Skarm

From its very founding, Skarm has been a center of commerce, drawing adventurers, exiles, and opportunists alike. Its eastern proximity and coastal location made it a natural crossroads. Skarm’s laws have always welcomed anyone conducting legal business, and its population quickly swelled, evolving into a true melting pot of races and cultures. It is the most diverse city in Doriande: while humans dominate the rest of the kingdom, Skarm is home to sizable minorities of dwarves, elves, and other folk who have made it their home.

Skarm has always been governed by a city council composed of nobles, prominent merchants, and naval officers. Each group elects its own representative, and a spokesperson for the lower classes ensures the “voice of the people” is also heard. Decisions are made by consensus, and there is no provision for martial law. When Skarm joined the Kingdom of Doriande, the council relinquished some authority to the Royal Council, but retained autonomy over key areas like free trade and naval development.

Before Doriande’s unification, Skarm had its own army of several thousand soldiers. While it no longer maintains a formal expeditionary force (a duty now handled by the Crown), it retains a large garrison and militia.

The city is fully walled, with bastions reaching down to the shallows to protect its jewel—the port. There lies the largest fleet in Doriande, capable of troop transport and naval sieges alike. While its official role is defensive—protecting the southern seas and keeping trade lanes open—its potential military weight remains a point of tension with Fiorlas.

Beyond its shipyards, Skarm has little in the way of large-scale industry. Most craftspeople—coopers, carpenters, blacksmiths—work alone or in small collectives to meet the needs of the bustling trade economy.

Merchants receive goods from across the sea and distribute them inland. The city invests heavily in roadworks and infrastructure to ensure commerce flows uninterrupted—Skarm’s lifeblood.

Skarm, being both ancient and populous, is built in layers.

• The Old City is the political and cultural heart. It houses the city’s leadership, the largest temple, a museum, and the kingdom’s most expensive inns and eateries. It is enclosed by internal walls.
• The outer districts are named after their dominant trade: the Cloth District, the Food District, etc.
• To the east lies the harbor, with the grand market—a chaotic and colorful place where one can find honest work, shady deals, and everything in between.

Two major forces dominate civic life: the Merchant’s Guild and the Navy. From city politics to childhood ambitions, they shape Skarm’s identity.

The Merchant’s Guild has its own chapter here—but whether it serves the greater Guild or bends it to Skarm’s will is up for debate.

Skarm was founded 455 years before the Kingdom, during the Age of Barbarity. It united fishing and farming villages into a single fortified settlement to repel sea monsters and foreign raiders. In its early centuries, it was quite literally a castle in the sand—every attack left it shattered, and every time it was rebuilt.

Its people, however, were determined to hold their ground.

As the population grew, battle-scarred peoples from other regions came seeking refuge. Skilled warriors, mages, and artisans joined the city’s ranks, gradually turning it into a regional power with its own warships and a navy that defended its interests far from its shores.

This naval dominance led to conflict with Fiorlas, eventually erupting into the Trade War.
Fiorlas, older and untouched by Skarm’s frequent sieges, sent land troops that laid siege to Skarm. The city’s naval strength proved insufficient. The siege inflicted massive damage—leaving Skarm vulnerable just as the Army of Father War invaded from the north.

Skarm was nearly destroyed. Survivors fled by sea.

Rebuilding took years, and the resources Skarm contributed to the Alliance of the Forts slowed its recovery even further.

Just as it began to regain strength, the Second Invasion struck—this time, close to home. Despite improved defenses, the war left half the city in ruins once again.

But no people are more determined than the Skarmites.

This time, the city rebuilt faster—and smarter. New infrastructure included defensive tunnels, escape routes, vaults, and hideaways. The latest destruction became a perfect excuse to fortify not only against external threats—but internal ones as well.

A visitor would definitely want to have a tour of the harbor district with its central market, as well as the old city, to catch a glimpse of the majestic Council Hall, visit the temple of Naebur, or feast upon the greatest delicacies Doriande has to offer.

Skarm’s architecture mirrors its turbulent past:

• Outer districts are filled with newer buildings and walls.
• Older neighborhoods showcase masterfully built, time-resistant structures.
• Some areas are now regulated—owners are required to preserve a uniform style using dark stone from the Impassable Mountains and orange tiles from the Potters' District.

The city is built around a natural bay in southeastern Doriande, shaped and modified over the years for optimal fleet protection.

The terrain is level, allowing the watchtowers a line of sight that stretches to the horizon.

The climate is temperate. Harvests are mild, while Sleeps bring stormy seas—but never snow.

The region offers abundant fish and fresh water. It however lacks mineral wealth and must import it from the north.

Farmland is also limited. Skarm cannot therefore feed its entire population without trade.