Community Center

Most eastern villages have a Community Center where a common meal is prepared and served. Noticeboards, textbooks, guides and manuals fill the cupboard area where town meetings are held on occasion. Most villagers will spend some of their idle time here making music, smoking herbs, congregating with travellers, and preparing offerings on the communal shrine. Centers have a basement area with storage for dry goods and a cistern, and a vault for relics and arcotech. The attic is accessed by ladder or narrow stair ledges for guest accommodation. Tea is always served by the town host, a self appointed position rotated each night. All education, trade, and disputes are handled in the central chamber, lined with short benches and lit by numerous small portholes in the ceiling.

Purpose / Function

Provides for most of the basic needs of the entire village, serves as a place for recreation and comradery, and acts as a trade center and free hostel for travelers.

Alterations

The original door is typically removed and replaced with a carved monster trophy after the town survives an attack by such. The rooves are improved as material scavengers find better replacements, showing the age of the building if it is replete with spaceship plating.

Architecture

The center is typically a sandblock structure topped with hides, and adorned with carved bones, iron fittings, and silver brazier. Inside, hearths, incense censors, candelabras bring warmth to guests. Light is admitted through small round portholes of desert glass. Low benches surround the central chamber. Rugs cover the floor in the many asymmetrical nooks and cubbies tucked into the earthen walls.

Defenses

The last line of defense of a village, but of least strategic significance due to its civilian focus. A lookout tower is usually built here and can be effectively manned by watchmen or archers. The town vault here is frequent target to bandits and adventurers, so are often trapped or secured with an elaborate puzzle lock.

History

Community centers were the first buildings constructed in each village, laying down important infrastructure to later expand on. Digging a well usually was the first part of building a community center, then providing shelter for the workers as they complete additional housing nearby. Examples of ancient community centers are usually found by treasure seekers.

Tourism

It is expected that all visitors to each town check in here first and introduce themselves, stating their needs and intentions.

Alternative Names

Hostel

Type

Common area