Vila do Mato Setting Lore

Vila do Mato - Jungle village

Hidden behind the same waterfall, Vila do Mato is a jungle village located near Castelobruxo and functions as a connected but independent hub for trade, services, and student leisure. It is primarily accessed through enchanted cable cars that depart from the school on a regular schedule—once per hour on weekdays and more frequently on weekends. The journey takes about twenty minutes and follows routes above the rainforest canopy, linking the school directly to the village without any ground-level access. Integrated into the rainforest, students sometimes report the route changing, depending on day and the forest spirits mood. Some unfortunate souls have claimed that they were stuck for longer than an hour, though the credibility of said sources is debatable.

"We swear! We saw a shadow moving between the trees. A caipora hid behind the trees, and all of a sudden we were in a waterfall. God... I thought we were never getting out of there."
- Anonymous Castelobruxo student, 5th year.

The village itself is built across raised platforms and walkway systems integrated into the tree structures. Instead of shaping the earth to allow for architecture, Vila do Mato had been shaped around the earth instead. You'll see buildings taking advantage of the trees, vines and organic stone it is built upon as a part of the architectural design. A narrow but fast-moving river runs directly through Vila do Mato, dividing the settlement into several sections connected by rope bridges and crossings. While primarily used for water access and transport of smaller goods, certain stretches of the river have been adapted for supervised student activities, including controlled river travel using canoes or rafts.

While it is closely tied to the school, Vila do Mato operates as a mixed-use settlement where commerce, practical services, and social spaces exist side by side. It is a key point of exchange between Castelobruxo and the outside world, particularly for materials, ingredients, and handcrafted goods that are not produced within the school grounds. Trade routes do not follow fixed paths, and are only navigable under specific conditions known to village guides. It is estimated that around 120 people of magical origin live in this village, working together closely knit with the school to ensure functional services, secrecy and safety in an otherwise exposed environment.

"Everyone there is so nice, it borders on weird. People just treat you like you’re their cousin or friend if you’ve never met before. It’s cool, I guess? If you’re into a lot of strangers patting you on the back and shouting."
- Thales Amaro, 1st year.

Nearby, the Posto de Travessia (Crossing Station) manages the cable car system, including maintenance of the enchanted transport lines and coordination of incoming and outgoing cargo. Unlike the airy platforms seen from above, this building is heavily reinforced, built into a series of layered terraces that descend into the canopy. It houses the maintenance for the enchanted cable lines, repair workshops for gondolas, and staging bays where cargo is sorted before departure. Students often underestimate its scale; what appears from the air as a simple stop is, in reality, a logistical hub capable of moving entire crates of magical goods, school supplies, harvests, and even animals and lifestock. This system is essential for the well-being and economy of the school and magical population that lives in the rainforest.

Although visitors would have to pass the waterfall to access the school on ground level, some airborne travelers are not restricted by the same rules. Owl delivery, in particular, is not affected by the environmental rearrangements caused by the caipora. Since owls track magical recipients rather than fixed locations, they do not require knowledge of the exact route to Castelobruxo, so long as the intended recipient is within the grounds. In case of larger deliveries beyond owls capabilities, the mail is delivered in bulk through the cable car transportation system, then dropped off at a service point in Vila do Mato for collection.

Fixed service points are placed in the surrounding rainforest for regular cargo to make sure that the system continues to run smoothly. However, the cable cars never take the same route twice, reducing the risk of tracking that could lead unauthorized visitors to the school’s location. The occasional and sometimes inconvenient route shifts experienced by students traveling between the school and the village are a direct result of these external conditions, which remain in constant motion beyond the protected boundaries of the grounds.

In case there's an emergency, there's a medical facility by the edge of the forest, the Clínica de Remédios da Mata (Forest Remedies Clinic), which provides treatment for injuries, environmental exposure, and magical side effects related to rainforest flora and fauna. It is used by both village residents and Castelobruxo staff or students when fieldwork requires medical attention outside the school.

