Government of Sharn

The City Council and the Lord Mayor represent the interests of Sharn; they are not direct servants of the king. The King’s Citadel looks after the interests of the crown, and can assert jurisdiction over any criminal matter or issue concerning espionage or national security.

The members of the King’s Citadel are the direct agents of the Brelish Crown. As such, the King’s Citadel stands above the Sharn Watch. Its members have the authority to take control of any investigation and to command the service of any guardsman or sentinel. Typically the Citadel leaves the daily routine of law enforcement (including the conflicts between the criminal organizations of the lower towers) in the hands of the Sharn Watch. The Citadel is concerned with forces that threaten the entire city, or even the kingdom itself. Foreign spies, mad necromancers, ancient fiends— these are the foes of the King’s Citadel.

Of course, many of these threats may be beyond the capabilities of the local agents. Like the Blackened Book, the Citadel keeps a close eye on unusual and talented individuals, and it is quite possible that a party of adventurers might be called upon to assist the Citadel with a dangerous mission. Unlike the Sharn Watch, the Citadel does not ask for help: it demands it. The knights of the Citadel are the representatives of the King of Breland, and any Brelish citizen who refuses to help the Citadel is committing an act of treason. The Citadel is not required to provide any sort of compensation for the services it demands, but an adventurer who wins the respect of the Citadel and becomes a valued ally can certainly benefit from the relationship.

The Sharn headquarters of the Citadel is in the Ambassador Towers district of Middle Central, in Andith Tower. That structure also holds the city jail.

Prominent NPCs

The local commander of the Citadel is KnightMarshal Banarak Tithon, renowned as one of the deadliest swordsmen in the kingdom. Tithon’s wife and children were killed by an Aundairian mystical assault near the end of the Last War, and his service to the Crown is all that he has left. Banarak has a good heart, but he is increasingly distant and distracted, and leaves more and more of the daily work in the hands of his subordinates.

Most of the members of the Citadel in Sharn are part of the King’s Dark Lanterns, the intelligence division of the Citadel. While Tithon oversees all Citadel operations in Sharn, the Dark Lanterns are under the direct command of Captain Talleon Haliar Tonan (LE male gnome rogue 3/master inquisitive 5). Talleon is devoted to the preservation of Breland and to the King, but he is utterly ruthless, and authorizes torture, theft, and assassination if a mission requires it. He has built up a network of Lower City contacts, and has engaged in “friendly deals” with the Tyrants, the Boromar Clan, and even House Tarkanan. Talleon doesn’t care about crime; he wants to expose and eliminate foreign spies, saboteurs, or other threats to the kingdom. He is also interested in increasing his own personal authority; the more power he has, the more effectively he can do his job. If Talleon ever gets a chance to take command from Knight-Marshal Banarak, he will seize it. Until then, he continues to form strategic alliances with guilds and power groups throughout the city. Talleon may approach the party for assistance with a problem, but in typical gnome fashion he is more likely to use blackmail to control the PCs instead of offering a reward—assuming that they won’t simply cooperate with the Citadel to serve the needs of the kingdom. The Dark Lanterns in Sharn include 4 5th-level rogues, 1 4th-level bard, 6 3rd-level rogues, and 12 4th-level experts. For the most part, the Lanterns are specialists in observation and investigation, focusing on skills such as Appraise, Disguise, Gather Information, Knowledge (local), Search, and Sense Motive.

A single squad of the King’s Swords occupies Sharn, commanded by Lieutenant Eld ir’Zarna (LN human fighter 6). Eld’s family has served in the Citadel for generations, and for the most part he is simply following tradition; he has little ambition and usually waits for Banarak or Talleon to provide him with orders. He has eight soldiers under his command—two 5th-level fighters, one 4th-level ranger, and five 4th-level fighters.

Finally, Lieutenant Zaira Dane (LG female half-elf paladin 1/enchanter 5) is in charge of the local branch of the King’s Wands. A devout follower of Dol Arrah, Zaira believes that you cannot have justice without honor. Zaira despises Captain Talleon and believes that his amoral actions are a blemish on the honor of the Citadel, but she lacks the authority to do anything about it. Technically the King’s Wands of Sharn are only supposed to support the actions of the Dark Lanterns, but Zaira often acts on her own in an attempt to battle injustices that Talleon refuses to deal with. For his part, Talleon believes that Zaira is a naïve idealist who wastes time chasing after “evil”—the true work of the Citadel is protecting the crown, and good and evil are luxuries in this line of work. There are six additional members of the King’s Wands—a 6th-level adept, a 5thlevel evoker, a 5th-level diviner, a 4th-level cleric of Aureon, and two 4th-level sorcerers.

