Monument

Basic Information

A Monument is a type of structure built to commemorate a person or event of importance. These include statues, war memorials, and historic buildings. By that definition, a simple gravestone can be considered a monument of sorts, but the word usually implies something grander. A structure not originally built for this purpose might be considered a monument if it becomes embraced by people as a symbol of their cultural heritage.

See Also

• Cenotaph
• Elephant of the Bastille
• Fountain
• Mausoleum
• Monolith
• Obelisk
• Stele
• Triumphal Arch

Sources

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia article: Monument

Game and Story Use

• An important memorial might make a good setting for a scene
  • "You will meet your contact in front of the War Memorial in Fountain Park."
• An important McGuffin might be hidden somewhere inside or underneath a memorial
  • The trick is, how do you find it without getting arrested for defacing public property?
    • The answer: put on a Hi-Viz, fence it off and, if you like, put up a tarp tent. Unless the actual maintenance people are around no-one will question you.
  • Or perhaps inscriptions on the memorial might provide important information.
  • The memorial might itself be plot-significant: magically important in some way, or even just for symbolic value.
• As recent history shows, monuments can be rather contentious when the person or event celebrated is no longer considered worth celebrating.
  • And even more so if whether the person or event is "worth celebrating" is itself disputed. Even a monument with little to no artistic value can serve as a rallying point if it commemorates a controversial figure.
• A monument divorced from its original context is a great mystery for archaeologist or historian characters. "Who was the Hatshepsut person mentioned in this carving?"
• Building a monument to yourself is a classic sign of vanity, whether the dictator whose watchful cameo is carved everywhere or the ruined "my name is Ozymandias" statue of a fallen civilization.