Kharbranth

Kharbranth, often called the City of Bells, is an independent city-kingdom on the eastern coast of Roshar, renowned as a center of learning and home to one of the greatest collections of knowledge on the continent. It features prominently in the early events of The Stormlight Archive as the destination of Shallan Davar in her search for the scholar Jasnah Kholin.

Geography

Kharbranth is built into a bowl-shaped depression in the coastline, its tiers of buildings climbing the slopes so that the city faces away from the oncoming highstorms and is sheltered by the surrounding rock. Its many bells, hung throughout the city, ring in the rising winds and give the city its famous name.

The Palanaeum

Kharbranth's greatest treasure is the Palanaeum, a vast underground library carved into the rock, holding countless books, scrolls, and gemstone records. Scholars travel from across Roshar to study there, and it was here that Shallan Davar became the ward of Jasnah Kholin. The Palanaeum's collection rivals or exceeds that of any other institution on the continent.

Society

Ruled by a Vorin monarch, Kharbranth maintains its independence through commerce, scholarship, and careful diplomacy rather than military might. The city is also known for its healers and for the trade that flows through its sheltered harbor.

Significance

As a seat of scholarship and the home of the Palanaeum, Kharbranth is one of the principal centers of learning on Roshar, and its libraries hold knowledge crucial to understanding the Knights Radiant, the Voidbringers, and the returning Desolations.