The Government Of Sharn

The Government
OF SHARN
Bureaucracy mires Sharn’s political landscape. In
addition to the massive amount of work involved in
maintaining the city itself, Sharn also administers
Brelish law to the surrounding region, collecting
taxes and revenues on behalf of King Boranel.
The city is fi lled with ministers, beadles, bailiffs,
and minor functionaries of all shapes and sizes. However,
it is unlikely that a player character is going to
become intimately involved in the repaving of roads
or the system of agricultural tariffs collected by the
ministers of Sharn. As a result, this section focuses on
the pinnacle of Sharn’s government: the people at the
top, who have the power to set adventures in motion.


The Council of Sharn
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The Council Of Sharn is made up of a councilor from nearly each ward in the city, with a few exceptions, totalling 17 councilors. The council establishes laws, determines how to use resources (taxes), and also appoints high officers of the city.
[edit] Representatives

* Ilyra Boromar- Lower Dura and Cliffside
* Doran Cantar- Middle Northedge
* Thurik Davandi- Upper Menthis
* Caskar Halavik- Middle Menthis
* Borian Haldorak- Upper Dura and Cliffside
* Hruit- Middle Dura and Cliffside
* Dalaina Ironhand- Middle Tavick's
* Sava Kharisa- Lower Central
* Kilk- Lower Tavick's
* Evix ir'Marasha- Skyway
* Savia Potellas- Lower Menthis
* Sorik Sensos- Middle Central
* Shassa Tarr- Lower Northedge
* Maza Thadian- Upper Northedge
* Javan Tomollan- Upper Central
* Bestan ir'Tonn- Upper Tavick's
* Nolan Toronak- The Cogs


THE CITY COUNCIL
Many make the mistake of assuming that the Lord
Mayor of Sharn holds the greatest power within the
city. In fact, the City Council appoints the Lord
Mayor, and the commanders of the Sharn Watch
report to the Council.
The Council of Sharn is comprised of 17 councilors:
one from each of the wards of the city, with
Cliffside merged into Dura and a single councilor
representing both Ashblack and Blackbones. The
precise method by which a councilor is appointed
varies from ward to ward. In theory, it is a diplomatic
selection made by the leaders of the ward, but
what it takes to be a “leader” varies considerably. In
some wards, anyone with a certain amount of income
or property can participate in ward councils and
elections. In others, ward elections are entirely in
the hands of trade guilds, noble families, or other
power groups. While in theory each councilor has an
equal voice, in practice the influence of a councilor
is derived from his backers. The local merchants of
Lower Menthis support Savia Potellas, and she knows
better than to openly oppose Caskar Halavik, who has
the backing of the Boromar Clan. If she stirs up too
much trouble, she might wind up at the bottom of the
Dagger River. However, she fi nds other ways to deal
with Caskar and pursue her own goals—including
hiring adventurers to upset his plans. Likewise, while
each councilor is supposed to represent the interests
of his or her ward, a councilor usually puts his backers
first, his personal district second, and his ward third.
Thus, the three councilors with ties to the Boromar
Clan usually vote as a unit.
The City Council commands a variety of powers.
The Council establishes the laws of the city, although
if they wish to pass a law that completely contradicts
the Code of Galifar or the traditions of Brelish Law,
the crown or parliament might have something to say
about it. Laws may vary per ward, allowing a councilor
to shift the traditions of the city to benefi t his backers.
The Council also determines how to use the resources
of Sharn, from taxes to the power of the Sharn Watch.
Finally, the Council appoints the high offi cers of the
city, including the Lord Mayor. The councilors do
not appoint the city’s representatives to the Breland
Parliament; following the democratic traditions of
the nation, the three legislators are elected by popular
vote, with every legitimate resident of Sharn having
the right to participate. However, the Council manages
and administers the election, and councilors can
usually exercise a considerable amount of influence
over the voters in their districts, whether through
charisma or graft.
All major political appointments in Sharn occur
on 9 Rhaan, Boldrei’s Feast. Members of the Breland
Parliament serve two-year terms, city councilors
serve for three years, and the Lord Mayor’s performance
is usually reviewed every four years. There
are no term limits, and quite often an election passes
with no changes whatsoever.
