In the heart of rural Pennsylvania, there is a national park.
Families aren't welcome. Hikers can't take a stroll. Campers are turned away.
Pinefallow Park is more than it seems.
Centuries ago, humanity collided with the magical world in unending, bloody battles. Knights slew dragons and dragons slew knights; vampires preyed upon secluded mountain towns; unicorns fled from medieval hunts through enchanted forests. Fae and demons alike walked the lands, bestowing blessings and committing wicked work.
But time marched on, and the magical world was laid low in blood. The mighty monster hunters known as the Phoenix Templars -- named after the ancestral enemy of the dragon -- succeeded in routing most magic from the face of the earth.
What remained, hid.
Now, in a world of airplanes and WiFi, sprawling miles of skyscrapers and acrid pollution, magical creatures risk the dangers of disguising themselves among mankind in a world that has rejected them -- or... they retreat to sanctuaries.
For all that the population of Pennsylvania knows, Pinefallow Park is merely a restricted national forest which protects dozens of dangerous, endangered creatures.
The funny thing is...
They aren't wrong.
Alright, so you've made a few mistakes in life.
That's to be understood. It happens. But of course, most people's mistakes don't land them in prison.
You're staring down more time in the big house than you'd like, and it ain't looking like the law is on your side. Is what you did even that bad? Either way, the judge doesn't really want to hear it. You're going behind bars. And there's nothing you can do about it.
Until one day...
It's like magic, really. Just in the nick of time. Apparently Pinefallow Park -- some national preserve you've never heard of -- has some program where inmates can come work off their parole on the parkgrounds. Fresh air, plenty of nature, a bed in a log cabin, some community service...
How can you say no to an offer like that?
Of course, there's a lot you don't know about Pinefallow Park.
The judge thinks that some time out in the middle of idyllic, untouched nature, picking up discarded water bottles and 6-pack tabs, will be good for you. Who knows? Maybe he's right. Isn't Pinefallow a preserve for dangerous animals? asks your defender. Can you guarantee my client's safety?
Well, of course, the judge says. We haven't lost an inmate yet. And he laughs.
But anything's better than prison time. You can just think of this as... an extended vacation.
Although... it is strange. You wonder why the park is staffed by inmates, instead of by employees.
But you're about to find out.
Let the adventure begin.