▁The ▁game ▁starts ▁with ▁the ▁player ▁forming ▁an ▁advent uring ▁gu ild ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁explore ▁the ▁myster ious ▁Y gg d ras il ▁Lab yr inth ▁from ▁the ▁nearby ▁town ▁of ▁Et ria . ▁This ▁is ▁encourag ed ▁by ▁the ▁Rad ha ▁and ▁its ▁ch ie ft ain , ▁Vis il , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁town ' s ▁prosper ity ▁stem ming ▁from ▁expl oration ▁of ▁the ▁lab yr inth . ▁He ▁uses ▁the ▁experienced ▁r on in ▁Ren ▁and ▁the ▁hex er ▁T lacht ga ▁to ▁teach ▁the ▁player ▁how ▁to ▁explore ▁the ▁lab yr inth ▁and ▁continue ▁desc ending ▁into ▁each ▁str atum . ▁ ▁Once ▁the ▁player ▁ne ars ▁the ▁lowest ▁str atum ▁of ▁the ▁lab yr inth , ▁they ▁encounter ▁a ▁hum ano id ▁race ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Forest ▁Fol k . ▁The ▁Forest ▁Fol k ▁attempt ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁player ▁from ▁desc ending ▁further , ▁cit ing ▁an ▁ancient ▁p act , ▁but ▁the ▁player ▁finally ▁prev ails ▁against ▁their ▁massive ▁guard ian ▁bird , ▁the ▁I wa op eln . ▁Enter ing ▁the ▁lowest ▁str atum , ▁they ▁discover ▁the ▁ru ins ▁of ▁a ▁post - ap oc aly ptic ▁Shin ju ku , ▁Japan , ▁reve aling ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁that ▁the ▁setting ▁of ▁the ▁game ▁is ▁actually ▁a ▁far - f uture ▁Earth . ▁ ▁At ▁this ▁point , ▁the ▁player ▁is ▁confront ed ▁by ▁Ren ▁and ▁T lacht ga , ▁but ▁this ▁time ▁to ▁kill ▁the ▁player , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁if