Wroat

Wroat, a great walled city, surrounds the shores of the Howling River, just a few miles east of where the Howling River meets the Dagger River. The city was built in a place where the river widens, so that the city lines not only both banks but also occupies an island that the city founders constructed in the middle of the river. Brokenblade Castle, the Citadel, and the walls and bridges of the city can be seen from a great distance, and while Wroat isn’t as spectacular as Sharn, it makes an impression on all who come to visit or trade.

The second largest city in Breland, Wroat, serves as the capital of Breland and the seat of both the royal family and the elected parliament. Wrote acts as the center of trade and commerce for Breland. Not as densely populated or as overwhelming as Sharn, Wroat nevertheless holds its own as one of the great cities of Khorvaire. King Boranel and his senior staff spend a third of the year at Brokenblade Castle. The rest of the time, the royal court can be found traveling the Brelish countryside or attending functions in distant lands (though the Citadel continues to try to convince Boranel that the benefits of such trips do not outweigh the inherent dangers).
Boranel’s court travels with the king, but it displays all of its grandeur and majesty here in the capital city. Keeping most of the traditions of ancient Galifar alive, the court conducts business, plans festivities, engages entertainment, and otherwise handles the duties of serving the crown and king. The Brelish court is known far and wide for the lavish celebrations it holds, as well as for the fair and just treatment it dispenses to its subjects.
As the nation’s capital, Wroat is a hotbed of political activity. The aristocracy and the elected members of parliament spend a lot of time here, debating the issues of the day and keeping the wheels of government turning. Diplomats from all over the world maintain lodgings and embassies in the city’s Foreign District. The crown operates out of Brokenblade Castle, where King Boranel and his family live and work for a sizable portion of the year. The heads of all the royal agencies also operate out of Wroat, where they can be close to both the king and the parliamentary leaders.
Wroat rises along both sides of the Howling River, located at the junction where that waterway meets the Dagger River. The city surrounds a man-made island that houses both Brokenblade Castle and the Citadel Tower. A massive wall encircles the city, and impressive bridges span the waterway. A lightning rail station services the city, along with well-maintained Orien trade roads and Brelish king roads. A lot of water traffic arrives from the Dagger River as well as from farms to the east. Two large temples—one dedicated to the Sovereign Host, the other to the Silver Flame— dominate the Street of Worship. Other impressive structures include Parliament Hall, the Wroat campus of Morgrave University, and the Galifar Museum.
On days when the cloud cover breaks, one can see the towers of Sharn rising in the south from the walls of Wroat or the castle parapets of Broken blade Castle and the Citadel. And to the east, the mountains of the Howling Peaks disappear into the constantly present storm clouds that crown the highest peaks.

