Guardsmen's Facilities
The Guardsmen’s Facilities is the official headquarters of both the Sea Lord's Guard and the Freeport Guardsmen.
Architecture
The only entrance into this somber building is through the main gate that faces Mollusk Street. Inside the gate is an iron portcullis that is closed at night, and a crew of veteran guards protects the gate at all hours. Though disciplined and cautious, they also have a reputation for being somewhat sadistic. Should any problems arise, they can summon reinforcements in moments by blowing the signal whistles worn about their necks. Flanking the gate are two enormous towers that hold an entire company of Guardsmen each. Armed with crossbows, these men are quick to put down any prisoners or armed rabble-rousers they deem troublesome. They protect the gate and walk the wall surrounding the fortress.
During the day, the gate is swarmed with relatives of prisoners going to trial, as well as curiosity seekers, preachers, petitioners, and protesters seeking entry. Citizens are not permitted to carry a weapon into the compound. Persons trying to do so are not permitted to enter. Should they persist, they are given a sound beating and, if not jailed, tossed out onto the street.
Inside the headquarters are the barracks, dining hall, kitchens, infirmary, and training facilities. There are usually about ten new recruits at any given time. Recruits are responsible for all of the cooking and cleaning in the building. There are also 20 to 30 members of the Sea Lord’s Guard stationed here, plus two sergeants, a lieutenant, and sometimes the captain.
An armory located on the first floor holds weapons and armor for up to 300 men. Two Guardsmen are on hand at all times to manage the inventory and dispense weapons and armor. The second floor houses all the men, with private, single-room quarters for the sergeant and the captain. The commander has a separate wing, which he occupies only periodically, when he’s not at the palace or elsewhere; there is an office, dining room, library, and bedroom.
A training ground fronts the Guardsmen’s Facilities. The Guard drills here, marching in formation and running mock battles.
History
Of the three buildings that serve as the engines of government, the Guardsmen’s Facilities was the first constructed. Built shortly after the city was founded, long before the palace existed, this place was the original seat of the rulers’ power, from which they administered their own cruel brand of justice. Anyone who opposed them, broke the Pirate’s Code, or simply irritated them died horribly on the steps of this building.
This practice continued throughout Freeport’s golden age, up until Captain Drac first took the title of the Sea Lord. He immediately commissioned the construction of a new palace and, to secure his power, established the Sea Lord’s Guard to police the city streets and make certain his enemies had no chance of rising against him. Knowing this building’s sinister reputation, Drac changed its name to the Guardsmen’s Facilities and made it the headquarters for the newly formed Freeport Guardsmen.
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