From the introduction: Gaia is the mother of all the children of this world. From her great tree life spread out its roots resulting in sprawling forests, fields, and life in abundance. All of her children were content to be beholden to to whims of the earth living and dying as the world dictated, all except man. Mankind instead rose from this cycle, breaking it and developing, consuming, growing ever more until there was no more room left to grow.