Ammis

Ammis is a city-state in central Moxia that doubles as the meeting grounds for all guilds in Amikus. Guilds without a hall in Ammis and who don't obey Ammis's “Guild Laws” are considered “unofficial” by the major guilds. Originally a small-city composed mostly of farmers and craftsmen, it has since grown into an economic and cultural powerhouse that rivals Plainchase.

History
Ammis had originally been established as a place for farmers and traders from across Moxia to meet and trade their goods. Nestled along the Lake of Four Virtues just south of Justice Ammis was in the perfect location for goods from all over to be shipped in by boat. The amount of goods moving through it helped Ammis grow from a small trading hub to a major city. The city established a council to rule it and attempted to remain neutral in major conflicts, although the city often fell into the domain of whatever imperial nation was marching through Moxia at the time. Since the latter parts of the Age of Nations the city has been free.

Shortly after the rise of the guilds several guilds from Tantus and Custos  were on the verge of battle over a dispute about the right to place guild halls on their nations' borders. They decided they would need to meet at a neutral ground and agreed on Ammis. The neutrality of Ammis and the non-interference policy of the council made the meetings go smoother than could have been hoped. After a negotiation was made all the guilds involved decided to set up a permanent hall there in case future negotiations needed to be made. Other major guilds learned of this and also started buying up real estate in Ammis.

Soon every guild wanted representation in Ammis. Many guilds went so far as to move their official headquarters to an Ammis guild hall. Unfortunately, this many armed men in one small area had unavoidable consequences including fighting in the streets and destruction of property. Ammis's council considered outlawing the guild halls altogether, but then decided on a more profitable solution. They set up a code of “Guild Laws” that all guilds that wished to have a hall in Ammis must abide by. One of these laws stated that Guilds would have to pay a tax to the council, depending on guild size. This tax would be used to fund security efforts to enforce these new Guild Laws.

Some guilds immediately rejected these laws and moved from Ammis. Guilds were supposed to be fierce and independent, after all, and they didn't much like the idea of being taxed by a foreign government. Most were forced to return when it became apparent that the majority of the largest guilds had decided to remain. Guilds that didn't have a hall in Ammis and didn't follow the Guild Laws soon became known as “unofficial guilds” and many official guilds would no longer deal with them.

The city continues to grow. More and more guilds are formed, and unofficial guilds move over to obtain official status. Merchants, traders, and craftsmen of all kinds flock to Ammis for a chance to sell their wares to the guild-mates. Ammis used the money brought in from the guild tax to fund major public works projects such as the Great Hall and the arena, The Trial of Heroes.

Layout
From the air, Amiss looks as if two different cities had collided together. In the east is the old sections of the city, built before Amiss became a meeting ground for the guilds. Small buildings with simple, humble architecture rule here. In the east-most section are the oldest residential districts. Moving westward are larger homes for the wealthy and for the council. In the center of the eastern city is the halls were the council and other officials of the city meet. In the western end is the start of the market districts. They have grown in size and now spill over to the new western city.

The western half of Amiss is all fairly new construction, built to meet the demands of the growing city since the rise of the guilds. Buildings here are bigger and are often many stories tall. The architecture is far more elaborate than the eastern city. The other half of the market districts are here, where the east and the west cities meet in a confused sprawl. A little further west is guild district set aside for the guild halls, training grounds, recruitment centers, and the Great Hall, as well as offices for the bureaucracy that ensures the guilds are properly paying their taxes. A new residential area springs up just west of that, tall building with small rooms. The arena is in the westernmost area of the city and if fairly new, having opened its doors less than two decades ago.

Special:
Ammis is considered the center for all guilds and sets the Guild Laws.

A special guild, The Peacekeepers, works exclusively in Ammis.


 * The Great Hall and The Trial of Heroes are both located here.