Terra
Terra is the alleged ancestral homeworld of the Terran race, abandoned (by some accounts, desroyed) centuries ago after the Grid darkened the sun, causing Terra to freeze and die. It is said to be located deep within the Grid's territory, somewhere in the Orion Arm. Whether Terra actually exists is debated.
Geography
Terra is (or perhaps was) a terrestrial planet with vast oceans and large continents, whose layout is familiar to many Terrans. (Maps of Terra do in fact exist.) It has various rivers, mountain ranges, and so forth. According to some, it was once a paradise, though tales of what Terra was like differ.
History
The history of Terra is irrevocably intertwined with its mythology, and what is true depends in part on who you ask.
It is believed that Terra was once home to many nations, which were often or continuously at war. These nations eventually made peace and united as one. The united Terra flourished and enjoyed an age of prosperity; however, that too came to an end. Some say the planet suffered an environmental crisis, or problems caused by mankind; according to others, it enjoyed its golden age until falling victim to the Grid.
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In truth, Terra suffered global famine caused by climate change. Its inhabitants created an AI—the Grid—to supply the people with synthetic food and remedy the food crisis. The Grid, of course, went rogue and became the menace to the galaxy it is now.
Discovery
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In Cosmic Warrior Hua Mulan, Terra is discovered by xenoarchaeologists, who find it to be a frozen industrial wasteland, receiving virtually no sunlight from its darkened sun (obscured by the Grid's satellites) and covered in still-functioning food factories which appear to be operated by the Grid. This is unheard of elsewhere—until Terra's discovery, the only terrestrial factories the Grid was known to operate produced satellites, robots, and other machinery it directly utilizes—and is taken as evidence that the Grid did in fact originate on Terra before taking to the stars.
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