I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the ruined village. If you’re new here, the flowers are beautiful this time of year, so you picked a great time to join us. Other than the flowers, the rest of the place is fairly ruined. It would be a good idea to watch where you step. In fact, go ahead and bring an extra pair of shoes. Shoes don’t tend to last long in the village.             Our returning listeners probably think they’re familiar with the state of the ruin at the heart of the village. Well, a lot has happened since our last visit. The pack of roving drunks we all know and love are now the River Road crew. They have claimed their rightful position as the law of the land. This claim was supported by the Cult of the Spider, who have taken control of the River Village and its neighboring Mountain Village. The birdman is locked away in a cage, the fox is in hiding, and the other creeps will be dealt with soon enough. So it may be a good time to come back to the village to see who survived the last season.             It’s a new day in the village, and the old problems have all been solved or run off. A whole new set of problems is around the corner, so let’s hope the River Road crew notices. The Cult of the Spider may even prove to be understanding and compassionate in their reign. But that doesn’t seem likely. Given that spiders never have been known for their compassion, it’s best to be prepared for anything. But rest assured that no matter what dangers await us on the River Road, the bus that takes us out of there will be late.