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Welcome to Sprucefort!

Located in the 157th local area of Nestor's Woods, this is a village with an abundance of feasts and flora.

Regardless of any dangers you may encounter, I hope you stay for a while. Not many travellers venture so close to the border.

Oh - and remember not to stray too far South, although the flowers make good hiding spots when you will need to.


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Sprucefort is a town of Nestor's Woods near the Tigerlily Meadow border which surrounds a humongous tree, at least 400 not-cats long branch to branch, known as The Great Pine (which most closely resembles an Eastern White Pine with dark green needles) which has been partially hollowed out near the base to create the village's large hall. The village has since grown from around the Great Pine and has spread out further, with newer homes made on the hillsides which help to shelter Sprucefort from harsher Northeast and Northwest winds.

The village is North of a 'U' shaped valley with a misfit river and a ribbon lake where younger residents of Sprucefort learn to swim. There is also a flowing river West of Sprucefort which significantly contributes to the local fishing industry.

Sprucefort also has unusually tall grass as well as an abundance of flowers. The proximity of Sprucefort to the Tigerlily Meadow is believed by most citizens to contributed to unusually fast plant growth around the village area, which has created many floral jobs in Sprucefort, although some argue that the Great Pine is actually promoting the plant growth itself.

Even when excluding the plant life on the forest floor calling Sprucefort overgrown would be an understatement. The town of Sprucefort itself, especially the closer to the Great Pine you get, can be difficult for many outsiders to navigate outside of Winter due to the dense foliage and trees, but the residents have found and created many shortcuts and pathways or even built walkways alongside the stronger and taller trees. This has eventually led to the creation of many homes inside tree hollows or built around the trunks with a few built hanging from strong branches. There is even a 'street' built along and inside the Great Pine itself!

Not including the homes built in the trees, many Sprucefort buildings incorporate trees from using large roots as structural support to living underneath refurbished hollows at tree bases. Only the oldest structure or the buildings found at the very edges, where the hills grow and the dense plant growth is escaped, tend to stand alone and look like more 'traditional' cabins.

Sprucefort, on account of being at the edges of Nestor's territory has poor trade links with most villages and Gardenhome city. Trading is often difficult outside of close neighbours. Although Sprucefort is a relatively popular place for adventurers and travellers to rest and stock-up if they travel along the border between the Tigerlily Meadow and Nestor's Woods. However it's not recommended for travellers to go to Sprucefort if they wish to cross into the Tigerlily Meadow itself due to U-shaped valley blocking access, with the only bridge having been destroyed years ago.

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Sprucefort was founded on the last day of Winter, Year 6, when the fourth flood of not-cats arrived from earth to not-earth. The village was founded around the Great Pine by Brook, Pluto, Sarai, Garrison, Haze, Pythe and Escariet after taking a few days to travel Southwest, near the borders of Nestor's Woods and the Tigerlily Meadow. These three cats came from three different colonies of not-cats; the Heights Guild, Burrow Pact and the Western Clowder who lived in various parts of a relatively empty and abandoned city district with abandoned tower blocks, overgrown and under-cared for sewers and a massive park.

First Children

The first beans in the village were Ember and Daisy, who arrived from Nestor shortly after the village settled down and were adopted by Pythe . Although the first beans who were born in the village, in Spring 29 of Year 7, were Morning, Noon and Evening.

Democracy

The first mayor of the village was Brook, who was elected in Summer 21 of Year 7. The current and fourth mayor is Spruce, who was elected in Spring 35 of Year 8. Previous mayors include Sunbeam and Sol.

The Starball Accident of Autumn 34

During the first Leafday week on Autumn 34, Year 8, everyone had gathered for the Leaf-bread group bake-off in the Great Pine, and after preparation were unable to play the games of Starball that had occurred between baking times in the previous days. This was due to harsh rain which prevented the squares from being clearly drawn among general dislike for the poor conditions.

Four young not-cats, Nightfall, Stormy, Phototropin and Creek attempted to play a game of Starball inside but Yew Yatagan attempted to protest against this, citing possible danger, and grabbed the Starball as Nightfall was attempting to slam it into the ground, causing it to slam out of Yew Yatagan's paws and out of control towards another gathering.

What occurred next was various mishaps such as the Starball bouncing into tables and the kittens believing there was a game of hitting it around which caused notable damage of its own. Eventually Oxbow Lake accidentally hit the Starball upwards with tremendous force towards the massive glass chandelier which has yet to be remade. The following damage was unprecedented to anything experienced within the interior of the Great Pine and lead to all not-cats present, most of the village, suffering minor injuries or worse with Stormy receiving a permeant scar over the eye.

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Clusters

Clusters are an important part in the developing culture of Sprucefort. It is the name for a group of cats roughly around the same age who were raised and taught together since kittenhood and are able to rely on each other even if they are rivals or just aren't close enough to be friends although most end up being. Many Sprucefort couples have kittens close to or shortly after other couples so batches can form.

Clusters help the formation of close bonds in the village and is considered an important part of a kitten's development. Kittens who get adopted towards adolescent-hood or adolescents don't tend to join clusters but there have been exceptions.

Clusters also tend to give names to themselves or receive names from others! It's one or two words, but it's suppose to represent something about the group, such as the First Snow Cluster referring to the not-cats from that cluster being born in early Winter or the Storm Cluster being particularly chaotic.

The culture of Clusters were carried over from the Burrow Pact, one of the three groups which the village founders migrated from.

Food

Food, especially fish and bread, is celebrated throughout Sprucefort. It's considered extremely important, especially since the village experienced a famine shortly after foundation.

Large luncheons are held often, especially in Autumn in Sprucefort to celebrate the harvest and what it provides as well as to stock up on fat before Winter arrives.

Speaking of fatness it's a rather attractive feature in Sprucefort as it shows you've been eating healthily. It's especially notable if you don't have too many notes, as it shows you can make or find your own food which is a highly praised skill.

Leaf-Bread and the Leafday Bake-off

In Sprucefort a flat bread is made during Autumn and especially on Leafday in the shape of a leaf! A coating of not-olive oil, rosemary, salt and occasionally spices are added to a dough of mainly flour as well as water and yeast before baking.

During Leafday village bake-offs will occur and dough will be made in the hollow of the Great Pine before taken to ovens by whoever wishes to participate with trained bakers supervising and assisting. It began when Copper attempted to teach Verdant their family recipe and everyone had opinions. The leaf shape of the dough tends to be unique on purpose, so that's it's both easy to find and to stand out in general.

During the time dough is left to rise and bake during group events, games of Starball will typically be played with the winner getting first choice of bread! The only time this does not occur is during extremely poor weather when everyone must be inside as a repeat of Autumn 34, Year 8, where everyone present obtained some form of injury or scrape during an attempt to play Starball inside.

The Exploration

After all the not-cats in a batch have finished their education they set off from the village until their birthday in order to learn more outside the world and learn more about themselves. They'll be given a sizeable portion of notes, rations, food and navigational equipment.

Whilst there are exceptions to the leaving date (i.e holidays) and certain not-cats remaining in the village due to health or trying to learn a job faster it's expected and a celebrated for them to leave, with a feast being held the day of their departure. It's customary for friends and family outside the batch to give them trinkets and charms and clothes before they set off although brining anything too big is considered strange and almost tying them down.

This is also the stage where most batches and littermates part ways until return to the village, although it's not uncommon for pairs, trios or groups to remain together.