Sprucetuck is a mouse settlement located next to the south-western border of the Mouse Territories. The town itself is built inside the trunk of a tall, old spruce tree. The hollow trunk provides stories of living quarters, apothecaries, brewaries, and libraries.
Long known as being the elegent home of mouse science, the village also has laborers who harvest sap, tend fire, and haul wood, water, and supplies. The concoction used to deter predators from the Scent Border was invented by Sprucetuck's scientists.[1]
Overview[]
Citizens and society[]
Sprucetuck is managed by a governor with a lifelong term. The governor names his successor upon stepping down from the office. Monetarily, Sprucetuck uses a coin shared by Elmoss, Copperwood and Walnutpeck - obviously prior to the latter's fall. Sprucetuck's citizens are leery of coin from too far away, as few of them travel and they have little use for "foreign" coins. Sprucetuck imports almost all grain and food and, in turn, exports medicines, elixirs, and poisons.
Unique features[]
Two Bottles of Spruce Brew Elixir
- Science and medicine - Mice of Sprucetuck pursue the sciences of medicine, harvest, pest control, and metallurgy. The sap from the spruce is the key ingredient in Sprucetuck's own "Spruce Brew Elixir" - a special type of medicine made only by the science mice of Sprucetuck.[2]
- Hot stones - During the cold seasons, Sprucetuck has a single fire burning in its underground level. Stones are placed in the flame and then carried up to the mouse dens to radiate heat. This ensures that there is minimal open flame in Sprucetuck.
- Lifts - The central hollow shaft of Sprucetuck is a bustling network of counterweight driven lifts. Floors, ropes, and weights are all given numbers to help the operators use the correct combination for mice to get to their proper destinations.
- Glaziers - Glass is one of the marvels of Sprucetuck's science, and since its invention they have perfected the recipe for larger and more durable sheets. In addition to the glass itself, the village is also known for its mathematically based geometric window designs.