Houses and Stadts

Two things come to mind when describing Perrenese buildings: large and not wooden. The typical Perrenese house is large enough to accommodate a traditional extended Perrenese family, including a crypt for the deceased family members. In the city, that means at least two and probably three storeys; in the countryside, that means a cluster of buildings around a central hub (the longhouse, or langhuis). The typical Perrenese house is also made of something other than wood: stone or brick walls, with a slate or thatch roof. This is because Perrenland's very limited supplies of lumber are too valuable to use as housing materials.

The archetypal Perrenese farmstead (the smallest entity described as a settlement, or stadt), are by their nature communal and defensive. Many have a low (5 foot high) stone wall and defendable gate, and are built on the highest possible elevation. The central langhuis (longhouse) varies in shape - in some parts it is rectangular, in other parts circular - and typically accommodates twelve people comfortably with room for guests. Other langhuis are added as the family grows, forming a circle around the central langhuis with barns, workshops, stables and the like. Typically, the buildings of a stadt form a defensive circle, linked by covered (and sometimes walled) walkways or by underground tunnels depending on the terrain. They have solid doors, storm shutters and arrow slits.

Larger stadts, such as hamlets and villages, often retain this design and layout of one main building surrounded by numerous smaller buildings connected by covered walkways. The main building is usually large enough to hold all of the community's inhabitants so they can gather for clan meetings, stadt business, and sieges. Although settlements in this style are found throughout Perrenland, they are most common on the Feronwold, and have thus become commonly associated with the Rosrijder clan.

In the towns and cities, where it usually isn't possible to expand sideways and there's less need for the building to hold off raiders and bandits, houses have expanded upwards instead. A typical urban dwelling has two or three storeys, and can accommodate up to fifteen people comfortably with room for guests. The half of the ground floor facing the street is usually a shop-front, so that the residents can operate the family's business from their home. If, as is common nowadays, the family isn't very large, rooms or even whole storeys of the building may be leased to individual lodgers or other families. Indeed, some people make a living by converting their family house into a boarding house, and charge a daily or weekly rate.

Houses in Perrenland do not have internal plumbing, and instead have external (and often communal) cesspits. Very few of Perrenland's settlements have sewers, sometimes because they were established before the coming of the Great Kingdom and their architects (for example, Schwartzenbruin), sometimes because the residents didn't want to pollute supplies of underground water (for example, Krestible), and most often because settlements usually aren't planned in advance. Exceptions include Exag (founded by the Oeridians) and Traft (a relatively well-planned city). Likewise, most houses don't have a bath, and instead people use public bath houses or a communally owned bath room: Riberlund is famous for the quality and quantity of the public bath houses.

For further information, see the Inns Competition document.

Metagame information: Player characters can, if they wish, purchase a house to be their home in several of the towns and cities of Perrenland. Certificates are available for a simple house (costs 1000 gp) and a grand house (costs 5000 gp).