From the introduction:
Child I tell you the story that has been told for many years through our tribe, long ago, before the scourge, there were great tribes, they ruled massive lands, one day these tribes went to war, they invoked the wrath of god, but god saw that these tribes had become to powerful, so his wrath fell on all of them, and the land changed, forever. But, god is not completely cruel, he spared some and gave everyone just enough to live, and his wrath bore new beasts, so became the world. Many tribes ruled the land, but some weren't satisfied with that, so they became raiders or built towns out of scrap, and some came from Vaults, and others simply hid from god and started anew in the ruins of the Old Ones. Then the Super-Mutants came, and now they have become part of this intricate web, like that of a Dryder's, this web Tenessee.
- Athulu, Uiaoe Shaman