The event known as "The Tear" happened without warning or explanation. One moment, the world functioned as it always had, and the next, a strange rupture in reality swept across the globe. This event caused a quarter of the human population to shrink down to a mere 4 to 5 in height. The afflicted people, soon known as "Tinys," retained all their memories, intelligence, and emotions. But in the aftermath of the Tear, they would quickly discover that their humanity no longer mattered.

Within weeks, it became clear that the world was not willing to bear the inconvenience of caring for a quarter of its population in such a diminished state. They were too small to work, too fragile to integrate into normal society, and far too vulnerable to continue as equal members of humanity. Under the guise of pragmatism, policies were quickly passed stripping Tinys of their human rights. They were classified as "non-human entities" and treated as property or pests.