Sharn

Sharn, the City of Towers, is the most populous and wondrous cities in Khorvaire. It's a place of magic, with skycoaches circling mile-high towers and mystic forges toiling endlessly in the bowels. The city is vast, and every district is a unique and distinct area.

Demographics

33% Human
20% Dwarves
10% Elves
7% Halflings
5% Gnomes
25% Other

Districts of Sharn

The city is built along five distinct plateaus that serve as the primary division of the city. Included in these are five areas that, while not technically plateaus, are considered significant enough to warrant this primary division. The city is subdivided into three different wards based on how high up in the towers on is. From there, each plateau-ward combination is broken up into districts that contain zones of similar purposes. Citizens of Sharn will often use the ward-plateau name when referring to any general area (such as Upper Dura or Middle Central), or the district name when referring to a specific place (like Mithral Tower).

Skyway

Skyway demonstrates the most dramatic manifestation of the magic made possible by Sharn’s manifest zone linked to Syrania. Its towers are built on clouds given substance, hovering above the tops of the buildings below. The residents of Skyway are the impossibly wealthy and privileged.

Azure - Sky District
Brilliant - Sky District

Central Plateau

The Central Plateau, as its name suggests, stands in the center of Sharn. Several bridges cross outwards into the other sections of the city, and the towers rise far above the outer sections of the city. This plateau is often more sought out than the others, and thus wealthier, likely due to its location.

Upper Central Plateau

Highest Towers - Civic District
Korranath - Finance District
Korran-Thiven - Finance District
Mithral Tower - Wealthy Residential District
Platinum Heights - Fine Shopping District
Skysedge Park - Park District

Middle Central Plateau

Ambassador Towers - Embassy District
Dava Gate - Professional District
Dragon Towers - Guildhall District
Sovereign Towers - Temple District
Sword Point - Garrison District
Tradefair - Market District

Lower Central Plateau

Boldrei's Hearth - Inn District
Granite Halls - Shopping District
Myshan Gardens - Average Residential District
North Towers - Shopping District
Olladra's Kitchen - Tavern District Vallia's Towers - Average Residential District

Dura

Dura, one of the largest and oldest quarter of Sharn, rises from the ruins Shaarat and the Old Sharn that fell at the end of the War of the Mark. Many consider it a blight on the city, riddled as it is with poverty and crime. Dura is home to the majority of the lower classes of Sharn, and Lower Dura is generally considered to be little better than the Cogs. Nonetheless, Dura is the gateway to the Dagger River. Cargo passes from Cliffside up through Dura, and most of the vast warehouse districts are located in the lower ward. The Bazaar of Dura is a source for all manner of unusual goods, including a wide range of illegal merchandise.

Upper Dura

Clifftop - Adventurer Quarters
Daggerwatch - Garrison District
Highhold - Dwarfish Residential District
Highwater - Average Residential District
Hope's Peak - Temple District
Overlook - Apartment District
Redstone - Shopping District

Middle Dura

The Bazaar - Market and Shopping District
Broken Arch - Average Residential District
Hareth's Folly - Tavern District
Rattlestone - Apartment District
Stormhold - Average Residential District
Tumbledown - Apartment District
Underlook - Inn District

Lower Dura

Callestan - Inn District
Fallen - Slum District
Gate of Gold - Apartment District
Malleon's Gate - Goblinoid Slum District
Oldkeep - Apartment District
Precarious - Warehouse District
The Stores - Warehouse District

Menthis

The Menthis Plateau is the hub of Sharn’s entertainment industry, as well as its most diverse ethnic quarter and the seat of Morgrave University. Like the Central Plateau, its location allows it to draw visitors from all over the city to sample its entertainment offerings, and it also draws tourists from across the Five Nations.

