Dura Quarter

Upper Dura This ward is full of activity. Its people are prospering, but there’s an edge of desperation about them; many folk are on the lookout for opportunities to better themselves. Upper Dura has the general properties of a middle ward, with most goods and services priced for a modest or comfortable lifestyle. The merchants and artisans are accustomed to dealing with unusual individuals, and adventurers receive a warm welcome here.
Clifftop is a home away from home for explorers and mercenaries. Daggerwatch is a fortress district, containing garrisons for the Sharn Watch and the Brelish army. The Gold & White is a Daggerwatch tavern that caters to Brelish soldiers; those who hold a Brelish military rank will receive a warm welcome, while those who served other nations would be wise to take their business elsewhere.
In the dwarven district of Highhold, a center of activity is Morragin’s, which serves the strongest spirits in Sharn, but it’s no mere tavern; often patronized by Mror merchants and Kundarak agents, it maintains the highest of standards (with prices to match).
The Highwater district is home to the wealthiest inhabitants of Dura and is the site of Pegasus Spire, the enclave of House Vadalis. The temple district of Hope’s Peak features the Citadel of Light, a grand temple of Dol Arrah and a bastion for the virtuous. The Overlook district is home to Sharn’s kalashtar community and includes the only temple of the Path of Light in Breland.
Middle Dura Middle Dura caters to the working class. Its taverns are modestly priced, but there’s gold among the dross.
The Bazaar of Dura is the largest commercial district in Sharn. In addition to the dozens of permanent shops and smithies, the streets of the bazaar are an ever-changing tapestry of stalls and tents. It’s said that you can find anything here, if you’re not too worried about where it came from and if you’re prepared to contend with the cutpurses that prey on the crowds.
Elsewhere in Middle Dura, the district of Hareth’s Folly is a bizarre blend of architectural styles. One of the primary attractions is the Hollow Tower, an enormous arena that features aerial jousting and racing. The King of Fire is a grand tavern that hosts a broad range of gambling and bookmaking activities, legal and otherwise.
Many people make their homes in Middle Dura, even if their jobs take them elsewhere. Rattlestone and Tumbledown are mostly poor tenements. Stormhold contains crumbling manors still occupied by some of Sharn’s oldest families, while many that have prospered have moved on to more prestigious districts.
Lower Dura The aptly named Precarious district in Lower Dura leans out over the edge of the cliffs, and the Skydocks—a system using gigantic arcane cranes and levitation—carry material up from Cliffside and the docks. Precarious is also filled with warehouses that hold these goods. Because Precarious plays an important role in the economy of the city, it’s the only district in Lower Dura where the Sharn Watch maintains a significant presence.
The rest of Lower Dura, in stark contrast, has been left to rot. Ignored by the Watch, it is the domain of gangs and crime lords. The inhabitants of the ward are often protected from violence by their criminal connections or by virtue of having nothing worth stealing, but adventurers ought to tread lightly here, especially those who display the trappings of a wealthy lifestyle.
There was a time when Lower Dura was the heart of Sharn, and remnants of this glory remain. The Silvermist Theater in Callestan was built to entertain nobles. The ward boasted manors, temples, and a garrison for the watch. But all of these edifices were abandoned long ago, and now most are home to nothing but squatters and vermin.
The district of Callestan is a nexus of sorts, where all the major criminal powers of Sharn have a stake. Those groups are described in more detail later in this chapter.
The district of Fallen is a haunted ruin; this temple district was abandoned after it was struck by a falling tower. It’s covered in more detail later in this chapter.
Malleon’s Gate is home to the goblins of Sharn, along with other monstrous immigrants from Droaam and Darguun. The district can be an especially dangerous place for half­lings or anyone tied to the Boromar Clan.
Oldkeep and Gate of Gold are wretched tenement districts. A significant halfling community lives in the district known as The Stores, which is also a stronghold for the Boromar Clan.
The Fallen The Fallen district in Lower Dura was once known as Godsgate. When the first towers were raised, Godsgate was the temple district. It had shrines and statues dedicated to the Sovereigns, a proud church of the Silver Flame, even a monument to the Undying Court. But as Sharn grew and prospered, religious services were moved to grander temples in the upper wards. Godsgate became a tenement district, and the shrines and monuments were forgotten and left to decay. The final blow to this once-proud district came early in the Last War. A team of Aundairian saboteurs brought down one of Sharn’s floating towers, and the falling spire struck Godsgate. Buildings collapsed, and hundreds died. Untended corpses led to infection and disease. The City Council had no interest in sinking gold into Lower Dura to restore the area, and the district was abandoned.
Today, the district known as Fallen is strewn with the rubble of the fallen tower, mingled with shattered buildings and broken statues. Those who venture into Fallen must deal with the Ravers, feral savages that lurk in the shadows. There’s no question that the Ravers exist, but their true nature remains a subject of debate. A common hypothesis is that they’re the descendants of the original inhabitants of the district, who were possessed and driven mad by the ghosts of those who died when the tower fell. Others claim that House Vadalis has been trying to magebreed super-soldiers, and the Ravers are the result of failed experiments.
Only the most desperate people live here, and the forces of the law won’t come near it. As a result, the district has a lot of space available for any cult or secret society that needs a lair. The followers of a radiant idol, the Cult of the Dragon Below, or any other cabal could lay claim to a shattered church in Fallen.
Things to Do in Dura Dura is a quarter of extremes, from the nearly idyllic atmosphere of Upper Dura, down to the danger of Lower Dura. Among its attractions and diversions are these:
Gamble. Legal gambling is heavily taxed in the city and limited in its scope. Dura is the place to find a wide range of shadier and more profitable games.
Go shopping. The Bazaar of Middle Dura is an excellent source for exotic goods, legal or otherwise. Clifftop, in Upper Dura, caters to adventurers and has a reasonable selection of magical goods.
Bend the law. Looking for a fence or need to hire an assassin? Lower Dura is the nexus for criminal activities in Sharn.
Talk about the race. The inhabitants of Dura are devoted to the Race of Eight Winds and are always willing to discuss the latest news.
Suffer a terrible accident. The Sharn Watch ignores much of Lower Dura. Stories circulate continuously about dragonmarked houses and mad wizards conducting dangerous experiments in Lower Dura without interference from the law.

