It's 8:00am on a monday and the villagers of Pleasnaton are beginning to stir. Warm light shines upon the town, as if the sun was smiling down on it. The forests that surround the town rustle, and the woodland creatures begin to go about their daily business in tandem with the men, women and children. Settling into their daily routine, the space bustles with the quaint little energy that the town so readily exudes. Yes, it is another typical, ordinary day in Pleasanton.
And then... There are the outsiders. Why they've been drawn to this town varies. And, yet, they have arrived. Almost as if drawn here by an invisible string. A thread of something more...
Now, I can tell you, right off the bat that no town is friendlier than Pleasanton. However, paradoxically, no town dislikes an outsider as much as Pleasanton.
The events that followed certainly made that clear.
But, in this moment, the pieces on the board are naive. Ignorant. Unaware of the darkness they'll soon have to face.
Ah, but that is such an offputting subject. For now, let us watch these happy pawns go about their lives. Let us watch as the outsiders wander through Pleasanton's gates.
And as they enter Pleasanton, they are greeted with their first sight of the world they've stepped into. A single pine tree, alone and seperate from the rest, standing under a flickering lamp post. As if waiting for them to arrive. And, above it, a rusted old signboard that says...
---Morning of the First Day, 8:00am---