Tavick’s Landing

Everyone who comes to Sharn, whether by land or air, passes through Tavick’s Landing. The quarter took on a martial aspect during the Last War, and the tense atmosphere can still be felt today. On the positive side, Watch Commander Iyanna ir’Talan has gone to great efforts to purge corruption in the local garrisons of the Sharn Watch; as a result, this is one of the few districts where the Watch is both helpful and competent. On the downside, visitors from any nation that fought against Breland during the war might be greeted with suspicion or hostility.

Things to Do in Tavick’s Landing

As a metropolitan district filled with immigrants, merchants, and travelers from across Khorvaire and beyond it, Tavick’s Landing offers a host of opportunities to enjoy food and entertainment from distant lands. Or you might find yourself here for one of a few specific reasons, such as:

• Take a chance. The Dragoneyes district is filled with ways to lose your wages, both in established gambling halls and on street corners. If you you’re looking for something a little more exotic, see if you can find Chance. This is the name both of a secret, roaming gambling den and of the changeling who runs it. In addition to offering all manner of mundane games and bets, Chance is said to be able to arrange and cover nearly any sort of wager or duel. Are you ready to gamble with a fiend? Would you wager a year of your life for a moment of good fortune when you need it the most? If any of the rumors are true, these are examples of what’s possible at Chance.
• Find refuge. Though most of the refugees in High Walls come from Cyre, the district is a haven for anyone displaced in the war, including Brelish. The place is overcrowded, however, and resources are stretched thin. Tensions are high, and feuds and power struggles among the refugees take place regularly. If you’re from Cyre, you might be able to find a cot in High Walls, especially if you already have friends or family living there.
• Bond over blood. The Graystone district in Middle Tavick’s Landing is one of the few places in Breland where the Blood of Vol religion is practiced openly. Residents are circumspect about their activities, and undead servants are largely kept off the streets. But if you’re a follower of the faith, it’s a place where you can participate in the Sacrament of the Blood or consult with a priest. It’s also the best place to find a skilled necromancer, or to hear rumors about the latest schemes of the Order of the Emerald Claw.

Districts

Upper Tavick’s Landing

This ward is effectively a self-contained city catering to the nobles that live there. It has fine housing, skilled services, a luxurious mercantile district, and even an entire district—Sunrise—designed for the servants of the nobles. The services and lodging in Sunrise accommodate those with poor or modest lifestyles, as opposed to the higher-priced goods found elsewhere in the ward.
For those willing to put up with its restrictive laws, Upper Tavick’s Landing has many fine features. Wyredd’s Spirits is the best source for wine in Sharn. The shop Crystals of Denion buys and sells rare magic items, though it only has a handful of such items at any given time. Transmutation is a renowned beauty salon providing both mundane and arcane services. House Deneith maintains a fortified garrison and training facility in the Copper Arch district.

The Laws of Upper Tavick’s Landing

During the war, fears of attacks by foreign agents resulted in the establishment of a number of laws here that affect visitors, including adventurers, to this day.
The soldiers of House Deneith  have full authority to act as agents of the Sharn Watch in Upper Tavick’s Landing, and staff of Deneith’s elite Blademark mercenaries maintain checkpoints at the district’s edges.
You need a license to carry a weapon in Upper Tavick’s Landing. It costs only 5 gp, but you have to plead your case to a clerk. Any Blademark or member of the watch can demand to see your license and might confiscate unauthorized weapons. You also need a license to cast spells in the ward. It costs 10 gp, and you must specify the spells you intend to cast. A fine can be levied for any unauthorized use of magic. To get licenses for weapons or spellcasting, you’ll have to go to the courthouse in the Twelve Pillars district.
Another law requires inhabitants to dress “in a manner that upholds the solemn dignity of this proud ward.” Blademarks and officers of the watch can choose how they interpret this. Typically, armor is considered inappropriate unless you’re tied to House Deneith or the Sharn Watch, or you’ve served with the Brelish military. Anyone in contempt of this law is escorted out.
Any sort of unruly behavior—fighting, shouting in the streets, and the like—brings a fine of up to 5 gp and temporary expulsion from the ward.

Middle Tavick’s Landing

Unlike the upper ward, Middle Tavick’s Landing welcomes travelers and tourists. The ward features a host of lively taverns and excellent inns. The Cornerstone is a huge arena that hosts events ranging from circuses to aerial jousting. The Deathsgate district caters to adventurers, much as the Clifftop district of Upper Dura does. Like Clifftop, the district has an adventurer’s guild—though the Deathsgate Guild has a dark reputation, and its members often pick fights with Clifftop adventurers. House Jorasco has a large house of healing in the ward, and House Deneith maintains a recruiting station for would-be mercenaries.
The Graystone district has deep roots in Karrnathi culture that predate the Last War; Slogar’s and the Bloody Mug are places where homesick Karrns can enjoy blood sausage and Nightwood ale. The district is a haven for Karrnathi soldiers who want to avoid Brelish aggression and a place where followers of the Blood of Vol can practice their faith.
Tavick’s Market is one of Sharn’s major market districts; located directly above the Terminus lightning rail station, it’s filled with stands selling produce and goods brought in by local farmers.

Lower Tavick’s Landing

Two land routes to Sharn both end at Lower Tavick’s Landing. The Orien lightning rail deposits passengers in the district of Terminus, while those who travel to Sharn on the Old Road arrive at Wroann’s Gate. Getting to the better parts of Sharn from here means passing through Black Arch, a heavily fortified garrison district designed to repel enemies and withstand a full siege. The ward offers a variety of services catering to travelers; the Dragoneyes district is a maze of taverns, inns, brothels, and gambling halls. Dragoneyes is also noteworthy for being the site of one of the few changeling communities in Breland.
House Orien has a strong presence in Lower Tavick’s Landing, and Orien heirs, laborers, and teamsters can be found in many of the districts. House Lyrandar and House Deneith are also well represented, with their representatives arranging matters of trade, transport, and security.
These days, Lower Tavick’s Landing is best known for High Walls, a former residential district converted into a home for refugees from the Last War. High Walls is filled past capacity, mostly by Cyrans who were displaced by the Mourning. The gates are open at present, but High Walls is designed to serve as a fortress prison if the need arises, and the Sharn Watch keeps an eye out for any signs of unrest.

Type

District

Location under

Sharn

Included Locations

• Lower Tavick's Landing
• Middle Tavick's Landing
• Upper Tavick's Landing