Sharn

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not to be confused with the Sharns

Sharn is a metropolis in the Dungeons & Dragons world of Eberron, which is basically "magitek New York City". Its most iconic trait is that it's built under a Manifest Zone to Syrania, the Azure Sky; the extraplanar energies seeping from this point augment and empower all spells relating to air - or, specifically, to flight and levitation. This has let the occupants build the fantastical equivalent of skyscrapers, and the richest part of the city literally floats in the sky over the city like a giant masonry balloon.

History

THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO!! Before humans had even set foot on the continent of Khorvaire, Sharn was not Sharn, but the city of Ja'Shaarat. Known as the greatest city of the hobgoblin Dhakaani Empire, it was carved into the cliffs that Sharn now towers over. Rather than going up, the hobgobbos built down, creating a labyrinth of chambers, tunnels, and ancient dungeon LARPs. Eventually they did this so well that they had to build back up to the surface, creating huge buildings atop the plateaus overlooking the Dagger River.

Then everything changed when the Daelkyr attacked. The city was ruined, the hobs fled, and for THOUSANDS OF YEARS!! it remained abandoned. That's when the humans came, crossing the sea from Sarlona to exploit explore Khorvaire. Following the river, not-Columbus Macelleus the Reaver rediscovered Ja'Shaarat, enslaved the local goblins, and had them erect a fortress inside their ancestral home. Perhaps seeing the flaw in delving too deep, the guy sealed the lower wards of the city, then went on to rename Ja'Shaarat "Shaarat" after the stories his goblin slaves told. Six hundred years later, it becomes a booming metropolis, that was then summarily conquered by its first king, Breggor Firstking, who became the first king of what would become modern Breland. He'd also rename Shaarat to Sharn.

Eight hundred years come and go. Sharn continues to build itself up, and begins to resemble the city we all know and love. The Dragonmarked Houses begin to prosper and this helped cultivate Sharn into an economic power. But the Dragonmarked Houses also brought with them the War of the Mark. The leader of those who bore the aberrant dragonmark, Tarkanan, took control of Sharn and turned it into a home for all who wore the destructive marks.

Tarkanan couldn't hold the city for long, and, like X-men's Magneto throwing a temper tantrum, he used his terrible powers to wreck the place. For the next five hundred years, the city was looked down upon and remained in ruins. Then Galifar I took control of the Five Nations, where he then went on to rebuild Sharn. Just like that, the metropolis got back on its feet, and eventually developed into the center for trade, diplomacy, plot-hooks and intrigue that it is today.

Gallery

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  The city's coat of arms
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  Cut-away map of the City of Towers