POMPON

Breaking through the treeline, one is greeted by the breathtaking sight and honeyed scent of a meadow so thick with blossoms that the village of Pompon looks as though it were sinking beneath a sea of flowers. Butterflies dance around each other, fluttering from flower to flower—occasionally settling on a velvety bloom to gently sip nectar. A river cuts through Pompon, its waters a gentle murmur and rush. By the riverside, a large wooden water wheel churns, setting the mechanisms of the nearby tea mill into motion. Walking further into town, past the honey and flower farms, one enters the village center. Here, Postknights weave through children playing with Honey Cubs, while a Honey Beast helps an elderly resident unload their merchant cart.

The streets of Pompon are a constant bustle of young, newly graduated C-Rank Postknights, as this is where they receive their very first assignments. Ever since Magnolia stepped up as Chieftess in 1836 AA, Pompon's economy has grown steadily. New business opportunities—such as tea mills and honey farms—have brought the village a reliable stream of income. The high-quality honey produced by Pompon’s beekeepers has made it possible to barter with the Honey Bears, who lend their strength to aid the village’s elderly in exchange for food and shelter. 

During the dawn of Human expansion across the Spine, a group of settlers chanced upon a meadow far from civilisation. They came across it in the midsummer months, when the fields are blanketed by Pompon flower bushes. Each dense flower head is a tight cluster of little four-petaled blossoms, with its shape resembling a large pom-pom. It was in this very meadow that the settlers built their homes, naming their village after the vibrant flowers that grew so abundantly there.

For years, Pompon lay hidden from the world, untouched by the Great War. Yet, this peace proved short-lived. In retaliation for the Humans driving them from their homes, the Aegles seized a number of border towns and villages, including Serpina Port and Pompon itself. Despite their efforts, the Humans failed to reclaim Pompon for several centuries. It was not until the Prism Concordance was signed in 1289 AA that Pompon finally regained its freedom. A specific clause within the treaty mandated the return of all occupied settlements to their native nations, thereby restoring the village to the Kingdom of Kurestal.

In 1836 AA, when the Draconian Order provoked the dragon Kuregon by trying to summon it, the aggravated beast turned its wrath upon Pompon. It flew overhead, cutting a blazing trail of fire through the quaint settlement. The dragon only ceased its assault when the Postknights came rushing in, driving the beast away. In the dragon’s wake, Pompon was reduced to rubble, forcing the villagers to relocate a short distance away. 

When Magnolia was appointed as Chieftess, she vowed that the past would never repeat itself. To that end, she ensured that homes were fireproofed and established an emergency storage warehouse stocked with seeds, food, and building supplies—ready for any future need.

Within the Caspid region, Pompon sits in a meadow where flowers bloom abundantly—a quaint little farming village set against a backdrop of wondrous colours. Pompon shares this verdant region with neighbouring settlements, including Serpina Port, Maille, Shello Bay, and Eventide Cove. 

In spring, flowers bloom so vibrantly that they form a striking pop of colour against the surrounding muted yellow-green landscape. During summer, the forests turn emerald green, alive with the incessant buzzing of cicadas—loud enough to keep one awake. As the breeze turns chilly and the forest shifts into the bright yellow-orange hues of autumn, the people of Pompon bundle up in thick sweaters. Winter brings cold spells that blanket the village in thigh-high snow. 

Within the hills and forests between Maille and Pompon lies Caspid Falls—where the sounds of the serene forest, that of twittering birds and rustling leaves, are drowned out by the roar of the waterfall. There, on a rocky ledge beside the cascade—about seven meters above the lake—Postknights gather, the stone beneath their feet slick with spray. They shake off their nerves, and together, they jump, plunging into the clear waters below. Every year, when Postknight Trainees graduate and are given their C-Rank uniforms, they head to the Falls, daring each other to jump as part of a traditional—but unofficial—initiation ceremony.

Honey

Hovering above rows of brightly coloured Pompon flower bushes, Orkids—small, honey-bee-like creatures—thrum excitedly, their mouths sporting a dusting of pollen. Once they’re full, Orkids sleep in their hives or among the fields, digesting the pollen in their stomachs and turning it into honey. After a few days, once the honey is ready, the Orkids flit to a massive warehouse in the middle of the field, where they regurgitate the processed honey into the honey boxes that line the shelves. Honey Bears and Honey Beasts work in tandem, nursing baby Orkids and pulling the honey boxes off the shelves to take to the factory, where the honey is then processed and poured into labelled jars.

