leave via sets of massive submerged doors. The it was also found to have extensive repair and re-supply facilities, with eight pens able to handle the largest of Threshers attack subs. A network of tunnels and concealed gun emplacements had been constructed throughout the upper cliffs making the attack on the base particularly hazardous.
When SLA Marine assault teams, using hovercraft, smashed their way into Red Dusk via the lower defense emplacements, they were then forced to fight their way through the vast network of corridors to reach the command center and upper gun positions. The central operations center only being captured after twenty hours of intense fighting, which cost large number of troops on both sides and caused considerable damage to the structure of the base. The submarine pens and four craft stationed there fell soon after. One of these submarines was destroyed in its pen by its crew, while a second trying to escape to the open sea was sunk by fire from the SNV 'Staberinde' as it cleared the sea locks. The other two were captured intact by SLA and taken to Coral Sea for study by company researchers.

After the attack SLA stripped the base of all valuable equipment for study and then sealed the complex to prevent re-occupation. This though has been only partially successful, as the many defense emplacements in the cliffs provide numerous possible points of access and several times various groups have been able to gain entry and utilized the base for short periods. On several occasions small Thresher Scout units have infiltrated Red Dusk and been caught excavating wreckage in the lower corridors as though looking for something. For this reason SLA continues to constantly monitor the complex and has been conducting regular checks for similar incursions, as well as installing a range of defense and sensory systems.

Storm Mountain

The seat of DarkNight's power on Dante, the base at Storm Mountain was established soon after their first attacks during the early years of the war and has remained a thorn in SLA's side ever since. Constructed in an ancient volcanic region, the base is formed from both natural and man made tunnels which riddle one of the highest peaks on the planet. Perpetually shrouded in mist and lashed by immense storms, the environment of this area allowed the first DarkNight units on the planet to remain hidden from SLA in the multitudes of caves and lava tubes, while they steadily built up their forces. Over the years the base has been expanded and now contains the companies entire command and control staff as well as extensive manufacturing, training and storage facilities. Heavy defenses ring this natural fortress and these have successfully repelled the numerous several large scale assaults by SLA Industry forces that have taken place since its discovery.

SLA agents have penetrated Storm Mountain on numerous occasions, although due to constant changes to the base and a program of expansion, their reports on locations of defenses, troop strength and layout only remain valid for short periods of time. The most successful use of agents came in 785 when Andrea Draken and a small special operations team managed to breach the defenses of Storm Mountain with the help of several undercover D.S.O agents and conduct the assassination of the then DarkNight Commander Mitchell Steele. This daring raid resulted in the company having a purge of personnel at the base and a notable increase in security.

Darkside Base

Not actually on Dante, Darkside is an abandoned alien complex on its third, and largest, moon that dates from before year 1. No records exist of what race originally built the base, although they are thought almost certainly long dead, swept away in the tide of genocide that SLA Industries wreaked on the galaxy. Their legacy lives on though in the labyrinth of tunnels and deserted rooms that spreads for miles under the moons surface. Packed with strange non operational machinery and slowly drifting wreckage, the purpose of the complex has defied numerous investigations and many researchers still puzzle over the apparently useless, non functional items recovered from it.

Despite SLA's efforts to prevent it Thresher and DarkNight units infiltrate this base from time to time to use it for observation purposes and to launch attacks on SLA space based operations. When this happens it necessitates an assault team being sent in to clear them out. Few troops relish fighting in the cramped airless tunnels or vast rubbish choked chambers of the complex and units sent there see it as the worst detail imaginable. Sharpened wreckage waits to puncture the suits of the unwary, while unstable tunnel sectors can bury them without warning. Defenders will also commonly seed the corridors with booby traps, mines and automatic defense systems, further adding to the hazards of hunting them down. There are rumors that something else survives in the tunnels of Darkside, something connected with the original inhabitants of the base and something that occasionally comes out to cause troops sent there to simply vanish without a trace.