Members of the Council
Each member of the Council has his or her own
agenda and supporters, which may determine
whether one makes a better patron or opponent for
a party of adventurers. The seventeen councilors of
Sharn currently in power include:
Upper Central: Javan Tomollan (LN male
human expert 8), a shrewd man and a tough bargainer,
earned his fortune representing House
Lyrandar, although he has since parted ways with the
house. He is a fair man and believes that hard work
and dedication to a task should be rewarded. However,
his greatest concern is protecting the interests
of the people of Upper Central: the problems of the
poor of Lower Dura hold little interest for him.
Middle Central: Sorik Sensos (LN male half-elf
expert 11) is a clever man and a brilliant orator, and
he is one of the oldest and most infl uential voices on
the Council. However, he is influenced by his need
for gold, and his supporters are aggravated by the
growing economic gap between Middle and Upper
Central. His frustration is compounded by the
rising success of Javan Tomollan, and every month
he becomes increasingly obsessed with Tomollan.
Sorik is determined to humiliate Javan and to bring
down his fortunes, but he needs to be careful.
Lower Central: Sava Kharisa (NG female human
expert 7/wizard 3), one of the most out spoken members
of the council, espouses a wide range of radical
philosophies and political views. She honestly does
the best she can to help all of the people of Sharn,
instead of trying to advance her political career or
protect her personal supporters. This has earned her
many enemies on the Council, and if she’s not careful
the Boromar Clan could try to have her removed from
offi ce—permanently. Due to her radical views, connections,
and desire to fi ght corruption, Sava makes
an excellent choice as a patron for adventurers.
Upper Menthis: Born and bred in Sharn,
Thurik Davandi (LN male gnome expert 4/magewright
4) is as cunning and deceptive as any Zilargo
gnome. He gained his seat on the Council through
a clever combination of fl attery and blackmail,
and he has a hold over many of the more powerful
merchants of Menthis. He has strong ties with the
Boromar Clan and the Zilargo Embassy, and often
uses his influence to help these allies. But he is
always looking for ways to increase his own power at
the expense of his associates, and he may lure adventurers
into his web of conspiracy and deception.
Middle Menthis: Caskar Halavik (N male halfling
barbarian 2/expert 4) was born in the Talenta
Plains. When he fi rst came to Sharn, he worked as an
enforcer for the Boromar Clan. He was also a remarkably
skilled clawfoot racer, and in time he became a
celebrity in Little Plains. Saiden Boromar helped him
transform his fame into political cachet, eventually
earning him a seat on the Council. Caskar enjoys
the prestige of his position, but he prefers to leave
political maneuvering on behalf of the Boromars to
Ilyra Boromar and Bestan ir’Tonn.
Lower Menthis: Savia Potellas (NE female human
expert 2/bard 1) owns a brothel in Firelight, and the
conservative members of the Council were outraged by
her appointment. She is extremely sharp at business,
but she is currently caught in a bind. She has grown
tired of paying tribute to the Boromar Clan and the
Tyrants in order to run her business, but she is afraid
to openly move against the powerful crime lords.
Despite her amoral nature, she could become a valuable
ally for adventurers that oppose the Boromars.
Upper Northedge: Maza Thadian (LN female elf
commoner 17) is one of the oldest, richest, and most
respected elves in the city. She owns the Oaks, one of
the fi nest restaurants in Sharn. Maza is stubborn and
set in her ways, and she constantly fi ghts to maintain
the status quo and uphold tradition; however, she does
tend to put the concerns of the wealthy before those of
the poor, especially the goblins and other dregs of the
lower wards. While she has the highest regard for the
law, she is in no way naïve; she is capable of surprising
subterfuge in the best interests of Sharn.
Middle Northedge: A former advocate, Doran
Cantar (NG male human expert 4/adept 1) is an
honest and devout man dedicated to making a difference
for the people of Northedge. He obtained
his position largely through charisma and dedication,
and the support of the priests of High Hope.
He has a deep and abiding faith in the goddess Boldrei,
and attributes all of his successes to the good
will of the goddess. However, his honesty is often a
hindrance in Council intrigues.
Lower Northedge: Born in North Market,
Shassa Tarr (N female shifter expert 5) is a political
animal. She comes from a long line of merchants,
and is an expert negotiator. While she is not as devious
as Thurik Davandi, she has been successfully
able to juggle alliances with all of the major factions
within the council. Shassa herself owes her allegiance
both to the merchant lords of Lower Northedge and
to Sharn’s shifter community, and she does what she
can to help both of these groups.
