"Enshrined atop Mt. Illusia, high above the lofty clouds, stands the Tree of Mana. Drawing its life energy from the boundless celestial aether, the sentinel grows in silence. Legend holds that he who lays his hands upon its trunk will be granted power eternal―a power the Dark Lord of Glaive now seeks to further fuel his bloody quest for domination. Our unlikely hero is one of countless gladiators indentured to the Duchy of Glaive. Each day, he and his ill-fated companions are dragged from their cells and bade to fight exotic beasts for the amusement of the Dark Lord. If victorious, they are thrown back into the dungeons with just enough bread to tide them over until their next match. But a body can only take so much, and it is never long before the weary captives succumb to their cruel fates."