Can someone explain the story....(SPOILERS)

[InfiniteSeraph]

up to the point at the beginning of the world of ruin?

I understand the whole War of the Magi and the goddesses but could someone please explain to me more about the present storyline and what's going on mostly with the empire. You know, their whole search for the espers but for some reason already have access to magic for their Magitek Armors and stuff of that nature. Just need a few things cleared up before i begin to play again.

[theundeadhero]

There is an Empire that rules the land called..."The Empire" O_o It's led by Emperor Ghestahl. Years ago they went to the land of Espers and stole some of them. They also "kidnapped" Terra at that time. They've been experimenting with the espers to create "Magitek Soldiers", warriors who can use magic. They do it by infusing the warriors directly with the espers power. The process drove kefka to the point of insanity but was fairly successful with Terra and General Celes. Their goal for the most part is to use magic to help them take over the world. Some kindoms don't hold loyalty to the Empire like Doma and Figaro. Figaro pretends to but holds loyalty to the returners. The returners are a resistence group led by Banon. In the game Terra "breaks free" of Empire contol and meets up with Locke, a treasure hunter. Locke leads her to Edgar, King of figaro. While there Kefka attacks the castle and it submerges in the sand. The three hero's make their way to meet Banon running into Edgars twin brother Sabin on the way. At the hideout, Terra does/doesn't agree to help Banon and then the Empire attacks. Locke goes to Figaro town to slow down it's progress while the rest make an escape with Banon. Sabin gets seperated from the crew while fighting Ultros. The main group makes it's way back to Narshe. Sabin washes ashore near Doma and meets up with Shadow, a mercenary ninja. They make their way to the empires camp. Nearby Doma is under attack by the Empire. With the absence of General Leo, Kefka poisons the castle's water supply. The kindoms retainer, Cyan, fights them off and makes his way to the enemy camp. He meets up with Sabin and Shadow and they fight their way out of camp and through a haunted forest. In the forest Cyan come face to face with the ghost of his wife and son and must force himself to move on. Still pursued by the enemy the group makes it's way to the falls and jumps, except for Shadow who leaves, into them to escape. They wash ashore near mobliz and meet up with Gau in the Veldt. Gau gives them an underwater breathing apparatus and they swim their way to Narshe. Locke meets up with General Celes during his attempt to slow down the Empire. The Empire branded her as a traitor and he saves her from a sleeping gaurd who really wants some bread. They get out of town and make their way back to Narshe. The group meets up in Narshe and prepares to fight off Kefka in the mines. After the fight Terra comes into contact with the esper Tritoch and turns into a pinkish thing that flips out. She flies off into the sky. The group goes to look for her. They travel to the next continent over by way of the Figaro Castle underground traveling system and make their way to Zozo. Shadow joins back up with the party while on the way and leaves again just before meeting Terra. They meet up with Terra their and an Epser named Rumah. Terra recalls she from the esper world and that General Gestahl was their stealing espers. The group gets the ability to learn magic the right way, through magicite, the remains of a dead esper. They Decide to make their way to the empire. To get their they travel to the Opera House to gain an airship. The only airship is owned by Setzer, a notorious gambler. Sezter has a plan to abduct the opera singer Maria so Celes takes her place in the show. While their Ultros attacks and after the group fights him off Sezter abducts Celes. They win his help with the flip of a two-sided coin. The same coin that Edgar used to give Sabin his freedom years ago when it was down to a choice between who would be king and who would be free. They fly into the Empires island and sneak into a magitek research center. While their they meet up with Cid, the Empires magitek research engineer but he doesn't join the party. They manage to gain the help of the espers their and sabatoge the place. While making an escape the airship takes damage and falls out of the sky. The party decides to go to the Gate to the Esper world through a cave on the island. The gate had been closed after Emperor Gestahl's first invasion but Terra planeed to reopen it to gain some help from the espers. That's exactly what the empire wanted them to do. Upon opening the gate the espers freak out and attack the Empire's castle. They wreak total havok. Upon returning to the castle the party see's it destroyed and that Kefka has been imprisoned for war crimes. The Emporer asks for their help with the esper situation and makes a peace bargain plea. The party agrees and make their way Thamasa, the place where the espers were last seen. The Empire has Shadow come along as hired help. In Thamasa noone likes strangers until a house burns down and the party saves a child from inside. Shadow decides he can best find the espers on his own and leaves once again. The people of Thamasa are descendants of the Mage Warriors from the War of the Magi and can still use magic. An old man Strago joins the group to lead them to the espers. On the way they're attacked by Ultros again and this time Relm, Strago's "granddaughter" shows up to save the day. On the way the party run into the statues of the Goddesses that are used to keep the balance of their power from destroying the world in another war. They meet up with the espers who are very sorry for their actions and are willing to go apologize. They all make their way back to Thamasa. Once their the Empire shows up with Kefka and he absorbs all the espers powers. General Leo tries to stand up to him but die. Kefka steals the goddess statues. The group has a funeral for General Leo and make their way towards an island the Empire raised with the help of the statues. They run into Shadow who was double crossed by the Empire and he joins up. They make their way through the "floating continent" fighting Atma along the way and meet up with the Emporer and Kefka. Kefka missaligns the statues to gain more power upsetting the Emporer so Kefka kills the Emperor. As the world starts to fall apart, Shadow stays behind to realign the statues and the party makes it's way to escape. THE END OF THE WORLD OF BALANCE. Not to bad from all memory!

[Flying Mullet]

Well Terra was captured as an infant when the empire invades the home of the espers and takes a bunch of espers as prisoners. Terra is under the control of the empire with the slave crown and when she is older (at the beginning of the game) she is used as a weapon of the empire.

Terra, Biggs and Wedge invade Narshe to retrieve an esper that's been discovered in the mines. When they meet the esper Terra has an odd reaction to it and she wakes up herself, without the slave crown. The empire comes back to Narshe to retrieve Terra and that's when Locke rescues Terra and they flee to Figaro Castle.

While in Figaro Castle Locke and Edgar (the king of Figaro) decide to have Terra meet the leader of the Returners, the rebel group opposing the empire. The group goes to the Returners and has to run from the empire again, and the group goes three different ways.

The three groups all convene in Narshe to protect the esper from the Empire again. After thwarting the empire Terra disappears and the group tracks her to Zozo. Once in Zozo Ramuh asks the group to rescue the espers held captive in Vector.

The group rescues the espers and then goes to the home of the Espers to talk to them. The epsers are released and they attack the Empire, after which the Epire decides to call a truce.

The Empire asks the group to find the espers to that they can make peace. The Empire actually tricks the group and they capture even more espers. Afterwards the Empire goes back to the sealed Esper cave, now open, and find the three statues, which are in perfect balance. Once the Empire finds the statues, the floating continent rises into the sky and the group must keep Kefka from messing with the statues.

Needless to say Kefka does mess with the statues, removing the delicate balance that they are in and the WoR is born.