Truth be told, the only segment of the City the Guild is willing to declare completely secure against Malifaux’s natural and supernatural predators is the section commonly known as Downtown by its residents. Beginning at Malifaux Station and radiating outward for dozens of blocks, Downtown is bordered to the south by the riverfront, protected by Guild-constructed defences to the north, the Industrial Zone eastward, and ending to the west at the border of the Slums. Encompassing Guild structures crucial to Malifaux’s administration, such as the Governor General’s Enclave, the Gaol, and Guild Headquarters, the Governor General has taken great pains to ensure the Guild is able to repulse whatever Malifaux would throw at it, at least until evacuations of critical personnel back through the Breach are underway.

Using materials scavenged locally, as well as timber, brick, and stone shipped in from Earthside, Downtown’s streets and buildings are in excellent repair. The streets are well lit by gas lamp after sundown, providing Downtown residents with a nightlife that ends in screams and bloodshed less frequently than a night in, say, the Slums.

Newly arrived visitors, including convicts and contractors slated to work locally rather than shipped out to mines or Pioneer Towns, are given their choice of hotels and eateries. It is the Guild’s intention that short-term visitors Breachside are treated to as many of the creature comforts of home as can be made available, while permanent visitors are quickly made aware of what they stand to forfeit by causing trouble for the Guild or its agents. Guild Guards are a constant presence Downtown as well, reinforcing the image of a safe haven in a strange land the Guild strives to project.

Despite this safe image, danger still stalks Downtown residents. The City’s ancient sewer system’s rat warren of tunnels connects Downtown to the riverfront and locales outside the Guild’s control. Guild agents prowl these tunnels, seeking out and sealing off any breaches when found. However, even the Guild’s patrolling vigilance is not a guarantee that Malifaux’s myriad them will not at some point get in. Neverborn and Resurrectionists stalk Downtown’s shadowed alleys and backstreets in the deepest part of the night, hunting victims for their ghastly schemes. Fortunately for Downtowners, the Guild is always ready to put bullet, blade, and spell to work when running afoul of its enemies, and to date, no serious infestation of Undead or Neverborn has troubled Downtown, but who knows if or when that may change.