Page 179 - Eberron -Rising from the Last War_Neat

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Only the most desperate people live here, and the
-- THE -- forces of the law won't come near it. As a result, the
S M A � W I W Q U I S l l l V � district has a lot of space available for any cult or secret
society that needs a lair. The followers of a radiant idol,
the Cult of the Dragon Below, or any other cabal could
O
DAWN F D I S E ASE lay claim to a shattered church in Fallen.
KHYBER'S GATE
Beyond the Cogs lies Khyber's Gate, a maze of tunnels
Y o u'll hear warning bells toll tomorrow morning. Y o u'll
see packs of people with their faces hidden by plague and tenements carved into the stone. The Sharn Watch
masks or strips of cloth. Jorasco healers will roam the has no presence here, and the closest thing to an au­
streets offering free examinations and blessings. If you're thority is the criminal organization known as Daask; if
new to Sharn, have no fear! This isn't the outbreak of you're seeking the leaders of this group, this is where
disease it appears to be; it's how Sharn observes the La­ you'll find them. Many of the inhabitants of the Gate are
dy's Day, commemorating a tragic incident in our past. goblins and immigrants from Droaam, but it's also home
T o day, aberrant dragonmarks are rare. But there was to fugitives, war criminals, and other unsavory types.
a time long ago when they were f a r more common. An Khyber's Gate is part of the ruins of a goblin city that
army of aberrant heirs made their home here in the was abandoned thousands of years ago. No one knows
early days of Sharn, led by Halas T a rkanan-known how deep it goes. The monstrous inhabitants of the dis­
as the Earthshaker-and the Lady of the Plague, who
had power over vermin and disease. When the dragon­ trict have no love for treasure hunters or adventurers,
marked houses laid siege to the city and their defeat and it's a dangerous place to explore.
became inevitable, the two unleashed their full might. Shamukaar is the most successful tavern in Khyber's
T a rkanan's power reduced the early towers to rub- Gate. The place is a safe haven for all within it, regard­
ble, and the Lady of the Plague called forth a horde of less of species or politics; once you make it through the
disease-infested vermin. door, you can breathe easy.
For centuries afterward, the region was shunned.
When our modern city was built, the cursed ruins were THE SEWERS
sealed away. But one never knows when the darkness
could rise up again. On the Lady's Day, we remember The upper wards of Sham use a network of chutes to
the tragedy that once befell Sharn, and we prepare for funnel garbage down into the sewers. Refuse and filth is
the possibility that it could happen again. channeled into cavernous midden chambers, where it is
left to rot or be devoured by the vermin and oozes that
inhabit the sewers. Smaller tunnels channel wastewater
FALLEN into purification centers, where magewrights use magic
to cleanse the water. A special unit of the Sharn Watch
The Fallen district in Lower Dura was once known as
Godsgate. When the first towers were raised, Godsgate protects the purification chambers. Beyond these small,
was the temple district. It had shrines and statues ded­ vital areas, the sewers are lawless.
icated to the Sovereigns, a proud church of the Silver Though the sewers were never intended to support a
Flame, even a monument to the Undying Court. But population, over the centuries a subculture has evolved
in this region. A few tribes of people-mostly goblins,
as Sharn grew and prospered, religious services were along with a few shifters, dwarves, and feral halfiings­
moved to grander temples in the upper wards. Gods­
gate became a tenement district, and the shrines and live in the sewers, rummaging through the midden
monuments were forgotten and left to decay. The final heaps and selling their goods in the lower city. These
sewer clans constantly battle over territory, as control
blow to this once-proud district came early in the Last of one or more midden chamber can be critical to sur­
War. A team of Aundairian saboteurs brought down one vival. The sewer clans can pose a threat to adventurers,
of Sham's floating towers, and the falling spire struck but they can also be valuable allies; there are no better
Godsgate. Buildings collapsed, and hundreds died. Un­ guides to the sewers and what lies beneath them than
tended corpses led to infection and disease. The City one of the folk who live there.
Council had no interest in sinking gold into Lower Dura
to restore the area, and the district was abandoned. C R I M I N A L ACTIVITI S
E
Today, the district known as Fallen is strewn with the
rubble of the fallen tower, mingled with shattered build­ Under the laws of Sharn, crime takes many forms. Any
ings and broken statues. Those who venture into Fallen sort of theft is illegal, including "malicious theft of iden­
must deal with the Ravers, feral savages that lurk in the tity" -the use of shapeshifting abilities or illusion magic
shadows. There's no question that the Ravers exist, but to impersonate someone with the intent to cause harm.
their true nature remains a subject of debate. A common Assault, murder, and fraud will all land you in hot water.
hypothesis is that they're the descendants of the origi­ Other activities walk the edge of legality. Gambling and
nal inhabitants of the district, who were possessed and prostitution are legal in Sham, but these industries are
driven mad by the ghosts of those who died when the heavily taxed and regulated. Likewise, smuggled goods
tower fell. Others claim that House Vadalis has been try­ include illegal merchandise such as drugs and mystical
ing to magebreed super-soldiers, and the Ravers are the explosives, but also heavily taxed goods, such as the
result of failed experiments. drug known as dreamlily (described in chapter 4).

C H APTER 3 I SHARN, CITY OF TOWERS