The natural world was dead. Archaic gods and legends withered away, forgotten by mankind in their lust for industrial advancement. The Time Fathers of Panagea kept their divisions' times in check, but they couldn't keep the land from crumbling beneath their feet. Nicholai Addihein rules the Southeastern division's world of coal, steam, and iron. An impulsive decision soon bucks him from his status as a respected leader when he stops his division's time to save his love, Lilac, from an untimely death. He finds committing the ultimate taboo comes with the ultimate punishment: the Time Fathers want him killed, and the already fragile earth deteriorates even faster, leaving millions dead. Falling from grace lands Nicholai in the company of Captain Kazuaki Hidataka and his crew of outcasts. While safe from the Time Fathers at sea, Nicholai is at the mercy of the captain and his crew. But when a discovery unveils the existence of the last Earth Mother, Umbriel, and the foundation of lies in which the Time Fathers are built, an uprising begins. Through bloodshed and revolution, there is no good or bad: only doing what one thinks is right. The Tree That Grew Through Iron showcases the intricate balance of mankind's relationship with his environment, and himself.