Polychronopolis

There are 12 Great Houses, each named for a sign of the Zodiac. If a bloodline of one house is exterminated, a new family is promoted to the rank of Great House. Many ordinary people are direct vassals of these houses (perhaps 10-20%). If you were the livery or badge of one of these houses, the city guard won’t touch you, and neither will members of other houses, unless there is a feud or vendetta.

Vassals kick up 20%–30% of what they make to their house, but it’s totally worth it, since without house protection you get robbed blind by anyone who does.

Clergy wearing badge of their god are similar to vassals as far as the guard is concerned. Likewise, certain societies of magicians elicit respect and fear in the city.

There is also a Night watch which is made up of local citizens who patrol their neighborhood to stop petty criminals.

Crimes by the non-vassals are brutally put down by the corrupt guardsmen and the Podesta’s Court.

Houses deal with disputes between their own vassals. If dispute happens between vassals or members of 2 different houses (or cults), the Upper Council (I representative from each house, chaired by the Podesta, who breaks a tie) settles it.

The King of Kotharia appoints a Podesta, who theoretically governs the city in the King’s name, but as long as he sends the expected tax money, nothing much is expected of him. The Podesta and his city guards leave the Great Houses and their vassals alone, acting against them usually only if they are caught fomenting rebellion against the king or conspiring with foreign powers. Being appointed Podesta is a prize plum to Kotharian nobles, who tend to preside over the city for 5-10 years and then retire “back home” extremely wealthy.

There are large organized crime gangs who run the rackets and try to keep the guards’ heads turned in the opposite direction, they bribe and aid various great houses at various times. There are also some more mysterious “gangs” who act as killers for hire and are reputed to have magical powers. There are also cults and societies of killers and vandals motivated by insanity or religious zeal.

The remaining portion of the population scratch out a living in the lowlier trades, labor in the factories and workhouses of the city, petty crime and whatever they can figure out. There is actually ample work to be found across the city and so it attracts migrants from all over, who will put up with the danger and sometimes appalling living conditions for the chance at a living.