Uldien Mangai Hall

MANGAI / MERCANTYLERS' HALL

The Mangai hall has been completely rebuilt after the Baron allowed an Aldermanic Council three years ago. It was finished last year and has been the pride of the townsmen since then. The building comes most to life in spring and autumn when the local mercantylers hold their fur fair on the ground floor. At this time the hunters and trappers come to Uldien to sell off their pelts.

GROUND FLOOR

(1) Most of the ground floor consists of an open-air area enclosed by 10-foot-high arches. This area serves as a covered market place in bad weather and hosts the fur fairs in spring and autumn. Many townsmen also use it as a meeting place and on warm summer evenings come here to have a drink after work. Between the columns are mounted long poles at a height of 10 feet from which large pelts can be hung to be displayed and examined thoroughly.

(2) The only well on Ubael Square, it is a main meeting point of the town gossips throughout the day. Elderly women like to spend their time here, sitting on stools and chatting the day away.

(3) During the day, especially when the market is open, the market beadle Laris of Cuwenden can be found in this office. At night it is occupied by the town's nightwatchman Herdyn of Orrin, a former man-at-arms in the Baron's service who lost a leg in an accident. His main job is to patrol the town during the dark hours watching out for fire and raising the alarm in case of smoke or invasion.

(4) The market lock-up is used to hold criminals caught red-handed on the market square until they can be transferred into the Baron's custody or dealt with by the Aldermen's court. Most of the time it stands empty, used by the beadle or nightwatchman to take a little nap.

(5) The Uldien bonding house shares some space with the Mangai Hall. An older structure, it has not aged gracefully with its roof sagging and some of its timbers almost rotten through. Most of the three-storey building stands empty anyway and thus the Baron has shied away from the expense of renovating it. Some of the ground floor space has been rented out to the local mercantylers in an attempt to raise the money necessary to rebuild the whole house.

SECOND FLOOR

(1) The council chamber is used by the Alderman and Mangai councils in their monthly sessions. It has been paneled in dark oak and is dominated by a massive council table with finely carved legs. The wood panelling is topped by a carved frieze showing animals at play and agricultural motifs. The discussions in here can become quite heated and when the councils are in session many curious townsfolk try to catch some of the speeches loitering in the open arches below.

(2) The court chamber is used by the Aldermen for trials. It has not seen much use since most of the crimes are still judged by the Baron in Uldien Common. Most of the cases heard involve disputes between tradesmen or mercantylers about trade agreements or faulty wares. The wooden partitions between the court room and the mercantylers snug can be removed to turn the whole area into a great hall for feasts or dances.

(3) The office of the town scribe Pertwyn of Gaerwen. He is a scrawny, ruffled man but very accurate and diligent in his duties. Pertwyn keeps the council records, tax lists, and contracts and acts as a general secretary for the Mangai. A bachelor by heart, he lives with a widow nearby who keeps house for him and makes sure that he gets regular meals.

(4) This locked strong-room keeps the most important town documents in secure chests. Also stored here are the valuable cutlery and silverwares that are only used for important feasts and guild ceremonies. Another chest holds the town's weights and measures. The town scribe and the head Alderman are the only persons possessing a key to this room.

(5) The snug is used as a social club by the mercantylers and Mangai guildmasters. It is very cosy but has no kitchen on purpose so that the innkeepers' business is not disturbed. Ale, small beer and cider are available provided by the innkeepers of the brigand's head and the bear and staff in weekly rotation. The mercantylers and guildmasters are allowed to bring guests along for business meetings.

(6) The storage for the bar holds small casks of alcoholic beverages and cold food, mostly ham, cheese, and bread. For warm meals the guests have to visit one of the inns.

(7) A general storage room which holds extra furniture for feasts, linen, cutlery, cups, and glasses. Nothing in here is so valuable that it would have to be kept under lock and key.