For another time
Once the heart of Sharn, Lower Dura has slowly decayed as the rest of the city moved higher into the sky. Now it is a dark and dangerous place. Precarious and the Stores play important roles in the economy of the city, but the other districts have largely been left to fester and rot. Today, Lower Dura is home to the miserable poor. The Sharn Watch rarely risks patrolling Lower Dura, and the ward has become a center for criminal activities. The inhabitants of the ward may be shielded by gang allegiances, ties to one of the major criminal organizations, or the simple fact of having nothing to steal, but adventurers had best tread lightly and keep weapons near at hand when venturing here. Street violence occurs on a regular basis, amateur and professional cutpurses abound, and the Sharn Watch won’t do much to help. A drawn blade and a successful DC 15 Intimidate check made when entering the district keep most of the rabble away—of course, the more dangerous criminals may see this as challenge and a promise of worthy loot.
In general, Lower Dura is a wretched place, and the city council does little to change that. Everburning torches light most of the district, as opposed to everbright lanterns, and in the worst neighborhoods many of the torches have been shattered or stolen. The ward shows its age, with cracked and worn streets, walls covered with mildew and graffiti, and other signs of neglect and wear and tear. Once Lower Dura was Sharn, and it included a garrison, manors for the city lords, a great temple, and other important buildings. Over the course of time these structures have been forgotten or repurposed. Lower Dura is full of the shadows of a glorious past that can barely be seen beneath the grime of the present.
The aptly named Precarious district in Lower Dura leans out over the edge of the cliffs, and the Skydocks—a system using gigantic arcane cranes and levitation—carry material up from Cliffside and the docks. Precarious is also filled with warehouses that hold these goods. Because Precarious plays an important role in the economy of the city, it’s the only district in Lower Dura where the Sharn Watch maintains a significant presence.
The rest of Lower Dura, in stark contrast, has been left to rot. Ignored by the Watch, it is the domain of gangs and crime lords. The inhabitants of the ward are often protected from violence by their criminal connections or by virtue of having nothing worth stealing, but adventurers ought to tread lightly here, especially those who display the trappings of a wealthy lifestyle.
There was a time when Lower Dura was the heart of Sharn, and remnants of this glory remain. The Silvermist Theater in Callestan was built to entertain nobles. The ward boasted manors, temples, and a garrison for the watch. But all of these edifices were abandoned long ago, and now most are home to nothing but squatters and vermin.
The district of Callestan is a nexus of sorts, where all the major criminal powers of Sharn have a stake. Those groups are described in more detail later in this chapter.
The district of Fallen is a haunted ruin; this temple district was abandoned after it was struck by a falling tower. It’s covered in more detail later in this chapter.
Malleon’s Gate is home to the goblins of Sharn, along with other monstrous immigrants from Droaam and Darguun. The district can be an especially dangerous place for halflings or anyone tied to the Boromar Clan.
Oldkeep and Gate of Gold are wretched tenement districts. A significant halfling community lives in the district known as The Stores, which is also a stronghold for the Boromar Clan.