The King's Shields

Sharn only came under attack once during the course of the Last War, and even if the war began again tomorrow it is unlikely that Sharn would be threatened. While the King's Shields assigned to Sharn was occasionally called out from the city to protect nearby villages, it is largely a ceremonial force; as a unit, the soldiers of the Redcloak Battalion are more dangerous than the entire King's Shields. However, Dura is an unstable region and on occasion the Shield has been mobilized to support the Watch in suppressing riots. After the fall of the Glass Tower in 918 YK, the Royal Guard played a vital role in stabilizing the region and maintaining martial law in Dura. The Shield's headquarters is located in Daggerwatch, in Upper Dura.

Not one to let his forces go to waste, Captain Toras Cant (LN male human warrior 8) has a longstanding arrangement with the Boromar Clan and usually supplies the muscle for Boromar operations, in exchange for gold and dreamlily.

While most members of the King's Shields are lawful neutral, a significant number are lawful evil, and these are the soldiers who usually work for the Boromars. Most of the guardsmen are 2nd-level warriors, but there are 100 3rd-level warriors and a handful of higher-level officers, some of which have fighter levels. When in uniform, guardsmen are equipped with scale mail, a longsword and light steel shield, and either a glaive or light crossbow. When working for the Boromars, the guardsmen are usually lightly armed, though the Boromar Clan could provide them with superior equipment for a special assignment.

Aerenal lumber—densewood, bronzewood, darkwood, and the other products of the great jungles—is an important commodity. Lady Taelira (LN female elf aristocrat 9) is the consul of Aerenal, and has held this post for over 300 years. Taelira has little interest in the wars or confl icts of the younger races, and she is unlikely to take an interest in anything that adventurers bring to her attention; if there’s a problem, her inclination is to wait a year and see if it’s still an issue. Trade agreements are an exception to this rule, and Taelira is a vicious negotiator when it comes to protecting the economic interests of the elves.

While she is rarely helpful, Lady Taelira shows more respect toward characters who possess the Right of Counsel. She is also a confidant of Mayne Jhaelian, the priest of Shae Lias, and if Mayne sends the characters to Taelira, she listens.

During the Last War, the battles between Aundair and Breland left deep scars on both lands. But while fierce, these confl icts were brief, and by the close of the war the two nations were strong allies. Today, Alais and Helais ir’Lantar, sons of one of the noble families of Aundair, serve the interests of their nation in Sharn. Alais and Helais are identical twin brothers, and both are remarkably handsome and urbane; they are quite popular at galas and other social events. While both brothers are officially ambassadors, each performs different duties. Alais ir’Lantar (LE male half-elf aristocrat 7) deals with the administrative drudgery, while Helais handles the deeper diplomacy and intrigue. Why? Because Helais is not simply an ambassador—he is one of the Royal Eyes of Aundair, a trusted agent who serves as Queen Aurala’s eyes and ears in Sharn. But Queen Aurala has been betrayed, and her misplaced trust may spell disaster in the future. His role as master of spies is the least of Helais’s secrets. The dark truth is that there is only one ir’Lantar brother. The ir’Lantar family has served the Lords of Dust for many generations, and Helais ir’Lantar is actually a guise used by the two rakshasas of Sharn, Zathara and Nethatar.

Alais is well aware of his brother’s true nature. He is a cruel, conniving man who enjoys assisting the Lords of Dust with their schemes. In addition to the power he gains from the alliance, Alais feels that his connection to the rakshasas puts him above mere mortals; he suffers from the delusion that if he serves the Lords faithfully, he may one day be transformed into a rakshasa himself.

Usually, one of the two rakshasa poses as Helais, while the other is disguised in a different form elsewhere in the city. However, as Alais and Helais are identical twins, this allows for a host of possibilities. If necessary, the two rakshasa can appear as Alais and Helais; at other times, Alais poses as his brother. Alais wears a ring of mind shielding and the Lords of Dust possess masks of the misplaced aura, so it is extremely diffi cult to pierce these deceptions.

