Welcome To Pippinvale

Long ago, Pippinvale was just a sleepy, mist covered hollow. That changed the day a wandering traveler dropped a single golden apple seed into the soil. From that tiny seed grew the Great Pippin Tree. Its deep roots unlocked a hidden network of warm, glowing underground springs, giving the first settlers a natural source of gentle heat and light.

Over time, however, the ancient energy beneath the tree began to quiet down. The village lights started to flicker, and the ovens grew a little cooler. Rather than giving up, the locals of Pippinvale came together. Today, every villager contributes in their own special way to keep the community running. Some tend to the orchards, some run the local tea shop, and others bake sweet treats to keep spirits high.

While many of the townsfolk are still busy inside their workshops and cottages, two best friends are already out in the meadow, caring for their home in very different ways.

Bao: The Traditional Gardener

At dawn, when the meadows are still wet with dew, Bao begins her work. She is easy to spot in her forest green romper and burnt orange bunny hood, complete with a chamomile flower tucked by her ear. Shy and soft spoken, Bao is a traditional gardener who prefers the simple, old fashioned ways of village life. She rarely leaves her cottage without her favorite stoneware mug of tea held tightly in both hands.

Bao spends her days tending to the fields and harvesting fresh chamomile flowers to sell to the local tea shop. Though she is a gardener at heart, she has one big struggle: mud. She hates getting her brown shoes dirty and always tiptoes carefully through the soil. Because the town power is still being repaired, Bao uses a gentle temporary solution at home. Every evening, she collects glowing fireflies in glass jars to light up her rooms while she eats warm apple pie with cream. Right before bed, she opens her windows and releases every single firefly back into the night. Around town she is very quiet, but with her best friend Anka, she shares all her thoughts.

Anka: The Chief Engineer

Right in the bustling center of town is Anka. Wearing her favorite crimson red hood with two cheeky pigtails poking out the top, Anka is pure, extraverted energy. She is funny, passionate, and always ready to jump into action in her blue overalls.

As Pippinvale’s Chief Engineer, Anka is on a big mission: to restore the village energy using her handheld power plants. She loves playing with these compact little machines, constantly exploring new ways to expand them so the whole town can shine brightly again, and so Bao will not have to rely on firefly jars forever.

Because Anka pours so much intensity into fixing the town power grid, her own battery drains fast. To get through the day, she needs at least two naps. The other villagers are used to seeing their reliable engineer curled up fast asleep in the grass, with a few butter biscuits tucked safely inside her heart stitched pocket. Whenever Anka gets a little too intense with her inventions, Bao is always there with a warm cup of chamomile tea to help her rest and recharge.

A Growing Community

Between Bao tending to the earth's quiet traditions and Anka inventing the town bright future, Pippinvale is slowly getting its glow back. And their story is just the beginning. As the lights return to the valley, more charming neighbors from Pippinvale will be introduced in the future, each bringing their own little craft and personality to the town square.