A number of R&D labs have sent research teams to Darkside to try and uncover its secrets and these too have suffered their fair share of missing personnel among both techs and their military escorts. These events have only served to add to the speculation and a whole mythology about Darkside has grown up over the years, despite the fact that it may have been simple bad luck or enemy action that caused the disappearances. Similar smaller bases have been found on the planets four other natural satellites, although these are far less complex. This means they're far easier to navigate than Darkside and have been mapped to a certain extent. They also don't seem to suffer the same disappearances and rumors as Darkside, although they are still occasionally used by rival company forces as temporary bases of operations or to conceal ships and equipment.

The Graveyard

An orbital equivalent of Archangels 'Dump' the 'Graveyard' is where SLA have traditionally towed warships, transports and other orbital craft too badly damaged in the systems many battles to be repaired, but still of possible value as a source of spare parts. Set in a stable geo-centric orbit around Dante's second largest moon, the Graveyard now consists of over 100 square kilometers of wreckage and space born debris to which fresh items are added on an almost daily basis. Since not everything on the wrecks is scrap, to protect them from looters or rival company personnel three small stations, known as Huey. Lewy and Duey, were constructed on the regions perimeters in 690, each with a fighter squadron and several units of space borne infantry.

The squads based at these stations are also tasked with conducting regular sweeps of the Graveyard in the hunt for infiltraters using it as an observation post as well as escorting the many sub company researchers who regularly sift through the wreckage in search of relics and maintenance crews hunting for vitally needed parts.

Many believe that elements of the Graveyard were already present before SLA came to the planet in year 126 and that at its heart lie wrecks dating from before the World Of Progress and even some of alien origin belonging to Dante's original inhabitants. SLA have never confirmed or denied this suggestion, but it is known that there are several large sectors of the Graveyard which are off limits to personnel supposedly due to their contamination with old radioactives from damaged engine cores and weapons systems. Few question this, since those areas that are accessible are already hazardous enough without the added threat of radiation.

Despite the lumps of wreckage supposedly having had all their inertia removed and being safely 'parked', items still do drift and several troops a month are lost to collisions with lumps of scrap silently drifting in the pitch black. Added to this is the disorientating maze of old hulls and the ever present threat of enemy action or booby traps which makes the Graveyard only second to Darkside in its unpleasantness.

Despite SLA's attempt to stamp them out, many rumors are also in circulation about groups of crazies or deserters who live in the Graveyard. These ghostly figures supposedly survive in those sections of the old hulls that still remain airtight and only come out from time to time to scrounge fresh supplies, air tanks and powercells, even if they have to kill SLA troops to get them.

The Vandenberg

The Vandenberg is a one of the Graveyards largest wrecks and was originally one of Thresher's most important warships till the immense Battlecruiser was captured in year 897 during an ill fated attempt to run the SLA blockade and deliver reinforcements and supplies to the companies forces on Dante. Ambushed by a large force of SLA fighters and picket ships on route to the planet. During the fierce battle that ensued her engines were disabled before she could either reach Dante or withdraw from the system, effectively trapping her in high orbit.

What happened next remains something of a mystery and SLA are still searching for the exact reasons why the Vandenberg's crew choose to do what they did. Without engines and with most of her weapons systems either destroyed or exhausted of ammuntion SLA whole heartedly believed that the her crew would scuttle the ship rather than let it fall into their hands. As a result, for several days after the battle SLA's fleet held back from boarding the Vandenberg, unwilling to risk any of its vessels approaching a potential death trap. Finally, as the ship showed no sign of either trying to escape or exploding, they sent in a small Hazardous Duty squad to investigate the wreck. As soon as the reconnaissance team boarded the Vandenberg it rapidly became clear what the surviving personnel had been up to.

Beginning at the outer compartments and moving inwards they had gradually been turning the ship into a maze of traps and automated defenses interspersed with suicide squads made up of the vessels remaining powersuit units. The boarding party quickly found themselves under intense attack and unable to progress very far quickly called for reinforcements. These though did not help and after several days of losing men to a variety of boobytraps it was decided to tow the ship to the Graveyard where the problem could be studied more closely.

Whether they were unable to rig the badly damaged engines to self destruct or whether the ship or its cargo were deemed to costly to destroy is not known, but whatever the case the Vandenberg's crew appear to have opted to delay SLA taking control of the vessel, rather than simply blowing it up. Perhaps one day they hope Thresher will recapture the ship before SLA can discover its secrets. Whatever the case the attempt to take control of the vessel and reach its central core has now been going on for over three years and has cost SLA dearly in men and equipment.

