Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksCite current pageBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. 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\\ Brelon law to the surrounding region, collecting\\ taxes and revenues on behalf of Roi 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 Olympe of Sharn’s government: the people at the\\ top, who have the power to set adventures in motion. ____ 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 Conseil de Ville appoints the Lord\\ Mayor, and the commanders of the Sharn Watch\\ report to the Council.\\ Le Conseil de Sharn is comprised of 17 councilors:\\ one from each of the districts of the city, with\\ Flanc de Falaise merged into Dura and a single councilor\\ representing both Noircendre and Osnoires. The\\ precise method by which a councilor is appointed\\ varies from district to district. In theory, it is a diplomatic\\ selection made by the leaders of the district, but\\ what it takes to be a “leader” varies considerably. In\\ some districts, anyone with a certain amount of income\\ or property can participate in district councils and\\ elections. In others, district 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\\ Basse Menthis support Savia Potellas, and she knows\\ better than to openly oppose Caskar Halavik, who has\\ the backing of the Clan Saputo. If she stirs up too\\ much trouble, she might wind up at the bottom of the\\ Fleuve de la Dague. 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 district, a councilor usually puts his backers\\ first, his personal district second, and his district third.\\ Thus, the three councilors with ties to the Saputo\\ Clan usually vote as a unit.\\ The Conseil de Ville 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 Brelon Law,\\ the crown or parliament might have something to say\\ about it. Laws may vary per district, 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 Le Maire. 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 Le Maire’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\\ Humain 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 redistricted. However,\\ his greatest concern is protecting the interests\\ of the people of Upper Central: the problems of the\\ poor of Basse Dura hold little interest for him.\\ Middle Central: Sorik Sensos (LN male half_elf\\ expert 11) is a clever man and a brillant 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 Humain\\ 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 Clan Saputo 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.\\ Haute Menthis: Born and bred in Sharn,\\ Thurik Davandi (LN male gnome expert 4/Mage_artisan\\ 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\\ Clan Saputo 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.\\ Millieu de Menthis: Caskar Halavik (N male hobbit\\ barbarian 2/expert 4) was born in the Talenta\\ Plains. When he fi rst came to Sharn, he worked as an\\ enforcer for the Clan Saputo. He was also a remarkably\\ skilled Longues_griffes racer, and in time he became a\\ celebrity in Petites Plaines. Saiden Saputo 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 Saputos to\\ Ilyra Saputo and Bestan ir’Tonn.\\ Basse Menthis: Savia Potellas (NE female Humain\\ expert 2/bard 1) owns a brothel in Allume-feu, 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 Clan Saputo and the\\ Les Tyrans 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 Saputos.\\ Bordure Nord Supérieur: Maza Thadian (LN female elf\\ Communer 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 Gobelins and other dregs of the\\ lower districts. 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.\\ Bordure Nord Centrale: A former advocate, Doran\\ Cantar (NG male Humain expert 4/adept 1) is an\\ honest and devout man dedicated to making a difference\\ for the people of Bordure Nord. He obtained\\ his position largely through charisma and dedication,\\ and the support of the priests of Grands Espoir.\\ 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.\\ Bordure Nord Inférieur: Born in Marché Nord,\\ Shassa Tarr (N female Féral 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 Bordure Nord Inférieur and\\ to Sharn’s Féral community, and she does what she\\ can to help both of these groups.\\ Upper Tavick’s Landing: This district 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 Les Soixante (see page 112),\\ he has strong connections to the Clan Saputos. 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 Saputos. However, he has a secret: he is an\\ agent of the Rêve Obscur. Fifteen years ago, the\\ Inspiré dominator Tirashana infected him with a mind\\ seed, and today he is one of three Inspiré moles. While\\ appearing to promote the agendas of his supporters, he\\ has actually been stirring up dissent and discord.