Lhesh Haruuc of Darguun is a warrior first and a diplomat second, and under his rule Darguun has not established any embassies in Khorvaire. Most diplomatic contacts with the court of Darguun are carried out through House Deneith, which maintains close ties with Lhesh Haruuc to negotiate the services of mercenary troops.

Should a party feel the need to speak directly with inhabitants of Darguun, they should go to Malleon’s Gate in Lower Dura. A hobgoblin troop known as the Ja’khor (Blackbloods) is using the Bloodstone Inn as a base of operations. The war leader, Margaash (LN male hobgoblin fighter 2/warrior 2), is not a merchant, and he generally relies on House Deneith to negotiate contracts on his behalf. However, for the right price he may be willing to provide information or even a goblin guide to help a party traveling to Darguun. Margaash only respects strength; fighters get better results than wizards.

In addition to the Blackbloods, there are a number of expatriate Darguuls in Lower Dura and the Dura Cogs. The Mhaaca are a small family of bugbears who sell their services as heavy laborers. A few of the Mhaaca have broken off from the main family and joined the Cog gangs: Rhash’mhaac (NE male bugbear fi ghter 2/rogue 2) has established his own gang of goblins, while Kharmhaac (CE male bugbear warrior 3) has joined the Red Jackals, much to the frustration of their father Dhurmhaac (N male bugbear commoner 6).

The monstrous nation of Droaam did not participate in the Treaty of Thronehold, and the Brelish crown does not recognize the power or authority of the hags that rule there. In recent years, House Tharashk has developed strong ties to Droaam, and the House of Finding serves as an intermediary for most dealings with the Crag.

However, the one direct representative of the hags in Sharn is Cavallah (LE female ogre mage rogue 3)—the ogre mage who leads the criminal organization known as Daask (see page 151).

Many of the monstrous inhabitants of the city are either working for House Tharashk or Daask, but there are monstrous citizens who have settled in Sharn to pursue other opportunities. These include ogres and gnolls in the Cogs, and a few more exotic creatures in the upper levels. Some of these creatures are petty criminals, while others fi nd honest work as laborers. While they have no official ties to Daask, most recognize Cavallah’s authority—or at least are so afraid of her that they obey her commands if she calls upon them.

One particularly unusual expatriate Droaamite is Karg, an exceptionally intelligent ogre (Intelligence 10) who stumbled upon a cache of Dhakaani treasure a few years ago. Knowing that one of the more powerful monsters would take this prize away from him if he stayed in Droaam, Karg came to Sharn. He has spent the last four years studying at Morgrave University; he wants to become a master sage, and he is particularly fascinated by the history of Xen’drik and the empire of the giants. Karg is afraid of Daask, and does not venture into Lower Dura or the Cogs.

The embassy of Karrnath is a brooding fortress in the midst of Ambassador Towers. The Karrns are always prepared for the worst, and the embassy is designed to endure a siege. The interior of the embassy is fi lled with glyphs of warding, alarms, and arcane seals—one wrong step can prove deadly. The embassy contains its own garrison of elite soldiers, commanded by Kanarr Talan (LN male human fi ghter 6)—20 3rdlevel fi ghters, all prepared to die in the service of Karrnath. Riots, thieves, spies—the Karrns are ready to deal with them all.

Ambassador Syra ir’Tarrn (LN female human aristocrat 7) is a brilliant diplomat, and she is completely devoted to her nation and her king. She has no ties to the Order of the Emerald Claw, and she doesn’t even know about the hidden temple of the Blood of Vol in Graywall. Syra deals with the legitimate diplomatic activities of the embassy, while Malen Torr, a ruthless spymaster, handles espionage and shadow work.

Malen Torr (LE male human rogue 5/master inquisitive 3) is loyal to Karrnath, but he does not approve of the king’s promotion of peace; Malen believes that the only way to secure true peace is to restore Galifar under Karrn rule. He has made contact with a number of the warlords of Karrnath who share his opinions, and in the future he may set plots in motion to disrupt the peace process and to weaken Breland or gain control of new weapons for Karrnath. Depending on the political and ethical alignment of a party of adventurers, Malen could be a valuable patron or a deadly foe.

