The Earth after the cataclysm was in ruins. Much of the surface was inhabitable for human life, the planet’s crust was unstable, and resources were scarce.
What followed was a long period of silence.
Eventually, the dust settled, but for a long time there was no one around to see it. Ecosystems slowly re-balanced, and radiation levels eventually dissipated.
In the aftermath of the cataclysm, many of the ancient cities and monuments were wiped from the face of the Earth. The few that survived were badly damaged, buried under debris, or covered by water when the sea levels rose.