Nobility
While you might encounter dwarf diplomats from Gauntlgrym, satraps of Amn, duchesses of Tethyr, or thanes of the Northlanders in Waterdeep, the nobles you really need to know about are the city’s own. Seventy-eight noble family lines are found here, many of which can trace their lineage back to the city’s founding. Books have been written about individual families — histories of their accomplishments and how they fit into the webs of wealth and patronage that govern nobles’ activities — so it is beyond the scope of a pamphlet this size to attempt to describe their particulars. I can, however, endeavor to equip you with the tools to recognize nobility and to interact with the higher class.
Spotting a Noble
Nobility in Waterdeep are granted the right to bear arms. In the legal code of the city, this means not merely the ability to carry a weapon, but the right to retain up to seventy equipped soldiers. These soldiers always wear a house’s colors and the house’s “arms of grace” — a heraldic device often borne on a shield, worn as a cloak pin, or affixed to a helmet. Others throughout the city, even foreign dignitaries, are permitted to retain only up to sixteen armed warriors, and laws against impersonating those in the employ of the nobility mean that other mercenaries and bodyguards most often dress plainly, so as not to be mistaken for the retinue of a noble. So your first clue that you might be in the company of a noble is the sight of a large number of armed and uniformed soldiers.
Many nobles, particularly younger ones seeking entertainment, travel without an entourage of guards or only in the company of other nobles. In this case, you’ll know you’re in the presence of nobility because of the deference others give them. Follow suit, and you should be fine.
Above all, be polite. Always address a known noble as “Lord” or “Lady.” A short bow or a nod of the head to acknowledge a noble upon each meeting and parting is customary. Obsequiousness and servility is something all Waterdavians scorn, but you should also beware of acting in an overly familiar, boastful, or disrespectful way when in the presence of any noble. Though this sort of behavior isn’t a crime, and laws against dueling prevent a noble from initiating a direct armed confrontation, the noble families of Waterdeep have immense power in the city, often in unexpected quarters. Many have influence in nations as distant as Calimshan and Cormyr. Be assured that any slighting of a noble will not be forgotten or easily forgiven.
If you’re not certain whether someone is a noble, address the gentleman as “Saer” or the gentlewoman as “Goodwoman.” Neither will give offense, and generally a noble will politely correct you as to their actual title.
A WONDROUS PEOPLE
Whenever you find yourself in a bustling city, you’re likely to spot a wonderful variety of folk. You hear words in languages utterly foreign to you, and you smell dishes both delectable and strange. Waterdeep is the ultimate city of such delights, and before long, the alien thing becomes familiar to you, and the stranger becomes your friend.
The people of Waterdeep are among the greatest of its splendors. Fashion, comportment, love — these things are practiced with an art and a zest in the city uncommon elsewhere. Visit a festhall or festival and see for yourself! And don’t miss the cross-dressing performers who regale audiences with humor and song. Fabulous — that word doesn’t begin to describe it, especially when they enhance the merriment with magic.
The city is also a haven for those who define for themselves what it means to be a man or a woman, those who transcend gender as the gods do, and those who redefine entirely who they are. What confidence! I never tire of witnessing it. I have seen folk in Waterdeep whose lives are more magical than the marvels possible with spells.
Nobles and Patronage
Nobles in Waterdeep are patrons of and investors in all manner of businesses in the city and abroad, as well as the many expressions of the arts. They spend coin to fund celebrations, contests at the Field of Triumph, upkeep at the city’s temples and shrines, civic projects, guild events, and charitable actions such as burial of the unknown dead. Their motives are manifold, but their actions — no matter the reason — earn them loyalty and high regard from those who benefit from their largesse.
Seeking patronage from a noble without having been introduced to that person is considered an insult, so you must first befriend someone in a noble’s employ or circle of influence. Doing so is no guarantee of ultimate success; much time and coin can be wasted trying to curry favor with an acquaintance of a noble who turns out to be unscrupulous or of little help for some other reason. My advice is to do something deserving of attention, whatever your vocation, and someone from the noble families of Waterdeep will eventually show an interest.
Know a Noble’s Business
In the words of that quarrelsome acquaintance of mine from the Dales, “Before you strut your stuff in the chickens’ preening circle, get to know the other cocks first.” This colorful aphorism applies well to the affairs of nobility, because when you have interaction with a noble, you are at the same time dealing with one’s entire family — as well as a network of business associates and allies. That situation can put you in a troublesome spot if you are unaware of the noble’s connections.
Guilds and Guild Law
No aspect of life in Waterdeep goes untouched by at least one of its more than forty guilds. Virtually every profession has an associated guild, and there’s hardly a citizen of the city who doesn’t belong to one or more guilds, or doesn’t work for someone who does. As a visitor to Waterdeep, you need to know this, lest you run afoul of “Guild Law.” Guild Law isn’t technically in the legal code of Waterdeep, but guilds are mentioned in the oldest surviving legal documents — penned by Ahghairon himself — and the rules of Guild Law are respected by wise city folk.
Guilds take their laws seriously, as do members of the City Watch and the magisters. If you flout a guild’s traditions, you can expect not only public scorn but also a visit from enforcers of the law. In addition, many guilds have their own codes of accusation, trial, and punishment, such as:
- A member of the Bakers’ Guild who sells bread baked in the wrong shape will be drenched with water and coated in his own flour.
- Heckling a member of the Jesters’ Guild will result in the offending party being jeered at in public by no less than four guild members for a period of four days.
- Any ship that unloads its cargo without due observance or aid by the Guild of Watermen shall have its cargo seized or thrown into the harbor.
Many guilds have codes that entwine each other, complicating matters even more for the outsider. In Neverwinter, if you want to construct a building, you simply purchase the land and hire workers to build it. In Waterdeep, the Surveyors’, Map-, and Chart-makers’ Guild must first be consulted upon designation of the plat, then brought in to draw or approve the construction plan. The Cellarers’ and Plumbers’ Guild must then clear and prepare the site, only after which will you be able to hire members of the Carpenters’, Roofers’, and Plaisterers’ Guild to erect the structure.
Moreover, the work will not be complete until members of the Guild of Fine Carvers and the Guild of Stonecutters, Masons, Potters, and Tile-makers design and craft any decorative elements of wood, stone, or ceramics, and after the Most Careful Order of Skilled Smiths and Metalforgers has manufactured and installed any door hinges. If the building is to be connected to the sewers or a city water supply, the Cellarers’ and Plumbers’ Guild must be called upon again to do that work. Want glazed windows installed? For that, you need to hire members of the Guild of Glassblowers, Glaziers, and Spectacle-makers.
If you do business in the city as anything other than a purchaser of goods and services, I strongly advise you to seek out a local solicitor and pay to be guided through the process. No guild of solicitors exists, so be sure your choice comes highly recommended by individuals you can trust. To learn the peculiarities of any guild’s rules, consult someone on duty at the guild headquarters or ask a senior guild member.
All that said, working at a guild-related profession without being a member of that guild isn’t illegal. Guild members have no lawful recourse to interfere in the business of someone who chooses to not join the organization. But if you practice a trade or operate a business without becoming a member of the appropriate guild, word spreads, and you’ll find that your coin isn’t good for purchasing the goods or services of anyone who is a guild member. Since that group includes virtually everyone who sells the necessities of life or offers shelter for a fee, the benefits of joining a guild swiftly become apparent to those who procrastinate in this regard.
