| “ | Though the sun shined unobstructed from above, the Commander appeared wreathed in shadow, as if no light could touch that imposing figure standing over me. |
| — ECA Soldier |
Ereshkigal is considered the First Altered and is commander of a human faction called the Insurgents who are against the backdrop of Enoch’s climate undergoing cataclysmic changes.
Journal Entry[]
Next to nothing is known about the Insurgents' new Commander. None of the ECA's intelligence gathering missions have returned alive. According to fragments of chatter, battlefield rumors and less savory sources of intel, this powerful Altered is currently the highest-ranking Insurgent leader.
Though individual Insurgent Warlords have often emerged, this Commander has somehow rallied the entire front under a single banner, without ever having been seen on the battlefield. The Insurgents' devotion appears to be inspired by a mixture of charisma, brutal control and, if sources are accurate, extremely dark Altered abilities that have raised the Commander to godlike stature. It seems even the infamous Moloch never chose to challenge the new leader's dominance.
Captured Insurgents speak of the Commander in reverent, almost religious tones, repeating riddles about "a new Enoch" with fervent zeal. It is believed the Insurgents' practice of forcing their prisoners to march into an Anomaly storm, as that mad man Captain Reiner once did to you, began as a series of increasingly unhinged directives from this Commander.
A dark rumor stirs among the ECA's ranks that this Commander could actually be the First Altered - the notorious Insurgent who decimated the ECA's top brass, killing President Nyberg himself, before finally being put down by Seth. There has long been legend that the First Altered somehow survived and re-emerged to lead the Insurgents from shadows. But there is no evidence to support this.
One thing is known. Since stories of the Commander first arose, the Insurgents' movements have been more calculated and precise, forcing the ECA to rethink its strategies. Extreme Caution is advised.
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You met the Insurgent`s Commander, on a perch high above Black Gulch. The Commander is not what anyone imagined., For one, she's no man. She calls herself Ereshkigal.
According to Zahedi, Ereshkigal was what the Mesopotamians called their Queen of the Dead, ruler of the underworld. It seems not all the myths of old Earth are dead yet. Her style and manner of speaking is surprisingly regal and refined, as is her appearance, though somewhat corrupted by the changes brought on by the Anomaly.
Most mystifying of all are Ereshkigal's Altered powers. Her body is shrouded in shadows, and she seems able to command manifestations of this darkness as though they were her limbs. No other Altered has been observed to wield powers like hers, bringing into question whether her mutation is entirely unique, or whether a new breed of Altered has begun to emerge on Enoch.
---
Though Grand Marshal Shira Gutmann peacefully surrendered to Commander Ereshkigal, the Insurgent leader murdered her at the summit. Enraged by this betrayal, the Outrider pursued the Commander into No Man's Land and finally confronted her, summoning the power needed to kill her and end the war.
Ereshkigal's philosophy appeared to be brutally simple; that those changed by the Anomaly had been deemed fit for survival in a new, united Enoch, while those the Anomaly destroyed were not worthy Transformation through the Anomaly would liberate humanity from all the flaws that led to our suffering in the first place. She seemed to consider herself messiah, a shepherd who would create a better Enoch - at least, better for her and those who could survive.
In the end, the Outrider prevented her from furthering her plans, but she took to the grave all the secrets of who she was before the war, and how she manifested her unique shadow powers.
Strategy[]
Most moves can be easily dodged or interrupted with skills like Devastator or Pyromancer, which will stun and floor her for free damage e.g if the "Dark Madness" attack is interrupted, it will stop her from summoning more enemies.
She can be shot with enough accuracy before and during her flying rush attack, if she takes enough damage the attack will end early and leave her stunned and open on the floor.
During the explosive skull attack, the most effective strategy is to either use healing or defensive skills while keeping your distance until the move ends.
Gallery[]
