Zarash'ak, "the City of Stilts," is the largest settlement in the Shadow Marches, and it's unofficial capital. The Shadow Marches aren't a sovereign nation, and they have no single government or source of authority, but Zarash'ak is managed by House Tharashk. The city has grown with the rise of Tharashk over the centuries and today it is the best port of call for travelers to the Shadow Marches.
Anyone arriving in the city can see in an instant where the city gets its epithet. Though the murk oaks that hold the city above the Glum River are a dozens of feet thick, they do seem like thin stilts set against the bulk of the trading port.
House Tharashk dominates the central region of the city and maintains its headquarters there. The house makes most of its money from the dragonshard trade and whilst they have many regions around the world that they harvest for them, the Shadow Marches are home and Zarash'ak is only a short sail from Sharn or Trolanport and the swamps are their ancestral homeland. Where many in the east see tangled vines and muddy death, Tharashk prospectors see familiar waterways and sympathetic cousins.
The city is divided into three areas, separated mostly by chronology rather than economics. The Heart was the original settlement, built above the swamp water by strong, supporting murk oaks. It started as a trading village but today the Heart is dominated by the central enclave of House Tharashk. Once established, the town quickly drew traders and travelers and expanded into the area known as the Ring, surrounding the Heart. The patchwork of platforms and walkways which make up the Ring are most often home to outside traders, mercenaries, orc tribesmen, and others who live outside the structure of the House of Finding. Beneath the Ring lie the Webs, a collection of rope nests and hanging berths between the platform walkways and the fetid waters of the Glum River. Only the most destitute or those in hiding live among the Webs and travelers are warned to avoid them unless they want trouble.
Though the major geography of the city is relatively simple, navigating can still be a challenge for visitors. To start, there are very few major avenues in the city so walking around requires winding one's way through a maze of planks and rope bridges, and the lack of streets means that most directions are given via the names of buildings.
Humans, orcs, and half-orcs make up the bulk of the population in Zarash’ak. A few hundred goblins live in the Webs, along with a number of gnomes, halflings, and half-elves, but they're a minority. Traffic with Droaam has brought monstrous creatures to the city who get the protections of citizenship whilst employed by the House, but they're still a relatively small part of the population. A significant number of residents speak a language they call Azhani, a blend of the Old Common of Sarlona and Goblin.