Southguard

The capitol city of the Tristeadian Empire, located at the eastern tip of the Erimos Dipla beside the Rhyne River.

History
Southguard was founded as a small human trading town in the 306th year of the Pyrrhic Age, barely a blip on the map during the High Elf Rule. After the (Name?) Civil War, the town began to grow as refugees followed the roads south and settled down, and the elven population began to swell. Cultural and political tensions between elves and humans resulted in civil unrest; the humans residents were content with the "Woman's Circle"-esque leadership, but the elves wanted a more refined form of power.

What resulted was a brief yet bloody skirmish that ended in 417 P.A. with the rise of Mazrim Underfoot (human) who became the first ruler of the now city-sized Southguard. It took five more years to cement his power and quell the elven rebellion, and Mazrim became the first in a long line of human rulers. In 940 P.A, 90 years before the beginning of the Tristeadian Empire a large manor was completed on the northeast side of Southguard, and for the next three hundred years it served as the home of the royal family.

In 201. o.E.D (of the Empire's Dominion, effectively the 1101'th of the Pyrrhic Age), Elys Tristead died in the manor without an heir to the throne, and the Tristeadian Empire shifted from a monarchy to an oligarchy; with this change, the residency of rulers moved from the manor to the Center District. Around this time, the twelve-year construction of Southguard's wall began around the city's limits.

Following the release of Orien and the return of the Blight, Southguard became one of the few cities to be spared, thanks to NAME, the archmage of the Karasi Academy.

City Layout
Southguard is divided into five distinct districts. The outer four are separated by four large roads that enter the city from each of the cardinal directions, meeting in the center at a circular road that envelops the fifth center district. Each district is loosely responsible for a different aspect of city life: the Center district is political; the North, industry; the East, education; the South, commerce; the West, military.

The North (Industry)
The north-western quadrant of Southguard, commonly called "The North" is a rough-around-the-edges part of the city. Once the center of a booming industry, it has mostly fallen into disrepair. Factories and warehouses - some still operational - line the outer portion by the wall provide the main source of - legitimate - jobs to the district residents, although most have turned to other means of support. At the center, in the rubble of the old Tristead Manor, sits The Row, the northern equivalent of the southern Tri-Market; it and the surrounding blocks are considered some of the most dangerous streets in the city.

The South (Commerce)
The South (technically the south-east quadrant) serves as residential housing for non-oligarchical nobles and wealthy merchants. In the center sits the Tri-Market, the largest marketplace in the city.

The East (Education)
The East is home to the Karasi Academy

The West (Military)
The West has a large military academy located equidistant from the outer walls and the Spires, mirroring the Karasi Academy of the East. This military school was primarily used during the early expansion of the Empire; as conquest began to slow and the borders moved further away from Southguard, the academy turned its attention onto supplying the city's guards instead of soldiers. However, it remains a centerpiece of the city, a monument to the Empire's reach. The academy provides recruits to each of the city's three guards.

Political Structure
The governing body of Southguard is an oligarchy.

The city itself has three separate branches of protection. The King's Watch is the largest, responsible for patrolling the five districts and paying special attention to the Center Road and the spires within. The South and its merchants have their own Rose Guard; not only does this garrison provide general security for the district, but members can be hired as bodyguards for individual use. The last group is the Iron Crook, based in the Western district. They specialize in investigation and questioning; often times, matters that exceed the capabilities of the King's Watch as passed onto the Iron Crook.