backA Funny Thing Happened at the Forum
The forum is the center of a Roman's official life. It houses the official home of the services provided by city government, from taxation to the courts. As well, it is the center of the state religion, holding all of the temples in a typical Roman town. Finally the forum serves as the center of day to day political life, candidates and concerned citizens make speeches constantly in the hopes of gaining the ear of passersby.
The forum has a long history, extending to the earliest days of Rome. Its purpose has not changed greatly since those days, though certainly modern fora are considerably busier. Most fora are modeled after Augustus' additions to the old Republican forum in Rome. Fora are universally the first location established when a new Roman town is constructed, and when appropriating an old town room is quickly made for a forum where one of the town's markets used to be.
The forum serves the same civic, religious, and political purposes for Kindred as it does for mortals, and as such is the place most frequented by the ruling Kindred in a Roman town. The forum is a relatively poor general gathering place. The baths serve this purpose. The public courtyard of the forum is so large that it dwarfs any Kindred only gathering. The private offices ringing the forum are very good for small meetings, but are too small to hold all the Kindred of the city, the way the baths can. As such the forum is most often used for public speeches that can be announced before hand, and for conducting the day to day business the citizens of a city have with its Magistrates and other officials.
Setting Details
The forum is almost always in the center of the city, where the two main roads of the city meet. It can be freely accessed at any hour, but after sundown, like everywhere else in the Roman world, it is essentially abandoned save for the night watch and the Kindred.
The forum itself is most commonly unlit at night. It is too large a space to have any hope of illuminating it all with oil lamps. When a speech is planned, however, the speaker's rostrum is often illuminated with oil lamps, torches, and mirrors. Those private offices in the forum which the Kindred of the city wish to use will be illuminated by numerous oil lamps. These rooms may be smoky, but they are generally very well lit.
The forum always conforms to the same basic plan. An open courtyard is surrounded by a colonnade of two or three stories. The rooms on the lower floor of the colonnade open out onto the street and are used during the day as shops selling food, crafts or other goods. The rooms on the upper floors are offices which are used by the city itself and by private individuals, often patrician lawyers or politicians. The courtyard is typically dominated by one temple, generally to Jupiter or Augustus. There are other altars and temples in the forum as well as statues of emperors or other famous citizens donated by private individuals. The rostrum is a speaking platform near the center of the forum where, during the day, politicians can make speeches to the crowd. At night it is often used by Magistrates to dictate new policies to the Kindred.
The forum is a public place, so there are no official dress or behavior codes. It should not be forgotten, though, that the forum is the center of the most formal parts of a Roman's life, and so decorum and togas are practically a necessity. On the other hand, a non-citizen who comes to the forum in a toga risks offending their hosts with their presumption. Good manners are always acceptable, no matter the status of the visitor.
Using the Forum in a Game
The forum is where much of the formal business of Kindred life occurs, so it can be used in some ways like the Prince's court of the modern nights. One or both Magistrates will likely have an office at the forum, and it is here that characters should go to introduce themselves to a city or to announce their intention to sire. Other important officials in a city may have an office in the forum as well, as may important Kindred who lack a title. Having an office in the forum is a mark of distinction that may be a goal for some characters.
The forum is not a place for dallying, character should conduct their business and leave. This business is generally either listening to a speech or having a private meeting. Most citizens in the city will be informed through the Kindred social network before a major speech is given, and more important Kindred will be formally invited. Kindred wishing to conduct private business would be wise to request an audience before showing up at the Magistrates door. Most Magistrates spend only an hour or so a night in their offices, and they do not like to be interrupted by petulant petitioners.
The forum should be used with care. It is always a formal place, and must be respected as such by the characters if they do not want to embarrass themselves.