Upper Tavick’s Landing: This ward has always
had an isolationist attitude, in many ways considering
itself to be a separate city within Sharn. Bestan
ir’Tonn (LE male halfl ing aristocrat 3/telepath 9) has
represented this community for the last 30 years. A
wealthy barrister from one of the Sixty (see page 112),
he has strong connections to the Boromar Clans. He
is a respected man who has always looked out for the
interests of the wealthy of Tavick’s Landing, as well as
for the Boromars. However, he has a secret: he is an
agent of the Dreaming Dark. Fifteen years ago, the
Inspired dominator Tirashana infected him with a mind
seed, and today he is one of three Inspired moles. While
appearing to promote the agendas of his supporters, he
has actually been stirring up dissent and discord.
Middle Tavick’s Landing: This ward is a
center for trade and commerce, catering to adventurers,
commoners, and merchants bringing
cargoes in on the Orien lightning rail or by trade
caravan. Dalaina Ironhand (LN female dwarf
expert 5) is a plain-spoken woman who represents
the merchants of the district. She is a hard-nosed
negotiator with no sense of humor and no interest
in anything beyond the bottom line. She always
drives for the best bargain for her people—whatever
form that bargain may take—but she has no taste
for underhanded intrigue. As a result, she opposes
the schemes of the “Boromar Block”—Bestan
ir’Tonn, Caskar Havalik, Thurik Davandi, and Ilyra
Boromar—whenever possible.
Lower Tavick’s Landing: Economic forces also
drive the wants and needs of Lower Tavick’s Landing.
Kilk has the support of the Tyrants, but has also won
the loyalty of the other merchant lords of the district.
On the surface, it appears that Kilk looks out for the
mercantile interests of his ward, but he also monitors
and manipulates events across the city. Only Thurik
Davandi can match Kilk for intrigues and scheming,
and Kilk has a web of informants and spies across the
city. He has done his best to make himself useful to
the King’s Citadel and the Guardians of the Gate,
and as a result he has developed powerful allies within
both organizations.
Kilk is an invention of the Tyrants. There is
one changeling who plays the role more often than
others, but at any time Kilk could be any one of
the Tyrants—even Ek himself. Through Kilk, the
Tyrants have a second way to affect the city, and a
more respectable façade for dealing with groups such
as the King’s Citadel.
Upper Dura: Borian Haldorak (LE male dwarf
aristocrat 6) owes his position to the powerful bankers
and merchants of Highhold. He is also a member
of the Gold Concord of the Aurum, and serves the
interests of this conspiracy. He is disarmingly cheerful
and often plays up his age, telling elaborate stories
about the great deeds of his youth. But beneath this
façade, he is a sharp and ruthless negotiator. Most
interactions between the Aurum and the Boromar
Clan are resolved by Borian and Ilyra.
Middle Dura: Hruit is a mysterious fi gure on
the Council, keeping his own counsel and advancing
his own agenda. A druid with a particular affi nity
for owls, he once rode a giant owl to represent the
Bazaar of Dura in the Race of Eight Winds. Hruit’s
primary responsibility is to the merchants of the
Bazaar, protecting their interests from the Boromar
councilors and the councilors who represent the
other market wards.
Lower Dura: Bestan ir’Tonn, Thurik Davandi,
and Caskar Havalik all have ties to the Boromar
Clan. But Ilyra Boromar (NE female halfl ing rogue
3/expert 3) is the Boromar Clan’s personal representative
on the Council. She reports directly to
Saidan Boromar, and she has the authority to make
executive decisions on behalf of the clan. Her allegiance
is obvious, but the other council members
generally politely overlook it; the Boromars are one
of the Sixty families of Sharn, and she does have the
skills, credentials, and lineage to compete with any
of the other councilors.
Of all of the members of the council, Ilyra is
the most ruthless and dangerous. The Boromar
Clan prefers to avoid violence, but councilors who
oppose Ilyra have disappeared in the past. However,
the recent war with Daask has shaken her grip on the
council. The Boromar Clan is no longer seen as an
infallible, omnipotent force—and so far the majority
councilors have refused to devote city resources
to battling the Droaamites setting up shop in Sharn.
Most are quite pleased with the turn of events, and
are waiting for the Boromars to be weakened further
before they take any action.
Thurik Davandi, Bestan ir’Tonn, and Caskar
Havalik are Ilyra’s allies, although Thurik and
Bestan have been known to pursue there own agendas
behind Ilyra’s back. Her greatest enemies on the
council are Borian Haldorak, Sava Kharisa, Kilk,
and Hruit; these four are either unconcerned with
the danger represented by the Boromar Clan or feel
that their supporters are powerful enough to protect
them from retribution.
