Albion Forums
Located at the heart of Albion, the city forums are a series of connected plazas, some of which are partly covered. The space is flexible--often a marketplace, sometimes an open park, and occasionally even an arena.
Design
The Forums consists of two large and three smaller plazas. The three along the center line are all built on a level plane, though the landscape rises around them. The steps up from the two large plazas stretch across their full length, and can be used as amphitheater seating. Each also has a gradual sloping path available from both the east and west. Along the top of the rise is a walkway large enough for cart traffic on market days, or for wooden grandstands to be erected for tournaments.
Between the two large forums is the Forum Gate, a triumphal arch. It features three large open archways, a staircase up each side, and room enough on top for the city watch to keep an eye on boisterous gatherings, or to be used as premier seating at events.
The other two smaller plazas are located to either side of the largest plaza, and feature beautiful flagstones in beautiful geometric patterns. Though small compared to the north plaza, they are still large enough to host a dozen or two market stalls each.
Sensory & Appearance
The Forums are frequently bustling, and hum with noise that never quite rises to a din. The most common sounds are laughter, overheard bits of conversation, and sellers hawking their wares. On market days, the scent of fresh bread and other baked goods compete with roasting meats for attention. In areas with fewer food vendors, fresh leather and the lighter scents of fresh herbs take over.
Market stalls are necessarily temporary, and range from simply a blanked spread out on the cobblestones to tents with wood facades and heavy canvas roofs. Most popular, however, are carts with tiered sides, so that when the market is done, the seller needs only throw a blanket over their goods, hitch up a horse, are drive it away.
History
When Albion was a Raitharan outpost, the area that would become the forums was a training ground for the battalion stationed there. More notably, however, as the rebellion began its efforts to push the imperial soldiers out of Othiax province, it became a site for executions. The empire punished its prisoners here, and any who did not attend were tracked down and questioned.
The outpost was eventually razed and the area abandoned for years before being resettled, but even so, the contingent overseeing the project felt that the scene of so much strife should be remembered and treated respectfully. At the same time, however, they did not want their free city to be built on sorrow--a somber memorial would be a reminder of pain, not a celebration of victory. In compromise, the area was designated as a city center, a public space to be used for the benefit and enjoyment of the common people.
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