Zarash'ak

Overview

Zarash’ak is the capitol city of the Shadow Marches located on the Glum Water. The city is built just under the canopy of massive trees that block out most natural light. Because of this, the city has cultivated luminescent flora to act as lights through the city, giving it a bit of an unnatural glow. A gridwork of wooden walkways between trees act as streets and buildings are built close to the enormous tree trunks and often burrow into the trees forming a beautiful city that seems to be a part of the natural order.
Citizens of the city navigate and identify different parts of the city, not by street corners or buildings, but by trees. The larger the tree, the more important the surrounding and intertwined buildings. The largest tree is topped with Umbrella House, the home of the Council of Warlords. The smaller trees are used to support the larger trees and the structures built on them.

Important Places

Umbrella House

This building is built up above the canopy, the only building allowed to be built that high. This large, umbrella-like structure houses the various chambers, offices, and meeting halls of the Council of Warlords, the group that governs the Shadow Marches.

Waterside

The Dockside area includes the small number of docks and buildings at water’s level. These buildings surround the massive tree trunks and include means of getting up to the city level. This is generally done either via spiraling stairs that climb up the hundred feet, or (more recently) open air elevators operated via simple pulleys by large orcs.

Ud’Ok Shelter (Ood-Ock)

Ud’Ok Shelter is one of the largest trees in the city and has a direct elevator to a sort of welcome center at the water’s level. Because House Ghallanda has no presence in the Shadow Marches, this hotel grew to become an exotic and luxurious stay. The higher up the tree, the nicer the rooms. Where a Golden Dragon Inn has the normal accommodations that one thinks of when thinking of hotels, Ud’Ok Shelter caters to Marcher society. Nature is interwoven into everything and allowed to grow and thrive, with small creatures being commonly seen throughout. The beds are flat and made of a softwood and there are very thin mats stuffed with moss that lay on top. To many, this is not comfortable, but for Marchers, this is luxury. Travelers are asked not to pay for the night, but to gift the hotel something from outside of the Marches. They have a gallery of gifts that anyone can look at, like a museum.
Pondakar (Pondy) - Half orc with pale green skin, brown hair in a neat ponytail, one tusk sticking out mouth on the left side, a beautiful wrap outfit of white, blue, green, and pink that luminesces in places.

Ten Branch Market

The city’s primary retail area is at Ten Branch Market. A large tree’s trunk split into ten huge branches. In the center of those branches, a large square platform was built. At night, the market is entirely empty and every day, proprietors set up their stalls and sell various items. In this way, the market stays fresh with certain stalls being there on certain days and so forth.

Type

Capital

Population

250,000

Location under

Shadow Marches

Owning Organization

Warlords of the Marches