The Cull



The Cull is a mysterious event that is the prime cause of the events, enemies, and circumstances in Nether. Having occurred nearly a decade before the beginning of the game, The Cull resulted in the transformation of most of humanity (2/3rds of the population, in fact) into humanoid mutations. While this event has been discussed and researched extensively in the world of Nether, the actual cause, purpose, and perpetrators (if there are any) are completely unknown. The live action trailer states that The Cull happened on the same day the largest recorded solar flare hit earth. It's possible that the solar flare triggered The Cull.

Order of the Cull
The Order of the Cull is a fanatical religious movement that feels that the Nether are a trial men are intended to face head on. They follow a leader that calls for the complete eradication of Nether around the world by members of the cult church and any survivors that they can convert. To this end, the cult offers enticing rewards to any who can prove that they have slain Nether. Survivors can gather the bodyparts of Nether that they kill and trade them to representatives of the Order around the city of Burnham for anything from supplies to healing items to weapons and ammo.

Religious Origin
It has been mentioned in various developer and gameplay videos that there is some thought in the world of Nether that the post-apocalyptic world is the "classic" Judeo-Christian apocalypse. Following this thought process, the Nether seem to match the classic description of "demons" which often murder humans through the most extreme and bloody methods possible. While there is no evidence it is actually a supernatural event, naturalistic theories currently fail to explain all known facts about the Cull.

Extraterrestrial vs Terrestrial
There is a possibility that The Cull was an extraterrestrial event and that whatever caused the various mutations is a virus or bacteria, possibly from beyond the orbit of Earth and thus undetectable by modern measures. The exact method of delivery is unknown at this time. While extraterrestrial is a definite possibility, terrestrial sources cannot be ruled out - it is possible that whatever caused The Cull is an Earth-bound generated biological weapon.