Sharn

Sharn is the most populous city in all of Khorvaire, and arguably all of Eberron. The city literally towers atop a cliff above the mouth of the Dagger River in southern Breland.
Sharn is known as The City of Towers, but has also been called many other names, including The City of Knives, The City of Lost Souls, The City of a Thousand Eyes, the Gateway to Xen'drik, and The Gateway to Perdition.

Demographics

With several hundred thousand people inhabiting Sharn, it's no surprise that the city is one of the most culturally diverse cities in Khorvaire. From the lush red carpets of Upper City theaters to the dank taverns in the lower slums, Sharn's cultural offerings cater to needs of the wealthy to the very poor. Many districts are inhabited by particular races and offer many of the culinary and commercial offerings from nations abroad. Although Sharn may not have as much political or economic clout as Wroat, the capital of Breland, it is indeed one of the most important cities in the country due to its wide array of cultural offerings.

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.

History

For as long as Khorvair has been occupied, a settlement has been where sharn now stands. There is abundant evidence that the modern city is built atop the ruins of an old golin city.
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. 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 centre 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)

The City of Towers,

Type

Large city

Population

211,850

Owning Organization

Breland