The Gatehouse is RhyDin's official welcome center. It is, in effect, the "Gateway to RhyDin." The structure itself is a massive building of stone and brick, and is one of the central and most important landmarks in Dockside. The Gatehouse is surrounded by a 20-foot tall polished bronze fence which adds to its imposing prominence. Atop its main gate reads "The Gatehouse" and, below it, "Port of RhyDin" in large polished letters. The entire fence perimeter is adorned with ornate metal carvings representing each of the known species to have ever stepped foot into RhyDin from other lands. As new races arrive, additional representative carvings are added.
Inside the fence-lined courtyard, vendors can be found selling all sorts of merchandise to newcomers. The latest in clothing fashion can be purchased as well as cutting-edge technology and gear. Job recruiters have booths as well, presenting employment opportunities to those in need. One can also find a culinary feast for your eyes or your stomach. If you are interested in what foods the city has to offer from all of its diverse cultures, there is no better location to sample from.
Nanaïveve immigrants must be cautious, however. Outside of the Gatehouse's property you may come across some of the more unscrupulous merchants. One will find unauthorized or faulty technology, last years fashion or knock-off clothing brands, potions that promise beauty or wealth, and sometimes even an offer to change out a newcomer's currency for them—albeit at a ridiculously high exchange rate.
In Dockside, the Gatehouse is the first stop for most every immigrant, wanderer, refugee, and settler arriving in RhyDin. Inside its doors, one can legitimately change over their currency, obtain the location of their homeland's embassy in RhyDin (if one exists), purchase maps of the city or the outlying regions, and locate lodgings for the night. Newcomers may also register themselves and what lands they hail from including how they came to arrive in RhyDin. Language dictionaries may be purchased, and brief seminars are held for newcomers wishing to learn more about RhyDin and what it has to offer. The Gatehouse halls have held just about every type of creature and race imaginable. It is indeed an everchanging melting pot of traveling souls.
