Climate:

Description:

Set back a quarter mile from the shore, Bristleback Ridge is a crescent-shaped ridge set into a pine forest. The center of the ridge is bare of trees, instead filled with flowers and grasses. The ridge itself is about 100 feet tall at its highest point at the center of the crescent, while both sides of the crescent taper down toward the ground. Tall bristly pine trees, which give the ridge its name, sit along the edge of the ridge and surround the glade. At the back of the glade, set against the base of the ridge, is the partially-caved-in opening to an abandoned underground facility.

Landmarks:

• Celestial Glade - In the center of the crescent ridge is a glade of flowers, which bloom only at night: evening primrose, moonflower, devil’s snare, angel’s trumpets, nicotiana, and tuberose.
• Underground Colony - Beneath the glade, an abandoned underground facility of unknown origin, potentially an old government test site or bunker, has been claimed by a colony of cats. This colony is typically about 60 individuals but fluctuates with the seasons. Many of the cats have a high concentration of Manx breed in them, so a significant population of the colony cats are born with short or no tails. The cats are sometimes seen in the upper glade on moonlit nights, but tend to stay below ground during the daytime. It has been deemed unsafe and therefore forbidden for humans to enter the underground facility, as it has suffered from several partial cave-ins and includes many areas too tight for humans to safely fit through.
• Moonbeans Cat Cafe -A local resident built a small cat cafe on the outskirts of the glade, where she sells coffee, teas, sweets, and sandwiches. She befriends many of the colony cats, and those that enjoy the company of people and an indoor lifestyle she brings into the cat cafe to potentially be adopted by visitors. She works with a veterinarian in a nearby town to TNR (trap, neuter, return) the colony cats who prefer the feral lifestyle as well.

Lore:

Locals whisper that the lady who runs the cat cafe is a witch, that she uses her powers to communicate with and befriend the colony cats, and that she infuses the sweets and teas with magic. While most don’t see her as a threat, there is an air of mystery surrounding her, and many advise to be kind to her and her cats or warn that being unkind to the colony cats may bring you sickness or bad luck.
Due to the fact that the colony cats are most often only seen above ground at night, several rumors have sprung up to try to explain this unusual behavior. Some even say that not all the cats in the colony are of this earth, and others have sworn that they’ve seen cats with pelts that, when moonlight hits them, burst with colors of galaxies and night skies.

Original location inspiration by craeve
Location art by FantasyToArtt