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Races | Culture | Institutions | Buildings & Organizations
GUARDING TROOPER STATION – ARLA TOWN
Overview
- Location: Civic Core, Arla Town
- Address: Poseidon Street 2
- Surroundings: Opposite of the Local Community Center of Arla Town
The Arla Town station was the sole outpost of the Guarding Troopers in the fledgling fishing settlement of roughly 500 inhabitants. Established in late 2626, it maintained frontier law and order during Arla Town’s brief Beta Age existence, staffed by six troopers and two Guarding Bots. The station fell into disuse after the Great War raid by the Trando Tribe, and today its charred timbers lie abandoned among the overgrown ruins.
Architectural Significance
- Construction Material: Prefab wooden panels and local softwood beams, set on shallow stone footings
- Roof & Roofline: Short-Wave Antenna (retractable mast for connection to the Exohuman Shortwave Radio Network)
- Floors: Single level, low-slung gabled roof
- Power Supply: Quantum Fusion Batteries
- Air Vents: The Cell Block`s air exchange was managed by a centralized, mechanical ventilation system with a central intake on the exterior of the building.
- Design Purpose: Rapid deployable frontier outpost — simple, utilitarian, and easily repaired
Building Structure
Main Hall
- Reception Nook: A small counter with a sliding hatch where settlers reported incidents
- Guard Room: Bench seating and racks for troopers
- Restrooms (2): Two unisex stalls equipped with the AuroraSan System
Support Alcove
- Records Chest: A waterproof chest storing incident logs and duties roster
- Holding Cells (2): Short-term lockups — minimal comfort, no natural light, and reinforced steel doors fitted with narrow viewing slits.Each cell contains a small cot, a bolted-down stool, and an AuroraSan toilet. Ventilation is provided through a narrow conduit connected to the station’s centralized air system.
- Interrogation Room: Equipped for confessions, initial questioning, and psychological pressure tactics.
Exterior Grounds
- Exercise Yard: A fenced gravel patch used for drill and training
- Watch Post: A raised platform built from fish crates and spare planks, offering a view over the docks
Look and Feel
Stepping into the station is like entering a makeshift barracks: the air smells of salt spray and damp wood. Foot-thick wooden walls bear hastily scrawled duty rosters and three-ringed schematics of Arla Town’s HSP grid. The guard-bots’ low humming punctuates the troopers’ muted exchanges. Outside, fishing nets drape over the fence, and gulls circle overhead — a reminder that here, law kept the fish — and the settlers —from floating away.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Station Commander (1): Appointed by the General at New Kourou; oversees station operations
- Patrol Troopers (4): Foot patrols in and around the settlement.
- Investigator (1): Handles property disputes and minor criminal cases
- Guarding Bots (2): 1 Patrol Bot on multi-terrain treads; 1 Cell-Guard Bot in the detention loft.
Security Measures
- Silent Alarm Network: A hardwired alarm system connected all key stations within the building. Triggering it initiated a coordinated lockdown and immediate bot deployment.
- Armory Access: The Armory Locker was was secured (locked with iron straps) and could only be accessed upon authentication by a Guarding Bot.
- A Prison Cell Guarding Bot monitored the Detention Cells in the attic 24/7. It was armed with a Guarding Troopers Laser Gun and authorized to use lethal force in the event of an escape attempt.
Player Interaction
Legal interactions:
- Report a missing person or stolen property.
- Request assistance with enforcing a local curfew violation.
- Submit a general complaint or suggestion through the reception slit.
- Check the status of outstanding fines or permits.
- Retrieve items from the station’s lost-and-found via a signed form.
- Visit a detained criminal in the Interrogation Alcove for 30 minutes – based on an appointment.
- Defend a falsely accused NPC and help gather evidence
Illegal interactions:
- Attempt to free a detained criminal from the holding cells.
- Bribe a Guarding Trooper or Bot for illicit favors or to overlook a violation.
- Forge station documents or clearance papers to evade fines or gain unauthorized access.
- Smuggle contraband – drugs or weapons – into the holding cells for a detained criminal.
Public Access, Operating Hours & Rhythm
- Reception Hours: 06:00–20:00 local time, daily; after-hours requests handled via secured drop-chute.
- Shift Rotations: Three trooper squads rotate through 8-hour shifts to ensure 24/7 coverage
- Bot Maintenance Window: Automated diagnostics and firmware updates occur every day from 02:00–03:00, during which human troopers increase patrol frequency.
- Monthly Drills: Arla Town station conducts a full lockdown and evacuation drill on the first day of each month to test protocols and community readiness.
Operational Rhythm of the Detention Cells in the Attic Loft
The Detention Cells followed a rigid daily cycle designed to maintain discipline with minimal staff oversight..
Daily Schedule:
- 06:00 – Wake-Up and Early Meal: Prisoners receive morning rations (hot broth and nutrient paste) through the hatch slots in their doors.
- 07:00 – Sanitation: Each prisoner receives a cloth moistened with warm water, a towel, and a toothbrush with edible toothpaste.They will be collected again 30 minutes later.
- 08:00 – Inspection and Report: A trooper checks each cell through the viewing slit, and signs off the inspection sheet pinned outside the Detention Extension’s main door.
- 10:00 – Interrogations and Transfers: The Interrogation Alcove is used for questioning or documentation. Prisoners moved to other facilities are escorted out under armed supervision.
- 13:00 – Midday Lockdown: Lights dim to half intensity; Guarding Bots perform localized diagnostics and recharge via the wall sockets.
- 17:00 – Circle Walk: Inmates are escorted in small groups of two or three to the Circle Yard for a ten-minute “exercise walk.” The supervising Guarding Bot scans constantly from its raised perch.
- 19:00 – Late Meal: Hot stew is distributed cell by cell. The corridor heating system activates for two hours, creating a low metallic hum that masks other sounds.
- 22:00 – Late Cycle: Guarding Bots continue passive patrol. Doors remain locked until the next 06:00 cycle.
Tactical Advice for Dungeon Masters
- Shadows Behind Bars – During a routine lockdown drill, the lights in the Detention Cells flicker out, and one of the cells is found empty — its inhabitant nowhere in sight. With the security slits sealed and Guarding Bots on alert, the PCs must investigate inside the station: question troopers, inspect the interrogation niche for clues, and determine if the escape was aided by a saboteur within the ranks or something more supernatural lurking in the stone walls …
Related Pages and Further Information
Local Stations of the Guarding Troopers in the Free State of Settlers: