This is a constabulary I've used in my current campaign. I figure it could make a good sample entry. Please note that I only go into as much detail about the city as I do because it's so alien to the standard village.
Sample Entry
The Sphinxes of the Secret City
Introduction
Deep in a secluded mountain in the natural world, no so deep as to enter the Underdark, not so shallow as to be seen by prying eyes, is a city. The city is virtually unknown, except in rumor. It exists as a refuge for any unnatural creature that seeks to escape from the wars between divine and primordial, demon and devil, fey and fomor, aberration and nature, and wars among the shadows. It is called a "Secret City", protected by complex ancient rituals and as long as the gods, primordials, demon lords, archfiends, aberrant entities, dark lords, archifey, fomorian kings, and great primal spirits are unaware of its existence, that secret is safe.
The responsibility for keeping this secret falls on the enigmatic sphinxes of the city, for they founded it before even the Dawn War, they maintain its protective rituals, and they must maintain its secrets.
Constablewick: The Secret City
The Secret City is a large metropolis in scale, because most of its residents are Huge or Gargantuan in size. Its residents are renegade angels, aberrations, immortals, demons, devils, elementals, fey, and shadow creatures. Since many of the residents do not require sustenance, sleep, or shelter, the layout of the Secret City is unique, with few shops. Rather, most residences have large parlors for meeting, fantastic libraries and curios, and towers of study. The most common shops purvey rare ritual components, and tomes of ancient and forgotten and forbidden lore.
The City is divided into eight sectors, named after the dominant style of creature. Six of the sectors are set on the land, one cuts throughout the city, and one is established in carved caverns in the great domed ceiling of the city. The
Quarterhell houses the devils. The
Furnace sits clockwise to it, and is the dwelling place of elementals. The
Tumults house the city's aberrations. The angels and other celestial immortals live in the ironically named
Utopia. The fey live in the
Gardens, which houses most of the city's subterranean parks, and the
Umbrage sits beside it as a pale imitation, housing the city's shadow residents. The demons live in the
Gorge, a massive chasm that cuts across much of the city, including up its walls and into the ceiling. The sphinxes themselves dwell in the caverns city's roof, in a place known as the
Aurora.
The City is governed by a council with representatives of each of the nine sectors of the city. This is a rotating position, with one seat becoming vacant each decade. Each sector may decide how to select its representative. The sphinxes' representative does not get a vote, unless for some reason there is a tie. The council supervises the city. If violence breaks out within a sector, it is expected that the sector's leadership will handle it. If violence breaks out across sectors, it is expected that all the uninvolved sectors will swiftly ut an end to it. If they don't the sphinxes will, and they will do it with brutality and finality. The council has no say over the actions of the Sphinxes.
The sphinxes serve to enforce the city's secret and to keep the peace when the council is unwilling or unable to do it. They are aided by a specific ritual (called the
Sphinx' Riddlement) that the city's founders devised millennia ago. Any individual who wishes the safety and anonymity of the Secret City must voluntarily undergo the ritual. The ritual makes it impossible for a creature to reveal the location of the Secret City. Any attempts to do so, whether through writing, speech or telepathy, are rendered unintelligble gibberish, untranslatable even by other magics. Moreover, the ritual grants the sphinxes a measure of hold over the residents. Any sphinx can, with a standard action, banish a resident who is adjacent to the sphinx and is not of natural origin. The resident is immediately shunted to their plane of origin, and will be unable to recall the location of the Secret City. If a banished resident somehow returns, the sphinxes become immediately aware of the exile's presence.
The city's primary defense is its secrecy. However, ocassionally, uninvited entities will find the city. The sphinxes are charged with defending the city by vanquishing all such interlopers and either slaying them, ritually imprisoning them, or naturalizing them with the Sphinx' Riddlement.
Note the Secret City works best for Paragon or low Epic adventures.
Leadership
The sphinxes seem to act in one accord and there is no obvious hierarchy amongst them. Informally, the sphinx who then sits on the ruling council will settle disputes amongst the sphinxes if there is one, but this is rare.
Roster: Only Sphinxes Need Apply
Only sphinxes enforce the city's secret, or those ocassionally retained to aid the sphinxes. You can use the sphinxes int he Monster Manual or Monster Manual 2. Often, I will modify them to make them a bit more higher level. The sphinxes have access to most rituals, and will use them to their benefit. Most packs of sphinxes who appear to enforce the City's secrets will have been subject to a
telepathic bond ritual, at least.
Friend and Foe
Because the Secret City is so ancient, there are many reasons adventurers may discover it and come into contact with the Sphinxes of the City.
Foe: A resident of the city has stolen an ancient artifact. The party is able to track the thief to the Secret City. When it is discovered that mortals have found the city, a hue and cry is mounted. The party is then chased through the massive city streets as residents hide in fear of the dread sphinxes. The party must steal back the artifact, and escape without being caught by the Sphinxes. If they are caught, the Sphinxes will allow them to keep their artifact, but only if they agree to be bound by the Sphinx' Riddlement, thus preserving their secret. Otherwise, the players will be subject to a different ritual:
Imprisonment.
Friend: The sphinxes discover that there is a plot afoot to destroy one of the sectors in the city, beginnign a holy war, but they cannot determine which one, or the identity of the plotters. The players have a reputation for honor and justice, so the sphinxes clandestinely seek them out. If the party first agree to the Sphinx' Riddlement (if they haven't already been subjected to it), they will be given permission to enter the city and must investigate this plot and unravel it. If they can find evidence of the conspiracy and the identities of those seeking to upset the delicate balance in the city, the players will be handsomely rewarded, and the ringleaders banished.
Optional Elements:Inhuman: The constabulary is made entirely of sphinxes.
Military: The constabulary also serves as the sphinxes' military, though this is rarely needed.
Non-Governmental: The constabulary does not serve the council. It is, in that sense, a vigilante organization, though nobody dares oppose it.
Voluntary: The sphinxes have no obligation to serve -- they do so out of loyalty to the city, and not for any tangible reward.
The topic for this competition is Constabulary. Player characters often work outside the law, but are also generally trying to uphold the law. This can place them into a strained, yet dramatic and often entertaining, relationship with the local government. You must design a constabulary that is charged with enforcing the law in a population center who will interact with the player characters in entertaining and memorable fashions.
