Meeting House
Purpose / Function
The meeting house is both a place of worship and a general-purpose meeting space for a village in the Realm. Each meeting house has a central hearth, surrounded by seating areas. The walls of the meeting house are lined with tapestries depicting the gods. Each meeting house has an altar for each god where villagers can make daily offerings.
Other Uses
In smaller villages without a dedicated guard house, the Night Watch will gather in the meeting house in the evening before starting their patrols.
During the summer, the meeting house is not typically used except for daily offerings. In the wintertime, it becomes a gathering place for people to meet and socialize out of the cold. During the winter months, the meeting house is a place of storytelling, music, and drinking.
The meeting house is also used to house out-of-town guests during festivals. The Festival of Bachda, in particular, is known for causing rowdy gatherings of visitors during the nights of the festival.
Architecture
A meeting house is typically a large, rectangular structure, in contrast to the Roundhouse where the villagers live. Like the other buildings in the village, the meeting house is constructed of stone and thatch and is heated with a central hearth. Some meeting houses may have wooden pillars which are carved with patterns and painted.
History
In the early days after the great plague, meeting houses were modeled after the temples of The Ancestor Civilization. As time progressed, they developed a more secular nature and became all-purpose places for meeting and socialization. As Tapestry Weaving became more popular throughout the history of The Realm, religious tapestries became a staple of the meeting house.
Type
Public hall / house
Owning Organization
Related Traditions
The Gachnif People
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