Halfordan
Halfordan is one of the major cities in the Godless Peninsula, the area in the capital continent of Edrias for the Empire. It is noted as being one of the major hubs for trade in the Peninsula and a large majority of the major trade goods flows through Halfordan. Along with this, it is regarded as being the best of the major cities in the Peninsula in regards to general civilian unrest and crime despite the overwhelming population of 'undesirables'.
Demographics
An overwhelming majority of Halfordans are non-humans due to the exclusionary and prejudiced culture of The Empire leading to the Godless Peninsula's population being highly non-human, specifically that of any form of extraplanar associated species. Such as tieflings, aasimar, halflings and gnomes. The Empire's people generally focus their hatred on those peoples of the direct upper or lower planes, meaning the tieflings and aasimar of the world. Yet still, this gives the opportunity for essentially any non-human to be discriminated against. Furthermore, criminals of all forms be they minor or major find refuge in the relative lawlessness, adding a great diversity including humans, elves and dwarves to the mix.
Government
The government of Halfordan functions similar to the general larger Imperial government, that is to say that it is a mayoral government. Taxes are collected on a monthly basis from job positions. There is a noble caste that functions as the business, law, and government leaders. This is not to say they are hereditarily in power forever, as it is feasible and has occurred that houses and families have fallen out of favor and power only to be replaced by a new up and coming family.
Furthermore, the government, like all across the Empire, due to its cultural beliefs, is home to immense amounts of political sabotage, assassination, murder, so on and so forth. So much so that many of the 'civilized' cities and towns sign what is known as a 'Pact of the Emperor', which states that as long as one party does not aggrieve another, that party will not retaliate in turn.
Defences
Halfordan sports standardized wall and troop emplacements, with a double ring structure in terms of its general wall structure, with an outter, heavy wall to protect the city as a whole and then an inner, 'Imperial Wall' that protects the valued Imperial District. The outer wall comes with four entrances/exits at each cardinal pole yet only the northern and southern ones are heavily used.
Industry & Trade
Halfordan is known as a major trade outpost amongst the Godless Peninsula. Fencing legal and illegal goods, if one knows where to look, nearly anything can be found. The Blackpath Coalition's existence and high density here in terms of its operatives have earned it the name of 'The Path's Coinpurse', due to its high income, regarding it replacing the goods and services that the Empire itself would provide.
Infrastructure
Halfordan is noted as being rather well built, as it is one of the only major military and economic centers in the Godless Peninsula. As such, there is stone roads, well built houses, a standardized sewage system, and more. Due to this, it only furthers Halfordan's reputation as the 'bastion of civilization' in the peninusla. That being said, there are greatly restrictive policies upon immigration and the manner in which newcomers are accepted and allowed in the city. Generally though, the infrastructure in the city of Halfordan, for its overall continental location, is rather good.
Districts
There are many unique districts that have evolved in the city of Halfordans nearly one millenia existence. The city has endured a great many things, resulting in a great many changes to its overall districts, city structure, and general functionality as a city in relation to the greater Godless Peninsula. Typically, the districts of this great and illustrious city are as follows.
The Imperial District: Most cities in The Empire have what is known as 'The Imperial District'. Under older general organizational tactics when it came to creating, reorganizing and generally structuring greater cities and towns, it was thought that a collection of people living in a condensed area would require a strong core in order to provide security, religious holiness, economic prosperity, and overall general structure. As such, most major towns and cities in The Empire operate utilizing these Imperial Districts as a centerpiece to the city or town. The Imperial District in Halfordan is noted as being unique for the Godless Market, an area near the town square noted as housing a unique and exotic market in which various goods that cannot be usually acquired by standard Imperial citiens are fenced and offered to the public. While not overtly illegal, and not overtly policed, these goods can be somewhat suspect or strange to the eye and senses. This goes so far in forms of a city cultural marker, that it is an official edict that this service is to not be impeded, as to not cause a major uproar amongst the 'undesirables'. As such, the Godless Market is more or less government sanctioned smuggling and illegal good fencing. It is rather suprisingly open in its appearance, with minimal efforts made to hide the goods or the sellers themselves.
Other than this, the Imperial District of Halfordan holds the typical official government buildings and structures that make it function.
The Godless District: A satirical name given to an already godless area, the Godless District is known as more or less the slum of Halfordan. Shady deals, backalley heretical pacts, under the table business transactions, unpersecuted violent crimes, and more are all daily parts of life here. These are truly considered the dregs of Imperial society. Barely any calls are answered here, and more or less if the district isn't burning down, the guard don't care what occurs here aside from at official sites such as the Central Halfordan Lower Church, or the town center. That is to say, most residents here are on their own. Navigating scams, dark scemes, kidnappting by the Sinister Triad, murder by unruly and unlicesenced psychopaths, and worse.
The Blade District: Named for its abundance of guards and soldiers of The Empire, as a sort of unofficial capital of the Godless Peninsula, the Blade District is a massive district that houses a vast majority of the official property of the Imperial Army, including a base/fortress combination property, a training facility that specializes in guard and soldier eticit in regards to rules of engadement and differences between the 'Pure Side' and the 'Goddless Side'. Known for its highly order based structure, it is rarely a scene for any amount of obvious or forthright crime, due to the abundance of law enforcement. It is known that the Pure Order holds one major fortress here, known as the Pure Fort.
The Penance: A massive prison district, The Penance is a highly defended, guarded, and reinforced district that essentially no one but highly permitted and high ranking individuals of the Empire are allowed into, aside from the guards and Warden Bestar, a dwarven man whose family has ruled the massive prison complex for generations as a form of royal mark of office.
Assets
Halfordan is known to sport a somewhat impressive armory and treasury due to it being the 'Godless Capital'.
Guilds and Factions
As stated, the Blackpath Coalition has a rather sinister but secretive and shadowy hold over the city and its general peasantry.
The Half-Blooded Infidels, a gang of non-human criminals, also holds a large portion of the Godless District under their thumb. Smaller, lesser gangs also roam the streets intimidating, stealing, murdering and otherwise being nuisances.
The Church, specifically the sect of the Mortalians, hold great hold here. Widely respected and revered by the inhabitants of the town for their abnormally human nature, the Mortalians believe that all mortals are sacred, and that eventually, everyone will play their part in Harbinger's grand plan.
The Imperial Army holds sway over this city as well with its dominance of The Penance. Due to the high population of the prison and its required staffing, the military has taken it over as one massive fortress complex.
History
The history of Halfordan is one of intrigue and long, storied past decisions that have faded into obscurity by the waves of time. Initially thought to have been established at random by exiled settlers from the new empire into this now also newly diseased and wasted land, it was recently discovered and revealed that it had in fact been entirely planted and developed by design as as sort of second 'capital' for the undesireables of this new empire, seemingly the designers had enough common sense to allow their oppressed parties the ability to have somewhere they could call home, as long as they pledged allegiance to the organization that now ruled the world.
Founding Date
33 Rou, 3 PFE
Alternative Name(s)
Trade-Land, Big H, The Middle
Type
City
Population
80,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Halfordans
Location under
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
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