The Iron Ward
The Iron Ward, a city of gray stone, embodies the worst aspects of oppressive law. Councilor Alashta, a cruel amnizu, wields absolute power and can’t be questioned or challenged. Most of the subjects of the ward are indentured servants, trapped in inescapable contracts; visitors must be careful not to accept any offers of work in the ward, lest they be similarly trapped. There are regular displays of brutal “justice” in the grand plaza. Imps scurry in the shadows, watching outsiders and carrying news of their actions to the chain devils and erinyes that serve as the brutal police force. While they can’t punish adventurers “unjustly,” they can tempt visitors into misconduct;
fiendish merchants and patrons have many appealing offers for
adventurers, but almost all would surely lead to breaking a law
of the ward, obscure and ridiculous as it may be.
While the Iron Ward symbolizes the evils of oppressive order, it is driven by order. The police and councilors twist the law and weaponize it, but ultimately even they must obey the laws—the one advantage adventurers have in passing through this place. And while the subjects of the Iron Ward are brutally oppressed, they’re largely symbolic; it’s questionable if the subjects even exist when no one’s around to observe their suffering.
Type
Dimensional plane
Location under