Driven from their homes by an invasive wasp species, the Orkids found sanctuary in the flower fields surrounding Pompon, where their favourite Pompon flowers bloom abundantly from mid-summer to late autumn. Having a long history of beekeeping, the people of Pompon took the Orkids in, raising them and nurturing them ever since. Orkid honey is highly prized for its antioxidant and antiseptic benefits. Scholars have found that while occasional consumption offers mild resistance, long-term intake significantly improves longevity and drastically reduces the risk of contracting diseases and viruses. For this reason, the people of Pompon live longer, healthier lives, as they eat honey every day.

When a crafty, enterprising merchant from Caldemount offered to boost Pompon's economy by ramping up honey production, the villagers were wary, suspecting him of peddling false hope and hiding ulterior motives. However, they eventually agreed to the deal after the merchant promised to bring in young workers—a much-needed source of energy for their sleepy little village. Their initial suspicions were proven true when, months after operations began, they discovered that the merchant had been diluting the honey with sugar syrup. What began as mistrust soon turned into outright resentment, but by then, all the villagers could do was protest.

Flower Farms

Pompon’s lush flower fields lie at the heart of its thriving honey production, a craft the village has long specialised in. Throughout the spring, summer, and autumn seasons, these fields bloom in a rainbow of colours for the Orkids to feast upon. Over the centuries, Pompon’s farmers have developed specific cultivation techniques to extend pollination periods and produce flowers that are fresher, more vivid, and more fragrant. When the flowers have matured and are no longer fertile, farmers harvest them for trade with passing merchants and visitors.

Herbal Floral Tea

Using local flowers and herbs, Pompon tea masters craft artisanal tea blends unique to the village, each tailored to a different palate—while one person may prefer a bright, citrusy brew, another might be drawn to a deeper, more bitter infusion made with dried herbs. The Pompon Blend remains the village’s most distinctive offering: an aromatic infusion carrying floral, citrus, honey, and mint notes. 

Pompon Garden

Visitors and villagers stroll around Pompon Garden, admiring the rich variety of local flora. Beside each plant,  a small, neatly carved placard shares common uses and fun facts, while knowledgeable villagers happily offer deeper insight into the Caspid region’s plant life. During the Blossom Festival, the entire Garden transforms into a vibrant event space.

Honey Bear Hamlet

On Pompon’s outskirts, a trail winds past the flower fields, leading to a grassy expanse near the treeline where one comes face to face with the village’s Honey Bear Hamlet. The settlement was originally built by the villagers as a welcoming home for the Honey Bears, but the Bears weren’t too taken with the villagers’ design, so they took matters into their own hands—or is that into their own paws—and carried out a few renovations of their own.

This vibrant place is home to friendly Honey Cubs, Honey Bears, and Honey Beasts. Here, the affable ursine creatures have carved out their own community, complete with burrows and parks where the Cubs can tumble and play during the day, and where the Bears and Beasts can gather for feasts at night.

Since 1836 AA, Chieftess Magnolia has worked steadily to forge a mutual agreement with the Honey Beasts—who are more intelligent and mature than the Honey Bears and Honey Cubs—in exchange for food and shelter. Even though the Honey Beasts have proven invaluable in helping around the village and protecting the Orkids, some of the villagers remain wary of their presence, often giving the Beasts a wide berth. To these more cautious folk, the Beasts’ size and strength make them dangerous, despite their amiable disposition.

Blossom Festival

A gentle breeze sweeps through the air, carrying a heady floral scent and pulling petals into a dance, as if they were marionettes on invisible strings. Come spring, romance blooms in Pompon Garden like the flowers themselves, casting bold splashes of colour against the soft, muted yellow-green of the trees. Beneath the sheltered awning of a garden gazebo, a couple exchanges bouquets—a quiet promise of forever. The Blossom Festival is an annual celebration of growth and beauty throughout Kurestal, yet no place welcomes the season with the same passion as Pompon.

After Kuregon's attack, the Blossom Festival took on a deeper meaning for the people of Pompon. It is now more than a celebration—it has become a tribute to rebirth and renewal, and to the villagers' shared resilience and courage in overcoming adversity.

One of the Blossom Festival’s most beloved traditions is for participants to plant flowers in a dedicated area of Pompon Garden—an act that serves as a powerful metaphor for growth. It reminds participants that they too must nurture themselves with time and patience to truly flourish.