Gilladian said:
Due to a rapid change in direction in my campaign, I'm suddenly designing an ancient cathedral/temple building. This was in a major city, and was one massive place when it was in use. Now, of course it is inhabited by something else....
Okay then.
A cathedral is by definition the church in which a bishop has his
cathedra, his throne. Now I guess that you are not exactly detailing a feature for a campaign set in mediaeval Europe, but nevertheless that this is in some way analogous. So we are talking about the administrative centre of a powerful prelate. Is that right?
So, you need a big temple. You also need a palace. And you need an administrative headquarters. You probably also need a book-factory and a school.
It is interesting to note that a mediaeval bishop was not the priest of his cathedral. The cathedral was usually a collegiate church, with the duties and rights of the rector discharged by and shared among a group of priests known as the
chapter or
collegium. (It is also interesting to note that there were collegiate churches that were not cathedrals, such as Westminster Abbey in London.) Sometimes the cathedral college had the right of electing the bishop, but this right was invaded by the habit of popes and kings appointing bishops.) The priests of the college were not technically speaking monks (after 1123 monks, even ones who were ordained, were forbidden from performing services for the laity, except in emergencies). The correct term is
canons. Sometimes the canons of a cathedral (or other collegiate church) lived like monks (in a communal life under a rule), in which case they were
canons regular, but at other cathedrals each canon had his own house (usually in an area around the cathedral called the 'close' or 'precinct'). Each canon was supported by a collection of properties called a 'prebend': canons regular held their prebends in common, ordinary canons had separate personal prebends. In some examples the bishop shared a common life with the canons regular of his cathedral, them forming his household like an ecclesiastical version of the household knights of a lay magnate. The canons whether regular or not also formed the court or senate of the bishop, handling administrative duties, exercising collective counsel, tried cases under cnon law, etc. etc.
Anyway, in your example the high priest is going to have administrative duties somewhat like those of a bishop, so he is going to need a staff of priests to act as his assistants, deputies, and advisors, like a cathedral chapter (whatever their legal position is). These may live in his palace (either in a hall like household knights, or each with his own private cell like monks), or there may be a cloister (like a monastery but technically not), or they may have houses either in a close or scattered through the city. If they have a common life they may require a refectory, bath, library, garden: even an infirmary for sick and aged members. They will need a chapter-house for chapter meetings, collective decision-making &c.
One of the things that cathedral chapters often used to do was to train priests and clerks for parish duties in the diocese and in the bishop's bureacracy. They also sometimes taught reading, writing &c. to the public (for fees). So you need a schoolroom, or perhaps several (eg. for elementary and advanced schooling and for training in theology &c.) A small library as well, perhaps. Maybe accommodations for the scholars (though many would live with their parents in the city).
Another activity often centred at cathedrals was producing books: bibles, psalters, horaries, missals &c for the use of priests, and other books for trining lawyers and theologians. For this you need a scriptorium, a libary, a bindery, accommodations for the scribes etc.
The diocese needs a treasury and accounting offices: sometimes the bishop, the chapter, and an associated monastery (usually Augustinian rather than Benedictine) each had separate revenues and treasuries.
The bishop has judicial powers under canon law, and sometimes secular authority, too. Even if he or she has now authority over the laity, he or she will have powers to discipline his or her subordinate priests and settle disputes over church property, rights, appointments etc. Judicial functions may be delegated to a vicar-general or archdeacon, but either way the cathedral needs some sort of courthouse. And an office for drawing up, issuing, and recording writs.
The cathedral church of course needs a chamber for public ceremonies, with plenty of space in the choir for all those canons. Perhaps a baptistry and special facilities for funerals. It may contain tombs of have a crypt for tombs. There must be a secure storage-place for precious vestments, and a secure place for washing and storing precious vessels &c. A storeroom for any supplies used in rituals (such as incense, bread, wine, holy water....