Upper Menthis Plateau

Den'iyas - Gnomish Residential District
Ivy Towers - Average Residential District
Platinate - Wealthy Residential District
Seventh Tower - Fine Shopping District
University District

Middle Menthis Plateau

Cassan Bridge- Shopping District
Everbright - Magic District
Little Plains - Halfling Residential District
Smoky Towers - Theater District
Warden Towers - Garrison District

Lower Menthis Plateau

Center Bridge - Average Residential District
Downstairs - Tavern District
Firelight - Red Light District
Forgelight Towers - Average Residential District
Torchfire - Theater District

Northedge

Northedge, one of the quietest regions within Sharn, is a residential quarter. Most of its inhabitants are crafters and commoners, people who make an honest living within the great city. As a result, it is an uncommon destination for adventurers. However, a variety of tradesfolk and artisans work out of their Northedge homes.

Upper Northedge

Shae Lias - Elvish Residential District
Crystal Bridge - Wealthy Residential District
Oak Towers - Wealthy Residential District

Middle Northedge

Holdfast - Dwarfish Residential District
High Hope - Temple District
Oakbridge - Average Residential District

Lower Northedge

North Market - Market District
Stoneyard - Apartment District
Longstairs - Apartment District

Tavick's Landing

For most travelers, Tavick’s Landing is the gateway to Sharn. The Orien lightning rail station at Terminus brings in hundreds of travelers each day, and many more arrive via the Old Road at Wroann’s Gate. In many ways, Tavick’s Landing is the most eclectic quarter of Sharn, blending residential areas with commercial and entertainment districts that cater to the traders, travelers, and tourists who pass through the city. During the Last War, foreigners were carefully monitored as they entered the city, and even today the effects of the war can still be felt.

Upper Tavick's Landing

Copper Arch - Professional District
Dalan's Refuge - Wealthy Residential District
Ocean View - Wealthy Residential District
Pinnacle - Temple District
Silvergate - Fine Shopping District
Sunrise - Average Residential District
Twelve Pillars - Professional District

Middle Tavick's Landing

Cornerstone - Tavern District
Dancing Shadows - Inn District
Deathsgate - Adventurer's Quarters
Graywall - Average Residential District
Kenton - Apartment District
Little Barrington - Average Residential District
Tavick's Market - Market District

Lower Tavick's Landing

Black Arch - Garrison District
Cogsgate - Warehouse District
Dragoneyes - Red light District
Foundation - Apartment District
High Walls - Refugee Slum District
Terminus - Caravan District
Wroann's Gate - Caravan District

Cliffside

The Cliffside ward makes up the lower edge of Dura, built on and into the cliffs that drop toward the river. This waterfront district, full of businesses that cater to the sailors who pass through Sharn’s port, can be a rough and tumble place. Legitimate services can be found here - ships need supplies and repairs, goods need to be stored, captains need a place to hire a crew, and sailors need a bed on dry land to sleep in once in a while - but other businesses spring up simply to meet demand.

Grayflood - Waterfront District
Mud Caves - Slum District
Sharn's Welcome - Red Light District
Ship's Towers - Waterfront District

City of the Dead

The dead of Sharn are often cremated these days, but in the city’s youth (and still, to some extent, at least among the wealthy) they were more commonly entombed in mausoleums and crypts in the City of the Dead, high on the cliffs surrounding the city. These districts are nearly deserted in contrast to the bustling streets and towers of Sharn.

City of the Dead - Cemetery District
Halden's Tomb - Cemetery District

The Cogs

The Upper Cogs are primarily devoted to industry. When Lord Tarkanan destroyed the old city during the War of the Mark, he opened channels to the lake of ﬁre that lay deep beneath. This lava burns with a heat that is more than the laws of nature should allow, and it is ideal for working difﬁcult metals such as adamantine.

Ashblack - Industrial District
Blackbones - Industrial District
Khyber's Gate - Apartment District
The Sewers
Blackbones - Industrial District
Khyber's Gate - Apartment District
The Sewers
UnderSharn

Government

The ultimate power in Sharn is the City Council. The council has 17 members: one from each of the plateau wards, one from the Skyways and one from the Cogs. Each member of the council theoretically has equal power to the others, but in practice the members from wealthier wards tend to wield the largest political influence. The individual districts have unique ways of appointing someone to the City Council, but all appointees are approved by the empire prior to their service. While the empire does have the absolute right to refuse any appointee for any reason, this practice is rarely practiced and the city runs largely without imperial interference. There are no legal restrictions of who can and cannot run to represent their district, making it one of the most politically liberal local governments in the entire empire. The current council members are very diverse. Some are known to be corrupt, others idealists, and one appears to be an owl. All the councilors are well-known in their districts, and recognized across the city proper. The city is run by a variety of minor bureaucrats that take care of the day to day operations.

