Herezerai

The great, walled city of Herezerai is the southern fortress of Azeranzerai, defending - with its line of watch keeps - the border with the Ophionic Empire. It also stands sentinel over the Fissure, the largest and most direct access between the surface and the Underhollows. Its defenders are divided into four groups. The Herezerai Guard defends the city - both from without, and from below - and garrisons the watch keeps, of which there are some twenty. It consists of about sixty percent of the full fighting strength of Civic Sept Herezi and its client septs. The remaining forty percent makes up the strength of the Border Scouts, a force which is responsible both for patrolling between the keeps, and for such offensive operations as might be thought necessary.
The Southern Guides are - officially - responsible for producing accurate maps to keep visitors on the right side of the border. In truth, this force of sages and arcanists is the great military intelligence engine of the Benefice, allied to the University of Herezerai's Intelligence Department. Finally, the Free Watch is a supplementary force, formed of volunteers from the Free Coast or recent refugees. The Watch usually reinforce the Scouts, favouring direct confrontation, while its veterans often find a place with the Guard, or even the Guides.
The centre of the city is the septal cloister, a complex of buildings in the sweeping, deceptively delicate architectural style of the Kindled, surrounding the Fissure, including the Septries of Hezeri and Hyzin, the temples, and the Garrison of the Guard. The rest of the city mingles ash elf and original Ophionic architecture in a unique style. The high walls which surround the city are topped with elegantly-canopied galleries which provide deceptively strong protection, and encompass enough open ground to take in the population of the surrounding country at need. The Fissure is traversed by twelve great elevators, which lead down to the lightless depths, and the fortified outpost of Downtown. Built on the remains of the camp from which the emergence was launched, this is now the first line of defence from below.

Type

City