District	Description	Location
Clifftop	This district caters to adventurers, with a wide array of businesses aimed at explorers and fortune hunters. It is the home base of the Clifftop Adventurer’s Guild.	Upper Dura
Daggerwatch	Daggerwatch holds garrisons for both the Sharn Watch and the Brelish army, along with business and residences for those who support the garrisons.	Upper Dura
Highhold	A district built by dwarves for dwarves, Highhold has strong Mror influences in its architecture. It’s a good place to find Mror goods and is home to talented smiths and brewers.	Upper Dura
Highwater	The finest residential district in Dura and the seat of House Vadalis, Highwater is largely comfortable in quality with a few wealthy estates.	Upper Dura
Hope’s Peak	A relatively new temple district, with shrines and churches that have relocated from Fallen in Lower Dura. Hope’s Peak includes several monasteries and a sacred grove.	Upper Dura
Overlook	Overlook is noteworthy for its kalashtar community, which maintains a community center, a shrine devoted to the Path of Light, and a few restaurants serving Sarlonan cuisine.	Upper Dura
The Bazaar	The largest commercial district in Sharn, an excellent place to buy or sell used—and possibly stolen—goods.	Middle Dura
Broken Arch	Once a proud residential district, Broken Arch has fallen into disrepair. Its housing is poor to modest in quality, though the shells of wealthy manors can still be seen.	Middle Dura
Hareth’s Folly	A jumble of architectural styles, Hareth’s Folly is a place to gamble and enjoy modest food and drink. The Hollow Tower is a center for aerial sports, and Hareth’s Folly is where the Race of Eight Winds begins and ends.	Middle Dura
Rattlestone	Rattlestone is a tenement district. Its people have little but their pride, but there’s a strong camaraderie between them.	Middle Dura
Stormhold	A comfortable residential district, Stormhold is home to the few powerful families that have remained in Dura. It’s in better condition than most of Middle Dura, and Deneith mercenaries protect the streets.	Middle Dura
Tumbledown	A poor residential district, Tumbledown has experienced recent incursions from Daask.	Middle Dura
Underlook	The center of Sharn’s nightlife before Menthis Plateau was built, Underlook is a collection of poor taverns and inns.	Middle Dura
Callestan	Home to an assortment of squalid and poor businesses, Callestan is a nexus for criminal activity and known as a stronghold of the Boromar Clan.	Lower Dura
Fallen	Sharn’s oldest temple district, Fallen was abandoned after a floating tower crashed into the district during the Last War. Now it’s a collection of wretched ruins.	Lower Dura
Gate of Gold	A squalid slum, providing miserable housing for desperate people.	Lower Dura
Malleon’s Gate	A poor district originally inhabited by goblins, Malleon’s Gate has become a haven for monstrous immigrants from Droaam and Darguun, along with members of Daask.	Lower Dura
Oldkeep	Another poor slum, largely home to dockworkers from Precarious.	Lower Dura
Precarious	The skydocks of Precarious pass goods between the towers and the port on the Dagger River below. The district is filled with warehouses, along with a handful of poor taverns. A small community of Sarlonans lives here.	Lower Dura
The Stores	A warehouse district with a large halfling population, with ties to the Boromar Clan.	Lower Dura

Type

Ward

Location under

Sharn