Great Extirpation
The expulsion of humans from their ancestral homelands on Terra during the Interstellar Dark Ages. It was carried out by torens under the leadership of Maximus Mortus, putting all of Terra save Antarctica under the control of his species and winning him the title of Supreme Scavlord.
Throughout this time torens were a constant presence on Terra: having survived the first apocalypse of human civilization in the End of Earth, they took to picking over its runs and developed scavenger cultures. Viewing armed conflict between nations as inevitably destructive to all involved, they took a dim view of human actions during this time, and many fled into space. Those who remained opposed efforts to marginalize them from the land they occupied and scavenged, catalyzing the formation of what would eventually become the Terran Scavlords, dedicated to organizing and defending toren interests on the planet.
After the wars which ended the Second Interstellar Period, Terra was left a ruined world with most of its biosphere obliterated and technological civilization in tatters. The torens, who had already survived one planetary apocalypse and made their living off occasionally-dangerous scavenging, weathered this better than most and as Starweb space entered a dark age, emerged as the dominant Terran faction.
It was in this milieau that an upstart Scavlord named Maximus Mortus began gathering followers for a grand project: securing a future for the toren species on Terra by claiming it for themselves. If they ever wanted to do it, the time was now—the only polity able to challenge them was the Ronson Republic, which seemed content with control over Antarctica.
Some rumors say they were helped in this by artilects and other parties who wished to see Terra removed as a source of human conflict, but whatever the case may be, they succeeded with little resistance. The few non-toren survivors outside of Antarctica lived in relative squalor, and many were convinced or paid to relocate without much challenge. These refugees tended to settle on Luna or in space habitats built in near-Terran space. The next phase of the project was constructing defenses to prevent any future attacks, in this sense many historians consider the Great Extirpation less of an eviction and more an injunction against re-settlement.
The Terran Scavlords retain their control of Terra into the modern day, making them a major player in Solar System politics. Many groups have tried to petition Maximus Mortus for the right to resettle parts of Terra, he is fond of saying they are welcome to have it back as soon as they solve world peace.
Background
Terra in the Second Interstellar Period had been a hotbed of military and cultural strife. As the birth world of humankind it occupied a special place in their thought, and many polities in this era sought to hold territory on it, particularly lands relating to their cultural origins before the invention of wormhole travel. For instance, the American Federation wished to occupy parts of North America, while the Catholic Pope declared a Crusade to reclaim Rome from the risen waters of the Mediterranian Sea, and multiple Jewish, Muslim, and Christian parties argued for control of Jerusalem. Some of these disputes broke out into violence, further damaging the planet and undoing much of the recovery accomplished in the Terran Renewal.Throughout this time torens were a constant presence on Terra: having survived the first apocalypse of human civilization in the End of Earth, they took to picking over its runs and developed scavenger cultures. Viewing armed conflict between nations as inevitably destructive to all involved, they took a dim view of human actions during this time, and many fled into space. Those who remained opposed efforts to marginalize them from the land they occupied and scavenged, catalyzing the formation of what would eventually become the Terran Scavlords, dedicated to organizing and defending toren interests on the planet.
The Toren Plan
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It was in this milieau that an upstart Scavlord named Maximus Mortus began gathering followers for a grand project: securing a future for the toren species on Terra by claiming it for themselves. If they ever wanted to do it, the time was now—the only polity able to challenge them was the Ronson Republic, which seemed content with control over Antarctica.
Some rumors say they were helped in this by artilects and other parties who wished to see Terra removed as a source of human conflict, but whatever the case may be, they succeeded with little resistance. The few non-toren survivors outside of Antarctica lived in relative squalor, and many were convinced or paid to relocate without much challenge. These refugees tended to settle on Luna or in space habitats built in near-Terran space. The next phase of the project was constructing defenses to prevent any future attacks, in this sense many historians consider the Great Extirpation less of an eviction and more an injunction against re-settlement.
Aftermath
His goal accomplished, Maximus Mortus was promptly disappointed when Terra's torens took to squabbling with each other. Nor could he completely forbid human access to the conquered lands—archaeologists wished to conduct investigations, while pilgrims sought to visit holy sites such as Jerusalem, Mecca, and Salt Lake City.The Terran Scavlords retain their control of Terra into the modern day, making them a major player in Solar System politics. Many groups have tried to petition Maximus Mortus for the right to resettle parts of Terra, he is fond of saying they are welcome to have it back as soon as they solve world peace.
Conflict Result
Solidification of toren control over Terra, remaining human habitation limited to Antarctica
You had me at "uplifted raccoons." Great work!