On the very border of civilization, Cillamar is forced to contend with more than its share of outlaws, thieves, and brigands—criminals who would prey on the helpless and then vanish into the wilderness. Cillamar’s answer to the criminal element is the grim fortress known simply as the Gaol. Visible from blocks in every direction, the Gaol inspires dread in Cillamar’s lower class, distaste in the aristocracy and distrust in the merchants.
n
The men and women of the Lantern Watch are barracked within the Gaol, issuing forth at every odd hour to patrol Cillamar’s walls, gates, and streets. The Lantern Watch occupies the upper three levels of the Gaol, while the lower two levels serve as aworkhouse for Cillamar’s orphans and those convicted of minor crimes.
n
The Mistress of the Gaol and the Latern Watch is Lady Woden, a cold-hearted woman referred to by thieves as Woden the Wolf. It is Lady Woden’s responsibility to make Cillamar as safe as possible, a duty she embraces with fervor. Though she seldom takes part in the apprehension of any criminals, Lady Woden always carries a number of magical charms on her person and keeps a fighting blade at her side.
n
Lady Woden is assisted by Ostran the Scrivener, a tall, pale man with a face like a bleached skull. Ostran’s sole duty is to record the sentences of Cillamar’s convicts, and it is believed Ostran is the sole man in Cillamar who knows the fate of the criminals incarcerated in the Gaol’s dungeons. Ostran scratches the punishments out in a massive, black-bound tome that he carries with him.
n
The square out front of the Gaol is used exclusively for beheadings and mutilations, punishments administered dispassionately by select members of the Lantern Watch. Public punishments are always well attended, the mobs pressing close to catch a glimpse amid vendors hawking cheap religious icons and fried dough.
n
While not technically part of the Gaol, Penitence Row plays an important part in Cillamar’s law enforcement. The street is named for the dozens of iron crow cages suspended 15 to 20 feet off the ground. The cages are used to imprison convicted criminals, most of who die of exposure or dehydration. Those who risk delivering food or water to the criminals risk punishment themselves, and all of the cages sport corpses in various stages of decomposition, with flocks of raves and crows making meals of the freshly condemned.
n