For education and skill exchange outside the school, there's Centro de Aprendizagem Prática (Practical Learning Center), a workshop complex where apprenticeships are offered in medical herbology, potion ingredient cultivation, harvesting, and creature handling. It is here that many older students from Castelobruxo come during off-season periods to practice specialized techniques. The center is strict; unlike the rest of the village and surrounding areas, its pathways do not shift unpredictably, and the architecture resists the rainforests's tendency toward organic rearrangement, often when you least need it. As part of the village’s wider infrastructure, the center is also involved in the intake and rehabilitation of injured, displaced, or threatened magical creatures from the surrounding rainforest.

Through coordination with the Posto de Travessia, certain cargo transports are used to receive creatures in need of care. They are either sent from distant regions or transferred from areas where conditions have become unstable. Many of the creatures received are victims of illegal hunting networks, where endangered or rare species are specifically targeted for their high black-market value. Vila do Mato and Castelobruxo are actively involved in trying to protect these creatures. In other cases, recovery teams are dispatched directly into the rainforest to locate and retrieve affected creatures. These expeditions are not always planned, and are sometimes said to be guided by the forest spirits. There are accounts of a caipora or other spirits leading teams off-path, only for them to emerge later with creatures no one had known were there.

Participation in this work is limited and closely supervised. Students must demonstrate both technical proficiency and composure before being considered to join rehabilitation, as not all creatures brought in are stable, and not all wish to be helped. The rehabilitation areas themselves remain partially hidden from the main village, integrated into the forest in a way that allows for recovery with minimal human interference.

Additionally, the village caters for other basic infrastructure for utilities. The Estação de Purificação do Rio (River Purification Station) oversees purification and water supplies. This ensures that clean, drinkable water is accessible throughout, at all times, not only to the villagers but also to the school and the business community in the village.

Apart from the functionalities, Vila do Mato has also been noted to be among the places that offer recreation for students and visitors. There are a number of small restaurants and shopping centers available there, which include coffee shops, street kiosks that sells both trinkets and snacks, as well as general merchandise outlets. For visitors outside of official school events or purposes, the local Pousada do Passo do Rio (Inn of the River Crossing) offers bar service, small catering, and rooms for rent.

RP HOOKS

- You're boarding the cable car and expect a standard route, only to be taken through a long detour.
- A jaguar sighting has closed the main walkway through the village, forcing you to find an alternative way back.
- Someone drops an important item in the fast-moving river, and you're asked to help retrieve it.

Mata Maluca (Crazy Jungle) Prank shop
A pranks and jokes shop that, despite countless of complaints from the school about incidents in the hallways, is still standing. The wares are known to be technically safe but questionable. According to the owner, a former Castelobruxo student who argues his items are "educational", every time there's a another complaint, the students flock to his store. To combat the pranks, the school established a new rule that anyone who was caught with inkbombs in their possession would risk immediate detention.

Selling:
- Whisper Coins: Repeat anything they hear, always loud, always with attitude.
- Mood Mirrors: Reflect your emotional state a little too honestly.
- Self-Tying Rope: Organizes everything it touches whether you asked or not.
- “Harmless” Ink Bombs: Vanish on impact, but leaves behind chaos that may or may not wash out.
- Confession Ink: Reveals mildly embarrassing truths when under pressure.

RP HOOKS

- You overhear a Whisper Coin repeating a private conversation from earlier in the hallway, except it slightly exaggerates everything and makes it sound much worse than it was.
- You test the confession ink on a piece of paper, but before you're finished writing, the ink reveals something embarrassing you didn't mean to include.
- There's an inkbomb accident, and you're caught in the cross-fire. Not only are you ink-stained, but Rai insists that you'll have to help clean the mess.

Brigadeiro Confectionery
A small, constantly warm confectionery tucked between two walkways in Vila do Mato, known for its dense, handmade Brazilian truffles. Despite its size, it is one of the most visited stops in the village, especially by Castelobruxo students after long field sessions or exam weeks. The brigadeiros are made fresh throughout the day, with flavours changing depending on what ingredients the jungle offers and what the owner feels like experimenting with. The shop is run by a former apothecary assistant who eventually swapped potion work for sweets after deciding that “people are easier to fix when they’re not exploding.” Now, she hopes to fix heartbroken customers with chocolate truffles. If you've ever cried in her shop, she'll remember you forever.

