The Enchanted Springs of Portugal
In the enchanted springs of Portugal, cobblestone towns sit among terracotta roofs, almond trees that blossom white as snow, and hills crowned with stars. Water is the magic here: every spring, fountain, and old stone well has its own quiet wonder. Enchanted maidens called the Mouras keep the springs sweet, a bright rooster crows only the truth, and a playful little goblin called the Trasgo tidies and teases when no one is looking. Here a hero wins not by being the strongest, but by being kind, asking the water gently, and never giving up on a friend. Even a big, fearsome-looking giant of the hills usually turns out to be lonelier than it is frightening.
Stories in this world
The Galo's Silent Dawn
Adult-ledIt is very early in Barcelos, and something is wrong. The sky is grey. The market should be waking up, but everyone is upset. The bright rooster, the Galo de...
The Moura's Lost Comb
This morning the village square is full of worried voices. The Old Fountain has gone quiet. Its water sits still and grey, and nobody can fill their jugs.
Queen Isabel's Roses
In the old city of Coimbra lived good Queen Isabel, who loved to carry bread to people who were hungry. She did it quietly, because she did not want any...
Example heroes
Inês
6 to 8
Magics
Carries
Tomás
6 to 8
Magics
Carries
Beatriz
9 to 12
Magics
Carries
Diogo
9 to 12
Magics
Carries
Who's who and what's what
Magics
- Bloom
- Make flowers and good things grow, and turn a hard, prickly moment soft and kind.
- Truth
- Show what is true and right, the way the bright rooster of Barcelos crows out the honest answer.
- Starlight
- Call a small, kind light down to your hand to guide you when the way is dark.
- Riversong
- Speak with springs, stones and running water, and listen quietly to what they tell you.
- Birdsong
- Calls the birds and understands their songs, so a shy creature can be coaxed gently into the open and a lost path can be sung back home.
Characters
- Moura Encantada
- A serene enchanted maiden who lives by a clear spring in the hills. With her golden comb she keeps the water sweet and singing, and she rewards a kind heart with cool, clear water and a gentle blessing. She is shy, never wicked.
- Queen Isabel
- The kind queen of old, remembered all over the land. She carried bread to the poor in secret, and when she was stopped and her cloak was opened, the bread had turned to roses. Her name is a byword for quiet kindness.
- The Pilgrim
- A kind, footsore traveller passing through Barcelos on the long road to Santiago. When the silver cup goes missing he is wrongly blamed, simply because he is a stranger. He is gentle and honest, and waits patiently for the truth to come out.
- The Watchman
- The stern town watchman at the castle gate, who stops anyone carrying a covered basket. He is only doing his job and frowns at first, but underneath he has a soft and fair heart, and is easily won over by a kind, honest word.
Creatures
- Galo de Barcelos
- The bright rooster of Barcelos, with a bold red comb and a tail of painted colours. He crows only the truth, and once crowed to clear an innocent traveller who was wrongly blamed. Proud, cheerful, and always honest.
- Trasgo
- A small, cheeky household goblin in a red cap who tidies the kitchen when no one is looking and hides little shiny things for the fun of it. He is never mean, only playful, and loves a game and a riddle most of all.
- Olharapo
- A big, broad giant of the high hills with a single bright eye and a heavy, kind tread. He looks fearsome but is terribly shy and lonely, and he only ever wanted a friend to share the long evenings with.
- The Jackdaw
- A small grey-capped jackdaw who nests in the old bell tower and cannot resist anything that glints. She means no harm at all. She simply gathers shiny treasures for her nest, and is shy of the bustling square below.
Places
- The Enchanted Spring
- A clear spring up in the green hills, ringed with mossy stones and ferns, where the Moura Encantada lives. When all is well its water glows softly and seems almost to sing.
- The Old Fountain
- The mossy stone fountain in the middle of the village square, fed by the Enchanted Spring up in the hills. For as long as anyone can remember its water has run clear and sweet, and the whole town gathers there.
- Barcelos
- A cheerful cobblestone town of potters and market stalls, famous as the home of the truth-telling rooster, the Galo de Barcelos.
- Serra da Estrela
- The high Mountain of the Star, the tallest of the hills, where a kindly star once came down to befriend a lonely shepherd and gave the range its name.
- The Old Bell Tower
- The tall stone bell tower over Barcelos, its top open to the wind and the swifts. High among the bells, out of reach of the noisy square, the shy jackdaw keeps her glittering nest.
- Coimbra
- The old riverside city of stone streets and a hilltop castle, where good Queen Isabel once lived and carried bread to the poor. Its lanes wind down to the water, and in spring the air smells of oranges and roses.
Items
- The Golden Comb
- The Moura's comb, bright as morning. When she draws it through her long hair the spring wakes, the water runs clear, and the old fountain in the square sings again. Without it the spring goes quiet and grey.
- Rosca Bread
- A sweet ring-shaped loaf from the village bakery, soft and golden, often shared at the fountain. The Trasgo cannot resist its smell.
- The Silver Cup
- The bright silver festival cup of Barcelos, polished for the dawn market and the saint's day. When it goes missing the whole town frets, though it was never stolen, only carried off by a magpie-minded jackdaw who loved its shine.