Field Ward

This district was once a caravan yard between Waterdeep’s two northernmost walls, kept free of settlement to serve as a killing field in times of war. As refugees from various calamities settled there after not being allowed into the city’s wealthy northern neighborhoods, the area has grown up into a lawless town of its own.

Though not an official ward of the city, the Field Ward is commonly referred to as one. The Watch doesn’t patrol this area, however, and many crimes go uninvestigated. The City Guard oversees the Field Ward from the walls around it, but its members get involved only when folk moving into or out of the city are threatened.

The area is a muddy mess, populated by the poorest people and those who take advantage of those folks’ desperation. It has no sewer system and isn’t served by the Dungsweepers’ Guild — a fact that will be quite evident to your nose if you venture here. I don’t recommend that you spend any more time here than it takes to pass through from one gate to the next.

The Guild of Butchers operates several slaughterhouses, smokehouses, and leather-making facilities in the area — noisome operations that have been pushed out of the city proper. A word to the wise: being friendly with a burly fellow who is good with a knife is one of your best defenses in the Field Ward. The other place you might solicit aid is Endshift Tavern, a popular stop for off-duty members of the City Guard, situated on the corner of Endshift Street and the Breezeway. Though the guards might not be inclined to assist you, your status as a visitor to Waterdeep technically obliges them to help you reach the city proper in safety.