Fantasy Core RPG
© Jerry Harris 2013
(This link will take you to the
Fantasy Core Index.)
The Governor’s Palace-First Level and Basement
We cannot number the
stars in the sky, the raindrops in a storm, and those who seek the Governor’s
favor.
The first level of the palace is very large, which is necessary
as it is bustling with activity. There
is no end of people who wish to meet with the Governor and his ministers to ask
for favors or offer their services. This
sensitive, diplomatic venue is the domain of Minister Liu and the North
Chamber. She and her attendants sort
out, prioritize, and log the various visitors.
Visitors are greeted to the Grand Hall upon entry. An Honor Guard of Imperial troops are
stationed all around entrance and at other public areas on the First
Level. These are the only uniformed
security in the building. While they are
very combat capable, the Honor Guard is mostly for show. For sensitive occasions (such as an Imperial
inspection), the Governor’s personal Guardsmen may also be present.
While the Grand Hall might impress visitors with its scale
and opulence, it is The Line that will get most of their attention. It snakes the length of the giant hall. It is not allowed to run outside, so those
who do not gain entrance at the start of the day, are turned away. At the head of the line is a North Chamber
Sub-Minister, who will want the visitor’s Identity Documents and ask them to
state their business. Based on this, the
visitor is then escorted to a waiting room, where hopefully they will be
attended to before the end of the day, when the rooms are flushed out. Important and invited visitors are of course
hustled to the front of the line, but they are still logged in.
Important invited visitors may see the Grand Dining Hall,
where the Governor takes his formal meals, the Conservatory, to attend
concerts, the Ballroom, for formal dances, or the Theater, for a play or some
other performance. All of the Ministers
maintain offices in the Palace, where they will take official meetings and
visitors on certain days of the week.
The showpiece of the First Level is the magnificent Grand Audience
Chamber. Here, the Governor hears legal
cases, listens to supplicants, and formally receives important visitors. This is the destination for anyone seeking
the Governor’s favor.
What shows on the
surface is maintained by what is beneath it.
There
are extensive basements beneath the First Level. They contain the service tunnels where the
servants enter and exit the palace.
There are the kitchens and vast stores of food and drink. Disconnected from the service areas is the
heavily guarded and restricted Imperial Vault (and the Governor’s riches), a
private mausoleum for previous governors and their families, and the Deepest
Hole, the Governor’s private dungeon and torture chamber. There are typically few residents in the
dungeon, as it is reserved for those who have betrayed or embarrassed the
Governor. There are also several hidden
secret tunnels out of Palace. They are
magically locked (in addition to a physically locked). The Governor and Ministers and a few select
staff will know about them and have the means to unlock them.
No comments:
Post a Comment