\\ Middle Tavick’s Landing: This district is a\\ center for trade and commerce, catering to adventurers,\\ Communers, and merchants bringing\\ cargoes in on the Orléans Train Fulgurant or by trade\\ caravan. Dalaina Main de Fer (LN female Nain\\ 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 “Saputo Block”—Bestan\\ ir’Tonn, Caskar Havalik, Thurik Davandi, and Ilyra\\ Saputo—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 Les Tyrans, 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 district, 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 Gardiens de la Porte,\\ and as a result he has developed powerful allies within\\ both organizations.\\ Kilk is an invention of the Les Tyrans. There is\\ one changelin who plays the role more often than\\ others, but at any time Kilk could be any one of\\ the Les Tyrans—even Ek himself. Through Kilk, the\\ Les Tyrans have a second way to affect the city, and a\\ more respectable façade for dealing with groups such\\ as the King’s Citadel.\\ Haute Dura: Borian Haldorak (LE male Nain\\ aristocrat 6) owes his position to the powerful bankers\\ and merchants of Bastion Supérieur. He is also a member\\ of the Gold Concord of L'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 L'Aurum and the Saputo\\ Clan are resolved by Borian and Ilyra.\\ Centre 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 Géant owl to represent the\\ Bazaar of Dura in La Course des Huit Vents. Hruit’s\\ primary responsibility is to the merchants of the\\ Bazaar, protecting their interests from the Saputo\\ councilors and the councilors who represent the\\ other market districts.\\ Basse Dura: Bestan ir’Tonn, Thurik Davandi,\\ and Caskar Havalik all have ties to the Saputo\\ Clan. But Ilyra Saputo (NE female halfl ing rogue\\ 3/expert 3) is the Clan Saputo’s personal representative\\ on the Council. She reports directly to\\ Saidan Saputo, 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 Belvédère it; the Saputos are one\\ of Les Soixante Familles de 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 Saputo\\ 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 Clan Saputo 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 Saputos 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 Clan Saputo or feel\\ that their supporters are powerful enough to protect\\ them from retribution.\\ Voie du Ciel: Another member of the Sharn Sixty,\\ Evix ir’Marasha (LN female Humain aristocrat 2/\\ bard 4) owns the Horizon Céleste in Voie du Ciel, 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 Roi 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 Voie du Ciel 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.\\ Les Rouages: Nolan Toranak (LE male Nain Communer\\ 7) represents the industrial powers behind\\ Noircendre and Osnoires. The nobles and merchant\\ princes of Voie du Ciel 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 Guerrier de Fer. His children were\\ killed by Guerrier de Fer during the La Dernière Guerre, and he has\\ never forgiven Maison Bombardier or the Guerrier de Fer as a\\ whole. If Nolan had his way, all Guerrier de Fer would be\\ melted down or banished. As it is, he tries to find ways\\ to bypass the stipulations of the Treaty of Fort_du_trône,\\ so Guerrier de Fer can be treated as property. There are a\\ few groups of people in Sharn who share Nolan’s fear\\ and hatred of the Guerrier de Fer, and he often channels\\ funds to these organizations. He might hire adventurers\\ to take action against Maison Bombardier or the\\ prominent Guerrier de Fer of Osnoires; or if there is a\\ Guerrier de Fer among the party, Nolan could use his power\\ to try to discredit the adventurers and drive them\\ from the city. ____ Le Maire\\ While the Conseil de Ville holds the true power in\\ Sharn, Le Maire is still a force to be reckoned\\ with. Le Maire represents the interests of\\ Sharn in any direct contact with the Brelon 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 Conseil de Ville and Le Maire 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.\\ Les Soixante Familles de Sharn\\ Twenty_five of the twenty_seven noble families of\\ Brelandehave strong ties and interests in Sharn,\\ along with all of the Maisons Marquées Du Dragon. 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 Cité des Tours, but a few stand\\ out from the rest. These are known as Les Soixante.\\ 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 Voie du Ciel, Lady Shala told the architects\\ to make the banquet hall large enough to seat sixty\\ families and their servants. Les Soixante 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 unCommun 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 Les Soixante.\\ While many members of L'Aurum are also\\ members of Les Soixante, the two organizations are quite\\ different. L'Aurum is a highly organized conspiracy\\ that carries out carefully orchestrated plans to\\ provide its members with greater power and wealth.\\ Les Soixante is more of a social club—a visible manifestation\\ of the most powerful families in Sharn.\\ Members of Les Soixante discuss politics and business\\ at the Tain Galas, and these discussions can have an\\ impact on adventurers, Sharn, or even Breland. But\\ Les Soixante 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 Marqué par le Dragon\\ families are members of Les Soixante; 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. page revision: 1, last edited: 21 Mar 2008 23:10