The Nature and Geography of Bellmuse
Do note that this is a resource to be consulted, you do not have to read it's entirety to roleplay on the site!
Bellmuse is best described as a small but densely populated island. It has one self-named city, a medium sized town in Springwood and a few small homes/settlements scattered throughout Finnek forrest. Most of the farmers live around the Springwood area as the soil there, the only to grow green plants on the island, is thought of as the most fertile on the island. Cattle and Chicken farming has however been sighted nearer the capital and in Finnek, due to the lesser reliance on good soils for grazing. Bellmuse geography can be separated into sections; Beachland, Ocean, Finnek Forrest, Finnek Mountains, Skylight Woods and the Urban-Hubs; Springwood and Bellmuse.
In terms of layout the beach encircles the entirety of the island, though it is at it’s finest on the east side. The east side is where the mountainous range is, reaching up to the north. On the far south is the Docks, directly up from them is Bellmuse. Connected to bellmuse North-west side is Skylight Forrest, nestled toward the north is Springwood and the lake is surrounds, however encompassing every other side and eventually Skylight is Finnek forest. Near the edge of Skylight, bordering Finnek, is the dust mines entrance.
Simplest is the beachland, which encircles the entirety of the island. The beaches of Bellmuse vary in colouration from dark yellow sands on the South, where Creak’s Tavern and a majority of the Docks are, to a far whiter colouration toward the north. The south predominantly sees use for fishing and sailing, thus seeing less wildlife in comparison to the other beaches. As a result of this the beaches around bellmuse, particularly the North, are thought of as a hotspot for young Seal and ground nesting sea-birds like Albatross; taking advantage of the fishing community but fleeing human interaction. Sanderlings are also known to populate the island, mostly the west beaches. This is due to an abundance of bivalves, oysters and muscles, and small crabs. Toward the east there is little of note, outside a rather sizable crustaticane population, until the height of Summer. On the east there is a craggy, rocky, stretch of beach where rockpools are apt to form. In these pools small anemones, krill, hermit crabs and more can be found.There is however an uncommon bird that can be seen dotted around Bellmuse and the nearby isles which congregates on the east side; the Puffins. These small, adorable, birds draw the eyes of many; enjoying the shelter of the craggy cliffs where Finnick mountains meet the sand during their mating season. On the south beaches all one can really expect is the passing of jellyfish, though fishing off the dock you will find Cod, Mackerel and Whiting.
Just off the beach is the sea, which will be lightly touched upon. The waters around Belmuse are regarded as quite quiet, they are deep, cold and within them shoals of fish do swim; namely the types mentioned for fishing off the dock and their prey. Wales and dolphins have been known to visit the area, though not tied to a specific season, but sharks are immensely rare. Swordfish are not an uncommon sight or catch during Winter, but will never appear during summer. Lobster pots can be set down off Bellmuse but they see little returns, crab fishing is far more common.
Skylight Forest is the smaller of the two forests on Bellmuse; by a factor of three. A lot of the land surrounding it has been used by farmers and ranchers; focusing on crop production, however there is still a large woodland area. Skylight has become so popular, paths leading through it, as there are numerous berry plants growing throughout it; most notably wild strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. Pine and oak trees are common to the area and with them come Bellmuse population of woodpeckers and squirrels, being prayed on mostly by foxes but occasionally buzzards and birds of prey from the mountains will visit. This is also the area that’s the densest in regards to reptiles, you will find snakes here; mainly grass-snakes, though adder have been seen with their mild venom. This is also the hub for Bellmuse insects, while bees can be found throughout the island (mainly of the bumble species) it is here that wasps will take nest. Most of bellmuse beetles are found in skylight (Including cicada, rhinoceros and stag) and a vast majority of Bellmuse worm population. This is controlled by Skylight’s mole population, mainly star nosed.
