Foreign Quarter
by Giampaolo AgostaThe Foreign Quarter, being relatively new and mostly populated by foreigners, doesn't have a representation in the town political life. There isn't also a single patron, since the inhabitants are members of one of the several foreign cults, especially the highly polytheistic Church of Darokin, as well as the cults of the High Heroes, Kagyar, Augrism, and the Eternal Truth.
City Jail
The jail is a massive, squat sandstone building of the Thyatian period, though built mostly by dwarven masons on a dwarven engineer's plan. The designer, one Bohrur Stonecleaver of Highforge, tried to mix a classical Thyatian architectural style with the typical dwarven construction, resulting in a low, rectangular building topped by an incongruous pediment. Hexagonal turrets flank the front of the building, providing a degree of defence to the entrance gate -- the only weak spot in the otherwise massive outer wall. A small courtyard opens beyond the entrance gate, and gives access to the guard rooms, the kitchens, and the offices. The cells are located on the first story.
The dwarves had been commissioned this work by Duke Stefan, when it became clear that the Hightower could not serve as the only prison in the town.
Since the Foreign Quarter was experiencing a significant increase in petty crimes -- brawls, pickpocketing, and muggings -- but wasn't as out of control as the Nest, the Karameikan government chose to locate it at there.
Nowadays, the Hightower is only used for temporary detention and for imprisoned nobles or political prisoners that should not come in contact with other inmates.
Escaping the City Jail is not impossible, but is very difficult, since the dwarven construction gave the wall extra thickness. It is rumoured that the dwarves built a secret exit passage, to prevent the humans from using it to imprison their own -- however, only Bohrur is likely to know the truth on the matter, and the old dwarf doesn't leave Highforge anymore.
Note: I'd put the Jail in one of the open areas -- one doesn't want people to build too close to a jail, to avoid break-ins.
Foreigners' Graveyard
This plot of open ground has been used as graveyard for more than a century. Its use dates back to the time before the Thyatian invasion, when a Minrothad merchantman was destroyed by a fire. The bodies of thirteen sailors were recovered, but could not be buried at sea, for the season was late and no more Minrothaddan ships were expected. Thus, the dead sailors were interred in a common grave just out of the city walls.
Since that time, foreigners who die in Specularum and are not cremated (in that case the urns can be sent back to their homeland) are laid to rest in this area, which is now dotted with small tombstones.
A few crypts were also built to hold the most notable residents of the Foreign Quarter, including the senior agents of House Hallonica and the Augrist priests (none of them has yet died on Karameikan grounds, but the dwarves like to be prepared).
Rumours of undead haunting abound, but the most immediate threat in the area comes for much more mundane villains: Minrothaddan and Hin gangs both claim the graveyard as part of their territory, and brawls and small scale battles often take place during the night.