The Oasis
The Oasis is a decentralized myth, common to a great many survivors scattered throughout Ashrain who still cling to the belief that there is something left in the wide, desolate world that is not charred ashes. When the firestorms of the Great Cataclysm occurred, destroying the natural ecosystem, most of the planet, and up to 97% of all humanity, a very select few geographical locations were at least partially preserved from total destruction. These places were pocket of land located deep within the mountains, on islands far out to sea, in canyons and chasms, or beneath the earth in caves. These places were later ravaged by the ecological and environmental catastrophes that followed, but many survivors believe that there may still have been places that were left untouched. Many wandering survivors, traversing the deadly terrain of Ashrain, do so in search of the mythic 'Oasis': a place where the world that humanity remembers remains. Most of these survivors die on the road. Others meet their fates by the dangerous environment of Ashrain. Others are captured, killed, or indoctrinated into groups such as the Carvers or Birthers. And still others are still searching, hoping against hope, clinging to a delusional fairy tale as the only thing keeping them going when all other hope has been lost.
Geography
Most people who search for the Oasis believe that it is either deep within the mountains or deep underground, the two most plausible locations for protection against the Great Cataclysm and continued shelter from ecological collapse and the ash cloud. However, in order to reach such a destination, survivors must traverse the ruined terrain of the former planet Earth, circumventing the horrors that now exist there. Survival is next to impossible, but many pursue this mythic goal regardless, preferring a direction aimed at something good even to the continuation of their own lives in the hellscape of Ashrain.
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