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The Scorched

During the early years after the Great War most of the United States of America had been reduced to irradiated ruins. Appalachia was one of the few exceptions. A low priority to the Red Chinese, Appalachia was spared the brunt of the nuclear fire that obliterated the surrounding area. That's not to say Appalachia hadn't suffered. The corruption and carelessness of Pre-War Mining Companies had turned Mount Blair in a volcanic vent that spewed ash and toxic gas in to surrounding area creating the Ashheap. A Steel Mill turned the rivers and lakes around Grafton into a Toxic Valley. The Raider Tribes and Super Mutant war parties harassed and terrorized anyone in the Savage Divide. The paranoia of Free States extremists and the cruelty of the Vault-Tec Corporation turned the Mire in a jungle of parasitic vines. And the sabotage of one disgruntled Robco employee turned Watoga and the Cranberry Bog in a technological fiefdom ruled by schizophrenic robots. Only the Forest seemed the best off. Even then, the survivors of West Virginia worked to restore Appalachia and very nearly succeeded despite the machinations of Raiders, Super Mutants and the Brotherhood of Steel. For a time, there was hope.

And then the Scorched came.

From within the Glass Cavern in the Cranberry Bog, a nest of Tricolored Bats was experimented on and exposed to Ultracite, a highly potent - and highly unstable - ore. Well, its technically an ore, a more accurate description would be an irradiated crystalline fungus. The Pygmy Bats began mutating rapidly and became the Scorchbeasts, huge winged mutants that have weaponized their echolocation into a sonic screech. As if that wasn't bad enough, not only do they breed like rabbits, but their wings secrete a natural gaseous particulate called the Scorched Plague.

The Plague is mostly composed of irradiated ultracite particles that, if inhaled, will mutate an organism into a Scorched. Eventually, the Scorchbeasts outgrew the cavern and escaped by through fissures caused by their echolocation. In weeks, the Plague overran the population and everyone was killed. By 2097, Appalachia was a graveyard.

The Plague wouldn't be stopped until 2102 when Vault 76 opened for the first time in 25 years. Through the united efforts of a new generation of Responders, Brotherhood and Enclave, a vaccine was created and the Scorchbeasts were hunted to near-extinction.

Scorchbeasts

Originally a harmless nest of Tricolored Bats (Perimyotis Subflavus), the Scorchbeasts were created by Eckhart's Enclave in an attempt to raise the Defcon level to reactivate the automated nuclear missile silos found in Appalachia. While the silos were reactivated, the Scorchbeasts quickly spread their plague and created an army of the Scorched.

The Scorchbeasts retain several of their Pre-War counterparts' traits; such as pointed hyper-sensitive ears, membranous wings and echolocation. They are massive creatures, 10ft long from nose to tail, with a wingspan of 25ft. They have grown an extra pair of forearms, in addition to their hind legs and webbed wing-like hands. They have also lost most of their fur, leaving their mottled hide exposed.

The Tricolored Bats would use echolocation to hunt. By screeching, the sound would bounce off an insect and return to the bat's ears. The Scorchbeasts have expanded beyond using echolocation to hunt. Now, they use it to find potentional fissure sights and to attack enemies with ultrasonic blasts that are capable of shattering metal and wood structures.

When in combat, a Scorchbeast is usually accompanied by several Scorched and will provide air support in the form of ultrasonic screeches and will even 'carpet-bomb' the area with Scorched Plague. If that fails, they will land on the ground and fight with teeth and claws.

The Scorchbeasts nest was ruled by the Scorchbeasts Queen, who oversaw her nest's domination of Appalachia from deep within Fissure Sight Prime. Far larger and far more mutated than her brood, the Queen acted as a focal point for the Scorched hivemind, uniting the Scorchbeasts and Scorched Animals into a unified army that ruled Appalachia for years. She was distinguished from her children by her large size, flat triangular nose, eyeless face and distended belly that was swollen with unborn Scorchpups.

For a time, the Scorchbeasts were the apex predators of Appalachia. When Vault 76 opened, however, the Vault Dwellers reformed the destroyed factions of West Virginia and took the fight to the Scorchbeasts themselves. With the use of the Nuclear Missile silos, they bombed the Glass Cavern, freeing the Scorchbeasts Queen before killing her. With their Queen dead, their hivemind shattered and their potential victims inoculated, the remaining Scorchbeasts were thrown into disarray and were hunted to extinction over the next few years.

Scorched Warriors

The Scorched Plague was no mere disease. It did not simply kill its victims and be done with them, oh no. Those who were exposed to the Plague slowly mutated into the Scorched Warriors. Overtime, these Plague victims grew burnt-orange legions, cataracts over their eyes, and shards of ultracite would begin growing out of their skin. As time went on, their minds would be consumed by the hivemind, turning them into relentless foot soldiers for the Scorchbeasts.

The most dangerous of Scorched Warriors were human victims. They retained enough of their mental faculties to operate firearms, use melee weapons and employ basic group tactics. They would mindlessly repeat a mantra of unity, spouting phrases such as 'We are one', 'Together' and 'Us'. They had little to know recognition of their past, only small bits of memory clinging to them, with some evidence proving they remembers significant places or objects.

When the Queen was killed, the fight seemed to leave the Warriors. They drifted aimlessly in small bands, barely defending themselves when attacked. If rumors are to be believed, some even committed suicide, unable to go on without their unity.

For a time, the kindest thing you could do for someone who was infected was put them down. An inoculation was eventually synthesized and mass-produced, preventing further infection, but a cure for the most severe cases never materialized. Today, a memorial exists in the Cranberry Bog dedicated to those who were lost to the Plague.

The Scorched Hivemind

As stated above, a hivemind was formed between the Scorchbeasts and those infected with the plague. The extent of this hivemind was never fully established, but study and observation revealed that:

1. Scorched victims will congregate near fissure sights.

2. Scorchbeasts are able to summon Scorched victims.

3. Scorched Victims are capable of summoning others through telepathy(?)

4. The Scorchbeast Queen is the focal point. With her death, the hivemind was shattered and the Scorched fell into disarray.

Stages of Infection

The Scorched Plague was a gradual infection. It lasted for several stages between infection and petrification.

Stage One: Infection

Initial infection occurred when one was exposed to the Plague. No obvious symptoms were apparent save lethargy and fits of coughing. Inoculation is still possible.

Stage Two: Fever

A week or so after initial infection led to symptoms such as high fever, harsh fits of coughing, shivers, increased aggression, nausea and bouts of memory loss. Inoculation is still possible.

Stage Three: Transition

Two weeks after initial infection. Symptoms include burning orange lesions appearing, darkening of skin, smelling of ash, violent outbursts, bleeding gums, mild necrosis, formation of cataracts, hair loss, auditory hallucinations and paranoid schizophrenia. Inoculation is no longer possible.

Stage Four: Mutation

One month after initial infection. Symptoms include formation of ultracite shards in skin, total amnesia, tooth decay and loss, increased aggression, body overrun with lesions and loss of higher brain function. Victim is now a Scorched Warrior.

Stage Five: Petrification

Six months after initial infection. Symptoms include total organ failure, muscle decay, liquification of soft tissue, locked joints, brain death and rapid spread of ultracite. The skin will petrify and be replaced by minerals. The victim has become a ashen husk of depleted ultracite. The Plague cycle has completed.

Organisms susceptible to the Scorched Plague

Scorchbeasts (Infectors)

Mole Miners

Humans

Behemoths

Dogs

Mega-Sloth

Mole Rats

Mutant Hounds

Rats

Wolves

Yao Guai

Deathclaws

Anglers

Frogs

Radroaches

Radtoads

Gulpers

Ticks

Radscorpions

Ants

Bloatflies

Bloodbugs

Cave Crickets

Fog Crawlers

Hermit Crabs

Honey Beasts

Mirelurks

Mirelurk Hunters

Mirelurk Kings

Mirelurk Queens

Stingwings

Grafton Monsters

Snallygasters

Wendigos

Organisms immune to the Scorched Plague

Beavers

Bees

Cats

Chickens

Ghouls

Fireflies

Foxes

Opossums

Rabbits

Radstags

Super Mutants

Squirrels

Scorched Trivia

Ultracite is an integral part of Scorchbeasts biology. Shards of ultracite can be found in their hides, bones and wings.

Scorchbeasts' reliance on sonic frequencies can be turned against them. This weakness was exploited by the Brotherhood of Steel by using a sonic emitter to disorientate Scorchbeasts attacking Fort Defiance.

Despite their large size, Scorchbeasts possess impressive agility and are able to leap several times their body length when grounded.

Despite being descended from nocturnal animals, Scorchbeasts hunt during the day more often than not.

Each of the factions home to Appalachia tried responded to the Plague in ways befitting their natures.

The Responders primarily focused on the Plague itself, trying to synthesize a cure or inoculation. While the inoculation was created, it was too late to help. Morgantown Airport was wiped out and the Responders were routed.

The Brotherhood of Steel tried to keep the Scorchbeasts contained to the Cranberry Bog via a perimeter of camps armed with surface-to-air missile launchers. Paladin Taggerty would try to launch an attack on the Glass Cavern in hope of destroying the nest, not realizing that the nest had been moved farther south. She and her squad would be killed by the remaining Scorched. To their credit, they went out like damn heroes.

The Free States had marginal protection from the Scorchbeasts due to the Mire's thick canopy. They would develop a tracking system and lures to keep the Scorchbeasts away. Despite their best efforts, they failed and Harper's Ferry was destroyed.

The Raider Tribes paid little attention to the problem and were swiftly wiped out.

The Enclave had been destroyed for months before the Plague began spreading.

The biology of a Scorched organism is based on ultracite. They are severely injured by bullets that are made with depleted ultracite, i.e., ultracite that is no longer irradiated.

AN: Only two more chapters to go folks, can you believe it? You guys seem to like what I make and that means a lot to me. I don't for the life of me know why you like my garbage, but it still means a lot. Next chapter will come out after chapter 10 of the Second Dragon War. Until then, that's all folks. - Bones