THE KING'S CITADEL
The members of the King's Citadel are the direct agents
of the Brelish Crown. As such, the King's Citadel stands
above the Sharn Watch. Its members have the authority
to take control of any investigation and to command the
service of any guard or sentinel. Typically the Citadel
leaves the daily chores of law enforcement (including
the conflicts between the criminal organizations of the
lower towers) in the hands of the Sharn Watch. The
Citadel is concerned with forces that threaten the entire
city, or even the kingdom. Foreign spies, mad necroman
cers, and ancient fiends-these are the foes of the King's
Citadel, rather than pickpockets and burglars.
Of course, many of these greater threats might be be
yond the capabilities of the typical Citadel agents. Much
as the Blackened Book does, the Citadel keeps a close
eye on unusual and talented individuals, and a party of
adventurers might be called upon to assist the Citadel in
a dangerous mission.
Unlike the Sharn Watch, the Citadel doesn't ask for
help: it demands it. The knights of the Citadel are the
representatives of the King of Breland, and any Brelish
citizen who refuses to help them is committing an act of
treason. The Citadel isn't required to provide compen
sation for the services it demands, but an adventurer
who wins the respect of the Citadel can certainly benefit
from the relationship.
The Citadel is made up of these four divisions:
The King's Dark Lanterns gather intelligence and en
gage in covert operations.
The King's Shields protect the royal family and its clos
est associates.
The King's Swords are elite soldiers used in the most
dangerous military operations.
The King's Wands are wizards and sorcerers, serving
the crown in all arcane matters.
The headquarters of the Citadel is in the Ambassador
Towers district of Middle Central, in Andith Tower. That
structure also serves as the city jail.THE REDCLOAK BATTALION
The soldiers of the Redcloak Battalion are among the
deadliest warriors in Sharn. When a situation calls for
extreme military force, both the Sharn Watch and the
King's Citadel turn to the Redcloak Battalion. This elite
unit fought in the forefront of the Last War, and the
bards in Menthis today sing of the exploits of Khandan
the Hammer and Meira the Huntress. At the end of the
war, the battalion was split up, and one unit was as
signed to Sharn. Its headquarters is located in the Dag
gerwatch district of Upper Dura.
Many of the members of the Redcloak Battalion resent
being relegated to mere law enforcement, and there is
a strong rivalry between the Redcloaks and the King's
Swords of the Citadel, who generally have less military
experience even though they enjoy far greater authority
and prestige.
As veterans and heroes of the Last War, many of the
Redcloaks are unfriendly toward travelers from other
nations. As far as the Redcloaks are concerned, the
Treaty of Thronehold is merely an intermission, and
soon King Boranel will come to his senses and finish
the job that Wroann ir'Wynarn began.CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS
Officers of the watch can levy fines on the spot when
they catch culprits, which is the typical way that minor
crimes are dealt with. For a serious offense, the perpe
trator is taken to a garrison and held until a trial can be
arranged. A criminal who is considered to be a serious
flight risk will be taken to the most secure facility in
Sharn-the King's Citadel headquarters.
Typically, a prisoner's case comes to the attention
of a local magistrate within ld4 days. The magistrate
reviews the facts of the case and asks the victim to
confirm or deny their role in the crime while under the
influence of a zone of truth spell. The magistrate will
then propose a punishment to the accused; if the offer is
refused, the case goes to trial.
Punishment for convicted criminals varies, but long
term imprisonment is quite rare. Prisoners who deemed
to be too dangerous to be allowed to roam free are more
likely to be executed than imprisoned. Typically, a long
prison sentence is used only for criminals who can't be
allowed to go free, but whose deaths would have nega
tive diplomatic repercussions.
Fines are the typical form of punishment. The amount
of a fine is generally based on the nature of the crime,
but a magistrate has the right to increase a fine to en
sure that it is an effective punishment. For example,
a fine of 10 gp is crippling to a commoner but can be
inconsequential to an adventurer or a member of the
Aurum, and in such cases it will be increased. Also, the
court can confiscate possessions in lieu of receiving
payments in gold; you might not care about having to
pay a fine of 100 gp, but having your grandfather's magic
sword confiscated instead might sting. If a criminal
can't afford to pay a fine, the sentence might be changed
to hard labor-or, in the case of adventurers, performing
special services on behalf of the city or the Crown.
Other kinds of punishment include branding (gener
ally in a visible location, warning others of your criminal
actions), exile, or several magical measures: an ongoing
curse, a period of induced blindness, and so on. A repeat
offender might be declared an outlaw, which status is
often indicated by a brand. An outlaw is stripped of the
protection of the law, and anyone can take any action
against them without fear of legal retribution.CHAPTER 3 I SH ARN, CITY OF TOWERS 181