Sharn: City of Towers

Sharn is the largest city in Khorvaire, Known as the City of Towers, as it's vertically built atop a cliff above the mouth of the Dagger River in Southern Breland. The lonely city has become a cesspool of sex and crime, gangs and corrupt nobles rule the city high and low. Even the most noble of men have fallen prey to the city's twisted seduction. The only thing that stand before this evil nowadays are the virgin House Medani who've began to dip their toes in the deep ocean that has left Sharn this way.

Demographics

One third of its population are Humans, Dwarves make a sixth of it. The rest is a blend of every race found in Khorvaire. Halflings, Elves, and Gnomes have significant prescence in the city, but even Khalashtar and Changelings have communities in Sharn. Tens of thousands of people visit the country every day and its also become home to various refugees from the last war.

Government

Although the Lord Mayor appears to have the most power in the Sharn government, in actuality it's the City Council who appoints the Lord Mayor. The City Council also commands the Sharn Watch. The Council of Sharn is made up of a councilor from each ward in the city (although Cliffside is merged into Dura, and one councilor represents both Ashblack and Blackbones), to a total of 17 councilors. The City Council establishes laws, determines how to use resources (taxes), and also appoints high officers of the city. While the City Council holds the true power, the Lord Mayor does represent considerable influence in Sharn by being in direct contact with the Brelish Crown.

Industry & Trade

Sharn is known for its strategic location when it comes to trade. Being close to the port its one of the best ways to reach the other continents as ships constantly pour in and out of the city. Furthermore the lightning rail has made it a powerful midpoint between the other countries in Khorvaire. Whether it be education, the Wayfinders association  or any of the House enclaves found around the twisting city to take your time. As they Say crime and sex sells and there's enough of it in the city to take your fill in the lower levels.

Guilds and Factions

Adventurer Guilds

• Clifftop Guild
• Deathsgate Guild

The Circle of Song Wizard's Circles

• The Esoteric Order of Aureon
• Guild of Starlight and Shadows

Mercenary Services

• House Deneith
• Sentinel Marshals

Organized Crime

• Boromar Clan
• Daask
• House Tarkanan
• The Tyrants

History

he city now known as Sharn was built upon a foundation that dates back thousands of years before humans ever settled Khorvaire. During that time, the hobgoblin Dhakaani Empire's greatest city was carved into the jagged cliffs that Sharn now towers over. This city was called Ja'Shaarat. This metropolis didn't rise toward the skies, like Sharn does. Instead, the architects of the Dhakaani built a vast number of chambers and tunnels into and under the ground. As the city grew in size, the Dhakaani eventually would build great monolithic buildings on the plateaus above the Dagger River that would later serve as the foundations for Sharn. When the Daelkyr invaded Eberron, the city was devastated, and the hobgoblins never had a chance to restore it to its greater glory. Sharn Sharn coat of arms
Thousands of years later when human settlers from Sarlona began to explore Khorvaire, the Dagger River was stumbled upon. The river led Malleon the Reaver and his explorers to the site where Ja'Shaarat once stood. There he enslaved what goblins still resided in the ruins and erected a fortress within the ruins. He sealed off the lower wards of the ancient hobgoblin city and named the city Shaarat, as a result of stories told by the goblins he enslaved. For 600 years, Shaarat prospered and grew into a powerful metropolis once again. Breggor Firstking, the first ruler of what would become Breland, eventually conquered Shaarat and renamed it Sharn.
Over the course of the next 800 years, Sharn's towers began to rise and the city developed into something resembling Sharn today. Around this time, the Dragonmarked Houses began to prosper and this helped cultivate Sharn into economic power. But the Dragonmarked Houses also brought with them the War of the Mark. The leader of those who bore the aberrant dragonmark, Tarkanan, took control of Sharn and turned it into a home for all who wore the destructive marks.
Tarkanan couldn't hold the city for long, but in the end he used his terrible powers to destroy much of the city. For the next 500 years, the city was looked down upon and the city remained in ruins. Then, when Galifar I took control of the Five Nations he rebuilt Sharn. The metropolis felt the blessings of Galifar and would eventually develop into the center for trade, diplomacy, and intrigue that it is today.

Architecture

Sharn is a vertical city. It is divided up into five distinct plateaus, as well as a district built into the sides of the cliff near the Dagger River. The five plateaus are known as Central Plateau, Menthis Plateau, Northedge, Dura, and Tavick's Landing. And, Cliffside is a neighborhood perched on the side of the cliff. While each plateau divides the city into districts, the city is also stratified vertically and divided into several sections. The lowest wards of the city are called The Cogs, and if you were to walk to the heights of Sharn you would pass through The Depths, the Lower City, Middle City, Upper City, and then finally you would need to find some method of travel to the highest section of Sharn, which is Skyway. Generally, the higher you are in Sharn, the wealthier the citizens are.

Geography

Sharn looms atop the cliffs overlooking the Hilt, a bay at the mouth of the Dagger River in southern Breland. The city sits upon the foundation of an ancient hobgoblin city. Below that, a rumored lake of molten lava rests, but its presence can be felt only in the lowest parts of Sharn, the Cogs.
The inhospitable outcropping that Sharn sits on allows the city to grow only in vertical height. This might have been a problem for other cities, but Sharn happens to be located within a manifest zone linked to the plane of Syrania, the Azure Sky. The manifest zone enhances magic that creates flight and levitation. This allows Sharn to have towers that rise nearly a mile in height, transportational flight, and even a section of the city that floats above the highest towers.

Alternative Name(s)

City of Towers

Type

Large city

Population

210,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Sharnese

Characters in Location

• Alden d'Orien
• Creilath Movanek
• Germaine Vilroy