Historic Accuracy
Shroud is to the ShiftGates what Latin is to the English language. Talked about in theory, praised, but set far back in minds.
Just days before the cataclysm, an asteroid passed within deadly proximity of Shroud. The planet had averted disaster, and the story was all over the newspapers. Scientists were put to shame for nearly dooming the planet, and not seeing it ahead of time. Nobody would listen to them three days later when the sky suddenly opened up and fire and death poured from above.

Aftermath
Nobody knows for certain what really happened on Shroud. Was it a trail from the first asteroid, or was that just a clever guise for something bigger? Were the scientists aware of it all, or was thier vision clouded. The fact remains that Shroud is nothing more than craters, wild animals, and a myriad of ruined cities.