To the west of Town Square, near the center of The Dream, stands a large group of four buildings, the Welcome Center. A transparent dome arches over the entrance, a large foyer. The building branches off on either side, running at an angle from the atrium to form a loose courtyard. A smaller section extends directly behind the atrium, with a row of glass doors leading to a patio and open-air kitchen. To the North of this structure, three more buildings offer more rooms, a recreation center and an indoor swim center. In the center of the four buildings, two pools and an outdoor recreation center beckon to weary Avatars and new arrivals alike.
The doors to the main building lay open, inviting any who wish to enter, and a sign hangs next to them.
Those who enter find the main building full of people, milling around and watching the sculpture in the center of the room. Avatars faces move and fade in and out of portals, seeming close enough to touch. There are twelve portals in total, each focusing on a different part of life. Meeting, loving, learning, creating, debating, selling, reflecting, fighting, building, adventuring, pondering, and leaving.
Towards the back exit of the atrium, a large sign is hung on the wall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Welcome Center Rules 1.) Anyone is welcome to room and board here, free of charge. 2.) The Center is Neutral Ground. Take any fights elsewhere. 3.) Respect other's privacy - do not enter anyone else's room or mind without permission.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Welcome Center Wards Note: It is not possible for anyone in this thread to come to harm. There are Wards protecting the area which prevent injury, and which will cause any situation that could cause harm to fail to do so. If someone intentionally attempts to harm someone else in this thread, they will be teleported away (and out of the thread). This protective warding is the will of the lead GM, Karol Luis, and is not negotiable, nor may it be circumvented.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A note on locations The Welcome Center is a BIG place - four multi-story buildings and an outdoor recreation area. As such, it is impossible for actions in any one spot to be seen and acted upon everywhere. The convention here is to always state your location in bold text at the start of your post (or in the 'Thread Name' field, if you are staying in one spot and not moving around). If you move around, state where you are, and again use bold text, so people notice the changes. That way, other people know if they should respond to you, and you can tell where others are.
If you arrive and make no mention at all of where you are, you will be assumed to be standing in the Atrium. Otherwise, people will only respond if you are where they are.
If you go to the Information Desk, you will find it is often not occupied, as our staff prefers to meet with new guests in the Atrium. A sign on the information desk shows pictures of the staff, and directs guests to seek one of them in the Atrium or Cafeteria if there is no one at the desk.
In addition to the pictures at the Information Desk, in the Atrium there is a large portrait showing many of the staff members and their names hanging over the fireplace, so that new arrivals may know who they are. (Portrait by Felabba)
You may notice tiny Mexican Free-tailed bats hanging around in public areas. Ceera can see and hear everything that these bats see and hear. So a general plea for help in a public space will be noticed, and eventually be responded to.
The Co-GM's for this thread are Karol Luis, Ceera Darkwynde, Dark Phoenix (Sarah Darkwynde), and Krinele Fullin. If you have any questions, please ask one of us.