By the dawn of the current age, humanity's settlements are considered quite safe from the dangers of fellbeasts and monsters. Grander towns and cities might disregard the threat entirely, secure behind a mix of traditional and magical fortifications. The dangers that make their home in the wilds are far more of a threat for smaller settlements and the many farmers that might live some distance from their neighbors, without the security of communal fortifications. Even distant hamlets maintain robust walls, reinforced with sigils and spellwork unique to each community's traditions, adapted over the course of generations for the unique dangers of lands around them.
This omnipresent threat has constrained the spread of human settlement. The ruins of sprawling, spacious cities are often scorned as gaudy, impossibly decadent wastes of resources. The grandest cities reach high into the sky, and buildings are the core of communal obligation. Maintenance and upkeep of buildings is a prestigious trade supported by the whole of a settlement. Multi-story dwellings are common even in the smallest of hamlets, as are deep basements wherever the ground is suitable. A glamorous square is considered the pride of a civic center, from the smallest settlement's unpaved green to the famed, multi-story centers that form the cores of the most prosperous cities. Originally, the square was a common ground within the safety of a village's walls for the loading and unloading of caravans, as well as a communal space for festivals and celebrations. Over time, parks, oratory amphitheaters, public art, and even museums and theaters are incorporated into these grand city structures.