Finnick Forest takes up a majority of Bellmuse land. Finnick can be divided into two parts, mountainous ranges (situated on the east) and flat forestland. The peak of the smallest mountain, atop which Syne sits, is five hundred metres. The average height of a mountain in the range is roughly one thousand metres above sea level, the tallest being one thousand five hundred and nineteen metres tall. At these heights the only animals of note are mountain-shrews (In great abundance), mountain-hare and rabbits, a few foxes, mountain cats, birds of prey (mainly Buzzards and Vultures) and mountain goats/sheep. Less notable are the plants, also dyed a blue colour, mostly consisting of heather types (Cross-Leaved, Bell and Milkwort) and mountainous berries; Bearberry (Flowering around September) and Baleberry (Flowering around June). Additionally there are patches of hardy bluegrass, on the rockier patches cacti and succulents have been known to grow; mainly blue-white zebra cacti and aloe vera. It is though not impossible to come across Stone Plants and Tree Cactus.
In the flatlands, as previously stated, the soil in Finneck is not the best on the island; as a result only incredibly hardy plants can survive within it, the soil being high in base metals like iron is thought (though unproven) to force a shift to blue in any plant surviving there. Despite this there is no real change to the texture or usability of plants dyed blue. The tenacity of the plant life means the forest does not undergo much of a seasonal change, at least compared to Skylight forest. There are few rivers flowing through Finneck, only two of any real note; the Ciri and the Ventricle which both see use by salmon. Speaking of the fauna Finnek is often thought of as the most grimm-heavy area in Bellmuse, thus why the academy is stationed within it. Finnick has one bizarre quirk on its food chain; crabs. There are land dwelling crabs that wander Finnick, never growing larger than one’s fist, that travel in droves through the forest. Finnick is also home to many species of rabbit, the brown hare and a variety of owls. When it comes to insectoids spiders are the primary dish, though few have any venom and millipedes are present often. There are of course the typical flies, beetles and ticks as are a staple of most food webs. In terms of reptiles Finnek is quite sparse but you can find some varieties of mud-dwelling toad and small snakes. When it comes to bigger animals deer have been known to rome Bellmuse and, while seen once in blue moon, bears have been sighted in their depths. Wolves are less uncommon, but uncommon nonetheless; as are boar.
Bellmuse’ bird population often will shift from Skylight to Finnek so here the species which move between woods will be covered separately. Finches with nut opening beaks are probably the most common species on Bellmuse, as there is a relatively low insect density outside the small Skylight woods. These include Wood Pigeons, Quail, Sparrows and small members of the Partridge family.They have been known to mingle in Springwood and Bellmuse, particularly the pigeons. Crows are uncommon on Bellmuse, being brought in rather than originating here, but they are sometimes seen. Of course seagulls fly most everywhere and chase the various shipping vessels coming and going from the docks.
In urban centres foxes have been known to peruse the towns at night. Common local pets include dogs and cats. Bellmuse city is incredibly compact and while there is a small park it sees little animal life outside insects. The lake which Springwood surrounds is larger than the town itself, housing various common freshwater fish and plants. It is common that algal bloom occurs here, sprouting from the water are Bullrush and beware the hogweed that grow where the lake meets with forrest once more. Frogs and toads exist in abundance at the lake, often when the population grows too great spanning out into the forests. Giant salamanders are an invasive species at this location, brought in as pets and released by idiots.
To conclude, as most islands are, Bellmuse typically faces a lot of extreme weathers. The tree barrier helps defend the city and Springwood from most of the winds, however the coast will frequently experience gale force winds. Being somewhat centrally positioned, north but not too far north, Bellmuse’ weather shifts extremely from season to season.
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Bellow is listed all the relevant species that inhabit Bellmuse, granted it is not exhaustive. This table uses the DAFOR scheme of coverage identification to indicate how prominent a species is in an area. D = Dominant, you should see many of these creatures. A = Abundant, you will likely have multiple sightings. F = Frequently sighted, you may see multiple sightings. O = Occasionally sighted and R = Rarely sighted. N/A = Will not appear.