Infrastructure

Sharn is a city that is built on a collection of plateaus on mountains that surround the Dagger River. As the city grew the mountains placed a hard limit on the space the city could build out, so instead Sharn expanded up. The city was founded on the ruins of an ancient hobgoblin city that now acts as a foundation to the large towers of Sharn, as well as an exploitable dungeon. The city is anchored by a group of enormous towers that fill the spaces of the plateaus. A vast web of bridges and walkways span the gaps between the towers, so the entire city is littered with perilous drops. Some of these bridges are marvelous feats of artistry and engineering, others look like they will collapse the instant someone steps on them. Everyone who has the means carries a feather token on their person at all times, as insurance in case of a fall. Others who make a wrong step take their chances and hope that there is a bridge underneath them.

Assets

The primary asset of Sharn is the density of mages, artificers, and artisans. Given enough time, anyone could find anything in Sharn, legal or otherwise. Every guild has outposts throughout the city that allows a resident of Sharn access to any service they could need. Magewrights ply their trade by casting low level spells for a modest fee, and the city is full of artificers who moved to Sharn in hopes of inventing the next greatest gadget, or becoming the new world renowned entrepreneur.
Sharn also possess a local university in the Upper Menthis district, though it is not nearly as famous a place compared to Arcanix. Morgrave University possesses an extensive library with tomes and crystals of knowledge on areas of arcana, dungeoneering, geography, and history. Sharn also keeps extensive municipal records in the City Archive, though access is heavily regulated.
Lastly, Sharn is located within a @manifest zone that connects to the plane of air, which provides a natural boost to levitation and flight magic, which contributed massively to the construction of the towers.

Industry and Trade

With the end of the Last War, Sharn is slowly recovering from a period of shortages. The demand for food and raw materials was subsidized and shipped to the front lines, driving up the prices for basic necessities. The unfortunate vicitims of these shortages were the poorer citizens, who's desparation led to a massive spike in crime. Many of the city's rulers and nobles feared a revolt was due to break out, until the war not abruptly ended.
As of now, life in the city is slowly returning to normal, though the impact of poverty caused by the war has not been forgotten. Crime is a major problem in the lower and middle districts and a lot of the less fortunate citizens were left with a bitter frustration at the city and empire for abandoning them.

Defenses

Being built on the sides of a mountain served as a formidable defensive barrier during the early days of Sharn. The structures were mostly built with the stone quarried from the mountains, making the city virtually fireproof, and having a huge natural wall allowed the city to reinforce only a small portion of its surroundings for defense.
In modern days, the natural and constructed fortifications still provide defensive advantages, but the main advantage is the density of high level artificers and mages that call Sharn home. Anyone who would try to attack Sharn would be hard pressed in any direct confrontation, as the city can construct and adjust custom magical artillery almost on the fly to respond to any hostility.
In addition, Sharn is located deep within the Empire's claimed territory, making it impossible to mount any attack on the city without engaging with the Empire's military and giving the city advanced warning to prepare. During the Last War, citizens of the city could almost forget about the violence being wrought outside their walls if not for the economic fallout that remained a persistent reminder of the Last War.

Maps

Sharn, Skyway
Map of Sharn's Skyway
Sharn, Upper Wards
Map of Sharn's Upper Wards
Sharn, Middle Wards
Map of Sharn's Middle Wards
Sharn, Lower Wards
Map of Sharn's Middle Wards
Sharn, Cogs
Map of Sharn's Cogs

Alternative Name(s)

The City of Towers

Type

Metropolis

Population

500,000

Location under

Khorvaire

Owning Organization

Pyra Empire

Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild