The Beehive Fort (CSC)

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==Origin==
Long ago, the inhabitants of a rich area of fertile plains discovered the secrets of agriculture. Their land furnished them with everything they needed to survive and be comfortable. Others, jealous of their high standard of living, began to raid the peaceful farmers. Unlike other regions, where stone for building was common, these people did not even have tall trees to fashion into walls. Instead, they set about building a new type of city.
For walls, they used dried mud or adobe. While not as hard as stone, it would hold up well enough against the light weapons of their enemies. As their city grew, they built each house right up against the building beside it. No doors or windows faced outward to offer easy access to intruders. The doors to the buildings were placed above, on the roofs, with ladders and stairs providing access to them. In the end, they had a small community which was not only solid and hard to attack, but also very comfortable to live in.
==Transformation==
Over the years, the climate changed. The gentle rains which had brought life to their prairie fields ceased to fall and the streams which ran through their farms dried up. In the end, they were forced to assemble their belongings and move on. No record remains of what became of them, but the beehive city speaks a silent testimony to their resourceful natures and their will to survive.
As the grasslands continued to dry, they gradually became deserts. Finally, this vast sea of sand swallowed up the beehive city in a dark sandstorm which raged for days across the once fertile lands. The city, like its people, vanished without a trace.
==Map Key==
1. Family Chambers: This portion of the city housed the farmers and their loved ones. Each chamber was home to an extended family, ranging in size from 7 to 12 persons. Raised platforms around the perimeter served as both beds and sofas. In many cultures, the dead were buried beneath the floor of the chamber they had once lived in.
2. Barracks: Single men and members of the guard lived in these chambers which were very much like the military barracks one might expect to find in a modern fort. There was little provision for comfort, and almost no chance for individual privacy.
3. Temples: The people of the beehive city were faithful to their gods. As proof of this, they scattered a number of temples and altars throughout the complex. Each of these was richly decorated (in comparison to the rest of the city) and served as a cultural nexus for the people living here.
4. Governor's Home: This living area served the ruler of the city and his family. It was well equipped and decorated, a tribute to the status accorded the popular leader of these people.
5. Officers' Barracks: Although much more spacious and better appointed than the barracks assigned to the rest of the soldiers, these quarters are very spartan and focus on utility more than comfort.
6. Granaries: As various crops became ready for harvest they were stored in the city's many granaries. Of course, the passing of time may have utterly destroyed these foodstuffs, but some evidence of their passing may well remain.
7. Kiln: A look around at the various chambers on the map of the beehive city will make it obvious to the reader that those who lived here made great use of pottery. This kiln, which was fired with a variety of organic material, was somewhat primitive, but still very functional. There may be remnants of pottery items here when the area is explored.
8. Courtyards: In the event of a siege or raid on the city, an assortment of livestock could be transferred to these protected areas to provision the inhabitants for a time. When the city was not under attack, they served as parks or play areas for children and adults alike.