Over two kilometers long the ship has miles of corridors, hatches and crawl ways all of which could be, and probably are, boobytrapped or a hiding place for attack drones or worse. Currently SLA is about halfway to the core and it is believed that at least now most of the original crew have either been killed or died from lack of supplies, although a few hold outs are still found from time to time. Progress is also slowed considerably by SLA's unwillingness to risk destroy any of the wrecks potential secrets meaning that all traps must be carefully disarmed and removed. Moored close to Station Huey, teams of researchers and their militray escorts enter the wreck daily carefully searching out and removing its traps and hunting for relics.

The Devils Eye

The Devils Eye is a large natural lake which spans one of the major front lines between SLA and Thresher forces. Hideously polluted by centuries of run-off from the battlefields and clogged with debris and wreckage, the lake is strongly fortified along its northern and southern shores on the company battle lines. Occasionally the lake is also used as cover to mount assaults by either side, the most notable of these being when Thresher managed to release several high yield marine torpedoes into the lake with which they successfully blasted holes in the SLA defense grid on the opposing shore.
At the center of the lake lie two small islands roughly equidistant between the two forces and these have become the site of a bizarre and extremely deadly game played by troops on both sides every few months. Where the tradition of 'raising the flag' originally came from has been lost in the history of Dante, needless to say it has cost the lives of numerous highly skilled troops over the years.

The game simply consists of placing a Company flag at the top of the vast ruined communications tower which stands on the smaller of the two islands, a remnant from the days when SLA had a command complex there before it was abandoned. To do this the players must cross the polluted lake under the gaze of the enemy gun positions and defense systems. They then have to get within the perimeter walls of the base past the vast number of mines and booby traps that have been placed on the island over the years. Men from both companies play the game and a strange unwritten set of rules appears to have grown up around it and be honored by both sides. These include never deliberately destroying the ancient tower or opening fire on those who gain the boundaries of the complex, while in return players take no tactical advantage of this and simply hang their flags and attempt to leave. Flags normally change every few months or are torn away in the storms and a score has been kept of the number of times personnel from each company has succeeded, this currently runs at Threshers 304 to SLA's 362.

Officially participation in the game is strictly forbidden by the SLA High Command, although they have difficulty enforcing this, especially as it is widely know that Commander Van Braun and several other high ranking officers took part in their youth. The War Witch is credited with successfully 'raising the flag' twice and is only one of four SLA officers to do so.

The Wastelands

This large area of extremely arid desert covers most of the southern continent on Dante and was the site of the biggest pitched battles to take place on the planet close to the start of the war. Over a period of months Thresher covertly landed one of the largest mobile forces in the history of the war in this area and then attempted to push northward in a three pronged attack to secure the bridges at Ravenhead and Van Numann and blockade the Black Sword valley, the main routes to the central land mass. A maneuver which, if successful, would have effectively denied SLA forces easy land access to the whole southern continent. The plan was discovered in time due to a fluke change in weather conditions revealing one of the Threshers armoured columns moving up country and all available SLA forces were rapidly deployed to intercept.
In the next six months a fierce running battle took place with SLA throwing everything it could muster at the Thresher advance and only stopping them when they reached what has now become known as the 'Vale Of Tears'. The fighting left a five thousand mile long trail of smashed equipment, armour and vehicles and Thresher has never since been able to mount such a large raiding force.

One of the most noted things about this region is the strange drifting sands, sudden storms and the considerable instability of the environment, with the dunes constantly shifting into new patterns, disappearing or reforming in different places. Not only do the sands drift, but they also constantly cover and uncover things in the desert, so that war wreckage that's been buried for a hundred years can suddenly be dragged to the surface by a freak storm or a brand new vehicle can be sucked down and lost without trace overnight. For this reason many scavengers often hunt the area looking for lost technology and weapons, although this practice is not just restricted to independents as many a SLA researcher has scoured the Wastelands hoping to find something unique.

