Charnesra

“The Bridges of Charnesra” by Angus McBride
Ruined city
Charnesra
General Information
Other names	Skarataib
Location	Confluence of the Sîresha and Sîrsis, Sîrayn
Type	Ruined city
People and History
Inhabitants	Clergy of the Silent One
Created	S.A. 499
Destroyed	S.A. 1935 T.A. 1457
Rebuilt	T.A. 93 Fo.A. 22

In Middle-earth Role Playing, Charnesra was a prominent city in the region of Sîrayn in Greater Harad. Situated at the confluence of the rivers Sîresha and Sîrsis, it served as a major centre for lumber trade and river traffic until its destruction in the Third Age. The city's banner showed a green tree on a white field.

History

The city was originally founded in S.A. 499 as a trade and lumber town named Skarataib (Ta. "Place of the Swirling Current"). By S.A. 600, the construction of a canal to bypass the dangerous rapids of the Sîresha had transformed the town into a thriving city. This period of prosperity lasted for over a millennium until the wars of the late Second Age. In S.A. 1935, the army of the Blind Sorcerer, led by his general Wyatan, sacked the city and reduced it to ashes. Despite the destruction, a battalion from the besieged city and the forces of nearby Tûl Harar managed to defeat the army.

The site lay in ruins for nearly two thousand years until it was rebuilt in T.A. 93 and renamed Charnesra. The new city quickly regained its former affluence through canal tariffs and lumber trade from the nearby Sára Bask forest. It was renowned for its splendour, constructed from basalt, sandstone, and marble quarried from the surrounding Yellow Mountains, Isra, and the Kirmlesran hills. Its buildings were intricately detailed with ornaments carved from mûna and haranaûd wood.

Charnesra entered its final decline in T.A. 1413 when power was seized by Shuftas Gabar, the uncle of the Tartas Izain. His reign culminated in a disastrous war against the neighbouring city of Tûl Isra in T.A. 1457. After Gabar's forces were defeated, Charnesra was burned to the ground and never rebuilt.

By the 17th century, the ruins of Charnesra had formed a derelict maze, with the Sára Bask having breached the southeastern wall, and the quarter it once protected had become the domain of hill cats. Travellers thus stuck to the ruins on the north bank of the river, or used the ancient canals.

Despite the destruction, several key structures remained. The city’s bridges were largely intact, and Gabar's High Citadel seemed entirely unscathed. Miasmic wards still defended the fortress and the undead remains of Shuftas Gabar entombed within. The ruins of the famed Blue Monkey inn, though having lost its upper level, still sheltered travellers, who reported light and joyous dreams when camping there. The Temple of the Silent One also remained in covert but active use.

In Fo.A. 22, the ruins were resettled and given the name Skarataib again.