The village of Alber has been home to many Nekomimi for as long as it has existed, and they have thrived in this existence they have found for themselves. At some point in the past, after the village had been around for a very long time, humans eventually began arriving at the town. Upon entry into the town, all the humans have experienced a very strange phenomenon: the sudden creation of a strange jewel that has some sort of energy about it. By accident, it was found that when one of the neko come to be in possession of it, sometimes they would become capable of using strange powers. After greater study, these jewels were found to be the manifestation of human hearts, and that a mutual bond between a human and a neko would allow the pair to activate these powers. Unfortunately, these jewels were also found to be quite breakable, resulting in devastating consequences for the humans. As a precaution, the nekomimi began crafting collars specially designed to keep them safe, and the hearts are still kept in these today.

In it's place deep in the woods, Alber has remained quite peaceful for some time. Unfortunately, there have been rumors of bandits moving into the area recently, hiding in the deeper parts of the woods and sometimes attacking those who venture out of the village alone. Some strange creatures are also reported to have been seen, but the sightings are currently few and far in between. Village officials advise against travelling alone, whatever the case may be. 

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It is now morning in the village of Alber. The locals are just starting to go about their daily business: Setting up market stalls, opening the shops, beginning the daily chores, and other such things. The weather is fairly nice today, so some people are even using the morning for an early walk before starting their day.