Description The City of Rhydin is located on a river that connects to the Ocean. The river runs along the east side of the city and there are forests bordering the city to the North, West and SouthWest It serves as a trading center for much of the trade that passes through the continent do to its position as well as because of the safety afforded by the presence of all of the adventurers and Guilds who reside in the city to train and test themselves in the Arena. The city consists of several quarters. The Slums are all of the land outside the protection of the new city wall outside the South Gate, and due to the many attacks on the South Gate by invaders the part of the Artisan Quarter that is nearest the gate has became part of the slums as well. It is mostly unprotected by city watch other than in the towers dotting the edge of the forest and is home to many warehouses protected by private guardsmen, bawdy houses, small taverns and shops as well as homes of the poorer citizens of the city who can not afford a place within the protective city walls. Inside the city walls there is a centrally located Merchant quarter.  West of the Merchant quarter is the Guild District, where the Guilds of the adventurers who fight in the Arena used to be located. Currently only the Mage, Cleric, Illusionist and Martial Artist's maintain their guildhalls within the Guild District. Just  inside South Gate is the Arena, a grand edifice where adventurers test themselves in combat against their peers. To the North of the Market quarter behind a second city wall is the High quarter, where nobles visiting and residing in the city keep their Manors. East of the Merchant quarter is the Artisan quarter, which is home of the hard-working residents of Rhydin as well as the Craftsman's Guildhalls. Many of the Residents of the Artisan's quarter operate shops from their homes, the signs outside the doors proclaiming the wares of those within.  Outside the East (or Dock Gate) is the Dock quarter where many merchant ships are docked while their goods are being offloaded. There is a open air market guarded by a tower just outside the Dock gate that is referred to as the "Low Market". It is here that goods are sold by people who can't afford shops in the Merchant quarter, their wares displayed on blankets, tables or in open tents. The Dock quarter is the roughest area in the City with few City Watch patrols venturing out at night. Here many a young fop has lost his wallet....if not his life. Climate The city is not subject to extreme changes in weather, which further makes it an ideal center of trade, with only a period of about 8 to 12 weeks a year where the nightly temperature falls below freezing. For the most part the temperature ranges from 60 to 90 degrees with highs nearing 100 in the peak of the summer months. Precipitation is quite common with afternoon showers likely during the spring and summer months as well as snow flurries during the winter months. Government Rhydin is run by a directing Council made up of the heads of the various Merchant and Craft Guilds. The Council elects a Lord Mayor once every four years who runs the day to day operations of the city. For the past 200 years the Merchant Guilds have kept one of their representatives in the ruling seat, keeping the City of Rhydin focused on its position as a trading center and also keeping it out of the politics of the rest of the continent. The Lord Mayor hires mercenary companies to serve as City Watch. Usually several different companies are hired for different parts of the city so that no one company could take over should it wish to. In addition to whatever companies are acting as official City Watch at that time, many of the wealthier merchants and residant nobles keep companies of their own. All of these groups in addition to the adventurers and Guilds of the Arena have repelled every attack on the city to date. Click here to see a picture of the city.