Table of Contents
Races | Culture | Buildings & Organizations
SETTLER’S COUNCIL BUILDING & LOCAL COMMUNITY CENTER NEW KOUROU
Overview
- Location: Central Core of New Kourou, Inner Ring
- Address: North-South Street 1
- Surroundings: Positioned in what would later become Unity Park, the building was originally flanked by improvised administrative structures and a community assembly ground.
Raised during the chaotic months after Day Zero, the Settler’s Council Building served from 3 October 2625 until the Peace Treaty surrender on 16 April 263* as:
- The Settler’s Council Chamber – the supreme legislative and judicial body of the Free State of Settlers.
- The Local Community Center of New Kourou – civil administration, referenda management, and public assembly hub.
- A Local GAIA Hub (“The Kernel”) – housed in a secured sub-basement.
After 2632, its political functions transitioned to the Federal Council and the site later evolved into the Mayor’s Office of New Kourou precinct.
Architectural Significance
- Construction Materials: The building was constructed almost entirely from stacked cargo containers of the Last Frontier crash, welded hull plates, forming a monumental open roof, canvas sheets stretched along the sides for windbreak and privacy.
- Floors:
- Basement: “The Kernel” GAIA Core Vault
- Ground Floor: Community Center foyer & Referendum Hall
- First Floor: Council Chamber
- Second Floor: Administrative offices & archives
- Roof Fixtures: 12 m short-wave mast – connected with the Shortwave Radio Network – and ceramic EM-fin ring for GAIA uplink
Building Structure
Basement - The Kernel (GAIA Core Vault):
- Optical Module Rack: Single photonic processor bank in reinforced frame
- Power & Cooling: Primary Quantum Fusion Battery (≈18 months autonomy)
- Emergency Egress: 80 m lateral escape shaft leading to the Headquarters of the Guarding Troopers
- Access Control: Salvaged security door from the Last Frontier, guarded by a stationed Guarding Bot
Ground Floor – Public Foyer, Assembly Hall & Council Chamber
- Foyer: Stone-flag floor, Information kiosks, bulletin boards, proposal drop-slots and two rugged Holo-Kiosks with monochrome lightfields for citizens (used for emergency alerts and basic GAIA queries)
- Assembly Hall, Referenda, Tribunal: Long benches, raised dais for Contact Person & Councilors; three (or five) secure ballot alcoves; Guarding Bot oversight The Hall also doubled as a courtroom for summary hearings.
- Referendum Booths: Five secure alcoves; overseen by a Guarding Bot during votes
- Proposal Mailbox: Weatherproof drop-slot by the main entrance, where settlers posted new law ideas
- Public Loo: Two unisex restroom, featuring the AuroraSan System.
First and Second Floor – Administration & Records (in container offices)
- Council Deliberation Chamber: A private meeting room off the main corridor, with a horseshoe table for five Councilors and built-in holo-screen to review proposals out of public view.
- Contact Person’s Office: Desk with holo-dashboard for settlement reports, visitor bench
- Clerk’s Alcove: Civil-registry, land-title files, permits
- GAIA Operator’s Office: Module-upload terminal, “vault-quarantine” panel
- Archive: Shellac Records, parchments, logs
- Staff restroom: One unisex restroom, featuring the AuroraSan System.
Exterior Grounds
- Ceremonial Plaza: Open stone-paved area for public addresses
- Courier Desk: Drop-off for sealed GAIA queries and official notices
- Mount Parking Zone: Tether posts for visitor and courier mounts.
- Holo-kiosks, benches, and public seating
- Courier Drop-Desk for sealed GAIA inquiries
Look and Feel
The Settler’s Council grounds felt alive and unmistakably frontier-born. The roof of welded hull plates creaked in the wind, while canvas sheets flapped softly, filtering dusty evening light into the massive hall. Mud, footprints, and hoofmarks shaped the plaza.
Settlers moved freely through the open structure — some arguing policy, others leading their Hoos or Veyras to tether posts. The smell of damp earth mixed with engine grease, wet canvas, and the metallic tang of recycled starship plating.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Councilors (5): Rotate presiding duties; draft, debate, and vote on bills; serve as appellate judges
- Contact Person (1): Chairs assemblies; represents New Kourou at quarterly Settler’s Council sessions
- Council Clerk (1): Records minutes, manages the proposal mailbox, tallies referendum results
- Community Center Clerk (1): Maintains records, issues permits, tallies ballots
- Ballot Monitors (2): Guard the vault during public counting periods
- GAIA Operators (2): Maintain “The Kernel”, upload policy modules, relay analyses
- Guarding Troopers (2): Secure sessions, enforce order, and escort officials.
