If you like you can look at the (sketchy, incomplete) GM notes as well.

Imperial Government Ruins

Since the Year of Chaos, however, a booming economy and a hunger for housing has led to the vigorous redevelopement of the area. Moving outward from the older rebuilding projects around the Doghouse (found at the edge of the district), the builders of Horizon have reclaimed this district for the people, creating a district of modest housing usually occupied by low ranking government officials and other such middle-class types. In doing so, the de facto home turf of the Watchdogs (in terms of Horizon's mob politics) has been much expanded; this involvement in mob politics and the generally low income of the inhabitants means that the Ruins are still thought of as part of the Lower City. These days, most of the district either has been redeveloped or is currently being so, or has been swallowed by the Slums. There are only a few exceptions where the old, deserted Imperial Government structures can still be found decaying in peace. The streets immediately adjoining the Asylum (see below for more on this) are one example of this.

The most noticable buildings in the district are the vast structures that were once barracks for the Imperial Legions, huge chunks of which were quartered here at one time. Today's Mayoral Legions take up just one of the old barracks. The rest have mostly been broken up into apartments. Another memorial to the Imperial Legions in this area used to take the form of little old men with quite fantastic collections of injuries, but the impoverished veterans of yesteryear are increasingly disappearing from the area as old age and lack of sympathy from the younger generations of Watchdogs slowly kill them off. The Last War is steadily passing from memory to history.

One of the biggest reminders of the old Imperial government is the Imperial University, which still thrives in this district (in spite of the Empire being long gone, the University clings to the anachronistic name). Now funded by the all of the Four Kingdoms and several Guilds as well as the municipal government, the University is still the premier educational establishment of the True Lands. At least, it is so in its own opinion, and what other opinion would be trusted? Generations of leaders and thinkers have been trained at the University, and the vast libraries it possesses are truly the boast of Horizon. Faculties include Engineering, Alchemy, Cartography, Medicine, Zoology, Natural Philosophy, and Literature and History. The University is also the home of the famous Academy of Millitary Arts; many of the world's greatest commanders have been educated here, then come back years later to join the faculty. Huge chunks of the officer classes of the Four Kingdoms are now educated here. Many prominent nobles, even royalty, also send their children to the school. It is the place to meet a lot of interesting people. The entire University is ruled over by a Chancellor and a Senate of respected professors. Running the place has been compared by a former Chancellor to herding cats.

Another municipal institute is found in this area, and one in which rather less civic pride is taken. Horizon's Asylum provides for those too mentally ill to look after themselves and too poor to get into a private "house of rest". Conditions here are reliably reputed to be appalling. It is well known that some of the warders will, for a small fee, take interested parties on tours of some of the more distractingly squalid wards, and some of the more amusingly insane inmates. No person of refinement would be caught engaging in such vulgar activities. Any number of melodramatic plays feature plot lines in which the virtuous but naive heroine is falsely incarcerated in the Asylum by a wicked guardian or stepparent, then driven mad by her torment, but is eventually rescued by the noble hero. Various of the great and good have talked about improving conditions, but so far no one feels like implementing the tax rises necessary to pay for them.

Rumours

Thezir, God of Knowledge, ain't so dead. He's found a way of concealing himself among the staff of the University... pretty well a perfect hiding place.

Rubbish. Thezir is dead or gone for good... but there is a cult at the University worshipping him or his memory.

Rubbish. The "cult" at the Univeristy is actually a group of Star shamen, just like in the Year of Chaos. I say, string the lot of 'em up. It's the only language they understand.

The Faculty of Cartography is willing to pay very good money for reliable, recent maps of the unexplored parts of the Treacherous Lands. Unfortuneatly, collecting that money would mean going across the Wall to draw the maps.

In the basement of the Asylum are the special cells, where they keep the special patients. In the sub-basement is just one cell, where they keep a patient who is never unchained and has to wear a mask at all times.

There is a special wing in the Asylum for the Ghouls. However, the Circle tends to see political dissent or deviation from cultural norms as madness, and imprisons those "suffering" from such afflictions here.

Corrupt Watchdogs outnumber the honest kind, and they run this district as a private fiefdom, just like any other mob. It's a godsdamn scandal.

Plenty of kickbacks, corrupt deals and mob involvment was necessary to get this area redeveloped so quickly. Could be plenty of blackmail material on all sorts of people here if someone just wanted to look for it.

The old Imperial Government buildings near the Asylum haven't been properly turned over since the War. Could be all sorts of interesting bits and pieces there, if you can be bothered to go through the other stuff.