Pavena provided its denizens with all sorts of creature comforts. It never neglected its children. The overgrown playground is a location that time has forgotten and the jungle is slowly reclaiming. Made up of four large swingsets holding six swings apiece, two still-functioning slides (a straight and a spiral one), four seesaws, a merry-go-round, a complex jungle gym complete with dome, chin-up bars, a sandbox, five metal spring riders, a set of trapeze rings, and finally a stone playhouse. There are also stone tables, both picnic and straight plus benches scattered all around the area if one cares to uncover them from the underbrush.
One would think these structures would be long gone. In fact, there is some disrepair showing as a few of the actual swings have broken seats. However, due to the fact that a group of masked spider monkeys long ago discovered the site and made it their home means they have kept most of the equipment functional just by playing on it.
Taking up more than an acre of land and complete with a drinking fountain fueled by a hand-dug well, the overgrown playground is still very much a functional and vibrant part of Pavena's ruins. Located not far from the new settlement of Syka, the playground is less than a fifteen minute walk straight into the jungle past the Commons.
NPCs
Name: Zanta & Troup
Race: Masked Spider Monkeys
Zanta and his troup inhabit the overgrown playground and live in the trees around it. Numbering well into the hundreds, this band of little monkeys utilizes the playground daily. Used as both a place of play, courtship, birth, and even fights this expanse of abandoned human settlement is theirs to rule. They do not mind the occasional visitor and will often come right up to those who stumble into the playground and invite them to play. They will share food, trade food, and even show affection to people as if they are well acquainted with them and used to their visits. Their vocalizations sound a lot like human speech and with enough exposure to people, they might even experience a shift that would bring their words more in line with common. Why? Their language was originally a version of common that simply 'drifted' with generations and lack of exposure to the mother tongue.
These Masked Spider Monkeys have exceedingly long lives. They have language. They engage in complex play behaviors and can be taught tricks. Younger spider monkeys might even choose to follow settlers home and become pets. Prone to biting, these creatures often demand they get their own way when dealing with anyone they consider inferior, including humans.
Careful observation of their play behavior will show visitors to the playground just how each piece of equipment was used. They know how to swing on the swings, teeter on the teeter totters, and can definitely use the spinning wheel and metal climbing apparatuses.
* You must acquire the lore of where this location is before visiting. This can happen by asking another person that already has the lore or by stumbling upon this location with a 1d100 roll of 65 or more... that roll can be modified up with tracking, investigation, or wilderness survival.
