Halberd

Halberd, a southern city-state resting near the borders between the Feydorian and Kah'alune kingdoms, is a militaristic society focused almost solely on strength and war. Halberd is a member of the Feydorian Empire, and as such, many of the cities predominant soldiers and warriors form the first line of real defense against incursion from Kah'Alune to the East..

The city is surrounded by a high wall, which helps to protect it against attacks, and is guarded constantly against invading forces. As well as the wall, the city was constructed on an elevated cliff side, making outside access difficult for most. Halberd is regarded as a fortress for its defenses, and attempting to attack is often regarded as a futile effort.

## Government

The city is governed by the High Guard Captains appointed by the Emperor. This position is of the highest honors in Halberd, and can only be attained through a display of combat, most often in the cities annual Gladiator fights. at any time there are 4 captains, each of which governs over a designated portion of the city. These captains are in charge of maintaining one of the cities main gates, as well as the Military command post, Training center, Ministry of trade, and the School of Magic.

## The City Centers

The four main city centers, as mentioned above, help to establish the city as the dominant military force throughout Feydore and Kah'alune. Each focuses on an aspect of the cities overall strength and each operates separately from each other, as a precaution against rebellion and invasion. If any one center goes down, the others will remain intact and operational.

The Training center is the training grounds and school for the cities soldiers. While attending the school is optional, the center is widely regarding for training some of Atheria's strongest. The training regime is regarded as one of the cruelest and harshest ever recorded, but survivors have shown limitless combat skill and a distinct lack of fear, seemingly unstoppable in battle and unafraid to die. The cities methods have long been questioned, but no ruling body has attempted to stop these practices and so, they continue.

The Military Command post is the cities hub of command, and stations the captains and the cities governing ruler at any time. as such, this facility has 2 parts. The outer hub houses the command station, where the governing ruler takes on political meetings and negotiates war tactics, as well as the Gladiator stadium that helps to determine that cities Captains. The stadium is open year round for battles, as any captain can be challenged for their position, and houses weekly battles showcasing slaves and captives from campaigns and raids on the cities borders. The inner sanctum is home to the captains, and the Royal halls are located in the center, in the center of the city itself.

The School of magic, while not as broad in scope or power as the Brimstone academy in Heaton, houses the cities mages. These mages focus on purely offensive and battle oriented magics, and as such are more often Spell-swords or living artillery masters. The school focuses on destructive magics, used on the battlefield and in military campaigns, and conjuration. Conjurers normally do not see battle, but remain in the city to tend to a number of the cities Golems, as well as summon the monsters that fight in the stadium for the cities amusement.

The ministry of trade is Halberds only non-military dominion, and handles the cities trade routes and exports. The ministry is solely responsible for the cities wealth, and chooses which areas of the city are given funding at any one time. Under the ministry is the city vault, which houses an vast collection of gold, artifacts, and spoils of war that Halberd has collected over centuries, and only the ruling body has access to its depths. This is where each ruler chooses the weapon they will wield, and Aria chose her blade from the vault when she was crowned.

## Economy

The city, outside of its military strength, is prosperous in trade and the markets are a lively home to the cities culture. The markets are located near the city center, and surround the Military Command in a large ring. While the city thrives on trade and strength, the school of magic creates Golems which tend to and maintain the city on a daily basis. In a time of war these Golems can be used as an unstoppable front line, but are normally seen constructing buildings or maintaining the city through security and waste removal. Visitors to the city are normally frightened by the large monsters, but residents have grown used to their presence and accept them as part of life.

All beings are welcome in Halberd, but only if they maintain peace. Anything or anyone caught creating a disturbance is either captured by guards, if they are lucky, or swiftly torn to shreds by nearby Golems.

## Trade and Exports

The cities main exports consist of a wide variety of weaponry created in the cities forges, as well as armor and other pieces of military equipment. Outside of trade, the city funds itself through the use of mercenary contracting, negotiating contracts in secret for raids, campaigns, and many others at a high price.