From the introduction: Once upon a time, there was a barren planet without life, an ocean, or vegetation. Six gods in coalition made the world habitable. Once they gave it life, they lived there as mortals until their deaths, returning to their godly forms to observe from afar. Their descendants became the peak of this world’s hierarchy, outranking those not related by blood. There was to be a royal court, but they were to serve the people. There were to be highborn, but no one was to live without. Trade was to be healthy, and each realm was to contribute. Scarcities and difficult times were to be dealt with together. This is what the gods wanted the world to be, but that is not what they left behind. The dukes and duchesses disliked being lower in status than the descendants and disapproved of the crown being secured by birthright. The turmoil between those in power led to the people they ruled having no one to keep them in line, and soon they began disrespecting the ideals of their realms and the gods who created them. Though the gods had tried to involve themselves in the world’s affairs only indirectly, they saw a need to intervene, and those who misbehaved would soon rue the day they infuriated a god.