City of 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.



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, the Skyway. Generally, the higher you are in Sharn, the wealthier the citizens are.

It was discovered that the spells that create and reinforce the buildings, are stronger if they build off the towers already created. So when a new tower is built, it is designed to anchor off of two or more of the towers below it, the power needed for spells used to maintain is significantly less. For example, this "pile on" effect allows Skyway to exist as its lift spells borrows from ALL the towers below it. The spells maintain the structural integrity of load bearing walls all the way into the earth. This leads to the interesting architecture. Every tower tries to anchor off of two or three or four of the towers below it, so the lowest structures are dim at best, since direct light is blocked by the of the towers above it. Like series of blocks piled haphazardly on each other, the city looks more like a trunk of a banyan tree, then a series of bamboo shoots.

Sharn is in a warm wet climate and beautiful tropical foliage will grown on every surface if allowed. One way to define an Upper Duras is by being full of light and air and vines and flowers. The towers above shade the Middle Duras so they only get indirect light and less wind.They are dim places of pale vines , shade loving plants and mild breezes. The lower Duras, however, are dark, dank places. The numerous structures above them, block the light and winds. Nothing grows there and the air is humid and stagnant.


Each section of the city is further divided into smaller districts.


Culture:

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.


Leadership:

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.