SLA have few established bases in the area, instead they use huge armoured vehicles known as Leviathans which cruise the desert supporting hundreds of personnel and remaining immune to a certain extent to the ever changing environment. There are also rumors that there are things out in the Wastelands that are best kept buried and that it has been used as a dumping ground for some of SLA's worst research mistakes. Mines and other munitions also wash up in the strange sand tides and this phenomenon has proved such a hazard to all sides that they are now rarely used within the boundaries of the Wastelands.

The Black Isle

A large island off the northern tip of the largest piece of Thresher held territory on Dante, the Black Isle has been systematically rendered inhabitable by SLA over the last three hundred years. When it was discovered that the island was being used as a stepping stone by Thresher forces to mount forays onto the mainland, SLA High Command instigated operation 'Burning Star' to deny its use to them. Burning Star consisted of multiple bombing raids using a host of war gasses and biological weapons to the point where no troops could survive extended periods on the island without specialist protective clothing and vehicles.

Many of the weapons used leached into the soil and water table and over the next few years the whole island gradually turned into a poisonous swamp on which even those with using protective suits struggled to survive very long. Some of the biological weapons SLA Industries employed were experimental and a few of these have continued to survive and mutate giving rise to new undiscovered strains against which existing filters have little effect. For this reason the only way to be safe on the Black Isle is to use sealed suits and self contained life support systems. Not all the flora and fauna on the island were destroyed by the carpet bombing and many continue to exist in a range of wildly mutated forms that appear to change year to year. Despite its numerous hazards, Thresher and sometimes DarkNight special operations teams still use the island as a staging point for mainland campaigns and when their presence is discovered SLA have no choice, but to send in assault teams of their own to oust them.

The High Tower

Threshers main base at Dante's northern pole, the High Tower is situated in a naturally fortified position which has defied all of SLA's attempts to capture it. The base is constructed on a small island situated in the center of a large natural lake with access to the mainland only being possible via a three kilometer wide causeway. Thresher forces were firmly entrenched before SLA discovered the bases existence and since then heavy, long range, artillery and missile batteries on the island have served to keep back any equipment brought in to attack the it.

SLA have now built their own fortifications at the mouth of the causeway effectively isolating the High Tower from land access, but somehow the defenders still seem to be able to get adequate supplies of food, ammunition and reinforcements, despite there being no obvious way to do so. The most widely accepted theory is that Thresher has been able to find a way to High Tower lake through a network of underground rivers which allows them to sail their submarine fleet under the pole. Despite numerous attempts to prove this, and close down High Towers supply route, all have ended in failure. In the past the High Tower was simply been a stronghold for Thresher, but recently under the control of is new and ambitious Commander the Tower has been mounting covert attacks on SLA forces much further afield.

Thunder Pass

Threshers second largest known base on the planet. This massive complex is built at the heart of the mountain ranges north of the Misaki garrison and is the center of operation for both troops fighting here and those sent to the front-line bases close to New Hamilton city. The base gains its names from the huge number of storms that rage in the area effectively screening the site from orbital observation and helping to protect it from attacks by aircraft and other flight capable vehicles. Construction of Thunder Pass is on the site of an old SLA mining complex and Thresher have made good use of the numerous tunnels and other workings to build a heavily fortified position. The company are also now exploiting the great mineral wealth in the area and over the years this has become one of Threshers key manufacturing facilities on the planet.
The surrounding mountains make armoured assaults against the base extremely difficult with vehicles having to weave through miles of narrow passes, many of which are heavily booby trapped and mined, to even come close to the outer defenses. The weather and lack of suitable landing zones also makes air mobile forces hard to infiltrate into the area. Although a small Marine combined unit managed to break through to the base in late 685 and caused considerable damage before being forced to withdraw through lack of reinforcements.

The Hall Of Mirrors

A strange natural phenomenon located at Dante's northern pole, the region known as the 'Hall Of Mirrors' consists of several hundred square kilometers of ever changing crevasses, tunnels and fissures where personnel from all three of the major companies play a deadly games of cat and mouse with each other. Formed from snow and ice this strange maze provides endless hiding places for enemy units and SLA has had an almost permanent presence there for the last four hundred years in an attempt to oust them.

Changes in the weather patterns and shifts in Dante's orbit cause parts of the region to periodically collapse and reform at random, often opening up previously inaccessible routes or closing well established ones. This has greatly hampered SLA's progress and has made any attempt at keeping permanent maps of the area impossible.

Fighting in the Hall Of Mirrors is particularly dangerous for several reasons, not least the number of boobytraps and other devices that have been employed there over the years, while sudden collapses, rock slides and the unexpected opening of crevasses all pose an equally serious threat. Too narrow and unsafe for armoured vehicles the vast majority of fighting in the region must be done by infantry which also adds an added unpleasant dimension for SLA troops who are unable to call for their customary air and AFV support. This chaotic environment works to the advantage of the rival companies who choose to hide there and they make good use of the rapidly altering layout to hide men and equipment prior to attacks on SLA held positions. The Hall Of Mirrors also attracts large numbers of company researchers keen to search for relics lost in the ice and perfectly preserved after years in the sub zero temperatures.

The Ravenhead Bridge

The Ravenhead Bridge was built in the early years of the mining colony and was intended to be a shortcut to the southern continent from the central deserts. Built to withstand the rigors of Dante's coastal weather this three kilometer long bridge spans between the two continents at the narrowest point and is today another area of hotly contested territory. In 678 an aerial Thresher Strike Team managed to take and hold the southern end of the bridge complex, which was at the time being used by SLA for troop movements to and from the Wastelands.

Rather than being ousted by a rapid counter attack the Strike Team managed to hold their position and dig in. Reinforced by a daring dropship raid, the defenders held fast and refused to give up their end of the bridge. Attempts at a counter attack were severely hampered by the fact the southern side of Ravenhead is ringed by a range of high and impenetrable mountains known as the 'Sharks Teeth' which are only accessible via a network of narrow passes. Once Thresher managed to get defenders into these they were able to stop any attacks from the south and have held the bridge complex ever since. To further cement their position, many of these mountain passes were blasted closed with explosives effectively sealing them against armoured vehicles or seeded with mines and automatic defense systems.

Today as with most of the combat zones a stalemate exists at Ravenhead, SLA holds the northern shore while Thresher hold a small area on the southern, with each having built up a complex network of fortifications and gun batteries. Neither side has yet attempted to destroy the bridge that stands between them, as each sees it as too valuable to loose and despite being scarred by numerous artillery hits and heavily mined at either end it remains intact till the day one company manages to oust the other.

SLA have come close to this several times mainly due to the difficulty that Thresher has in getting supplies to its troops. A combination of stealth submarines, blatantly suicidal airdrops and items smuggled in over the mountains have managed to keep their defense of the bridge intact for the last few years, but SLA have been gradually tightening the screws and many see the retaking of the bridge as imminent.

Route 66

The only remaining open land route between Dante's northern and southern continents, Route 66 as it has become known follows the vast hundred kilometer wide land bridge that joins the two and offers the only way to move large amount of heavy equipment between them. Because of the enormous amounts of traffic from all companies that passes through the area, ambushes and raids against convoys are common with the sector remaining a combat hot spot as companies attempt to both protect their own convoys and hunt down and destroy their rivals. Supply train duty in this area is extremely hazardous and whenever SLA send vehicles down the route they usually do so in large numbers and whenever possible with almost constant air cover.
Recently several special units have been set up by the SLA High Command to both find and destroy enemy raiding parties as well as scouting for their supply trains. The large numbers of vehicle wrecks and other equipment left behind by the constant fighting in the region also serves to attract high numbers of war looters to the area, eager to pick over the fresh hulks and recent battle sites.

Route 66 becomes most deadly when it passes through the narrowest point on the land bridge, known as 'The Black Sword Valley'. Here there are far fewer route to choose from and heavy mining of these and the numerous enemy patrols that operate here make it particularly hazardous.

The Veil Of Tears

One of the largest of the old battlefields on Dante. It was here that SLA Industries finally crushed Threshers six month offensive to take the southern continent. Threshers vast armoured force was eventually brought to a halt by the sheer numbers of SLA troops and the massed firepower of over half its fleet of Leviathans. Losses on both sides were huge and left the area strewn with wreckage of all kinds, including the burning hulks of the AMCUs (Armoured Mobile Command Units) 'Obsidian Castle', 'Vortex', 'The Ether Stream' and 'The Mirador'. Several other Warbringer class Leviathans were also extremely badly damaged but remained salvageable.

