Vralkast is the creation of Jamie Bernstein. You can help back its production as a standalone setting book here
Vralkast is a subterranean city that resides beneath Xen'drik in Khyber, on the shores of the Sea of Sorrow. It is a vast, bustling metropolis that contains a diverse range of peoples from all over Khyber, all working together to survive in one of the most hostile environments on Eberron.
The city is formed from several caverns, all of which have been shaped and expanded by generations of the people living there. Most of the buildings are constructed with a combination of stone, "krakenbone" and fungal wood, and the wards are connected by stone tunnels, stairs, and kobold warrens. Each of the wards is culturally distinct, maintained and decorated by the people that live there, but they all come together as a cohesive, functional whole. They have no other choice, if they allow conflict to ferment, they risk the safety and stability of the entire city.
Conflict isn't rare, but if the city is to survive despite the odds, then everybody within must have each other's backs. It's the only way, and the Fomor'ren do not tolerate violent conflict amongst the city's denizens.
Vralkast is incredibly diverse, populated by people from all over Khyber. The Fomor'ren's immense strength and widespread acceptance of others makes the city one of the safest places in all of Khyber, making it a very attractive place to settle. The Fomor'ren occupy the central ward and the docks, as well as patrolling the city and ensuring its security. Beneath and around them are communities of boggards, dromites, dwarves, medusae, minotaurs, ogres, quor-toa, and countless others. Many of the peoples of Vralkast have never seen the surface of Eberron, to them a sky is something you only see in a demiplane.
The people of Vralkast have no concept of a "day", they don't have a sun. Instead, they measure time by the tides of the Sea of Sorrow. A single tide is roughly equivalent to a day, with a tide-cycle being composed of 26 tides (and thus, there are 13 tide-cycles in a year). Years are measured by the Olmsong, the day every 13 tide-cycles where the Great Olm's sing to each other across the ocean in a courtship ritual. They track the date using the Fomorian Tide Calendar.
Bonegeld
They similarly have no use for gold, silver, or copper. Value is held within bonegeld, coinage carved from the bones of leviathans by the Scrimshawers in Harrowmark. Each coin carries the mark of its creator, and a mark denoting its value. Originally, these coins were created and distributed by the Fomor'ren to act as food tokens, with each coin providing a full day's worth of food for a creature of a certain size. As far as the Fomor'ren are concerned, this is still what they are used for, and they still distribute food to the districts in exchange for the bonegeld, which they then pay back to the city by purchasing services (such as repairing the boats). They keep some geld back to be distributed to each of the districts based on their needs, as argued at the monthly Forum in the Forum Fomor.
The Fomor'ren have less need for bonegeld than anyone else in the city. Everyone understands that the Fomor'ren keep everyone safe and fed, so in most cases if a Fomor'ren asks for something, they will simply be given it unless there is a good reason not to. Despite this, the Fomor'ren do regularly trade using the geld to keep it in circulation.
Districts
The city is largely divided into ethnic districts, due to a history of migration, and the people maintain their original cultures. These districts specialise based on the skills of their people, putting them to use for the good of the city as a whole, much like in Droaam. This melting pot of cultures can often lead to tension, but such conflicts are resolved by talking to each other and compromise. It almost never comes to violence; the Fomor'ren are quick to stamp it out. If Vralkast is to survive, its people must work together, and even the most hateful grudges are forgotten when the forces of Khyber attack the city.
Vralkast is a vertical city, carved into the cliffs of an enormous subterranean cavern on the shore of the Sea of Sorrow. There are seven major districts in Vralkast, which are further broken up into smaller communities:
- Harrowmark is the administrative and cultural heart of the city, located on the top of the cliffs. It is home to the Forum Fomor, where the future of the city is decided, as well as the headquarters of the Wyrd Vigil.
- The Cleft, which spans the entire depth of the city, from the waterline to the surface.
- Sesshun Kesst lies below Xarek'el and alongside Tor Udar, and is home to the Seshuna, the city's Medusa population, as well as the Stoneseer's Circle.
- Tor Udar is above Sowshore but below Sesshun Kesst, spanning the gap between them, and is home to the city's Dwarf population, as well as the Everdelver's Guild of Underplunderers.
- The tunnels of Unda spread throughout and around the entire city. No matter where you are, Unda is under your feet.
- Sowshore rests on the shore of the Sea of Sorrow, and is home to the city's harbour and docks, as well as The Break.
- Cartilay, the lowest district in Vralkast, rests beneath the waves of the Sea of Sorrow.
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Power Groups
There are multiple power groups in Vralkast, all working together (however begrudgingly) for the continued survival of the city. The most influential are the following:
- The Fomor'ren and the Wyrd Vigil are the most powerful. They founded the city, and their presence maintains order within (and defends it from threats without). Though they don't formally rule, their word is respected and they get the final say in the Forum Fomor.
- The Everdelver's Guild of Underplunderers, in Tor Udar, are one of the wealthiest groups in the city. They finance and lead expeditions into Khyber, both to map it and also to recover resources.
- The Stoneseer's Circle, arguably the most powerful group excepting the Fomor'ren. This circle of druids builds and maintains the city's architecture, as well as carving out new caverns in the cliffs.
- The Godtenders, who summon and restrain the harbour gods that defend The Break.
- The Krakeneers, who supply the city with food and bone.
As well as countless smaller factions, such as the Arachnodore's Union, the Consortium of Cliffclingers, the Streetvendor’s Union of Sustenance Purveyors, or the Boggle Housekeeping Cartel.
History
Vralkast was founded by the Fomor'ren. It's history is closely tied to the history of Xen'drik, and of the elves. After the sacking of Shae Tirias Tolai by the Cul'sir Dominion, the Twilight Court (one of the Group of Eleven) tore itself apart in a brutal civil war. The losing side, those who sided with their queen, were cursed by the archfey and exiled. These giants, the Fomor'ren, fled into Khyber where the dark would hide their shame. They travelled until they found the shores of a vast, underground sea, and there they put down their roots.
The Fomor'ren of today no longer feel shame for their appearance or their history, they have become a prideful people. They built a city in Khyber, one that offers safety and companionship to an untold number of people, all of whom rely on the Fomor'ren for protection.