Each of the Lhazaar princes has his own agenda, and each prince has a personal representative at the embassy in Sharn. These ambassadors spend most of their time in trade negotiations and denying rumors of Lhazaar piracy. The Lhazaar embassy is unstable at best, and the ambassadors come and go as they please; it’s impossible to predict who will be in residence in the embassy at any given time. To make matters worse, the ambassadors frequently engage in feuds and vendettas on behalf of their lords. The embassy itself is neutral territory, but beyond its walls anything can happen.

The Mror Holds are a loose confederation of clans, each with its own mercantile interests. Each of the holds has a representative at the Mror consulate, who negotiates on behalf of his clan. These consuls are devoted to their work, and compared to the Lhazaar ambassadors there is little confl ict among the dwarves. The dwarf consuls rarely have any use for adventurers, and it would be extremely unusual for a party to be called to the consulate.

The most noteworthy consul is Lain of Clan Soldorak (LE male dwarf aristocrat 5/rogue 1), a socialite who often hosts lavish galas at his estate in Highhold. Lain is a member of the Aurum and reports to Antus Soldarak, the chairman of the Platinum Concord. In Sharn, Kalphan Riak is the highest-ranking member of the cabal, but Lain may make a good opponent for lower-level adventurers. The Soldorak family has an ancient grudge against House Kundarak; if the party includes a Kundarak heir, Lain may send misfortune their way.

Most of the citizens of the Kingdom of New Galifar—also known as Q’barra—consider the people of the western lands to be corrupt warmongers. Q’barra participated in the Treaty of Thronehold, but it has little interest in trade with Breland; the Q’barrans primarily deal with the Mror Holds, the Lhazaar Princes, and the Inspired lords of Riedra. As a result, Q’barra does not maintain an official embassy or consulate in Sharn. Unoffi cially, Q’barra’s interests are represented by Joseth ir’Kalain (LG male human aristocrat 7). Joseth is a clever negotiator and shrewd judge of human nature, but he is an honorable man who believes in the ideals of the old kingdom. He lacks the resources of an embassy, but Joseth is a possible patron for a group of adventurers. While he lives modestly, Joseth owns a dragonshard mine in Q’barra, and can draw considerable funds from the Kundarak Bank. The first Q’barrans fled east to escape the Last War, and Joseth may need to recover family heirlooms, information, or other treasures lost during this exodus. Joseth does not trust the people of Sharn, and he is far more likely to recruit his own agents; if a party contains a character from Q’barra, all the better.

The people of the Talenta Plains have little interest in political machinations. Stories say that they draw straws to see who has to serve as an ambassador, but these rumors are false. In truth, they fight duels, with the losers being sent to the courts of the western nations. Ambassador R’tannan (N male halfling expert 3/ fighter 2) attends diplomatic meetings and trade negotiations, but he is far more interested in gambling, especially on the many races that occur in the city.

The Talenta embassy has no direct connection with the Boromar Clan, House Ghallanda, or House Jorasco.

The lords of Thrane still hold Queen Wroann responsible for the Last War, and relations between the two countries have never been warm—though this general distaste pales in comparison to the hatred the people of Thrane have for the Karrns.

Lady Anador ir’Laisha (LG female human aristocrat 7/cleric 1) monitors events in the city on behalf of her nation, but rarely becomes actively involved in local affairs. She is devoted to the Silver Flame and attends services at the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame. Blinded by her faith, Lady ir’Laisha trusts the Archierophant implicitly and angrily dismisses any suggestions that Ythana might be using the power of the Church for her own benefit. Lady ir’Laisha’s devotion to the church is greater then loyalty to her country, and she may be manipulated into unknowingly assisting Ythana with a nefarious scheme.

The elves of the Valaes Tairn are warriors with a thirst for glory. They are never happier than when battling against overwhelming odds, honoring the spirits of their ancestors with spirit and song. While the High King signed the Treaty of Thronehold, the elves have not abided by its restrictions, and have continued to raid from Darguun to Karrnath. Someone has to appease the lords of the western kingdoms, to convince kings and princes that the actions of the elves pose no threat. This is the work of Daera Sorandal (CN female elf bard 9), a warrior who fights her battles with words. One of the finest diplomats in Khorvaire, Daera dances through the courts of the land singing a new song wherever she goes. In Breland, she emphasizes how the elves are weakening and distracting the dangerous hobgoblins of Darguun. In Thrane, she claims that the Valaes Tairn cannot sit by while the Karrn continue their evil ways. In Karrnath, she dismisses the attacks as the work of criminals and outlaws. She has a different story for every lord she visits—and so far, she has kept the nations from banding together against the elves.

