Daskaran - Locations

The former capital of Thrane and the namesake city for the human nation that preceded the Kingdom of Galifar, Daskaran sits nestled between a secure harbor and the base of the Trumpet Mountains. Despite this plum location, the city is a shell of its former glory and largely lacks the urban renewal that has graced the rest of Thrane’s port cities. The best the city gets these days is military support in the event of a hot war with Aundair, as Daskaran’s proximity to Fairhaven makes it an ideal staging point for a direct assault on the rival capital.

Source: Cultures of Thrane

On the southern slopes of the Starpeaks, east of the Trumpet Mountains, stands the once mighty community of Daskaran. Long ago, Daskaran was a vital trade center, but a disastrous fire swept through the city, reducing most of it to rubble. With few supplies left to enable them to survive the winter, the locals descended the foothills to winter in the south. They never returned.

Three centuries later, Daskaran still hasn’t recovered—old stone buildings, many scorched still, line the neat roads, shadowed by the white-needled pines blanketing the hills. Large temples dedicated to Dol Arrah and the Silver Flame flank a courtyard dominated by a statue of Tira Miron astride a horse, with sword raised. As the sun marches across the heavens, the shadow cast from the sword marks the hours of the day.

Source: Eberron Campaign Guide

Once the cold capital of Thrane, Daskaran now serves as the nation’s gateway to the north. The town is nestled in the rocky foothills of the Starpeaks and is probably best known for its white-needled coniferous trees and neatly cobbled streets.

In 696 YK, a terrible fire swept through the community, destroying nearly all its wooden buildings and leaving over half of its citizens without homes. With no time to rebuild before winter, the homeless bundled up their few remaining possessions and fled to Flamekeep. They never returned, and Daskaran’s population shrank greatly. A few of the original stone buildings remain, though they seem weirdly out of place near the newer stone-and-wood structures. Two prominent temples stand in the center of town: the Temple of the Silver Flame and the Temple of Dol Arrah. A stone statue of Tira Miron on horseback stands between the temples, her sword raised high. Careful observers quickly discover that the statue is actually the centerpiece of an enormous sundial set into the ground, with the shadow of Tira’s sword counting the hours.

The priests who oversee the two temples do not see eye to eye on a great many things, but they are not rivals.

Source: Five Nations

Even before becoming Thrane under Galifar I, the city-state of Daskara was devoted to worship of the Sovereign Host, reflecting the influence of ancient Pyrine (and to a lesser extent, Irian). Just as Karrnath has powerful manifest zones tied to Mabar, Daskara has a few noteworthy zones tied to Irian, which inspire hope and encourage faith; notably, one of these zones is in the region where Flamekeep now stands. Like Galifar I’s belief in the Wynarn family’s right to rule, the people of Daskara believed their own rulers were blessed by the Sovereigns and governed with divine right. This faith was shaken by their defeats at the hands of Galifar’s forces, but he was able to convince most that his united kingdom was part of the divine plan, that their blessed lords were meant to kneel to the Wynarn monarch. Galifar further strengthened this by establishing Daskara as the seat of the Grand Temple of the Host, the greatest temple in the lands. However, divine will was called into question when the dragon Sarmondelaryx ravaged the newly christened Thrane, killing its prince and burning the Grand Temple.

Source: Chronicles of Eberron

History

Daskaran’s history is intertwined with the worship of the Sovereign Host. The early human rulers of the city were steeped in the Pyrinean creed, declaring themselves and their families blessed by Aureon. When Galifar conquered the kingdom, he claimed that he was blessed by Aureon to rule the empire while the nobles of Daskaran were blessed to rule as his extensions. The construction of the Grand Temple of the Host in the first decade of the Kingdom was meant to cement this feudal link, but Sarmondelaryx razed the temple before its fifteenth anniversary. Still, Prince Thrane’s successors did their best to maintain Daskaran as the center of faith in Galifar, even if no construction was ever as magnificent as the Grand Temple.

Things took a turn for the worse for Daskaran in the aftermath of the Year of Blood and Fire, as Thrane turned to worship of the Silver Flame. The atrocities committed by the Church of the Sovereign Host under the influence of Bel Shalor were associated with Daskaran, forever tarnishing the reputation of the Daskaran-based dedication to the Sovereign Host. This was the beginning of a long but steady decline for the city. In the fifth century, the mines of the Trumpet Mountains began to run dry, diminishing the city’s independent industries and rendering it solely reliant on trade. When a terrible fire swept down from the white pine forests into the city in 696 YK, it marked the moment of Daskaran’s final collapse. Flamekeep was named the new capital of Thrane, and Daskaran was largely abandoned.

