Prologue (Echoes of Mana)

The Prologue is a story segment in Echoes of Mana and the first one chronogically.

Storyline
After selecting a character, the player's avatar is seen floating in void while a disembodied voice calls them the one who shall gather the echoes of Mana and their very own Mana Swordsman. The avatar then disappear in a blinding light, prompting a familiar scene from Trials of Mana to appear instead. Here, Hawkeye is thrown into a jail cell by a Nevarl agent for murdering his friend Eagle. The young prisoner bemoans his predicament by the fact that he couldn't possibly kill his best friend. His thoughts are interrupted by a nearby explosion at the wall, with Hawkeye mistaking the person behind it for his friend Niccolo. He is puzzled to see the protagonist emerging from the commotion, but the newly formed duo has no time to dawdle, as the explosion caught the attention of several guards.

As the team head deeper into the fortress, they are ambushed by Nevarl agents. Seeing that the protagonist has not trained in combat, Hawkeye takes the opportunity to teach them the basics. The young thief congratulates them for their battle prowess, but the party is interrupted again by the same echoing voice from the beginning. They are then warped into a single platform when they are forced to fight Zable Fahr, who calls the avatar Phantom eye and the root of calamity. The party quickly disposes of the threat, but Hawkeye immediately disappears from the premises, leaving the player with the familiar voice commanding them to open their eyes.

The protagonist is then seen waking up in front of a large tree surrounded by an empty blue field. The voice introduces itself as the spirit of the Mana Tree, the Mana Goddess, and takes the form of a beautiful maiden. She declares to be ages since she last spoke to a human being and explains that this place is the Sanctuary of Mana, a place where the Mana Tree, the source of all life and worlds, takes root. The place was once abundant with Mana but until it was ruined along with every world that existed. The Mana Tree grows weaker with each passing day and all that the Mana Goddess is able to do is to recollect the memories of those ruined worlds in the form of fruits. According to the Goddess, there is a way to restore each lands and entrust the protagonist to seek out the Mana Sword, revive the Mana Tree, and save the whole universe. She gives the player a doll that possesses her power before vanishing. The doll introduces itself to be Baashear and shepherd on their journey. The stuffed animal explains that the roots of the sacred tree are connected to all the time and memories of all things that existed at some point. In order to retrieve the Mana Sword, they just need to find the right memory. Baashear directs the protagonist to harvest their first fruit from the Mana Tree branches, leading to them exploring the first world.

Note
The prologue can only be played at the opening of a new game account, and is not selectable once it is completed.