LORD’S KEEP

Social Class: Upper.

Power Center: Always—conventional (noble).

Buildings: Manor house, bureaucratic offices, servants’ quarters (12%), garrison post, chapel (Heironeous, St. Cuthbert), average trades (85%).

Description: In many cities, the local lord dwells in a vast estate, often separated from other districts by walls or gates. This estate might be a single massive house or a complex of buildings. It contains the living quarters of the city’s ruler, offices and meeting chambers, and often a parade ground or ceremonial gathering place for public addresses. The lord’s keep is also often, though not always, the location of the city’s highest court. Citizens with no official business are usually turned away unless they are invited or come as petitioners. The estate grounds are meticulously kept and usually feature large gardens, luxurious fountains, hedge mazes, and the like. People are clad in the latest fashions, and carriages are as common as pedestrians. The air smells relatively fresh here. In most cases, the lord’s estate has not only its own defenses but also an independent source of water, enabling it to withstand a short siege even if the city should fall.

Plot Hook: People who dwell near the lord’s keep have reported odd lights and terrifying sounds coming from the estate and its surroundings late at night. A few rumors suggest that people who come near the gates after midnight simply disappear. The lord and the estate staff deny that anything unusual is happening, however, and no official investigation is under way.