Flavours avaliable: Classic Chocolate, Forest Honey, Passionfruit Cocoa, Firewhiskey, Flavour of the day.

RP HOOKS

- Dona decided that you look sad and insists on giving you relationship advice.
- You're offered to try a new sample, only to realize you're being more honest than usual while she asks you personal questions.
- Enjoy a truffle. What more do you need?

The Canopy Cup Coffee shop
Located just an arms' length from the cablecar arrival terminal, The Canopy Cup offers freshly brewed coffee made by locally farmed beans. The owner, an older man who takes bean quality very seriously, doesn’t talk much unless spoken to directly, but remembers regular customers’ orders down to small details they often forget themselves. Inside, the seating is simple with wooden stools, hanging planters, and wide windows. Most students don’t stay long; it’s more of a stop between arrivals and village errands than a place to linger, though some end up staying longer than intended when the rain starts.

There's no written menu, only the staples that travel by mouth, the dark roast being the most requested beverage. Most of the orders end up custom-made on the spot. If asked, he’ll just shrug and say, “It’s just coffee.”

RP HOOKS

- You are handed a drink you never ordered. When you ask the barista, he says it's "already paid for", and points out another person in the coffee shop.
- You confidently order "the usual" and the barista pretends to not know what you're talking about.

Pousada do Passo do Rio (Inn of the River Crossing) Food & Lodging
Run by Maristela Lima and her husband that conventiently is nowhere to be seen during the day, a warm but endlessly talkative woman known for treating every guest like a long-lost relative, whether they asked for it or not. The inn offers simple rooms above a small bar and dining area overlooking the river, with lantern-lit walkways and the constant sound of water below. Maristela is famously unable to let conversations end. If you stay long enough, you will eventually hear the full story of all three of her previously failed marriages, usually while she refills your drink without asking.

Offer Pratos (Food)
Ensopado de peixe do rio – slow-cooked river fish stew with herbs
Arroz de castanha e ervas – rice with roasted nuts and seasonal greens
Frango da mata assada – roasted chicken with smoky spice glaze
Tigela de mandioca temperada – seasoned cassava served warm with garlic oil
Caldo de feijão escuro – thick black bean broth
Pão de forno de lenha – wood-fired bread, served with butter
Espetinhos do dia – meal of the day
Frutas da estação com mel silvestre – seasonal fruits with wild honey

Bebidas (Drinks)
Café do rio escuro – strong dark roast coffee
Chá de folhas da mata – herbal tea
Suco de maracujá selvagem – wild passionfruit juice, very tart and refreshing
Água de mel e limão – honey-lime water
Cachaça da casa – house-distilled spirit infused with forest fruits and herbs
Vinho de frutas da floresta – fermented fruit wine
Remédio da Maristela – not officially a drink, but a very strong herbal mix she insists fixes everything eventually

RP HOOKS

- You decided to have lunch at the Inn when a heavy rainfall starts. While waiting for the downpour to stop, Maristela takes this as an invitation to sit with you, and the conversation slowly shifts from small talk to an unexpectedly detailed account of her personal life, whether you’re ready for it or not.
- A lone guest is always present in the corner seat, staring over at your table. No one ever sits with them and no one ever reacts to them. Except you.

Raiz & Resina (Root & Resin) Apothecary
Raiz & Resina is the area’s only apothecary, built into the hollow of an old tree. As you step down a small staircase and enter the tree, you're met with humid air that smells of rainforest and soil. The space is small, with various jars stacked tightly on shelves carved straight out from the tree, but stock is extensive and clearly labeled. It serves as one of the primary suppliers of potion ingredients and herbological materials for both Vila do Mato and Castelobruxo. Common ingredients required for standard curriculum potions are kept in consistent supply and restocked frequently, while more specialized or rare materials are available upon request, depending on sourcing conditions. Some items are, officially, not in stock. In practice, this depends on who is asking.

