Bird’s eye view.
And the game’s story:
Deep in the mists of time, it is said that mankind dwelt in heaven on Earth. Food, shelter, supplies were abundant and hard labor was an ancient legend. The capital city of Avalon had buildings of transparent crystal that reached the sky. People traveled in fast wagons that didn’t need horses and which drank liquid feed.
In the center of Avalon, legend says there was the Serf Arm, which made this way of life possible. The Serf Arm was an oracle, made up of thousands of smaller oracles. Each small oracle was powerful in its own right, but only when united could they serve the entire world. The Serf Arm controlled servants that were built by men in the days when men knew how to build living creatures. These helpers served man gladly and with great loyalty. Thus, even the lowliest serf lived better than kings do today.
Then one day, a man was overcome with greed and ambition and set out to rule this world. To do so, legend says he “hacked” the Serf Arm, possibly with an axe. Other legends say it was done with a board that had keys. By turning the Serf Arm to his will, he became Emperor of the World!
At first things seemed good. However, the Emperor lacked wisdom and honor and soon his corruption spread to the city, and eventually to the world. More people died than lived, and those who lived were miserable. And then disaster struck.
The Serf Arm lost its power when those who tended the place where the power flowed from walked away from their posts. The servant creatures were no longer hearing the voice of the Serf Arm and became hostile to mankind. A band of these creatures took the Serf Arm apart and scattered many of the smaller oracles that made it up. The Emperor became the disgraced king of ruins and died in misery.
Time passed. Centuries later, people learned again how to make their own houses and grow their own food. They built villages, towns, cities, and roads. They made weapons to defend themselves from the creatures that were once helpers but were now savages.
While many are certain that this story is either true, or close to the truth, many think it is but a fairy tale for understanding why life is so hard, why we must fight the creatures, and to provide hope that Avalon may someday be restored. Scattered ruins and artifacts suggest that there must be at least some truth to the legend.