Cat's Cradle
Overview
Located in the relatively undeveloped northern region of Floren, Cat's Cradle is a small village with a surprising amount of history. It is the homestead of the Ketto Family and the final resting place of famous heroes like the Ketto's famous ancestor Yukkuna. Recently, the village is seeing a spur of new activity due to the return of the Ketto noble family and rebuilding of the Ketto Estate with the help of the group known as The Rising Flight. Despite its innocent look and nature, the village is no stranger to tragedy and even has a few secrets that might be worth uncovering.Defences
Terrain
Cat's cradle is located close to the Gesh mountains and nearby the Felyr forest. The town acts as a waypoint for travelers making their way from Grist keep to Trovanshire on Floren's northern border. The rolling hills all around Cat's cradle provide easily defensible areas for residents to defend themselves from the various wild attacks which might occur, including goblins and roving ne'er-do-wells.
Infrastructure
The Cradle has attracted several wanderers of various professions to settle down and start businesses in the village.
Notably it has attracted a dwarven blacksmith named Faelan Mythwright. While she won't talk about what chased her to Cat's Cradle, she has been settling into village life well. Faelan specializes in anti-creature weapons and can research new types of creatureslaying properties using a piece of the desired monster, including a vial of its blood.
It has also attracted an alienist (psychologist) who has mostly spent their time studying the psychology of people that are attracted to rejuvenating an area and how it differs from people drawn to starting a new town. They also have a small practice counselling the townsfolk.
Assets
Cat's Cradle is mostly an agrarian community, a few small farms and tradespeople making their way through life. Their primary crop is rice, but they also have a large amount of natural Red Vine that produces a well sought after wine. There used to be a vineyard in Cat's Cradle, but that had burned down not too long ago. Still, with a new future in sight and growth returning to the village, the vineyard might one day be rebuilt.
History
After the defeat of Hosim, the disparate people of the resistance now had to settle the matter of what to do next. For this reason, Floren was established as a refuge for all who had been under the rule of the fiendlords, including those that had served as menial labor. Yukkun'na asked for this land in particular for her part in the liberation of Floren and the end of the reign of the Fiendlords. This baffled most people, as the vacuum of power left by Hosim's demise would surely have been filled by his vanquisher, however, she declined. She had told her compatriots, as well as the citizen
One historical moment of note is the Ketto Massacre. In the year 306 AF, a splinter group of the Bastion of Aeons, now known as the Burning Dawn, went to the estate and burned it to the ground, slaughtering all members of the Ketto Family they could find. According to the records, only two members survived, Kōun'na Ketto the heir to the estate, and Kibo Ketto, her older brother. The reasons for this attack are known to be the Burning Dawns crusade against anything potentially corrupt and evil, and the Ketto's family supposedly having some sort of blood curse. Still, the village of Cat's Cradle suffered greatly with the Ketto's demise.
Now the Ketto mansion has been rebuilt, and the future of the community lies in the hands of Kōun'na Ketto and the Rising Flight.
Tourism
Before the Ketto Massacre, the largest draw for tourists every Summer was the Cat Festival. This festival celebrated the founding ancestry of the Ketto clan. Citizens and tourists alike wear fake cat ears and tails to emulate the peculiar habit of the ruling family to never be seen without a set year round. Various events and tournaments were attempted, including a balance beam challenge that got particularly heated. Anyone could participate, and most would attempt at least one event. Snacks and meals in the shape of cats abounded! Chefs would make more elaborate cat-themed dishes every year, with a special event making the tastiest treats for the docile yet wild cats that roam the area.
The Ketto family provides additional entertainment that varies from year to year. A favorite was the year that they hired a wizard, who did various tricks, culminating in a magnificent fireworks display! In the last year before The Massacre, the entertainment was a bardic troupe that provided music throughout the festival that then came together to perform a strange Cat-themed musical that not many of the theatergoers understood.
Now that the community is in the restoration process, a new cat festival is planned for the beginning of next summer!
Founding Date
001 AF
Type
Village
Population
700
Included Locations
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