Even today thousands of MBTs, powered suits, aircraft and other vehicles dating from the conflict still litter the area. Many more wrecks have been sucked down by the Wastelands ever shifting sands over the years and remain hidden below the surface in this strange limbo till they're dragged up by another storm. A prime site for looters and treasure hunters, the area still has many secrets yet to be given up by the sand. It also presents numerous hazards to those who go scavenging there, not least the high levels of pollution caused by damaged and leaking power cells, old reactors and various decaying munitions.

The Petrified Forest

Originally this reason was one of the largest remaining areas of vegetation on Dante till SLA used it as a testing site for one of their biological weapons systems. Up to year 790 the Petrified Forest consisted of several thousand square kilometers of low Dante hardened trees and was the only surviving region to do so on the planet. Known for having several permanent com blackspots various rival companies were using the region to conceal bases and over the years fighting in the forest had cost SLA large numbers of men and vast amounts of equipment.

So in an attempt to deny the area as a safe haven to opposing forces in year 792 Karma scientists released the experimental Resus-K biological defoliant over the trees. Resus-K though did not behave as it had in the lab and it quickly became clear that it was having some strange and unexpected effects on the vegetation. Instead of breaking down and destroying the trees, the defoliant appeared to mutate in some way soon after its release and instead began to convert the organic matter into a previously unseen, hard, crystal like compound. Over the next twelve months virtually all the trees were to undergo this strange conversion and transform into bizarre crystalline statues.

Even today Karma have been unable to trace the cause of the Resus Mutation, although there are numerous possible culprits including pollutants in the water table, Dante's heavily tainted atmosphere and the numerous biological weapons in use by at any one time by all sides in the conflict. Despite the radical changes in the forest vegetation it still remains an active combat zone. Although now where the troops once fought amongst living plants they now do so among eerie black stone trees which often shatter and crack when hit by weapons fire and collapse into heaps of crystal shards. Unpleasant in the extreme, the petrified forest is a cold dead place and few relish fighting there, particularly since over the years it has also gained its fair share of rumors and stories, many concerning the effects that Resus-K has had on the areas wildlife and the troops fighting there.

The Van Numann Bridge

The Van Numann was the second bridge to be constructed during the initial years of the colony to connect the northern and southern continents and shorten journeys between the two. Similar to the bridge built at Ravenhead, the Van Numann featured a vast span several kilometers long, heavily fortified against the environment and the wraith of Dante's storms that sweep up the channel it crossed.

During the early year of the war SLA held the bridge at both ends and large bases were constructed on the northern and southern shores to aid in its defense and keep it open for supply convoys crossing to the Wastelands. The site of fierce fighting throughout the initial war years, both DarkNight and Thresher failed several times to capture the complex and the bridge intact.

In year 569 the Thresher High Command obviously took the decision that the bridge was costing them to highly in resources to take, especially after their defeat at the 'Veil of Tears', but was too valuable to remain in SLA hands. This resulted in the use of one of the few nuclear weapons of the war when a converted Thresher dropship managed to break through the anti aircraft batteries that surrounded Van Numann and drop a small, and particularly dirty, tactical nuclear device on the center of the bridge. The detonation of the device obliterated the majority of the span instantly and caused considerable damage to the fortifications at either end, despite their hardening against this form of attack. Over 12,000 SLA troops perished in the assault, mostly those above ground or manning upper defense positions at the time and the whole areas was heavily contaminated by fallout. All that remained of the bridge were two stumps on either bank roughly 200 meters long, their ends blackened and fused by the blast, which still remain today.

The considerable damage and heavy radiation poisoning inflicted on the bridge complex rendered it impossible to repair and SLA Industries quickly took the decision to abandon the base and withdraw their surviving personnel, instead concentrating their forces at the, then still open, Ravenhead crossing. The remaining underground sections of the base were sealed with explosives and the rest above ground left to erode slowly in the fierce desert winds. SLA considering the threat of contamination enough to prevent rival forces re-occupying the site.

