Survivor's Guilt Festival

Why is it called Survivor's Guilt Festival? Well that bandit could've used a new pair of shoes, instead I shot him in the face, kinda feel bad about that

— Drunk trader at the Oasian Brewing Company Bar

Sometimes you just have to step back and laugh at the sheer absurdity of the lifestyle you're living, and celebrate somehow not dying in the process.

The Survivor's Guilt Festival is a tongue-in-cheek festival celebrating somehow not getting killed as a traveler in The Great Desert. Centered around the famous Oasian Brewing Company's iconic bar, the whole area is overrun with traders looking for a stiff drink and a good time.

Organized by Cedric Fontaine, each year in early spring the brewers of Oasis gather up their new brews and give them out for free to all the traders willing to come to the festival. Traders exchange their wild stories for the year and trade some of their self defense creations with each other, and generally goof off for the day.

Competitions can be found across the festival area, ranging from shooting contests, drinking contests, exaggerated trading stories competitions, and more. Drivers set their sights on the loop of roads around Oasis to race, with crowds gathering to cheer them on.

In recent years, more tradesmen have been offering their services to the festival, including free medical treatment, massages, weapons calibration, and other useful services to those on the road.

History

Cedric Fontaine was an ambitious trader from Sovereign with a grand idea: Gather up expensive products from Spitzenteufel and get them to The Great Desert on foot through Alqurun, sparing him the expense of contracting a trade vessel. What Cedric failed to acknowledge was the absurd amount of danger he would put himself through, constantly under attack through the entire trip from the Horns of the Sun.

Wounded, tired, and sleep deprived, he would successfully make his way into Oasis and make his riches over the next few days. With that trip behind him, Cedric decided to settle down in Oasis.

Sitting at the famous Oasian Brewing Company Bar, Cedric jokingly said to one of the other traders "You know, sometimes you have to embrace the absurdity of our lifestyle, I just spent a couple weeks being shot at and nearly speared to a tree just to sell some fancy clothing. Worth it though"
Upon hearing similar stories from the other traders, Cedric stood up on his bar stool and announced "Look at us, we survived our travels at the detriment of the bandits on the road who could've used our stuff! Drinks are on me, in the name of good old fashioned survivor's guilt!"

And with a room full of laughter and cheers, the first Survivor's Guilt Festival officially began.

With the amount of foot traffic that came through the bar that day, the Oasian Brewing Company suggested making that a yearly event, and offered to cover drinks if Cedric was willing to organize it.

Are you kidding me? That was the most fun I've had in years, and I didn't get speared to a tree in the process, of course I'll do it!

— Cedric Fontaine

Participants

The Survivor's Guilt Festival wouldn't be complete without copious amounts of alcohol involved.

Oasis is the home of countless brewers, with microbrews dotting the landscape. Each festival brings an opportunity for each brewer to show off their style of brew, and also doubles as a way to see which drinks are popular among the masses.

Some traders from abroad bring drinks from The West to the festival, introducing Easterners to drinks such as Koro and Draconian Mead.

Observance

The festival is an annual event, hosted in the early spring. The exact date varies, as Cedric does his best to line up the date to best accommodate the brewers, but it is always within two weeks of the first week of spring.

Primary Related Location

Oasis

Related Ethnicities

• Wastelander