A group of mice gather in the June Alley Inn in Barkstone during the spring of 1155.
The mouse is an intelligent species of mammal which possesses culture, language and technology. It is constantly threatened by an all manner of predators.
Groups of mice build their settlements hidden among secluded areas, such as densely covered forest or rocky outcrops. Civilian mice inhabit the various settlements of the Mouse Territories, and the Mouse Guard patrol the open country between these settlements, guarding against danger and allowing mouse society to truly thrive.[1]
History
Coming soon.
Mouse occupations
Citizen mice generally work as labourers, artisans or scribes. Some settlements' governments allow the ordinary mouse to run for higher-up positions, such as magistrates and mayors. Occupations are often passed down through generations of family, and therefore it is not uncommon for one to find an entire lineage dedicated to their family's chosen profession.
Carpenter
A mouse carpenter fashions a log using an adze.
From the smallest project to the largest, wood is a vital resource available to mice. A carpenter makes useful items out of this much-demanded substance, such as chairs, doors, cabinets, ladders, joints, pulleys and levers.[Citation needed]
Supplies of wood from harvesters or labourers are always welcome, as are tools from a smith. An adze is used to square pieces of timber for construction.[Citation needed]
The mouse town of Elmoss is a medium sized town that specialises in carpentry and woodcraft. It trades plenty of wood products such as carts and furniture to other settlements where wood is scarce.[Citation needed]
Guardmouse
- Main article: Mouse Guard (faction)
The Guardmouse is a mouse who has dedicated him or herself to a lifetime of servitude with the Mouse Guard. Members of the Guard serve as escorts, pathfinders, weather watchers, scouts and bodyguards for the mice of the Mouse Territories. When the occasion rises, Guardmice engage in open warfare against other species and, rarely, against mouse usurpers.[1]
Healer
The mouse healer is skilled in medical treatment and making medicine. Healers carry out their works from apothecaries and have good knowledge of the plants and herbs needed to treat maladies.[Citation needed]
Potter
The mouse potter makes use of clay collected from the soil to craft dishes for mealtimes and storage containers. Kilns are maintained and used to harden the clay pottery.
Stonemason
A mouse stonemason fashions stone using his hammer and other tools.
Many of the more hardy citizens of the Mouse Territories choose stone masonry as their profession. Stonemasons quarry, cut and lay stone and use it to build structures such as walls, bridges, arches and buildings. Once chiselled into shape, stone and mortar combined provide a useful material to all manner of mice. Stonemasons are always in need of good tools from smiths to make their work easier.[Citation needed]
Historically, the southern mouse settlement of Shorestone boasts a large sandstone quarry and an equally large number of hardy stonemasons to work it.[Citation needed]
References
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