Scarred Earth

The world of Morne is a giant desert, covered in endless chasms that span miles across. Human beings have adapted - they've built their homes inside these chasms to escape the sun as well as tap into deep underwater springs. These civilizations are called Collections. One of these Collections has grown large, spanning more than forty miles below. Those above live in prosperity, with plentiful water and gasoline. Those who live below, however, struggle for survival.

This story follows the stories of Roderick Graye and Elena Guiles. Roderick is a wealthy aristocrat, living high above the poverty line. He knows not the poverty or pain experienced by those below him, wasting his time chasing women and practicing his swordplay. Elena is an orphan with a missing arm, hardened by years of hard work and near starvation. She lives outside a train station, surviving by petty theft and sifting through the trash that doesn't make it into the chasm.

Their lives are both changed dramatically by a terrorist attack, which threatens the security of every Collection on the planet.

(Cover is Bioshock concept art)