There is no Valenar embassy in Sharn. An embassy would be a prison, and Daera Sorandal prefers to remain in constant motion, fighting a new battle every day. In Sharn, the Valenar are represented by Caerlyn’s Blade, a mercenary troop based in the Bazaar of Middle Dura. When Daera comes to the city, she generally stays with these warriors. If adventurers need to do business with the Valaes Tairn, they should begin by speaking with Caerlyn Tyrell (CN male elf fighter 9), the commander of the Blade. If he can’t help them, he may at least know where Daera can be found. Of course, he needs a reason to help them. Caerlyn will shed blood in exchange for gold, but his friendship cannot be bought—it must be earned. A character who defeats Caerlyn in a duel or a race, or even someone who challenges him and loses the contest, is more likely to receive help than someone who tries to buy information from him.

The Zilargo embassy was built long before the Last War, to facilitate trade between Zilargo and Galifar. Zilargo remained one of Breland’s closest allies throughout the Last War, and that alliance is still strong today. Zil artificers and engineers produce many of their wares in the great factories of Breland, and the Brelish refi neries sell much of their ore to Zilargo. Most of the time, the gnomes pay for these services with gold, jewels, or ships. But the gnomes are also masters of intrigue, and throughout the war the intelligence gathered by Zil spies was invaluable to the Brelish war effort.

Today, Khorvaire is at peace. But the Trust intends to be prepared for the next war long before it occurs. The embassy of Zilargo is a labyrinth of intrigue; almost everyone who works in the embassy has a secret secondary role, from the ambassador to the lowliest servant. A few of the more notable members of the embassy staff are described below, but it is always possible that there are other gnomes who are equally skilled—or even more skilled—hidden among the embassy staff. With the gnomes of Zilargo, nothing can truly be trusted.

The embassy staff includes the following remarkable individuals:

Tasho Mol Doras (N male gnome bard 4/expert 4), the ambassador of Zilargo, is a brilliant diplomat and ruthless negotiator. He is always looking for a way to get an edge over his political and mercantile opponents, and quickly seizes upon any sign weakness and exploits it. He is a skilled actor and can feign a wide range of emotions, but when the interests of his nation or family are at stake, he acts without mercy.

Doran Del Doras (N male bard 6/master inquisitive 4) is the true power in the embassy of Zilargo. Tasho is the ambassador, but Doran is the master of spies, and even Tasho follows his orders. Aside from the embassy staff—many of whom have 2 to 3 rogue, bard, or expert levels—Doran has contacts spread throughout Sharn and across Breland itself. He has permanent Rary’s telepathic bonds that allow him to communicate with Madra Sil Sarin and his superior in the Trust in Korranberg.

Madra Sil Sarin (LE female gnome rogue 7/ assassin 5) is the deadliest assassin in the service of the Trust. She is a disturbing enigma even to the other gnomes; she answers only to the Trust, and she has killed quite a few gnomes to preserve the secrets of the embassy. Doran can use his telepathic bond to request her services, but only the Trust can approve an assassination. It is important to remember this: while she is one of the most dangerous women in Khorvaire, she only acts if she has direct orders from Zilargo. She does not use her skills lightly or squander them on personal vendettas.

Madra spends most of her time under cover of invisibility, silently watching the city and waiting for instructions. With her ring of sustenance and telepathic bonds, she rarely needs to verbally or physically interact with people (she uses prestidigitation to keep her clothing clean). She is often called out of Sharn to serve the Trust in other parts of Khorvaire—but it’s usually impossible to tell. And, of course, there may be any number of additional Zil assassins hidden in the embassy waiting to be activated—though it is unlikely that any possess the skills or equipment to match Madra.

Cassia Lyrriman Dal (LN female gnome cleric 7) is a priestess of Aureon. Like Holas, she is a supernatural spy, using augury, divination, speak with dead and other spells to help Doran gather information and formulate plans. She is fascinated by all religions, and whenever she encounters another adept or priest she tries to start a discussion about her own theories about the nature of the gods and the foundation of divine magic.

Doran Del Doras is always expanding his network of informants and spies, and any character— gnome or not—could be drawn into his web.