Earth is the ancestral, abandoned, broken home to humanity. Before the Transcendence War, Earth's last census counted 25 billion people. When the Transcendence War came, billions lost their lives, a few million managed to flee to the stars, and the rest remained on the dying planet where many more met their fate. But just as history has shown us time and time again, humanity always finds a way.

There was a period of about seventy years when Earth was being continuously bombed, and humanity's numbers dangerously decreased, but at the same time, this period changed the face of the Earth permanently. Most of the water reserves were gone, and of what was left, most was irradiated. In some regions the air itself became toxic. Communications broke down, and the last pockets of humanity's survivors became isolated from one another.

Corporations, for a time, were focused solely on establishing their power, and they needed to sell the Big Myth: Earth was too far gone to even look at it, there was nothing alive, and the radiation would stay on high levels for centuries. With the myth successfully sold, the consolidation of power to what now is known as New Geneva was a success, and Earth remained ignored.
In the meantime, life on Earth was forever changed, and as radiation levels began to decrease, the descendants of the survivors of the Transcendence War began to emerge once again, looking to build a life for themselves. It had been seventy years and the attacks had stopped, for the most part, most of these communities didn't even know there had been a large number of "humanity's finest" who had survived the War and made their lives elsewhere. For all they knew, the world had come to an end, and by some freak miracle, they were given a second chance. With most of their past erased and consumed by the War, humanity started anew, with some similarities and some differences.

Earth is a world that survived Armageddon and is still in the process of building itself up. The tectonic shift, as well as the change in the topography due to the War, has given us a completely different world than the one we know.
For instance, on all the planet, the default radiation levels are higher than what is to be considered the standard. Nothing that could kill immediately, but would require treatment for long exposure, especially to those who aren't Earthborn. However, with the advancement in the field of medicine, this becomes a nuisance at best, unless one is stranded on Earth without means of leaving or having access to treatment for extended periods.

Rain is a rare occurrence, but when it happens, it's mostly smooth, dust, and the fallout that falls to Earth. Some communities have developed resistance to certain levels of radiation and gather what is called "Dirtwater" for general use this way. Radiation Storms are a regular occurrence, pockets of high radiation meet currents of hot and cold air, and the results are intense climatic conditions that require people to take cover. Even Earthborn either take refuge in well-stocked shelters or have access to reinforced radiation suits to try and weather the storms and while there are different intensities of radiation storms, most don't last more than thirty minutes. In some regions, especially those in the desert, a climactic irregularity simply known as "Ashfalls" also takes place. While there's no general knowledge on how these Ashfalls take place, what is known however is that these tend to severely disrupt electronics, almost as if the Ashfalls were a continuous surge of EMPs.

As Earth's face changes, there is no longer any identification of borders or nations. The naming of different regions is usually given by Earthborn Explorers in an attempt to map Earth, and with long-range communications between communities not being possible, it takes time for information to be shared.

Some regions (Such as what was once known as Romania) are considered dead due to the unrelenting weather conditions and the massive amount of Chimera roaming the region, as well as dangerously dwindling numbers of Earthborn. Climate conditions have also wildly changed on Earth, with some areas (Such as the Mojave Desert) reaching about 60 degrees Celsius (About 140 degrees Fahrenheit) on average, while other regions (Such as the Antarctic Frozen Wastes) reaching -150 degrees Celsius (About -238 degrees Fahrenheit).

Levels on different water bodies (Such as oceans) have receded extraordinarily, and have given birth to vast uninhabited areas of Earth such as the Salt Ocean. It is possible to traverse such areas, but the lack of water, food, and refuge for hundreds of kilometers make areas like the Salt Ocean a death wish, there are also rumors of gigantic Chimera underground in such areas.

There are certain regions, like the Amazonia Wildlands, and the Salem Witchwoods that have been described as swamps, and in the specific case of the Amazonia Wildlands, rumors persist that rain that's not polluted or radioactive is somewhat common, although these rumors have not been proven. While swamps have been confirmed, they are mostly formed by Dirtwater, and in some extreme cases, some of these swamps have polluted water reservoirs turning them into highly toxic waste dumps.
A great deal of the land is arid, and agriculture is extremely challenging (When it's possible), and due to the present radiation in the air, whatever produce some communities manage to come out with is mutated. While the radiation levels of food grown on Earth is low, consuming it for a long time can bring about adverse effects, in which case treatment will be required. The same can be said about the consumption of Dirtwater. There are rumors about underground water reservoirs throughout the planet, but most of those are unconfirmed, a few communities may have actual access to natural water, which makes it a very valuable resource for trading.

It should be noted that even if the water levels on Earth have receded, or if most conditions for clean rain are exceedingly rare, it is entirely possible to find reservoirs of clean water, such as underground springs, or different water sources, although this would be left up to discover during events or storylines.
The existence of corporate Earth Sites throughout the planet continues to be a relatively profitable enterprise for different corporations. These Earth Sites are equipped with long-range communications that keep them in contact with Space Stations, Colonies, and Floating Cities. Most if not all of these Earth sites have very strict access control, and residence in these areas is very limited.

Most of the residents of Earth Sites are workers for different corporations, as they gather resources from Earth or send scavenging groups for materials to send to Floating Cities and Space Stations. Earth Sites have little to no care for Earthborn, which creates hostile situations, they also send security missions to deal with Chimera and Transcendence War-era Mechs in the area, disrupting the areas around it. They are also the main contributor to the ongoing pollution of the areas they can reach.

Most Earthborn can be categorized into two groups: Tribals, and Settlers.
Tribals, as the name indicates, have a tribal mentality. They live in communities that are more in touch with Mother Earth (Or Mother Gaia as some tribes refer to the planet), compared to Settlers, they have regressed culturally, and technologically, as most of them haven't even been exposed to cybernetics or advanced medicine. Tribals can be territorial, and most of them are semi-nomadic, often moving from one territory to another every six months.

Settlers as Earthborn have found ruins of ancient communities and have joined forces to salvage entire buildings and create their communities. They are more adept at technology, at least as much as Earth can allow, and they settle for their community, trying to establish communication and trade routes with similar communities.
The relationship between Tribals and Settlers is usually good with a few marked exceptions. Sometimes, Tribals are known to eventually become part of the settlement, and Settlers sometimes decide to change their lives by joining a Tribe, their relationship with Earth Sites, however, is usually a negative one, as Earth Sites just "tolerate" them being around, and Earthborn see Earth Sites as invaders, leeches, and parasites.

Earth, in short, is a dangerous world. Earthborn will always look at an outsider with distrust, and sometimes even contempt, although it is entirely possible to earn their trust. Chimera exist in every region of Earth and depending on the region they are found in, they can be somewhat harmless, to extremely dangerous. Centuries after the end of the Transcendence War, some of Earth's Secrets are finally emerging. Some can be embarrassing, some can be disgusting, and some can explain the reasons for our current life. It's just a matter of exploring and asking yourself if you truly want to have all the answers.