Ceruville

Map of Ceruville Village

Ceruville is a small village located on the extreme eastern side of Swirling Mist Isle. It is home to the Seer MerPonies and Magicians who control the weather in the Misty Woods, where many rare herbs and other medicinal plants are grown. MerPonies living there tend to be amongst the most conservative in the whole of the SMIsles, preferring to hold to the old traditions, resisting new technology and practices. A magic school is located here, for training up new initiates.

The village itself is surrounded in cool mists all year round. As a result, it is a damp place to live and so suits MerPonies who enjoy the damp air and proximity to the sea. However the damp tends to rot all fabrics so that each small dwelling has a central stone 'heat room' where clothes and other perishables are stored in warmer and drier conditions. The dwellings are round, the central stone area having a chimney vent to let out steam and evaporation, the other rooms are arranged around this and act as living areas or bedrooms. Due to the damp conditions most MerPonies living in Ceruville only pay visits to the seaside now and again, having become land-dwellers for the most part. Several small pools exist in the village where ponies can go for a dip if they feel so inclined.

The House of Mists Inn is the sole place for travellers to stay in Ceruville which, although once quiet due to the out of the way location, is now kept busy with visitors since the temporary dock at Ceruville beach was built. The Inn keeper is a pretty pale grey MerPony with socks nicknamed Princess, who greets all her guests with a charming smile but is still a traditionalist at heart and at times finds it hard to pretend to be pleased at some of the guests passing through. Not all the locals are thrilled at having so many strangers coming and going. There are complaints that the town's quiet meditative atmosphere has been destroyed and that too many odd ponies with strange habits and companions are passing through.

There has been talk of making the temporary dock at Ceruville permanent but the locals are opposing this, and here and there you will find signs of the opposition. On some trees the bark has been cut to proclaim 'NO DOCKS HERE!' or painted on stone walls, 'KEEP CERUVILLE UNSPOILT'.

Princess, Inn Keeper at The House of Mists Inn