Diablotin

Diablotin is the chief city of the Aveyrone Empire. It probably has a population of something around 400,000 souls, if the suburbs are taken into consideration, although the census figures are known to be highly inaccurate. It is a very ancient city, with some sections having been inhabited for over 2000 years. It can be divided into eight main sections.

Districts

• The Imperial City, which stands on an island at the centre of the greater city, and consists mainly of the labyrinthine Imperial palace complex.
• The Grand Vallon, commonly called simply The Grand, which houses many minor nobles, rich merchants, and fancy boutiques. A centre of decadence.
• The Place D'Iena, which is the main market district for the city, featuring produce from the countryside, many artisans'shops, and much, much more. Centrally-located, this is the place for shopping, but also for gossiping.
• The Castalia, the university district, which holds the great institutions of learning, and many small cafés, galleries, and slum-quality apartments. A very old section, much in need of repairs that never seem to come.
• The Pavillion, the main middle-class living district - very bourgeois and pleasant... but who knows what goes on behind closed doors?
• Pearl City, the red-light district. They say that in Pearl City, you can find the six things you most desire, and a seventh you hadn't even realized you wanted.
• Rhenea, the old city. This is the oldest section of the city, and the most mysterious. Its central feature is the Black Down, a barren, blackened hill. The district has been largely abandoned by reputable businesses, but is far from deserted...
• The Shambles. The slums of Diablotin, the lowest of the low wind up here, living in a veritable rat's nest of crumbling tenements and hastily-erected shacks. Going into the Shambles unprepared is often fatal.

Map

Closer view of Rhenea, The Castalia, and the Imperial City

Law Enforcement

There is no police force in Diablotin, except for the Imperial Guards. The responsibilities of the guards are extensive, and can range from guarding the person of the Emperor to defending the city from invasion to arresting cutpurses. There is a hierarchy to the guards: at the very top is the Warlord, who is in charge of all military activities of the Empire. Next are the six Captains, each of whom commands a force of some 600^[outdated?] guards. Finally there are sixty Lieutenants, who each supervise sixty guards. New guards are generally put on the worst assignments - patrolling Pearl City or (even worse) the Shambles, for example. This has two benefits: it weeds out the incompetent and those who don't really want to be there, and it provides on-the-job training for more prestigious assignments. Guards in such situations are expected to patrol in groups of six members - it discourages slacking and corruption, and provides a certain measure of safety (at least in theory).

More recently, the Companions of Silence (aka the Hush) have begun to take charge in certain aspects of law enforcement. A mysterious and shady organization who are said to have members from all echelons of society, even the very highest. Rather than being directly involved in crime themselves, the Companions of Silence control and direct some of the lesser criminal gangs to keep them in order - in effect, "policing" the underworld.

Crime

There is a thriving criminal underworld in Diablotin. There is no formal thieves' guild; instead there are many diverse criminal syndicates operating sometimes with and sometimes against each other. Despite the best efforts of the guards, the numerous gangs and even more numerous lone criminals never seem to disappear - more often, they simply relocate to another part of the city. The guards are thus expected to focus their attention on murderers, career thieves, and violent offenders (rapists, arsonists, etc.), rather than the minor criminals such as beggars, prostitutes, and pickpockets. A guard who observes a minor crime in process would generally correct the situation, but would rarely actually arrest the offender. Diablotin's large prison, the Creux, is perpetually overfull, and is reserved for serious criminals only by informal tradition. The justice system is generally slow and ponderous, and prone to corruption.

Infrastructure

• Sanitary conditions in Diablotin are generally sub-standard, especially in the less reputable districts. There are old sewer systems in some parts, but these are only minimally functional. However, in the newer neighbourhoods of the Grand and the Pavillion, conditions are improving.