Senel Coolidge, a young expert of eres, is drifting in the ocean on a small boat with his younger sister Shirley. As food runs out and their strength deteriorates, an island suddenly bursts through the mist and approaches the boat with astonishing speed, engulfing it in waves. When Senel and Shirley awake on the shore, they realize that the island they are on is actually an enormous ship called the Legacy.
Tales of Legendia is unique among Japanese RPGs in that the game actually consists of two quests. The first quest is the typical "save the world" quest found in most games of the genre. After the first quest is completed, credits roll and a song plays, usually signaling the end of the game. However, a second quest begins afterwards. This part consists of "character quests", designed with the purpose of exploring the problems and pasts of all the characters. There is also a secondary storyline tying all the different character quests together.
Source: Wikipedia, "Tales of Legendia," available under the CC-BY-SA License.