Earthrise shows off The Arboretum in developer journal
The Earthrise developers at Masthead Studios are turning out a series of blogs which explains the various zones of the post-apocalyptic setting of Enterra island. These developer journals hosted on MMORPG.com introduce us to the varied terrain and its inhabitants, while framing it all in context of Earthrise's lore. So far they've walked us through the burnt out factories of the Industrial Area, the dangers of the Cascade Mountains, and what happens when mutant ecosystems collide in The Hatchery.
Their latest dev blog focuses on "The Arboretum" which is the refuge of the Nathura Society, largely comprised of scientists who maintain neutrality in the civil war between Enterra's main factions -- Continoma and Noir. The Nathura simply want to be left alone so they can pursue their ideal of engineering a truly symbiotic relationship between humans and the natural world.
The developer journal details the Bountiful Orchards, where genetically cultivated tree-gardens provide energy, clean water, and food. It also explains the floating "Volvox" shown in last month's concept art. The Volvox are colonies of harvester organisms which consume unused nutrients from the trees, and convert them into useful materials like bio-electricity and edible/drinkable substances. If you get too close to the Volvox though, they may swarm and try to harvest you as well. Despite that risk, 'working as intended' seems to fit here.
Although they've made advances towards creating a harmonious environment, sometimes Nathura experiments go wrong... and the Thicket is where you're most likely to find dangerous lifeforms such as Tanglers, carnivorous subterranean flora that ensnare and drain victims. Just as bad, if not worse, are birds that exist in tandem with Tanglers, combining their own spewed liquid contact poisons with the Tangler's paralyzing enzymes, instantly igniting into a napalm-like substance for some hot meals.
These are really only a few highlights of what Masthead Studios has to say about the Nathura zone in Earthrise. If you're following this game or are a fan of post-apocalyptic settings, you might want to check out the full story in "Welcome to the Arboretum" at MMORPG.com.
