Really confused by Drastic Steps scenario

[Deozaan]

Spoiler alert!

I haven't played OMD1 or OMD2, so I don't know anything about the story/lore that wasn't in OMD3. I just finished the main campaign yesterday and then the Drastic Steps campaign today and the ending of Drastic Steps confused me because it seems to end with everything exactly how it was when the first campaign started (Max in stockades in the pink rift realm, Vorwick alive and plotting evil stuff from the pink rift realm, Gabriella in charge of the Order of Mages defending against pink rifts transporting orcs into the human realm).

Is Drastic Steps a prequel to the main campaign? Or does the ending of Drastic Steps show us that Max is just a moron who got himself back into the exact situation we just rescued him from and also a "surprise reveal" that Vorwick wasn't actually defeated at the end of the main campaign?

I haven't yet played the two DLC campaigns so maybe they will explain more. But I'm just left scratching my head at what is going on with the story.

[ADEC Inc]

Yes, it takes place before.

[Deozaan]

Does it say that anywhere in the game? Did it say that and I just missed it at the beginning of the campaign?