The City of Towers. This city, at the mouth of the Dagger River and in the southwest tip of Breland, is most heavily populated city in Khorvaire at 922,000 residents (with another 90,000 filtering in and out at any time). Though it has a plurality of humans, it is also home to almost every race on the face of Eberron, as well as every religion.

History

• Sharn was originally a central city in the Dhakaani Empire, named Ju’Shaarat (“Bright Blade”). During the Daelkyr Invasion, the city was a primary target, and the damage it incurred, along with the dissolution of the empire, made it into a ghost town, which the goblins renamed Duur’Shaarat, “Blade of Sorrows.”
• The human settlers that followed the Lhazaar colonists quickly found the clifftop area above the Dagger River, and saw its rich potential for trade and defense, founding a new city in -1975 YK. Their leader, the legendary pirate, Malleon the Reaver, derived the city’s new name from goblin legends, Shaarat. 600 years later, wizards under the command of Wroat warlord Breggor destroyed the city again. Ten year later, he renamed it Sharn and rebuilt it.
• The city was taken hostage during the end of the War of the Mark by House Tarkanan, and in the face of destruction, the outcast dragonmarked destroyed the city and seeded it with a deadly plague. With the founding of Galifar, King Galifar ordered the reconstruction of the city in 9 YK. Cannith and dwarven engineers used Brelish investment to make the city larger than ever.
• During the Last War, Sharn stayed out of almost all conflict, with the exception of some pirating by Lhazaar mercenaries, but was a center for espionage and diplomacy.

Divisions
Map

• Central Plateau
• City of the Dead
• Cliffside
• Cogs
• Dura
• Menthis Plateau
• Northedge
• Skyway
• Tavick’s Landing
• The city is divided into quarters, wards, and districts. The quarters are the Central Plateau, the Cogs (with only one ward), Dura (including Cliffside), Menthis Plateau, Northedge, Skyway (with only one ward), and Tavick’s Landing. Each quarter has three wards. Each wards consists of 3-9 districts. Each district has 1400-4000 residents.
• Being a vertical city, the quarters themselves are divided by altitude (usually dividing classes respectively) into upper, middle, and lower (there also a collection of poor and criminal souls in what are called the “Depths” further below, just above the Cogs).

Demographics

• 921,850 in residences
• 89,000 in transit (estimate gathered from House Orien, Lyrander, shipping facilities, and embassy logbooks)
• 33% Human
• 17% Dwarf
• 9% Halfling
• 9% Goblin
• 8% Gnome
• 7% Elf
• 5% Half elf
• 4% Shifter
• 3% Changeling
• 2% Orcs and Half Orcs
• 1% Warforged
• 1% Kalashtar
• 1% Other

Power Groups

• The Sharn City Council is the most influential power of the city, designated by their respective wards.
• The Sixty Families are the original investors in the bulding of modern Sharn, headed by the ir’Tains. Their wealth and presence overlap into all aspects of Sharn politics and society, but do not act as a single body.
• The Dragonmarked Houses all have large enclaves in the city or a presence in Dragon Towers, making them an economic and political power, but the following four are the most influential:
  • House Cannith: Home to Cannith South (lead by Merrix), most of the house business is done in the Forgehold in Ashblack. Merrix has a strong connection and interest in the resident warforged, and his cousin Tayra oversees the very profitable potion business.
  • House Deneith: This enclave in Copper Arch holds 500 Blademarks and 9 Sentinel Marshals, and is lead by Sadran and his son, Sadral. Their work supplements the far inferior Sharn Watch.
  • House Kundarak: Their warding business in the local warehouse districts and the Kundarak Bank is central to almost all business in Sharn, legitimate or otherwise. Also, unpaid loans from the Bank to Breland during the Last War have become a point of contention with the enclave head, Daphane (Baron Morrikan’s favored niece).
  • House Sivis: This house services every sector of the city: barristers for the courts, 237 message stations located through the districts, translators for foreign visitors and antiques from Xen’drik, and accountants and scribes for the Kundarak Bank.
• Organized crime is prominent in Sharn and is grouped into four gangs: the Boromar Clan, Daask, the Tyrants, and House Tarkanan.

Law Enforcement

• Sharn follows the Galifar Code of Justice, which affords any citizen of Khorvaire (with the notable exception of Droaamites) the same protection. In practice, this differs, but corruption is not rampant.
• The Sharn Watch
  • This policing force, under the supervision of the Council patrols most areas of Sharn and enforces the law, but is notorious for corruption and negligence in less affluent areas. The forces are quartered in four garrisons (Daggerwatch, Warden Towers, Sword Point, and Black Arch) and the administration is in Ambassador Towers, lead by Lord Commander Iyan ir’Talan.
  • The Watch uses most officers for basic patrols, but it has specialized squads, including:
    • Blackened Book: countermages
    • Cogs Guards: monitors for the water purification centers
    • Goldwings: aerial hippogriff mounted patrol
    • Guardians of the Gate: oversee foreign nationals, immigrants, and refugees
    • Wharf Watch: tariff and trade monitors

• In situations outside of the Watch’s jurisdiction (foreign agents, etc.), Sharn will call on the King’s Citadel. In more dire circumstances which are only local, the Redcloak Battalion, a veteran battalion from the Last War known for surgical strikes in crisis situations, are called in.

Significant dates

• No discussion of Sharn is complete without the Race of Eight Winds, the aerial citywide race every year on Lharvion 23.
• Sharn’s elite gather on the first Far of every month for a gala at Tain Manor on Skywatch.
• Along with the continent-wide holidays, the following are specific to Sharn:
  • Olarune 9-Crystalfall: This day commemorates the destruction of a floating crystal tower durign the Last War.
  • Barrakas 25-Fathen’s Fall: A memorial for a famous hunter of evil werewolves native to Sharn.