Kaarst
The capital city of Scharn, located on the Roughspun Coast.
Kaarst is known across the Arkhellen Empire as a very old and very idiosyncratic city, with its origins—and the origins of its unusual laws and traditions—long forgotten. In particular, the practice of arcane magic and ownership of enchanted items is forbidden.
After a series of unsolved murders and disappearances, Kaarst requests that Hellenhelm sends somebody to help them with the investigation. Being already in Western Scharn on unrelated business, Vichthart is dispatched and is accompanied by Anrel and Grokko. They team up with the foreign visitor Mira, who has received a tip that he can find his missing tiefling friend in Kaarst, and cooperate the crime syndicate The Tide, whose leader Orianna has come to Kaarst from Hellenhelm to resolve an increase in competing smuggling operations. They uncover a conspiracy of mages working with vampires and devils to cause havoc using the explosive ashfire oil.
Politics
The ruler of Kaarst is Governor Escherin, whole office is located in Karmesin Palast. The Governor chairs the City Council, on which also sits members of the church, City Watch and a representative of the city's guilds, most recently Irann Rhogar. The City Council grants authority to guilds to perform their duties, such as the Waterworks Guild, which maintains the city's sewers.
According to Leagallow Tiaathque, the church of Kaarst exerts excessive influence over the politics of Kaarst, such as having full authority over the City Watch, and he believes that something is protecting the church's position. Anrel finds this plausible, knowing that Cardinal Maurul Silkendawn has never attended meetings in Hellenhelm as a cardinal would be expected to, and the Sable Warden Meriele Berevan has more influence than would be expected of a church official.
Church
Of the twelve gods in Verein Kirche von Arkhelle, three have larger congregations in Kaarst: Bahamut, Zaheer and the Raven Queen. The cardinal of Bahamat, Maurul Silkendawn, has his seat in Kade Sirrine Kathedrale. The other church leaders in Kaarst are the Sable Warden Meriele Berevan and the Galesong Thervan Indále. The church in Kaarst coordinates excursions into the Fuarcrùn Freeholds for the purposes of expanding the territory of the Arkhellen Empire, although most of them have been unsuccessful.
Despite being integrated with the national church of Verein Kirche, worshippers of Mystra have claimed that they are targetted for their beliefs, being followed and searched by City Watch on behalf of the church.
History
Kaarst is located where an old city called Farankaars once stood. Farankaars was the location of the Acropolis of Kereskaa, a place of study and worship to the god of magic, Kereskaa (known to humans as Mystra). In the 576th year of the Age of Enlightenment, the Acropolis was attacked by the flying city of Kythera with the help of the traitor Teklanna Morantine. 3 days after surviving the initial attack, Elgrex Anderra believed that the city of Farankaars had fallen, although being confined to the Acropolis's Spire of Abjuration, she couldn't have known for certain. In fact, Squall's Beacon likely dates back to the Age of Enlightenment.
Possibly during the Age of Decadence, Kaarst was ruled over by a Tyrant with arcane followers, who used their magic to enslave other arcane practitioners. This magic was used to raise a great statue of the Tyrant to the top of the cliffs above Kaarst Bay. However, the populace did not take kindly to the Tyrant's cruelty and overthrew him. Karmesin Palast is built on red rock (from which it takes its name) supposed to have been dyed by the volume of blood spilled at this time. The Tyrant's statue was toppled, and fell into the bay below, where now only one weathered stone hand can be seen above the water.
When the Arkhellen Empire was formed out of several territories including Scharn, Kaarst remained the capital city of the territory. Kade Sirrine Kathedrale was folded into Verein Kirche von Arkhelle, but as a compromise the city's law against magic practice was allowed to remain.
Anrel was raised by the church in Kaarst, and worked for them up until about 10 years ago, when he lost his entire platoon in Ùrlar Valley and abandoned his post. Detlef found Arnt on the streets of Kaarst three years ago.
Knives of Mystra
Citing unjust treatment by the local church, followers of Mystra eventually formed the Knives of Mystra who, under the influence of Irann Rhogar and Etorn Hadaran, planned to collapse the cathedral and seize control of the city. After they were responsible for a number of murders and disappearances, as well as an increase in the smuggling of arcane items, the church in cast requested outside help from Hellenhelm, who sent Father Vichthart Fezzilbahn to investigate. Together with his friends Anrel, Grokko and Mira, they managed to stop the detonation of ashfire oil underneath the city, which led to the deaths and arrests of many members of the Knives.
Geography
Kaarst is located on the Roughspun Coast, north of the westernmost lobe of Scharnwald. It is built on and around the cliffs around Kaarst Bay, where the Mastaff River meets the Roughspun Coast. Despite being the capital city of Scharn, it is located fairly close to the borders with Arkhelle and Brenhalt. It is located ten days' travel by boat from Senneborn to the east, and twelve days' walk from Hellenhelm to the south, although the road leads through the Scharnwald, which is fabled for being filled with dangerous creatures. Nonetheless, Vichthart has travelled to Kaarst annually for several years without any concerning incidents.
The road into Kaarst has only one entrance to the city, through the single gateway in the city's outer wall, although the wall also lets the river flow through. The city itself is divided into five wards, each roughly corresponding to a section of socioeconomic status as well as being located at a respective height above the waterline. The entrance to the city leads to the main thoroughfare, which travels through the Rook Ward via the Ravensfair, up between the Flock and Mastaff Wards, through the city's inner wall, through the Bell Ward and eventually into the Lamp Ward and up to Karmesin Palast.
