A Brief and Incomplete History 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 was initially colonised by a mixed colony from outside of Vale who, following a Grimm attack on their settlement, were forced to flee by sea and ended up marooned on the island. The date of this settling is often debated, as it is possible there were a number of settlements before the one which would grow into Springwood, but it is known to have happened at least thirty years before the start of the Great War. As such the leader of the settlers name was “Heather Springwood.” Once there they established a settlement, surrounding a small lake, they slowly grew to become a fishing hub; using their connections to other port cities in Vale and eventually selling fish to Atlas.

Near the beginning of the great war however, as Bellmuse economy was really starting to grow, piracy became an issue and it was made obvious that the island was an easy target. It was both fortunate yet unfortunate that war time tensions grew to such a pitch, the military activity reduced piracy and citizens from Bellmuse did fight in the war; mainly on the side of Vale though some did on the side of Atlas. During this time however, with many young workers leaving to fight and commerce slowing to a crawl, Bellmuse did experience a recession of sorts. It is here that records become hazy once again. It though known that during this time Bellmuse acquired their monarchy; with the passed on semblance of the Midas touch. They don’t serve as government, rather a face for the island.

When records are next clear is Bellmuse great age of adventure, 50 years before the founding of Syne academy. Expeditions across the island were started by one Ciri Bloom, a Hunter whose ship had been destroyed at war and washed ashore on Bellmuse; falling in love with the blue Forrest and a woman named Ventricle Grey, eventually Ventricle Bloom. Together they had a child, being two faunus the trait was randomised, and in a bizarre twist of fate had skin of a dark blue. From this infant the forest gets its name, Finnek. The pair did great work; charting deep into Finnek, climbing the mountains and cataloging various flora and fauna throughout its entirety. It is generally accepted that they fell to grimm on their second outing, looking to further understand the area’s grimm population; their child was twenty at the time and with the death of their parents they fade from history.

Finally is the most recent History, the history of Syne Academy. The construction took eight years, a feat of earth manipulation semblances and dust usage. It was first opened five years ago with the arrival of a Leena Lilac; a student who graduated from Beacon, as the headmaster.



Faunus human relations are rather good on Bellmuse, though in the city (due to the size of its populose) things can vary greatly on a case by case basis. Subtler, more attractive and more common traits are more likely to be overlooked on the part of the public. This is because, being a central island with a growing huntsman academy, Bellmuse can be thought of as a mixing pot of culture. The fact that androids are even seen signifies this, albeit they make up less than one percent of the island’s population; perhaps every thousandth person you encounter will be machine… but even then, it likely isn’t apparent by looking at them. Regardless, having a known and active android population is certainly a sign of Bellmuse diversity.

Additionally signifying this mix of culture is the island’s utensils, varying quite greatly from restaurant to restaurant (Forks to long chopsticks to short chopsticks to sporks). If you want a specific cultural meal, odds are there’ll be somewhere that does it in Bellmuse. This is though not to say Bellmuse doesn’t have its own cultural dishes, perhaps the most memorable (for better or worse) is aptly named Fruit-Fish; a form of fish sashimi coupled with frozen berries and served as a desert. It is… an acquired taste. There are however, for those with more delicate taste buds, a number of crab and lobster dishes; with which the claws (having been hollowed and shaped) are intended to be used as cutlery.. These range from soups to deep fried dishes, made from crustaceans found both at sea and in the forest. The more traditional, and expensive, dishes come exclusively from the sea. Recently, with the issue of an invasive species, some have tried (to varying success) to cook the Salamanders in Springwood lake. It is supposed to taste like chicken when cooked correctly though can be seasoned to taste of pork.

In terms of traditions gathering in Skylight’s clearing on the death date of the most recently deceased relative is seen as normal; both to mourn the passing and to join in an attempt to maintain family bonds. It is seen as good luck for an infant to take their first steps on the beach, as it is the connector between the sea (seen on bellmuse to represent wealth due to its focus on fishing trade) and the island’s ground; seen to represent stability. Another event, done on the North beach, is to send out paper boats a week following the first storm of the year. This represents Bellmuse founders, fleeing their home after the initial grimm attack, and discovering the island. To conclude cremation is common on Bellmuse, replacing a prior tradition of sea burial as too many bodies were washing ashore. While sea burial was fine when the island was a couple hundred strong, the frequent sight of bodies washing ashore was becoming a problem. Some still send ashes in weighted urns to sea.

When it comes to traditional architecture it is best shown in Springwood rather than Bellmuse, consisting of stout and square wooden plated constructions with plaster or stone within them. In modern day Bellmuse city buildings are rather tall and tightly packed, in an attempt to prevent damage to Finnek. There are numerous tall apartment buildings and it is an abnormality for any building not to have an upper and lower floor, typically serving different purposes. Buildings are typically smooth, having been made of stone with earth dust and semblances before being painted. Brick houses are rare. Roofs in bellmuse are usually quite flat, however they get more and more varied as you leave the centre of the city; as these expansions were made later in the city's history. Bellmuse skyline is incredibly craggy, while paths can be made through it, it is difficult to look directly from one low roof to another outside a fifty metre radius.

Finally, when it comes to dress, Bellmuse is not particularly known for any specific designs of clothes. The only thing that Bellmuse is really known for is jewelry and weaponry shaped from fishbones and shells. Bellmuse is well known for its dust coating techniques, reinforcing the likes of swordfish skulls and shark teeth with earth dust to make dangerous tools and jewelry. The most iconic of Bellmuse’ jewelry are the Marine Crowns, crowns shaped from various bone and matter of the local sea life before being hardened, gems are often embedded in these as they might in a shark tooth on a necklace. A marrying couple will typically wear them, though they are worn also in serious formal occasions. The dead may be seen wearing them in open caskets. The originator of this craft was a man named Kompress, little is known about him just as we know little about Heather Springwood, but he was notable enough to have the entirety of Bellmuse' shoreline named after him.