Around 1,000 years prior to the events of the story, the Aetherian king Kronos used highly-advanced Lens technology to create Belcrant, a large Lens energy cannon powered by the Eye of Atamoni, which granted it the capability of pulverizing the surface world in an instant, flipping the crust into the air to form a floating continent known as the Aethersphere. Although this system was originally a peaceful one, designed to evade the effects of a comet that collided with the planet and plunged it into an ice age by clouding the atmosphere with dust, Kronos eventually used Belcrant as a weapon to crush the earth and leave those considered inferior behind, which led to the Aeth'er Wars.