Because the vast majority of the city is constructed from wood, fires are a risk taken very seriously. The city has strict policies regarding fire and flammables which apply to all citizens. Most citizens wouldn’t chance the possibility of being caught handling fire irresponsibly, for endangering the city to the risk of fire is considered a crime worthy of capital punishment for anyone found to be responsible. In addition, any family of the guilty who were not already found complicit and executed are exiled in poverty, their wealth confiscated to help pay for the necessary rebuilding.
Illumination and Heat
Flammables must never be placed in a position where they might be accidentally knocked over. Candles are permitted, but only when set upon stone or within a secured wall sconce, high enough on the wall for a clumsy knock to be a low risk but low enough that the ceiling is in no danger of catching flame. Similarly, Lanterns must be hung from secure wall fixings near the top of the wall. Civic buildings as well as the homes of the wealthy generally implement non-flammable magical solutions purchased from the artificers of the House of Hermetics.
Some buildings also have fireplaces, but these must meet exacting standards: they are only permitted when they are lit in a masonry-lined fireplace, which must have a chimney for ventilation as well as a masonry or solid stone hearth extending at least 1.8 feet from the firebox. These are high standards for construction in a city which must import all its masonry, so fireplace installation is expensive: a typical price for installation of a modest-sized fireplace is 50 gold.
Fortunately Ramshackle is located within a subtropical climate zone, so even citizens without fireplaces aren’t at too much risk from the cold. The city experiences warm to hot summers and cool to mild winters. In addition the clerics of the Sea God prevent particularly inclement weather from finding the city. Most citizens don’t need a heat source to be comfortable in their homes, though they may need to put on some layers during an unusually cool winter.
Food Preparation
People need to eat, but in Ramshackle not everyone is able to cook. To do so they must have a fireplace, and fireplaces are only permitted if they meet exacting construction standards, as described in the previous section. Though expensive, such fireplaces are a luxury that every household tries to save up for if they don’t have one already.
Any citizens who lack access to their own fireplace has three options: consume only what is safe to eat raw, eat out, or have their dishes prepared elsewhere.
Almost all butchers and fishmongers in the city offer to cook purchased meat for an additional fee (typically around 5 copper pieces).
Ramshackle is also full of inexpensive canteens where a citizen can buy a simple meal. Such eateries don’t use the best ingredients nor much in the way of seasoning to excite the palate, but they appeal by serving decent portions for a very fair price.
Alchemy, Artifice, and Arcana
Industry and experimentation aren't banned on Ramshackle, but they must be undertaken carefully. The city has an iron works which, of course, is not constructed from wood and sits atop one of the city's few fixed platforms. Craftsmen, alchemists, artificers, and wizards are also plentiful in the city, but their laboratories and workshops must adhere to safety standards no less exacting than those given for a residency's fireplace. The largest concentration of alchemists and artificers in the city is the House of Hermetics, which acts as a guildhouse and school. Veilbreaker's Lodge is a similar establishment for spellcasters.
Alchemist's fire and the even more volatile dragonsfire are banned in Ramshackle. The captain of a visiting ship with either alchemical substance in its hod must declare it. They must also pay three times the normal docking fee to cover the berths to either side of the ship, which are left empty.
Black powder is considered a controlled substance, and must be stored and handled with the utmost care. No more than one keg may be kept in any given residency, and each individual may carry no more than one powder horn (marines are exempted from this rule, but nevertheless follow it unless there is a good reason to act otherwise). Black powder must be stored away from sunlight, fireplaces, or any other source of heat. The majority of Ramshackle citizens don't even own a firearm, but those who do often store their powder in the holds of the vessels that make up the raft beneath their homes, or within a watertight "powder hole" constructed beneath the raft and accessed via trapdoor.
Firefighting
All citizens agree to one of the three Trusts, which dictates their responsibilities as a citizen. Under the terms of these Trusts, each resident is required to assist to the extent that they are able in any time of emergency, which naturally includes fires. It is in their self-interest to do so in any case, for a fire can spread rapidly through the city. Citizens rush to form bucket chains, while spellcasters use whatever magic they know to summon water, snuff out flames, halt the fire's path, or otherwise limit the damage.
Visitors aren't subject to the Trusts and therefore aren't obliged to help, though it's a rare individual who won't join the bucket lines when their own life is also at stack. Failure to assist will go over poorly among the locals, and the remainder of the visitor's stay will be significantly less pleasant.