Mastaff Ward
The largest section of Kaarst, named after the Mastaff River on which the city is built. It is the area that surrounds the harbour and docks, to the east and south of Kaarst Bay, including all the walled city west of the Mastaff River, and most of the islands in the bay. It borders the Flock and Rook Wards to the east, the Bell Ward to the north across the inner city wall, and the outer city to the south across the main city wall.
It is the poorest and most industrial part of the walled city, filled with shipworkers, sellers of fresh fish, leatherworkers and smiths, as well as the vast majority of the city's dock. The large island in the middle of the Mastraff River connected by Anshaung Bridge is the higher end of real estate in Mastaff Ward, with fancier merchant ships and traders. The Waterworks Guild Headquarters, Valiant Morgen Trading Company Kaarst Branch and The Baron's Cask are in the Mastaff Ward.
The party arrives by boat in the Mastaff Ward, from where they are escorted from by Orryn Daergel and the City Watch to Kade Sirrine Kathedrale in the Bell Ward. Grokko later leads Anrel and Mira around Mastaff Ward for seven hours trying to find The Copper Roost when Vichthart is waiting for them. Administrator Lorsalyn Pri born and raised in the Mastaff Ward.
Either Eren or Hilde was patrolling in the Mastaff Ward at the time Thodris Holderheck was murdered in Sombre Lyceum, while the other was on patrol in the Bell Ward.
Rook Ward
The entrance to Kaarst when arriving by foot, dominated by shopping and business, particularly the massive Ravensfair market place. It neighbours the Mastaff Ward to the west, Flock Ward to the north and Outer City to the southeast across the city wall and through the city's entrance gate.
The party stays at The Copper Roost throughout most of their time in Kaarst. Tiaathque's Medicinal Remedies is in the northern end of the Rook Ward, and Delilah's Delicatessen is at the northern tip, from where you can see Squall's Beacon. Miss Elira Lein runs Tiaathque's market stall in the Ravensfair, and many of the other shops and stalls in Kaarst are most likely in this area, such as Kaarst Kebab Shop, Lily's Pastries and Baked Goods, Lion's Apothecary, The Night Stone, and The Sunken Giant.
It was in an alleyway off Ravensfair that Captain Felosiel Teinithra was last seen before his disappearance.
Flock Ward
A central section of Kaarst, albeit outsite the city's inner wall, named after the historic rearing of sheep on what were once fields and pastures. Sergeant Therai Doudra lives in the west of Flock Ward, where she stayed in recovery from her attack in an alleyway on 3rd Thelliea. When the party is contemplating disguising Uthan to use him to infiltrate the Knives of Mystra, Mira asks Grokko if he knows where to get a disguise kit; Grokko recalls a beauty parlour in the Flock Ward, but chooses to tell Mira he can't remember any.
Bell Ward
The architecture is older and more regal in the Bell Ward, with well-to-do taverns and temples, all dominated by Kade Sirrine Kathedrale. It borders the Lamp Ward to the west, the Flock Ward to the south, and partially the northern tip of the Mastaff Ward to the south. The homes are stately, though not as upmarket as in the Lamp Ward.
The party arrives by boat in the Mastaff Ward, from where they are escorted from by Orryn Daergel and the City Watch to Kade Sirrine Kathedrale in the Bell Ward. The Sombre Lyceum is nearby, and this area is also the location of the City Watch Headquarters, Kobolwitz Manor, and the stately but less impressive home of Irann Rhogar.
Either Eren or Hilde was patrolling in the Bell Ward at the time Thodris Holderheck was murdered in Sombre Lyceum, while the other was on patrol in the Mastaff Ward.
Lamp Ward
The highest part of Kaarst, located at the top of the cliffs to the north of Kaarst Bay, representing the richest part of the city, bordering only the Bell Ward to the east. Its highest points are Karmesin Palast and Squall's Beacon. It also contains the home of Captain Felosiel Teinithra and his husband Ruda. A path runs along the south edge of Lamp Ward, with only a thin strip of unused land between it and the edge of the cliff.
Acting captain Orryn Daergel points out there are manholes into the sewers across Lamp Ward. The homes here are stately, though not as fancy as in the Bell Ward. This is also likely to where the statue of the Tyrant was raised before it was toppled down the cliff and into Kaarst Bay.
Outer City
Where Kaarst has grown beyond its city wall. Located to the south the city wall, it is mostly poorer people and farmland.
Nearby
The Lightning Tree is located outside all developed parts of the city, east of the thoroughfare between the Flock and Rook wards. Tyrant's Folly is located in Kaarst Bay, having supposedly been collapsed from the clifftop that's now the Lamp Ward.
Undercity
Kaarst has a functioning sewer system that is maintained by the city's Waterworks Guild under the authority of the City Council. It is patrolled by exterminators and mercenaries who take care of the pests that infest the sewers. However, there are huge tracts of unexplored artificial tunnels under the city, both connected to and isolated from the known sewers. Some of these tunnels are used by criminals. Some sections of tunnel have collapsed into natural cave networks, one of which leads into huge underground caverns containing the ruins of the Acropolis of Kereskaa.