The shop is run by a reserved witch with formal training, though no one can tell exactly what her professional background is, identifiable more by precision and efficient transactions than personality. Questions are answered directly, but never expanded upon. Students are expected to know what they are asking for beforehand, and incorrect terminology is more likely to be met with silence than correction.

Among older students, a rumor that the shop maintains a backroom of restricted and, in some instances, illegal ingredients is treated as common knowledge, never advertised and only accessible if you know what you're looking for.

RP HOOKS

- A misunderstanding starts when you're told an item is “not in stock,” but another customer is immediately sold the same thing right in front of you.
- You’ve heard the rumors about the hidden stockroom. Instead of asking about it, you try ordering something that shouldn’t exist on the public shelves to see the shopowner's response.

Veio Vivo (Living Vein) Wandshop
First established 1890 CE, Veio Vivo is a relatively new supplier of wands compared to its counterparts. Prior, students were expected to get their wands from their local wandshop before attending Castelobruxo. The shop has been passed down only two generations since its creation, currently ran by Mr Monteiro. He is commonly found wearing a broad, friendly grin while making pointed remarks about his clients’ wand choices, life decisions, and general competence. Despite his habit of gentle mockery, he is well liked and respected.

The wandshop has a broad selection wand woods, with chestnut being one of the most favored among the student body and villagers due to the abundance of magical flora and fauna surrounding the rainforest and the high interest in these subjects; this wood is known to bond especially well with creatures compared to many others woods.

Those working in rainforest operations may instead find themselves in possession of hawthorn or blackthorn wands, the former valued for its healing properties and the latter for its reputation for bonding strongly with its owner in potentially dangerous situations.

Hazel wands are also highly valued in Castelobruxo for their rare ability to detect underground water sources, making them particularly useful in rainforest navigation and fieldwork.

The wandmaker favors cores that remain stable in humid, shape-shifting environments, with unicorn hair, kelpie hair, and horned serpent horn being the most common. Curupira hair is also used in some wands due to local sourcing, though it is considered more volatile and unpredictable. Their distribution is limited and typically recorded due to their tendency toward heightened responsiveness in uncontrolled environments. A small number of users are known to possess such wands, among them Rai.

Outside of business hours, students have noted that the wandmaker and the apothecary of Raiz & Resina are often seen together, though any interpretation of this is speculative and unverified. If asked, they'd deny it.

RP HOOKS

- Looking for a new wand handle? Do you want to be lightly roasted or discuss your wands behavior recently? Come on in!

Nuvem de Pelos Café (Cloud of Fur Café) Chinchilla Café
A small café recognized by its soft pastel-colored exterior and decorative, swirly letters painted across the glass with a chinchilla wiggling its whiskers at you. The interior is decorated in the same color-palette for a calm ambience. Seating consists of plush cushions placed directly on the floor to allow for safe handling of the chinchillas. A sandbox bath is placed in a corner in the back, where the chinchillas can roll for a brief, meticulous grooming session.

If you've ever wanted to enjoy a biscuit with a chinchilla on your lap, this is the place to go. The waitress—and the face of the café—is the owner’s younger daughter, a soft-spoken girl who keeps her voice low for the comfort of the animals. Chinchillas are not native to the region, but the ones here are domesticated and live in the building full-time alongside the family, who reside a flight upstairs.

Offers Doces (Sweets)
Bolo de mandioca fofo – fluffy cassava cake
Pão doce de mel silvestre – warm wild honey sweet bread rolls
Mousse de maracujá leve – airy passionfruit mousse cups
Biscoito de castanha crocante – toasted nut biscuits
Doce de banana – caramelised banana dessert

Salgados Leves (Light Savoury)
Pão de queijo macio – soft cheese bread balls, served warm
Tapioca recheada simples – cassava crepe with fillings (cheese or honey)
Cuscuz doce suave – sweetened corn couscous
Torrada de manteiga e mel – toasted bread with honey butter

