THE NOBLE HOUSES OF WATERDEEP

One of the FACTIONS WITHIN WATERDEEP that need to be considered by those looking to make their way amongst the power players in the city are the noble houses.
Each house is akin to a faction in their own right. Their noble blood might allow for some sense of shared respect but the houses are in no way united and each have their own agendas, influence and wealth.
Some of the noble houses that exist in the city are:

• HOUSE AMCATHRA
• HOUSE CASSALANTER
• HOUSE PHYLUND
• HOUSE ROSZNAR

ASCENDING TO NOBILITY
Marriage is, of course, the easiest method of ascending to the ranks of the Nobility, although individuals of wealth and influence can petition the Lords of Waterdeep to allow their house to become ennobled.
There are no formal processes for this, however over the years many families have deduced what the Lords of Waterdeep are looking for:

• Personal wealth, in excess of 25,000 gp, that has been largely acquired through mercantile endeavours.
• Residence in Waterdeep
• Ownership of several significant properties in the city
• Prominence in one or more guilds
• "Sponsorship" by at least five other noble families.

The key criterion is, of course, the last one. It takes a staggering amount of wealth, connections, debts, charitable giving, bribes, and humility to get five noble families to agree that it is in their best interest to allow a new line of nobility into the city. In the years past, it was nearly that only humans held nobility within the city, no such regulation remains.