Notable Features

Here are a few of the notable features of the city of Wroat. Feel free to create other places of interest that serve the needs of your campaign.
Brokenblade Castle: The ancestral home of the rulers of Breland, Brokenblade Castle features darkgray stone piled high to create a powerful keep and towered castle. A sturdy wall surrounds the grounds, creating a defensible position within the walled city. It is further protected and set off by being constructed atop a man-made island in the middle of the Howling River, at the place where the river widens before meeting up with the Dagger River. The castle features both living quarters for the royal family and public areas where the king and his court can conduct the business of state. The Great Hall, a massive chamber decorated in the rustic style, with open hearths, log-framed ceilings and walls, houses the king’s public throne. This massive stone-and-wood chair seems to fit Boranel like a glove, and he holds court and hears petitions while seated in it.
The Citadel: The offices and training facilities of the King’s Citadel fill this massive obsidian tower and compound located directly across from the grounds of Brokenblade Castle. Agents of the Citadel travel throughout Breland, dispensing the King’s justice while serving as the eyes, ears, and strong right arm of the crown. Lord Kor ir’Wynarn commands the Citadel, serving as conduit between his captains and King Boranel. Five agencies operate as separate divisions within the Citadel: Swords, Shields, Wands, Dark Lanterns, and Shadows.
The King’s Swords, commanded by Captain Ellanar (LG female half-elf paladin 6), consists of elite warriors trained to operate far and wide on missions in service to the King. The King’s Shields, led by Captain Sortan (LG male human paladin 5), provide protection for the royal family and other dignitaries, as well as overseeing matters of royal security throughout the kingdom.
Captain Nebik (NG male gnome wizard 7) commands the King’s Wands, a division of wizards and sorcerers used to provide magical support and to undertake missions that require arcane talents. The agents of the Wands usually work as part of a task force made up of operatives from at least two parts of the Citadel.
The King’s Dark Lanterns, one of two secret divisions operating under the auspices of the Citadel, gathers intelligence and performs espionage missions for the crown. Captain Vron (LN male changeling rogue 8) commands the Dark Lanterns, and he keeps in close contact with Lord Kor and King Boranel about many of his division’s ongoing activities.
The King’s Shadows, under the direction of CaptainTerra (CG female human ranger 9), is the second secret division working within the Citadel structure. The smallest and most exclusive branch of the Citadel, the Shadows only employs the most seasoned, most trusted, and most elite agents in service to the king.
An agent of the Shadows always appears to be either a member of one of the Citadel’s public divisions (Swords, Shields, or Wands) or as someone not connected to the Citadel at all, depending on the nature of the mission. The King’s Shadows do what must be done, with the authority of the crown but also with enough secrecy that Boranel can disavow knowledge of their activities when necessary. Indeed, one of the King’s Shadows operates under the knowledge that the crown may not back him if a mission gets into trouble.
All Citadel agents need to be part warrior, part spy, and part inquisitive, ready to handle whatever threats or situations come to their attention in the execution of their duties.
Parliament Hall: The legislative branch of the Brelish government operates out of an historic facility on the southern shore of the Howling River. The Parliament Hall consists of two chambers and a series of surrounding offices. Each member of the Parliament and their staffs have an office in the building, but the real work of the Parliament takes place within the two meeting chambers.
The Noble Chamber provides space for the hereditary members of Parliament to meet and debate the issues before them. These are the representatives of the noble families of Breland, and all twenty-seven have a seat in Parliament. The Commons Chamber provides similar space for the legislators that are elected by popular vote. These are the representatives of villages, towns, and cities that stretch across the Brelish countryside; each serves a two-year term, but reelection is commonplace.
When the full Parliament gets together to vote on pressing matters, the wall between the two chambers is removed, creating a single large hall.
Lightning Rail Station: The lightning rail station in Wroat provides service to Sharn, Aundair, Thrane, and Zilargo. The lightning rail departs twice daily, in the afternoon and at night.
The distances, times, and costs (first class passage) involved in traveling the lightning rail from Wroat are summarized below.

From Wroat to:	Distance Between Stops:	Time	Cost
Sharn	450 miles	15 hours	225 gp
Nowhere	930 miles	31 hours	465 gp
Hatheril	+120 miles	+4 hours	+60 gp
Sword Keep	+225 miles	+7.5 hours	+112.5 gp
Marketplace	+180 miles	+6 hours	+90 gp
Passage	+390 miles	+13 hours	+195 gp
Fairhaven	+360 miles	+12 hours	+180 gp
Thaliost	+540 miles	+19 hours*	+270 gp
Nowhere	930 miles	31 hours	465 gp
Starilaskur	+330 miles	+12 hours	+165 gp
Vathirond	+420 miles	+14 hours	+210 gp
Aruldusk	+230 miles	+8.75 hours*	+115 gp
Sigilstar	+130 miles	+4.25 hours	+65 gp]
Flamekeep	+270 miles	+9 hours	+135 gp
Nowhere	930 miles	31 hours	465 gp
Starilaskur	+330 miles	+12 hours	+165 gp
Sterngate	+405 miles	+13.5 hours	+202.5 gp
Zolanberg	+315 miles	+10.5 hours	+157.5 gp
Korranberg	+300 miles	+10 hours	+150 gp
* Includes a 1-hour delay for ticket and customs inspection.

Demographics

Humans 30%, gnomes 20%, halfelves 15%, elves 10%, dwarves 8%, halfl ings 5%, changelings 4%, warforged 2%, goblinoids 2%, other 4%

Government

King Boranel’s royal court and the heads of his royal agencies operate out of Wroat. The Breland Parliament meets in Wroat, as well, working out of the Parliament Hall on the southern bank of the river. The city itself is administered by Lord Konner ir’Starn, who serves as governor of Wroat at the pleasure of the king.

Economics

100,000 gp purchase limit; no asset limit

Type

Metropolis

Population

80,870