- Guarding Bots (3): The Guarding Troopers are supported by two Guarding Bots, (one posted at the entrance and one positioned in the basement to protect “The Kernel”).
- Facility Management Bot (1): A Maintenance Bot runs daily diagnostics, repairs battered hull plating, and clears proposal chute jams
- Cleaning Bot (1): A Cleaning Bot sweeps floors, dusts benches, and polishes viewport glass.
Public Access & Operations
Lobby & Permit Desk:
- Hours: 08:00–18:00, Monday–Saturday
- Permit Services: 08:00–12:00 & 14:00–18:00, Monday–Saturday
Regular Sessions:
- Community Assemblies: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10:00–16:00 (public petitions, debates)
- Council Deliberations: Mondays & Wednesdays, 13:00–17:00 (Council-only; public gallery open)
Quarterly Referenda:
- Proposal Window: Weeks 1–6 of each quarter
- Voting Window: Weeks 7–10, extra Guarding Bot patrols
GAIA Hub Access:
- Available to certified users 20 h/day (sleep cycle 00:00–04:00 to conserve QFB)
- Emergency override: Contact Person can wake GAIA instantly during crises
Emergency Lockdown:
- “Lockdown” switch in Contact Person’s office seals assembly hall via blast doors
Security Measures
The Settler’s Council Building was modestly but consistently protected:
- Locked Council Vault: Ballot archive secured behind an alloy hatch requiring three separate keys (Clerk + two Monitors).
- Guarding Bots and Combat Drone at the Entrance: During operational hours, a armed Guarding Bot, with a Guarding Troopers Stun Gun, accompanied by a Combat Drone, was stationed at the entrance to ensure safety and uphold public order.
- Guarding Trooper Patrols: Foot patrols by Guarding Troopers throughout meeting times of the Federal Council
- GAIA Hub Security Door: Salvaged Last Frontier security door locks sub-basement; stationed Guarding Bot enforces clearance
- Ballot Period Patrol: Additional Guarding Bot on main floor during referenda to ensure ballot integrity
Player Interaction Possibilities
Legal Interactions
- Submit a Proposal: Deliver a “prioritized proposal” to the mailbox (Settler's Council)
- Observe Debates: Attend Council sessions to gather intel or influence speeches (Settler's Council)
- Request Referendum: Organize citizen support to trigger a public vote on contentious laws (Settler's Council)
- Present a “prioritized proposal” to the Contact Person (Local Community Center)
- Lobby at holo-kiosk for GAIA permit or budget queries (Local Community Center)
- Request civil records or land-title inspections (Local Community Center)
- File building-permit or market-stall applications (Local Community Center)
- Register or update voter enrollment at the clerk’s alcove (Local Community Center)
- Participate in public assemblies (Tuesdays & Thursdays) (Local Community Center)
- Vote in the annual Contact Person election (Local Community Center)
- Cast ballots during the quarterly referendum period (Local Community Center)
Illegal Interactions
- Forge Ballots: Sneak falsified referendum slips into the vault during vote tally
- Bribe a Councilor: Slip credits or favors to sway a swing vote on resource allocations
- Silent Sabotage: Tamper with maintenance bot routines to delay a session or erase draft legislation
Tactical Advice for Dungeon Masters
Adventure Hook for the Settler's Council:
- Shadows on the Dais – During a heated session to expand the Trade Route, the Chair collapses — poisoned by a rare berry toxin. Before the council can adjourn for investigation, an urgent courier of the New Kourou Courier Service bursts in claiming he’s witnessed a would-be assassin slipping through the backdoor. The PCs take over the role of Freelancers of the Office for Special Operations. They have the order to find and arrest the perpetrator …
Adventure Hook for the Local Community Center:
- Rogue on the Run – A notorious murderer, recently escaped from the Guarding Troopers Headquarters in New Kourou, arrives at New Kourou's Community Center under a false identity to register as a new citizen. The vigilant clerk, having been briefed on the fugitive’s profile, attempts to summon a Guarding Bot in secret — but the murderer spots the call and grabs the clerk hostage. Mounting a stolen Veyra, he gallops into the surrounding Tropical Forest. The PCs are hired to track the fugitive through the woodlands, negotiate the clerk’s release, and bring the criminal to justice before he vanishes …