Bebidas (Drinks)
Café com leite suave – coffee with milk
Leite morno de baunilha – warm vanilla milk
Suco de maracujá – passionfruit juice
Suco de goiaba fresca – fresh guava juice
Água de mel e limão – honey-lime water, served warm or cold

RP HOOKS

- You’re handed your order with a quiet apology: a chinchilla has already sampled part of it. Would your rather have something else?
- You sit down to enjoy your order, only for a chinchilla to climb into your lap and refuse to leave, no matter how long you wait.
- Something is off with one of the resident chinchillas close to your table. The waitress hurriedly asks you to keep an eye on the café while she takes a chinchilla to the clinic for an emergency check-up.

Wildlife

While reinforced magical wards deter potentially dangerous animals from roaming the village, visitors may still encounter a wide range of flora and fauna, both mundane and magical, as they explore the area. Students are advised to not engage with wild animals or unknown magical plants unprovoked, though they may not always be afforded the same discretion in return. Some of them might get too close for comfort.

Capuchin Monkey Type: Mundane | Temperament: curious, opportunistic | Risk Level: Low Capuchin monkeys are highly intelligent and opportunistic, and frequent visitors along the main walkways. They show little to no fear of students and have learned to associate them with food. Unattended bags, especially those containing sweets and snacks, are often targeted. Attempts to shoo them away are rarely effective, but despite their relentless nature, they're generally seen as harmless. RP HOOKS - You leave your bag unattended for a second and return to a group of capuchin monkeys rummaging through your belongings.
Sloth Type: Mundane | Temperament: Passive, indifferent | Risk Level: None Sloths are common in upper canopy layers, where they're seen but not interfered with. They exhibit no meaningful reaction to humans unless physically disturbed. A sloth could be considered an informal indication that the canopy in that area is stable. RP HOOKS - A sloth is hanging directly above the walkway, minding its own business. So should you.
Toucan Type: Mundane | Temperament: Wary, observant | Risk Level: Low Toucans are frequently seen near fruit-rich zones. Toucans maintain distance to humans but are not easily startled by their presence, making them commonly seen moving around the village. Compared to capuchin monkeys, these birds would not get close enough to steal fruit from your hand. RP HOOKS - A toucan at a respectful distance watches you enjoy a fruit. You decide to leave it a snack.
Tree Frog Type: Mundane | Temperament: Variable | Risk Level: Low–Moderate These tiny tree frogs usually appear around water systems, or in shaded cracks in the nearby tree structures. Even though they are mostly harmless, some of them can cause irritation or have hallucinogenic effects on touching. Students are advised to not handle them with direct skin on skin contact. You'll recognize them by their vibrant coloring. RP HOOKS - You accidentally touch a frog and the world around you stops making sense until the effects wear off.
Jaguar Type: Mundane | Temperament: Solitary, avoidant | Risk Level: High (in external zones) Jaguars are hardly seen inside warded areas. Jaguars avoid human contact and never venture into areas where people live except when the environment is disturbed. Any confirmed sighting in Vila do Mato will lead to immediate containment measures being put in place. RP HOOKS - You’re mid-rid in a cable car when a jaguar briefly appears along the route through the forest, matching the cable car’s movement for a few seconds before disappearing into the trees.
Bowtruckle Type: Beast | Temperament: Territorial, cautious | Risk Level: Low–Moderate Bowtruckles are typically found on older, wand-quality trees integrated into village architecture. You might find them climbing on tree structures close to their host tree. Bowtruckles are non-aggressive unless their host tree is damaged or threatened in any way. RP HOOKS - You try to move a branch aside and a bowtruckle immediately appears looking offended.
Diricawl Type: Beast | Temperament: Elusive, non-confrontational | Risk Level: None Occasionally, Diricawls are mistaken for ordinary birds due to their tendency to vanish before you're able to get a proper look. They avoid all interaction and are considered non-interactive species, and due to this they're generally considered rare to see in the wild. RP HOOKS - You think you see a bird nearby, but the moment you try to focus on it properly, it’s suddenly gone, and no one else seems to remember seeing it.

Lore by Camille De Varenne