This has been true to a certain extent, although numerous crazies and deserters have dug their way into the sealed tunnels over the years heedless of the risk of the still present fallout that has seeped into the rotting structures since the bomb. Reports also persist of a colony of half human mutations who live in the lowest levels of the deserted base and appear to be similar to the cannibalistic humans found in Mort's sewer systems. Three patrol units have since been sent on exploration missions to confirm this and check the possibility that the base could be made functional again. Of these two could find nothing, while the third disappeared without trace shortly after leaving Phoenix. SLA is still investigating this, unsure whether it has anything to do with the rumors or was a result of enemy action in the deserts. What is known is that the tunnels are infested with several strains of local wildlife heavily warped and altered by their constant exposure to the radiation and through drinking from the polluted water table.

The Steelhead Mines

Once the largest mining camp on the planet, the Steelhead complex was responsible for over 40% of Dante's mineral output before the days of the war. Abandoned by SLA forces in 234, its tunnels were blasted closed and most of the over ground buildings destroyed. Since then the complex has been slowly decaying in the harsh environment and few things still remain above ground apart from a mass of rusted wreckage and the rotten stumps of building supports.

Over the years the tunnels have been used by many different sides in the war as a covert base of operations or staging point till they were driven out by enemy units. In 434 Thresher attempted to establish a permanent base at the complex, but were forced out by SLA assault units about seven months after they first began re-opening the tunnels. It is rumored that before they were forced out that the company shipped in numerous pieces of equipment and stored them in the lower levels of the mine. These areas are thought to have been cut off during the fighting and sealed by roof falls caused by SLA's use of heavy weapons in their attack. As a result many researchers have petitioned the Company for the right to explore these areas in the hope of finding intact Thresher technology. The High Command currently have these requests under consideration.
Today many crazies and deserters use the mines kilometers of old tunnels systems for shelter, scavenging from the many wrecked convoys that have been attacked as they pass through the area on their way to and from the Misaki Garrison.

Snake Island

This heavily fortified offshore island is the center of DarkNight's naval operations and the base from which many of its numerous regular raids into the Deep Deserts and the Wastelands are launched. Situated in an area known as the 'Sea of Souls' the island makes a perfect staging point for attacks on the mainland and so has an extensive air and sea port. The high cliffs and lack of beaches makes the complex hard to assault from the ocean and as yet SLA have been unable to breach the islands numerous defenses, although the complex is regularly a target for bombardments by the Dreadnought fleet. The heavy AA batteries that surround the base have prevented any serious damage from attacking aircraft, while over the years many of the repair bays and storage silos have been moved underground placing them beyond the reach of SLA's bombs and missiles.

The majority of DarkNight's naval assets are stationed on Snake Island including numerous fast patrol boats, assault landing craft and submarines, these are used to strike at enemy coastal installations and for the transportation of troops and equipment. The base is also home to the companies fleet of 'Tyrant' Class Destroyers and much of the complex is devoted to the repair, construction and maintenance of these ships. Massive sea locks and a vast underground harbor serving to protect these facilities from SLA's assaults.

Akah City

Akah was originally one of the colonies largest coastal cities, till it was abandoned during the withdrawal in 212, after which it slowly decayed till year 602 when DarkNight established a small heavily fortified there base. Exploiting its easy access to the sea, to ship in men and equipment, the company began using Akah as a staging point for raids up the coastline and into the central deserts.

Naturally SLA responded to this threat and began established their own bases along the outer perimeter from which to mount raiding parties into the city itself. This conflict continued till year 508 when the region was suddenly, and unexpectedly, hit by one of Dante's worst earthquakes in recorded history.

In a seismic disturbance lasting over twenty hours the entire seaboard on which Akah was built dropped over 30 meters and the ocean quickly flooded in leaving the remains semi submerged. Estimates put the death toll on both sides at around 20,000 and it was assumed that with the extensive flooding DarkNight would be forced to abandon their position. This though did not happen and within a matter of weeks the company had managed to re-establish itself in the maze of wrecked buildings shifting their men and equipment into the upper floors of the many tower blocks that still remained above water.

