Constructed on the site of the original courthouse, which burned down in 1997, the new structure is a shining, six-story glass and steel affair completed in 2002. Most of the older townsfolk hate it, alleging that the building lacks character, and indeed, it's not much more pleasing to the eye than any other modern office building, though the gleaming façade and manicured grounds convey a certain dignity and grace. The interior is well-appointed and suitably imposing, but fairly generic, largely lacking local color. Naturally, the Shadowgard city seal is prominently displayed throughout the building; other than that, however, the only Shadowgard-specific location in the building is the memorial in the lobby, an artificial waterfall that flows over a wall engraved with the names of the twenty-two people who died in the 1997 fire.

Despite the courthouse's relative newness, there are already a number of rumors and local legends concerning the ghosts that allegedly plague the building -- scorched, mutilated, howling figures that come out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly. The building has already reportedly fallen victim to over two dozen assorted mishaps that started rapidly spreading blazes, and the courthouse has only narrowly escaped significant damage or destruction each time. There are unsettling stories of a curse on the building, perhaps on the very land, and a number of workers -- janitors, clerks, even at least one judge -- have inexplicably resigned since coming to work at the new courthouse. Those brave enough to remain seem slightly jumpy even at the best of times, and more than a few hardened criminals have broken down and grovelled before judges rather than face even temporary confinement in the basement holding cells.