Population: 66,000 (78% humans, 8% dwarves, 6% warforged, 3% halfling, 5% other)
Main landmarks: Sentinel Tower, Cyre River
Primary exports: Weapons, armor
The second-biggest city in Karrnath, Karrlakton is built around Sentinel Tower, the main enclave of House Deneith, the dragonmarked house that is Khorvaire's foremost provider of bodyguards and mercenaries. The tower is older than Karrnath itself, and it serves as the headquarters of the Sentinel Marshals (a guild focused on tracking down criminals), as well as a fortification against the Mournland. The Deneith scions use their gifts to help defend the city.
As the city sits across the river from Cyre, the Mournland is right on Karrlakton's doorstep — the gray-mist curtain dominates the horizon — and House Deneith is kept plenty busy fighting the strange creatures that wander out of the wasteland. In the wake of the Mourning, many people fled the city for safer haven elsewhere. Conversely, many prophets, doomsayers, and apocalyptic priests have brought unwanted attention to the city, loudly proclaiming the impending doom across the river.
Though trade is dwindling, the city is home to many warforged and dwarves who work in Karrlakton's famed weapons and armor factories, or lend their construction talents to augmenting the city's fortifications. A large number of Cyrans who fled the Mourning have set up roots here as well, although they are not well-liked by the native Karrnathi. Most people either live in the well-defended upper-class neighborhoods or take their chances on the cheap riverfront property that was abandoned after the Mourning.
Karrlakton is the closest any city in Karrnath gets to being tolerant of the Silver Flame. Although there's no love lost between Karrnath and Thrane, the success of that church's templars in helping repel invaders from the Mournland on the front lines has proven invaluable, and there is a begrudging peace between the Silver Flame and the city government. That the city is primarily defended by House Deneith and not the Karrnathi army no doubt helps their relations, as there are few to zero Karrnathi undead in Karrlakton.
Ok, I'm not waiting for Sarah to be done with that Eberron book now -
ReplyDeleteUndead in the Karnathi army, like undead soldiers working for the state?
That dog won't hunt, monseigneur.
The Karrnathi military started using undead not long into the Last War; while Karrnath is known for its strong army, it was undermined by food shortages and plagues, and the desperate nation turned to necromancy and made a pact with the Blood of Vol religion, which reveres the undead.
ReplyDeleteKarrnath uses special spells to animate zombies and skeletons, who are intelligent but are magically compelled to obey any order given by a rightful superior and not harm any Karrnathi citizens. The nation does not use undead who require sustenance from living beings (wights, vampires, etc.).
Karrnath's reputation for using undead and its alliance with the Blood of Vol as a state-sponsored religion hurt its reputation greatly. Late in the war, King Kaius III ended their pact with the Blood of Vol (which is still worshipped by a sizable number of the population), and during the Treaty of Thronehold, he promised to stop raising undead for Karrnath's armies. However, the zombies and skeletons already raised still serve in the country's defense.