	This story takes place in the year 5 PC.  What this stands for is Post Calamity.  Five years before the story picks up, nuclear war devastated the entire Earth, leaving small groups of survivors all over the world, trying to survive.  That year was 2047 AD.  It was renamed 0 PC after the war took place.  The month, day, hour, and minute system are all still the same.  So, there are still 12 months, 28-31 days per month, 24 hours per day, and 60 minutes per hour.  The story takes place over the span of 3 months, March-early June.  The reason for this is because spring time will be ideal for the events that transpire throughout the story.  Plus, it’s also a bit symbolic.  Spring is a time of new life, and for the survivors, that’s what this story will be.  They will be searching for and finding their way to safety in the midst of a dangerous world.  Because of the calamity, the world itself is no longer as technologically advanced as it was prior to the calamity.  So, because it’s 5 PC, they aren’t prehistoric or cavemen, but there are plenty of barbaric people and even cannibals that will be encountered throughout the story.
	The main location of this story is the Pacific Ocean.  To be exact, a previously undiscovered island in the Pacific Rim.  This is where survivors from Asia, North America, and South America have fled to in order to escape from the radiation and devastation.  It’s one of the few places on Earth that has been affected the least by the calamity.  The story will progress from this island, however, and go out to sea once they learn of the safe haven known as Hamther, which is the name given to Japan by the natives of this island.  Hamther is reported to be untouched by the calamity.  It’s a safe haven for all who would come there.  So, the three main locations of this story are the island, called Thornado by the natives, the boat, and Hamther.  
	Thornado is covered in dense forests and, unlike the rest of the Pacific Rim, is not volcanic.  Because no humans besides the natives had ever set foot on this island prior to the calamity, the forests are rich, full, and lush.  These forests are filled with all sorts of animal and plant life, including some that have never before been seen, including a panther-like creature called a thorguar, a bear that seems to be a hybrid of a grizzly and a wolf known as a griolf, and many other creatures.  The environment of Thornado will threaten the safety of the group of survivors that are the main characters of the story, as they make their way to the ocean to leave for Japan.  Bugs the size of medium sized rocks, carnivorous animals and plants, and cannibals are just a few of the dangers.  Also, at night, a strange monster is rumored to roam the forests.  The weather on Thornado is very similar to its name: very windy and stormy.  Lightning and thunder storms occur frequently.  However, on nice days, the temperature can reach 115 degrees in direct sunlight.  There are wide meadows in the forest, bogs and swamps as well.  All in all, the survivors have their work cut out for them as they trek across the island.
