Ka'rashan

Much of the city remains off-limits to outsiders, places too cursed for the dragonborn to reclaim. Softskins who come to the city need to hire dragonborn minders or risk violating the city's rules and facing the harsh judgment of the ruling clan. However, visitors that follow the rules find it a bustling center of trade. While the scalefolk do not trade in dragonshards like the soft skinned colonists, plenty of other goods might be of interest to adventurers—rare alchemical reagents, pieces from slain beasts, and even magic items. The magical traditions of the scales are distinct from those of the Five Nations, so Ka’rhashan might be an opportunity to introduce items that can’t be purchased in New Galifar.

Source: Scales of Q'barra

Ka’rhashan is the crown city, and the clan that holds Ka’rhashan speaks first at every gathering. Every five years a ritual battle is fought for control of the city. Long ago this battle was a prelude to an attack on Haka’torvhak; every five years the ruling clan would lead the others in scouring the cursed citadel. There was a time when dragonborn would slaughter kobolds on sight, as these creatures are most vulnerable to the corruption of the Poison Dusk. This zeal is fading. It has been thousands of years since Rhashaak’s fall. The Poison Dusk remains a threat, and the Trothlorsvek must remain ever vigilant against the corruption of the young.

Some say that the influence of the Poison Dusk is a result of remaining in such close proximity to the demonic ruins or of staying out of battle for so long. These warriors scoff at the idea that the Poison Dusk would grow more powerful if they were to abandon their posts. Many young dragonborn dream of exploring distant realms and pitting their skills against new challenges. Some wish only for adventure, and this is the path of many dragonborn player characters. Other hunger for conquest and believe it is time for the dragonborn to go forth and reclaim their empire. This is the philosophy of Mishva of the Stormhorn Clan, and many warriors are heeding her call.

For now, the Flamebrow clan remains in control of Ka’rhashan. High Elder Bhisma has aligned himself with Newthrone. He has called upon the clans to hold to their ancient duties and forbids attacks on human towns. But Bhisma’s authority is far from absolute, and even those who respect his words will still butcher outsiders who trespass onto the unhallowed grounds that the dragonborn protect.

Source: Dungeon 185

Control of Ka’rhashan is decided every five years by a ritual war amongst the clans. The tradition began as a prelude to cleansing Haka’torvhak—today, the leadership bestowed upon the victor is the only end. The dragonborn are serious about winning the conflict, but defeated warriors are expected to recognize when they have been bested on the battlefield and withdraw. To maintain non lethality the clans also have plenty of spellcasters standing by to heal the injured. Deceitful disciples of the Wyrm of War respect the rules of the challenge, but they lie in other ways—through feints, poisons, and even by pretending warriors who are still participating have been eliminated. A clan claims victory when one of its members attunes to the bell of truth, which requires an hour of uninterrupted rest to claim. The Flamebrow clan has held Ka’rhashan continuously for nearly a century.

Source: Scales of Q'barra

As the former capital of the dragonborn empire, Ka’rhashan holds many locations of historical importance to the Trothlorsvek. While some buildings have had their historical purpose preserved, the modern dragonborn have renovated many others to fit modern needs. 

Armory of Arkhosia. The most secure location in Ka’rhashan is the series of vaults that hold weapons and armament reserved for prophesied times. The treasures in these vaults would be an incredible prize for anyone who seized them but doing so would require not only persuading or defeating its dragonborn guardians but also bypassing its ancient dragon-made wards.

The Hatchery. One of the benefits of holding Ka’rhashan is the ability to host eggs in its hatchery. An ornate, gilded structure, Ka’rhashan’s hatchery is not just an aesthetically desirable place to raise young but a magically empowering one. The hatchery mixes more basic protective magics against disease with mutagenic enhancements–while all dragonborn hatch relatively well developed compared to a human newborn, those born in the hatchery are comparable to a human 3-year-old. These developmental accelerants have helped cement the Flamebrow clan’s control of Ka’rhashan.

Moonspear Observatory. This home for stargazing equipment has been transformed into the primary meeting place of the Trothlorsvek government. Knowledge of how to work the observatory was lost during the fall of Arkhosia, but the structure’s importance hasn’t been forgotten. It’s possible this knowledge could be recovered from Cold Sun occupied ruins or through consulting a Loredrake dragon from Argonnessen.

Pools of Rebirth. Sealed away in ages past, the Pools of Rebirth are unknown to the modern dragonborn. Any creature that bathes in the pools for an hour will die and immediately be reincarnated as a dragonborn, their previous body cracking like an egg to reveal their equivalent-age new dragonborn body.

Shrine of the Ancestors. One of the oldest structures in Ka’rhashan is a shrine commemorating the dragonborn heroes of old. Unfortunately, the dragonborn do not have the same dream network as the lizardfolk, and so the stories about the heroes depicted differ from clan to clan. The nature of these stories often reflects the attitude of the clan, with the Sunscale clan proclaiming the importance of honor and justice, while the Duskwing clan emphasizes victories gained through guile. 

While ancestors are seen as guides for action, the dragonborn do not attach the same spiritual connotations to them that the Valenar do to their ancestors. An ancestor’s deeds reflect their chosen path within Thir, rather than making the ancestor themself directly a figure of veneration.

Wrestling Arena. In the days of old, the dragonborn celebrated brutal and bloody gladiatorial combat–while contestants rarely died, it was an accepted danger of the contest. Despite participating in large-scale ritual combat, modern dragonborn are not as interested in individual blood sport–rather, Ka’rhashan is home to a wrestling league, with dragonborn from across Q’barra competing for gold and glory.