Towering above the surrounding houses is the tower of Ostarith City Hall. Like a pillar of justice, it alerts every passer by to the hall's presence, making it impossible to ignore.
Origins
The city hall has existed almost as long as the city of Ostarith itself, being one of the first municipal buildings in the original settlement. As per a law written at the time of construction, the building has no formal owner, and is, instead, collectively owned by the citizens of Ostarith.
Purpose
The City Hall was originally built as a place for all legal proceedings in the city. For hundreds of years, it held trials and meetings, laws were passed, and many people passed through its doors. However, since The Great War, the city hall has seen more faces than ever before. As the dwarves came into rule, the hall was used for mundane legal proceedings less and less, and trial and public execution more an more. It became a place of unspeakable horror, and most actively avoid to look at it anymore.
Architecture
The City Hall is mainly built from wood aside from the main tower which is built from brick. The hall stands out from the buildings around it as it's wooden walls have not been upgraded in many years. The buildings around it are made of brick, whereas the hall still retains its rain-damaged wood. The building is so dilapidated that any attempt to fix the walls would probably lead to the collapse of the building. For this reason, the building has remained untouched for hundreds of years.
Other Uses
During the war, the hall was repurposed to house supplies for Ostarith's millitary. Over the course of the war, the building was used to house food, weapons, soldiers, and at one point was a small, makeshift hospital. This is recognised by the small metal sign outside the building which was placed there at the end of the war before the dwarves came into power.
