Desolate

The Desolation Zone never left the Dark Age. Living under the fallout of an active supervolcano kills lesser men, leaving only the strongest, most adaptable individuals.

Nicknamed "Death Breathers", the Desolate craft their own ventilation masks, and frequently design them with shapes and dyes to fit their personality. A heavy overcoat with a high collar along with heavy duty pants and boots combine with the mask to protect the body from harm from the volcanic fallout and ash in the air.

Every Desolate carries a handful of weapons and tools, but the one you will see on every single Desolate is a trusty hatchet. Simple to build and maintain, a hatchet is the ultimate multi-tool and weapon in the Desolation Zone. Some modify their hatchets with key rings or a spike, among other utility functions.

Living in the Desolation Zone

Living in the shadow of a supervolcano has made the Desolate the most brutal culture in the world.
Other Desolate outside of their own personal group are likely to be attacked on the spot for their supplies if they are not immediately beneficial to the group, and cannibalism isn't unheard of in desperate times.

The surviving wildlife is the lifeblood of the Desolate. Deer, Bear, Wolves, and Wild Dogs act as the resource for crafting clothing, filters, and other essentials for survival. With this said, the Desolate are almost always mobile and rarely in a group larger than a dozen.

Escaping the volcano is considered to be an impossibility, as heading south outside of the fallout only leads to the jungle, where death stalks you from behind every tree.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

The Desolate speak a dialect of Common with heavy Old World English and Old World Spanish undertones.

Average technological level

The Desolate never left the Dark Age, and as such much of their equipment is scavenged and recreated survival tools from the Old World.

Common Etiquette rules

Survival first, there are no morals or rules to the wasteland.