The Recent History of Waterdeep and the North

The history of the City of Splendors is a vast and complex thing, a topic scholars better than I have attempted to delve into. Thus, I will spare you poor souls a tome's worth of details and sum up the last forty years.   1449 DR   The featherlung epidemic kills many of Waterdeep's citizens. This dried up the lungs and reduced their capacity, eventually suffocating the sufferer. Over ten thousand die, though an accurate count was never done.   1451 DR   Maegera, a primordial held in slumber through the craftsmanship of the dwarves of Delzoun and the elves of Iliyanbruen at the heart of Gauntlgrym, briefly awakens, causing Mount Hotenow, a long-dormant volcano near Neverwinter, to erupt. A pyroclastic flow destroys the city of Neverwinter. Only the Winged Wyvern Bridge survives the destruction relatively unscathed.   1452 DR   The first Waterdhavian Noble Houses sell their titles. As noble houses continue to struggle, this practice is used to fill their coffers with increasing frequency.   1460 DR   The civil war that wracked the Kingdom of Many Arrows finally ends, reuniting the orc tribes under King Obould XVII, making the kingdom a contender in the affairs of the North once again.   1461 DR   With help from Baldur’s Gate and Waterdeep, rebuilding efforts begin in the ruins of Neverwinter.   1463 DR   The Shadovar under the command of Herzgo Alegni help defend New Neverwinter against the Thayan zombies and Ashmadai trying to take the city after several assaults. Following this aid, the Shadovar occupied the city. Neverwintan citizens free their city from Shadovar/Netherese occupation after an assassination attempt on Herzgo Alegni leaves the Netherese leaderless.   1464 DR   Samark Dhanzscul becomes Blackstaf.   Bregan D'aerthe reestablishes its presence in Luskan, creating a base in the ruins of Illusk beneath the city.   1469 DR   Dagult Neverember, the Open Lord of Waterdeep, arrives in Neverwinter and soon becomes its Lord Protector, a position where he can begin to rebuild the city.   The Children's Massacre: All nieces and nephews of Queen Anais of Tethyr are slain in a politically motivated attack, except for her niece Ysabel Linden, who becomes the sole heir to the throne. Proskur is declared a protectorate of Cormyr to protect it from Netheril.   1478 DR   The Black Robes, a quorum of city judges in Waterdeep, welcomes the tiefling Kylynne Silmerhelve into their ranks.   Lord Dagult Neverember, the self-proclaimed Lord Protector of Neverwinter, issues a standing order that anyone in the city showing signs of Spellplague infection should be sent to Helm's Hold for treatment   1479 DR   Samark ‘Blackstaff’ Dhanzscul is murdered by Khondar ‘Ten Rings’ Naomal, the Guildmaster of the Watchful Order. Naomal's plot to turn Waterdeep into a magocracy under his rule fails and the traitorous Guildmaster is slain. Samark's heir Vajra Safahr becomes Blackstaff.   Manshoon nearly destroys Elminster. He is saved only by the timely arrival of the Simbul, who sacrifices herself by restoring the Old Sage to his original body and giving him her silver fire Having absorbed too much silver fire from the Simbul and Manshoon, Elminster flees to Mystra and returns a large part of her divinity to her, returning a goddess of magic to the Realms. This event becomes known as Mystra's Return   11 Nightal: Vajra Safahr becomes the seventh Blackstaff, and announces it to Waterdeep at dawn. She chooses Laraelra Harsard as her heir. The apprentice wizard Tennora Hedare and a Blue dragon in human form named Clytemorrenestrix foil a plot by Andareunarthex, a young Green dragon, to bypass the dragon wards and establish himself as a power in Waterdeep. Mirt the Moneylender is released from his decades long imprisonment in a Blueflame axe by Marlin Stormserpent.   20 Nightal: Renaer Neverember, along with his friends Laraelra Harsard, Torlyn Wands, Osco Salibuck, Meloon Wardragon, Eiruk Weskur, Harug Shieldsunder, Palek Lateriff, and with the support of the new Blackstaff, Vajra Safahr, revives the Moonstars for the betterment of Waterdeep   1480 DR   As the aristocracy hits its lowest ebb, noble titles are publicly offered for sale in Waterdeep.   Nightal: The Circle of Skulls and the Vigilent Order each attempt to complete the ritual of the First Flensing which would have opened the gates of Hell in Waterdeep. Jinnaoth Ir'Gadohn and his allies stop both groups from finishing the ritual. The Vigilant Order, a cult dedicated to Asmodeus is destroyed. Master Talus, an archmage from the House of Wonders is killed during the ritual and Sathariel, an angel of Asmodeus is slain by the deva Jinnaoth.   The Abyssal Fury plague sweeps through Luskan, but the demon responsible for the plague is killed by the paladin Kalen Dren.   1484 DR   Netheril begins to attack Cormyr's borders, forcing Cormyr into a fight on far reaching fronts. Both Rivalen and Brennus Tanthul are killed when the mythallar powering the Shadovar city of Sakkors fails, causing the city to land on top of them.   A large army of orcs and drow, supported by frost giants and white dragons, assaults the Silver Marches in the War of the Silver MarchesDrow wizard Tsabrak Xorlarrin channeled the Darkening upon the Silver Marches under order of Lolth.   Stories begin to travel across the Realms that the gods are bestowing supernatural gifts on a Chosen few.   Natural disasters proliferate South of the Sword Coast. Amn is swarmed by a plague of locusts; Iriaebor is devastated by an earthquake; South Faerûn suffers a terrible drought; Along the coast of South Faerûn the sea waters begin to recede   1485 DR   Orcs besiege Silverymoon   Flamerule: The War of the Silver Marches ends when Hartusk is defeated and the Darkening dispelled.   1486 DR   The Shadovar besieges Arabel and Suzail until Nightal 1 when both sieges are broken and many shadovar fall.   1487 DR   The Second Sundering ends. Many deities previously thought gone have managed to make a comeback by the conclusion of this event   1488 DR   What remains of the Netherese battle the Bedine for control of Anauroch. A battle between the Netherese and Bedine upon the Memory Spire (an ancient Phaerimm tomb) awakens dormant Phaerimm. Aside from a handful of minor settlements throughout Faerûn, the Netherese empire is no longer a regional power.   The solstices and equinoxes do not align correctly.   Anauroch is magically drained by newly awakened Phaerimm, again reducing it to a desert