Sword of Mana, the prequel to the Mana series, tells the story of the source of all life, the power that flows from the goddess Mana and bears her name. Long ago, in a time of darkness, a mighty empire tapped its energy to dominate the world. In an effort to stop the use of such power for evil purposes, a woman from the Mana tribe transformed herself into the Mana Tree, locking the power away from anyone who would try to abuse it.