Unwilling to allow this, SLA have been in a constant battle ever since to clear Akah of its invaders and thousands are killed yearly fighting in the kilometers of strange flooded ruins. Unable to employ conventional transports, the combatants in Akah instead rely on small assault boats, hovercrafts and other amphibious vehicles. SLA initially brought many of these in from Charlie's Point, where they are used extensively, and in Akah they were quickly found to be ideal for navigating the channels between the wrecked buildings. DarkNight and more recently Thresher troops play an endless game of cat and mouse with SLA's forces throughout the city. With units constantly moving between the remaining buildings and establishing temporary bases from which to mount covert raids. SLA suspects that there are several heavily fortified blocks at the heart of Akah which form DarkNight's main base, but as yet no patrols have managed to penetrate this far and due to poor atmospherics in the regions nothing has been found by orbital sensors.

The city also has its fair share of deserters, crazies and scavengers who live in the many isolated blocks and semi submerged areas of the city and coming out from time to time to hunt for food and equipment.

The Shaft

Discovered in year 456, the structure known as 'The Shaft' is widely believed to be some sort of ancient geo thermal power station constructed by Dante's original inhabitants. Built close to the northern arctic the Shaft is a massive 2000 meter wide hole which plunges vertical downwards for over 4 kilometers till it reaches a large pocket of volcanic activity. Off the central bore runs a network of tunnels, pipes, air vents and access ways which spreads out to form a vast maze under the surrounding region.

Ranging in size from those barely big enough for a man to squeeze through to those tens of meters wide through which vehicles can be driven, accurate mapping of these tunnels is virtually impossible and apart from a few small areas has not been attempted. On the lower levels are also passageways, rooms and huge chambers packed with acres of rotting machinery which, largely thanks to its subterranean location, appears to have escaped Dante's original 'cleansing' during the Conflict Wars intact. The exact purpose of these machines continues to eluded SLA's researchers and although it seems most likely that the complex was a power station of some kind, exactly how it functioned remains a mystery. Even stranger is the fact that in some sections, some of the Shaft's more basic systems including elevators and lighting continue to function, although all attempts to track their power sources have failed.

Soon after SLA set up a research base to study the Shaft it was infiltrated by units from both DarkNight and Thresher, drawn by the lure of the complex's alien technology and ever since it has become another piece of hotly contested territory. As well as the usual problem of enemy units, boobytraps and drones in the Shaft's tunnels it also has the additional hazard of a large, indigenous, wildlife population. Attracted by the warm, geo thermal, heat in the lower levels, Skaggs and other animals have made the Shaft their home and don't take kindly to the intrusion of humans. The fairly stable environment also results in a high population of crazies and deserters throughout The Shaft, particularly as the warm, 35 degree atmosphere, means that specially adapted suits are not needed to survive there.

Currently SLA controls the main entrance to the Shaft and has constructed a large base known as The Pit Head from which it controls its operations in the region. The complex though has numerous vents and access shafts leading to the surface through out the surrounding area and despite SLA's best efforts it has been unable to seal all these or prevent enemy infiltration.

Pit Head base is also the staging point for the large numbers of expeditions into the Shaft mounted by company researchers, seeking either examples of enemy equipment or the secret of the alien machines. As a result of this SLA have installed several large elevators which run down the Shaft's walls and allow men, equipment and vehicles to be rapidly transported to its various levels.

Main Street

Main Street is the nickname given to the Shaft's largest tunnel and one where much of the fighting in the complex goes on. The tunnel is over one and a half kilometers wide and runs in a complete circle around the Shaft itself. It is even large enough to allow armoured fighting vehicles, and even some light helicopters, to be used effectively in its interior and over the years SLA has built up a large force of APCs and transports which they use to patrol the sections they control. Six smaller tunnels radiate outwards for roughly forty kilometers from the Shaft itself and connected it directly to Main Street.

Although SLA forces hold the majority of the tunnel both DarkNight and Thresher control certain sections and it is around these that the fiercest fighting occurs. SLA has even gone as far as to construct several small bases within Main Street itself, with these acting as both re-supply depots for patrols and staging points for raids, as well as providing repair and medical facilities. Units stationed at these facilities can often spend months underground and being assigned to Main Street is another posting that many troops dread.