The Black Gate is a massive, iron-reinforced stone archway that serves as a grim internal 'border' within the city walls. This is the city's primary internal security bottleneck. It is designed to 'quarantine' the Slum Quarter and the Thieves' Quarter from the wealthier merchant and garden districts. During times of riot, plague, or civil unrest, the City Watch drops the massive iron portcullis to seal the 'low-born' elements of the city away from the centers of power. It also serves as a secondary tax collection point for any 'unmarked' goods moving from the docks into the black markets of the slums.
