Arkfall is a phrase used in the Defiance multimedia franchise. It refers to the debris left behind by the space-borne Votan arks that were destroyed during the Pale Wars of the early-mid 21st century. Though most of the destroyed space vessel fragments remains in geosynchronous orbit around the Earth, some of the debris floats into the atmosphere and ultimately plummets towards the Earth. Scavengers and fortune seekers, referred to as ark hunters, keep track of falling debris, hoping to find valuable technology that they can later sell on the black market.
Joshua Nolan and Irisa Nyira took a roller through the Missouri Badlands some distance away from Missouri where they found the husk of a Votan ship. They found an intact Terra-spire (a device used for terraforming), which Nolan claimed cold net them three million in currency. Unfortunately for them, they were not the only ones scouting out the downed ship. A roving gang of Irathient marauders known as the Spirit Riders appeared as well and fought with Nolan and Irisa, ultimately destroying their roller. Nolan however, managed to hold onto the Terra-spire, which proved to be a pivotal possession a short time later. [1]