Many years ago, the Great War reduced Earth's surface to an all but barren wasteland and drove humanity to the brink of extinction. Nearly all of the surface has been reduced to a desert; humans survive only in a series of towns and cities scattered across the planet, their once-great civilization now a faded memory, the pinnacle of technology which they had once reached now far beyond their grasp.
The Third, a race of mutants who began to appear in the wake of the Great War's devastation, have assumed the duty of keeping humanity from returning to the brink of annihilation. The red "third eyes" which give them their name allow them to interface directly with technology, an ability which they use to monitor their Earth and its inhabitants. Those who violate the Technos Taboo are swiftly hunted down by the autonomous soldiers of the Inspection Force; those who abide by its limits, and don't try to research or use forbidden technology, are supported in their studies and work, maintaining those vehicles and machines which the people depend on.
Among those who live in this world are Dune Runners, jacks-of-all-trades who make their living traveling through the deserts, aiding other travelers, exterminating creatures who pose a danger to settlements, or simply exploring the wastelands. The girl named Honoka, more widely renowned as the "Sword Dancer," is one of them, journeying across the desert in her AI-piloted tank. A skilled fighter, she works as a jack-of-all-trades, making friends readily but never putting down deep roots, always venturing into the wasteland once again whether on a new job, or just to wander.