Source: Cultures of Thrane

November 23rd, 2023

Economy

Without its mines, Daskaran is reliant almost entirely on a limited logging industry for income. The Aundair River provides Daskaran with steep competition as a trade center, and most captains at best stop by Daskaran to resupply. Fairhaven isn’t that far upriver and a is a much more preferable trading partner, especially for exotic and luxury goods. Since the bulk of commercial and governmental interests moved to Fairhaven there has been little enthusiasm for capital investments to renew the city. Despite its historical value, the city doesn’t even have a manifest zone enabling it to stand out among the numerous other Thranish port cities. The Thranish government’s investments to upgrade and defend the harbor haven’t brought much else to the city, especially since ship construction still happens in the far better protected port of Sigilstar.

Source: Cultures of Thrane

November 23rd, 2023

Points of Interest

Source: Cultures of Thrane

Despite its poor current state, Daskaran’s rich history provides plenty of opportunities for adventure.

The Harbor

Ancient stone constructions created through an enormous feat of engineering and magic that has stood for thousands of years define the shape of the Daskaran harbor. Long ago, priests of Aureon drew up the plans for a spacious, controlled harbor and—with the resources of Daskaran—dredged the depths, built buffers from the Aundair river, and made one of the early marvels of human civilization in Khorvaire.

Today, the harbor is the focus of the Thranish military’s presence in the city. Beref Vasoraghi (she/her) is the highest-ranking permanently stationed commander in the city as well as the harbormaster, managing both the military operation as well as the civilian administration of tariffs.

Husk of the Royal Palace

Perhaps the most potent symbol of the damage the fire of 696 did to Daskaran is the burnt-out shell of the former royal palace. Originally home to Daskaran’s royal family, Prince Thrane turned the building into his own court after Galifar conquered the kingdom. Unfortunately, no amount of piety was sufficient to save the castle from incineration, as scorching heat consumed the wooden supports that held it together. The Thranish regents moved to their secondary castle in Flamekeep and fully abandoned Daskaran.

Today, the abandoned castle has become the meeting place for a cult of Tul Oreshka. The cult’s leader, a halfling named Egen Valiant (he/him), was a licensed Warning Guild private eye in Flamekeep until he dug too deep a decade ago. While investigating a missing persons case, he discovered an arms-smuggling arrangement between the Thranish government and the Cyran commander in Dollen on the River. Despite Thrane being formally at war with Cyre, High Cardinal Krozen had cut a deal to supplement the Cyran offensive against Karrnath. When Egen tried to report the illegal activity, the high cardinal’s personal warforged guards threw him out of town, threatening that the next time he wouldn’t escape with his life. That is when the Truth in the Darkness sank her hooks into Egen, providing him with supernatural insight into shady and illicit activity committed by the Thranish government. Egen has assembled a small band of followers, each of whom have in some way been wronged and seek vengeance against the theocracy.

Kesh'puulta, the Thundering Silence

Deep within the Trumpet Mountains lies the ruins of a once-great Dhakaani city. Formerly known as Laar’puulta Draal, the City of Thundering Laughter, it was a joyous place and central to Dhakaani musical traditions. The city was one of the first to fall when the Daelkyr invaded, conquered and corrupted utterly by the stony servants of Orlassk. The ruins became known as Kesh’puulta, the Thundering Silence, after the terrible changes wrought by the Still Lord.

While Orlassk has not been active in the region for millennia, some of his servants have noticed that the people of Daskaran are desperate for the stone to sing to them once again. They have used Orlaask’s blessings to renew one of the mines and hope to lure the people of Daskaran deeper into the mountains and into the service of the Lord of Stone. Beyond that, who knows what might come of weapons wrought from iron gifted by a daelkyr?

Newflame Chantry

Situated in the center of town, the Newflame Chantry stands in stark contrast to the rest of the city with newer wood-and-stone construction—one of the few buildings reconstructed in the immediate aftermath of the fire. The courtyard in front of the local church of the silver flame has a larger-than-life statue of Tira on horseback, with the hours of the day marked in a circle around her. This statue, which has survived since the fourth century, doubles as a sundial.

The local minister is Keliji Karavastar (he/him), a dwarf nearly at the end of his first century. After losing a leg in the war he transferred to the ministry to serve his home and country in a different way. He has a friendly rivalry with the temple of the Sovereign Host, boasting that even with his prosthetic leg he can still best their head priest in any athletic competition.

Temple of the Host

Situated across the courtyard from the Newflame Chantry, Daskaran’s Temple of the Host has a healthier attendance than any other Host temple in Thrane. The remaining residents of the city have largely held onto their faith in the Host despite the endless troubles. The temple, like most others, reveres the full breadth of the Nine. The local priest Imperi Neskus (they/them), a human in their mid-30s, keeps up hope that the blessings of the Host will return and renew Daskaran’s status. They maintain a friendly rivalry with Keliji, the minister of the city’s church of the silver flame, often proclaiming that the blessings of Dol Dorn will surely carry them to victory in whatever the latest challenge may be.

November 23rd, 2023