Skyway: Another member of the Sharn Sixty,
Evix ir’Marasha (LN female human aristocrat 2/
bard 4) owns the Celestial Vista in Skyway, along
with a host of other valuable properties. She is one
of the most eloquent members of the Council,
and she takes a great interest in Sharn’s role in the
greater politics of Breland. She is part of the cabal
who believe that the monarchy should be abolished
when King Boranel dies, and she is a close friend of
Hass ir’Tain. Evix also believes that Sharn should
be recognized as an independent province, a view
shared by Sava Kharisa. However, fi rst and foremost
she represents the people of Skyway and the interests
of these wealthiest citizens of Sharn. Because of this,
she usually sides with Javan Tomollan, Maza Thadian,
and Bestan ir’Tonn in Council debates.
The Cogs: Nolan Toranak (LE male dwarf commoner
7) represents the industrial powers behind
Ashblack and Blackbones. The nobles and merchant
princes of Skyway and the Upper-City own many
of the foundries and forges in the Cogs, and Nolan
usually aligns himself with one of the more eloquent
councilors. The one issue that he does feel strongly
about is the status of the warforged. His children were
killed by warforged during the Last War, and he has
never forgiven House Cannith or the warforged as a
whole. If Nolan had his way, all warforged would be
melted down or banished. As it is, he tries to find ways
to bypass the stipulations of the Treaty of Thronehold,
so warforged can be treated as property. There are a
few groups of people in Sharn who share Nolan’s fear
and hatred of the warforged, and he often channels
funds to these organizations. He might hire adventurers
to take action against House Cannith or the
prominent warforged of Blackbones; or if there is a
warforged among the party, Nolan could use his power
to try to discredit the adventurers and drive them
from the city.


THE LORD MAYOR
While the City Council holds the true power in
Sharn, the Lord Mayor is still a force to be reckoned
with. The Lord Mayor represents the interests of
Sharn in any direct contact with the Brelish Crown,
including interaction with the King’s Citadel. He
also appoints the lesser officers of the city and oversees
all issues of daily administration. He has the
power to establish trade agreements with foreign
governments, to pardon criminals, and to order
arrests and even executions. His worship Cathan
ir’Demell has been Lord Mayor of Sharn for twenty
years, and he enjoys the luxuries and privileges of
his position. He is unlikely to take any actions that
would anger Javan Tomollan or Bestan ir’Tonn,
his strongest supporters in the council, and he
usually consults with these two before making any
major decisions.
THE KING’S CITADEL
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 SIXTY FAMILIES OF SHARN
Twenty-five of the twenty-seven noble families of
Breland have strong ties and interests in Sharn,
along with all of the dragonmarked houses. But the
majority of the wealth of the city lies in the hands
of the gentry: merchants and landowners who have
built their fortunes through centuries of hard work
and clever investment. There are hundreds of powerful
families in the City of Towers, but a few stand
out from the rest. These are known as the Sixty.
Sharn was built with the gold of the ir’Tain
family, and today the ir’Tains are the most powerful
and influential family in the city. Once each month,
they hold a grand party for the aristocracy—The Tain
Gala. When the ir’Tains were building their new
manor on Skyway, Lady Shala told the architects
to make the banquet hall large enough to seat sixty
families and their servants. The Sixty of Sharn are
those with standing invitations to the Tain Gala—the
clear sign of success. It should be noted that other
people may attend the gala, as it is uncommon for
all sixty families to bring all of their family members
and servants, and the hall was designed to hold
entertainers as well as guests. But a single invitation,
while prestigious, is entirely different from being
invited to join the Sixty.
While many members of the Aurum are also
members of the Sixty, the two organizations are quite
different. The Aurum is a highly organized conspiracy
that carries out carefully orchestrated plans to
provide its members with greater power and wealth.
The Sixty is more of a social club—a visible manifestation
of the most powerful families in Sharn.
Members of the Sixty discuss politics and business
at the Tain Galas, and these discussions can have an
impact on adventurers, Sharn, or even Breland. But
the Sixty almost never act as a concerted unit, and
many members are actually bitter rivals beyond the
walls of the Tain Manor.
All of the noble families and the dragonmarked
families are members of the Sixty; this means that
any Sharn resident with the ir’ or d’ prefi x on his
last name could be found at the Tain Gala. Other
members are generally identified as such in their
descriptions. A standing invitation can always be
revoked to make room for a more deserving candidate;
one of the greatest fears of Councilor Sorik
Senso is that his family will be displaced to make
room for Councilor Javan Tomollan.

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