The true scope of Ziemia's past remains largely a mystery to its current inhabitants. While the planet bears the weight of a long and complex history, the relentless onslaught of Collapses has acted as a great eraser. It has scattered records, buried settlements, and left only whispers and legends of bygone eras, occasionally surfacing as fragmented ruins.
Despite this, a prevailing understanding of Ziemia's past has been pieced together from archaeological finds and ancient, often contradictory, texts. This understanding suggests that the majority of the world's static ruins—the hauntingly named Still Cities—were originally constructed by the ancestors, a population described as pureblood humans. These forebears are believed to have presided over an era vastly different from the current nomadic existence. They erected colossal urban centers, their scale dwarfing even the largest Nomad Cities, and established powerful, interconnected nations that fostered an extended period of prosperity and peace. The very ground upon which the Cities now roll is believed to have once been the unified territory of the Eurasian Union, a singular political entity whose reach and influence dwarf the fragmented and often contentious nations of the present day. The sheer ambition and sophistication evident in the architecture and remnants of technology within the Still Cities serve as a constant source of wonder and speculation for the Ziemians, highlighting the profound and largely unexplained shift brought about by the dawn of the Collapse.
Furthermore, ancient genetic engineering is thought to be responsible for the diverse traits seen in modern humans. This engineering had the goal of producing a more resilient and adaptable population. The original, unmodified human population that undertook this task is believed to no longer exist.