Shattar-Kai#
The City of Eternal War#
⚔️ About This Location#
Shattar-Kai is a city consumed by conflict—a once-great metropolis now divided by war, where ancient noble houses clash over honor, power, and survival. The streets run red with blood, the sky darkens with smoke, and yet life continues in the spaces between battles.
Type: War-Torn City
Region: Material Plane
Status: Active War Zone
Known For: Military might, noble houses, ceasefires that never last, soldiers who’ve forgotten what they’re fighting for
🎭 What Players Will Encounter#
The Atmosphere#
When your party enters Shattar-Kai, they’ll experience:
🔥 Constant Warfare
- Artillery fire echoes through empty streets
- Makeshift barricades divide the city into territories
- Ceasefires are temporary and fragile
- Everyone has lost someone
⚖️ Noble Politics
- Great houses maneuver for advantage
- Alliances shift like smoke
- Honor matters more than lives
- Vendettas span generations
💔 War-Weary Population
- Civilians caught in the crossfire
- Children who’ve never known peace
- Refugees with nowhere to flee
- Hope is a luxury few can afford
Current Situation#
Shattar-Kai is experiencing:
- A fragile ceasefire brokered by the Bureau
- Political maneuvering as houses position for advantage
- External threats that should unite them (but won’t)
- Planar disturbances nobody has time to worry about
**⚠️ DM Note**: Shattar-Kai is where the larger multiversal crisis becomes personal. The end of the world means nothing to people fighting for their next meal.
👥 Notable Figures#
The Valtan Family#
General Valtan#
Role: Military Commander & Patriarch
House: House Valtan
A brilliant tactician who’s fought this war for decades. He knows every strategy, every tactic, every price of victory. He’s tired of winning.
Key Info:
- Commands the largest military force in the city
- Respected by allies and enemies alike
- Has lost as much as anyone
- Might actually want the war to end
Eric Valtan#
Role: Heir & Soldier
House: House Valtan
The General’s son, carrying the weight of legacy and expectation. He fights because it’s what Valtans do.
Key Info:
- Caught between duty and doubt
- Questions everything his father accepts
- Potential ally or enemy depending on choices
- Represents the next generation
Religious Figures#
Father Malen#
Role: Cleric & Mediator
Affiliation: Church of [Deity]
A priest trying to bring peace to a city that’s forgotten what peace looks like.
Key Info:
- One of few trusted neutral parties
- Runs a sanctuary for refugees
- More politically savvy than he appears
- Faith tested daily by what he witnesses
Other Key Players#
Nikael of Fire Banner#
Role: Military Officer
Affiliation: [House/Faction]
[Brief description to be added based on character details]
Sofia Fyrwurd#
Role: [Role to be determined]
Affiliation: [Faction]
[Brief description to be added based on character details]
Ember#
Role: [Role to be determined]
Context: Mysterious figure in a city of secrets
[Brief description to be added based on character details]
🗺️ Key Locations#
The Ceasefire Line#
The unofficial border between territories. Cross at your own risk.
Valtan Headquarters#
Fortified command center. Safest place in the city. Relatively.
The Refugee Quarter#
Where civilians huddle in temporary safety. “Temporary” being generous.
The Contested District#
No-man’s-land where battles rage daily. Excellent place to die pointlessly.
The Cathedral#
Father Malen’s sanctuary. The only place all sides respect. Usually.
The Noble District#
Where the highborn plot strategy from comfortable distance.
📜 What Your Party Needs to Know#
Survival Tips#
- Choose Sides Carefully: Neutrality won’t protect you
- Respect the Ceasefire: When it’s active. It won’t last.
- Don’t Trust Alliances: They’re all temporary
- Protect Civilians: They’re the only innocents left
- Understand Honor: It means everything here, even when it’s stupid
The War Nobody Wins#
This conflict has no heroes:
- Both sides have legitimate grievances
- Both sides have committed atrocities
- Both sides are trapped in a cycle they can’t escape
- Your intervention could save the city or doom it
Campaign Connections#
Shattar-Kai represents:
- Microcosm of the larger conflict: If you can’t unite one city, how will you unite the multiverse?
- Personal stakes: Real people dying while cosmic forces manipulate events
- Moral complexity: No clean solutions, only hard choices
- Ripple effects: What happens here echoes through the campaign
🎲 Running Shattar-Kai Sessions#
Tone & Atmosphere#
Themes: War, honor, futility, hope despite hopelessness
Mood: Grim, tense, occasionally heartbreaking
Feel: Like being in a pressure cooker ready to explode
Encounter Types#
- Combat: Street fighting, sieges, desperate last stands
- Negotiation: Trying to extend ceasefires or broker peace
- Rescue: Saving civilians caught in crossfire
- Investigation: Uncovering who benefits from continued war
- Moral Dilemmas: Choosing between bad options and worse ones
Running the War#
The conflict should feel:
- Immediate: Danger is constant and personal
- Complex: No side is purely right or wrong
- Exhausting: Even victories feel hollow
- Preventable: If only people would stop being people
🎯 Adventure Hooks#
Potential Storylines#
- The Ceasefire: Help maintain (or break) the fragile peace
- The General’s Gambit: Discover Valtan’s secret plan to end the war
- The Lost Heir: Eric Valtan needs help with something he can’t tell his father
- The Sanctuary: Defend Father Malen’s refugee shelter from attack
- The Hidden Enemy: Someone profits from continued conflict—who?
- The Planar Threat: Convince warring factions to face external danger
- The Evacuation: Get civilians out before the next offensive begins
**🎭 For Players**: Shattar-Kai will test your moral compass. There are no good choices, only less terrible ones. The question isn't "Can we stop the war?" but "Can we prevent it from destroying everything?"
**⚠️ For DMs**: Make the war personal. Give NPCs names, families, dreams. When players have to choose who lives and dies, make it hurt. That's when the story matters most.
“We fight for honor. We die for pride. We forget why we started.”
— Graffiti on the Ceasefire Line
“The war will end when Shattar-Kai does. Maybe not before.”
— General Valtan (attribution disputed)