Lake Pavilion

Purpose / Function

The Lake Pavilion is the center of Hilltop Preparatory Academy's nature studies. Druids, Rangers, and anyone studying the natural world will end up spending some time here. Its location is ideal for a meeting place for nature walks, swims, boating trips, and astronomical observations in the lake, woods, or meadows nearby. There are normally multiple classes occuring at once, usually gathering up and then heading out of doors, then perhaps meeting up again to write or discuss their observations.

Design

Shape: Octagonal
Dimensions: 48x48 (20ft on a side)
Stories: One plus a subdivided loft
Material: Fresh oak, with large, modern glass panes in the extensive loft windows.

Entries

There are four large tambour doors that slide from the top down on the NE, NW, SE, and SW sides. On the South, East, and West sides there are large casement windows about 3 feet off the ground, which a Medium humanoid could easily climb through. The North side has a large riverstone fireplace, but attempting to climb down the chimney is not recommended as the smoke shelf blocks too much of the chimney and the damper is kept closed when the fireplace is not in use, mainly to keep racoons and birds out.

Sensory & Appearance

Smell: Fresh timber, fresh air, and the lake itself. A wood fire in cold weather.
Colors: Light amber of wood and green and blue through the windows
Lighting (day): Extensive natural light
Lighting (night): Dim handheld lanterns and stars
Texture: Worn wood and sturdy canvas cushions
Sound: With the doors closed, sound carries easily within the pavilion, every footstep and pencil scratch echoing. This is most likely when there is inclement weather, so rain on the roof and windows will also be quite audible. With the doors open, sound dissipates and is absorbed by the white noise of the lake and forest outside.

Contents & Furnishings

Each windowed side has chests of drawers with built in cubbies on the bottom extending the length of that side, stopping about 6 inches below the window. The drawers contain class materials and the cubbies hold students' belongings. One thing the drawers contain is sturdy canvas cushions for sitting on the floor, and clipboards for writing while so seated. Many students prefer to sit on the drawers themselves, dangling their feet or propping them up.

The fireplace, made of large river stones and with a broad hearth, is prime real estate for the shuffling and amorphous classes that meet at the Lake Pavilion. In cold weather, every teacher would rather give a lecture standing on the hearth with their back to the fire, and every class would rather be clustered up as close as possible to that hearth.

In the loft, there are round tables and simple wooden chairs and moveable folding screens. The loft itself has a railing but is otherwise open to the pavilion as a whole.

Type

Gazebo / Bandstand

Parent Location

Hilltop Preparatory Academy

Connected Rooms

• The Waterborne

Courses Held

• Survival
• Expert Survival
• Navigation
• Nature Channeling
• Druid Cantrips for Clerics
• Druidic Spells (Cantrips, 1st Degree, 2nd Degree)
• 1st Level Druidry
• Wild Shape
• Aquatic Wild Shape
• Druid's Field Internship
• Oath of the Ancients (Oath Spells, Channeling)
• Natural Explorer
• Favored Enemy
• Ranger Spells
• Primeval Awareness
• Senior Banquet Planning

Teachers

• Maestro James
• Maestra Abilene
• Maestra Bee
• Maestre Aspen
• Maestra Tekla
• Maestro Fírimo