After a series of noble-targeted robberies occurred during minstrel performances in the Murkmire Malevolence, a small band of security guards were regularly stationed to patrol the Cliffsunder City Square. This change was permanent, making the upper city's wealthy residents feel safer.
The City Square of upper Cliffsunder sat at the heart of the marble districts, laid out in bright white tiles broken by carefully tended stretches of magical grass that never browned or wore thin underfoot. At its center stood a statue of Iodun the Unifier, one of many such monuments across Commona, rendered in pale stone that caught the light from every angle. The square was open and orderly, framed by colonnades and low fountains that softened the sharp lines of the surrounding towers and estates. From its edges, several of the city’s main thoroughfares spread outward, ensuring a steady flow of foot traffic throughout the day.
The square served as a favored meeting place for academics, minor nobles, and those who wished to be seen among them. Whiteharbour Academy's proximity gave the area a scholarly character, and debates, lectures, and quiet negotiations were common sights beneath the open sky. Establishments such as the Sage's Quill drew patrons who lingered long after their business was done, and a grand fountain opposite Iodun's statue provided fresh drinking water to all nearby residents.
Despite its refinement, the City Square was not isolated from the wider city. From certain vantage points, one could glimpse the distant drop toward the lower districts and the Grandport beyond. Guards were present but unobtrusive, and crime was rare by the standards of Cliffsunder, though influence and reputation mattered as much as law. Bards and performers often worked the open spaces, and those with skill and restraint could earn well, as the surrounding shops catered to a clientele with money to spend.