Sharn began where Dura stands, but the city has left it behind in many ways. Many nowadays consider the oldest quarter of Sharn to be a blight on the City of Towers. The place is full of cracked and crumbling stonework, abandoned lift shafts, and everbright lanterns that have burned out and never been restored. Dura is riddled with poverty and crime; it’s easily the most dangerous section of the city. But it also holds opportunities you can’t find anywhere else. If you’re looking for smuggled goods or a place to lie low, head to Dura.
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.
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.
