--- title: City life description: Join a Citadel, use its services, and prepare materials for your first dungeon. --- {/* Source review 2026-09-06: world/citadels/catalog/data/catalog.json membership and refining; client CitadelStructureDetailView.tsx resource purchase and refinery sections, citadel-help-sheet.tsx and en.json citadel membership/help copy; items/catalog/data/economy.json void_compass recipe. Source-checked, not a live walkthrough. */} ## Make a Citadel part of your routine Cities in Fractara are **Citadels**: places where players build a community, develop services, and produce useful resources. Visiting one gives your exploration a practical goal before you tackle a dungeon. Citadel membership begins with a **Citadel House**, while joining a kingdom uses a membership request. Learn city life first; the kingdom chapter comes later. ## Find a city and inspect its services Explore for an active Citadel or ask another player where to find one. **Travel → Citadels** lists destinations you have joined, founded, or visited. Review any fare before confirming travel. Open the **Citadel** panel and inspect **Buildings**. Services depend on what the city has built, so check for the ones you need. For dungeon preparation, look for an **Oil Refinery** and a source of **Crude Oil**. ## Join by building a Citadel House Bring Wood and Rock, then stand inside the active Citadel's **donated Lantern territory**. The Citadel panel shows whether you are inside suitable territory. Choose **Build Citadel House**, review its material requirements, and follow any placement feedback. Building the house establishes your membership. Check that your house appears and that the **Members** tab lists you before using member services. A Citadel House serves your city membership. Keep your Log Cabin or Manor plans in mind separately; review [Building your first home](/guide/building-your-first-home/) for home travel and personal storage. ## Get oil for dungeon preparation **Crude Oil and Fracture Oil are different materials.** A Void Compass recipe uses Fracture Oil, so oil production is only the first part of the trip. Inspect an **Oil Well** in your Citadel. If another member owns the site, its **Co-harvest** offer lets members buy available stock for Gold. Check the stock, price per unit, quantity, and total before choosing **Purchase**. Move into interaction range and check that the Crude Oil reaches your inventory. If no stock is available, coordinate with the city's producers or return later. Do not plan around an empty well as an immediate supply source. Take your Crude Oil to the **Oil Refinery**, a public service. Select **Refine Oil**, enter the quantity, and choose **Refine** while in range. Each Crude Oil becomes one Fracture Oil. Check the resulting materials in your inventory. Finally, open **Crafting → Void Compass** and review the Fracture Oil and Rift Mote requirements. Craft it when you have the materials, then check that it is in your inventory. Keep Motes for your travel plans as well as the recipe. ## Explore what else the city offers The **Buildings** tab is a useful starting point for services already available and the city's next development goal. Inspect buildings directly to see their actions, costs, and requirements. A **Marketplace** may have an offer available; read its stock and price before buying. Resource sites can support longer-term production, while other public buildings open further activities as the city grows. Start with one service you need rather than trying to build everything immediately. ## Help the city grow Hunting and completing qualifying activities inside your Citadel's donated Lantern territory contributes coins to its shared treasury. Those contributions also count toward the weekly Mayor race. Dungeons entered from Citadel territory can qualify throughout the run. Check your contribution in the Citadel panel and read **How Citadels work** for the rules. The Mayor places public structures and guides their development. A weekly Mayor offer only changes leadership if the recipient accepts it. Donating an eligible Anchored Lantern is another contribution. Inspect the donation action and its consequences before giving a Lantern to the city; it adds territory to the community you are helping build. ## Before leaving a Citadel Read **Leave Citadel** carefully. Leaving demolishes your Citadel House, resource claims, and public structures you built, and your assigned workers, artificers, and Golems also leave. Changing membership can therefore affect more than your name on a roster. Discuss any production or building commitments with the city before making that decision. Use [Items & materials](/world/items-and-materials/#item-crude_oil) to look up the oil supply chain and dungeon items. ## Your next milestone You should now know how to join a Citadel, find useful services, and turn Crude Oil into Fracture Oil for crafting. Prepare your entry item, equipment, and supplies, then continue with [Your first dungeon](/guide/your-first-dungeon/). When you are ready to explore another form of shared play, [Kingdom life](/guide/kingdom-life/) explains membership requests, roles, and shared stores.