Waterdeep
Waterdeep, or the City of Splendors, as the most important and influential city in the northwestern part of the Faerûn continent, an area referred to as the North. Geographically, the city is included in a region called the Heartlands of the Realms, even though it lies 150 miles north of the western Heartland town of Daggerford, along the Sword Coast. The roads to Waterdeep are described as well paved and well patrolled. The city serves as a trading hub, tying together the mineral-rich lands to the north, the merchant kingdoms of Amn and Calimshan to the south, the kingdoms of the Inner Sea to the east, and the sea kingdoms and traders to the west.
Waterdeep is named for its outstanding natural deepwater harbor, which has made the city a commercial crossroads. The population of the city is listed as approximately 130,000, with more than one million Waterdhavians making their home within the city's territorial area. The city sprawls northward from the sea, spreading along the flanks of Mount Waterdeep, a solitary mountain. Mt. Waterdeep is indicated to have been a citadel of a fantasy race called the dwarves, and the entire length and great depth of the mountain is riddled with passages and tunnels, most of which are still occupied by deadly creatures whose presence in the mountain pre-dates the founding of the city itself. For gaming purposes, Waterdeep is an attractive location for adventurers because it has a large adventuring site, the Undermountain, located near temples and other health recovery areas.
Despite its size, the inhabitants of Waterdeep are described as largely benevolent and ethically good-natured people. This is due to the efforts of a group called the Masked Lords, the patrols of the Waterdeep City Watch, and the close proximity of Skullport, which draws those prone to unlawful or unethical behavior towards it and away from Waterdeep. Skullport is located directly below Waterdeep in the Upper Underdark—a region of extensive caverns and tunnels beneath Faerûn.
Demographics
Culture
Given its size and influence, Waterdeep was a cosmopolitan city with a diverse population of citizens. While humans comprised the majority of its populace, it was home to large number of elves, predominantly moon elves, dwarves, lightfoot halflings, half-elves and gnomes. Waterdhavians tended to be social, stalwart and outspoken people who maintained a worldly perspective of the cultures throughout Toril. While they were proud of their realm's history, they typically kept from dismissing cultures from foreign lands. While they often sought the improvement of their lives through the accumulation of wealth and self-importance, as a people, they would not stand for military conquest or the thought of imperialization.
Fashion
Waterdhavian culture was called for a sort of resigned display of status when it came to the clothes one would wear. While all manner of dress could be seen on the city streets, guild members would only don their livery when conducting official business or meetings, during important holidays or while on ventures outside Waterdeep proper. Nobles would only display their crests or coat-of-arms in subtle affectations, such as a signet ring or other understated jewelry, while their servants wore clothes that were fully emblazoned with their house heraldry.
In contrast, women were known to maintain a high sense of fashion, often wearing elegant silk gowns, furs and sparkling jewelry, as the season dictated.
Religion
Waterdeep had a huge variety of faiths, and the odds were that if a deity was worshiped somewhere in Faerûn, it had at least a follower (or likely a wandering priest or two, and maybe a shrine) in the City of Splendors. The largest temples in the city were dedicated to Oghma, Tyr, Tempus, Gond, Selûne, Mystra, Silvanus and Mielikki, Lathander, Sune, and Tymora. There was also a large temple known as the Plinth, which was open to all faiths.
In addition to the temples, shrines to Chauntea, Lliira, Sharess, and Siamorphe (the last two were local divinities) could be found here. Additionally, there were secret temples and hidden shrines to most of the dark gods, often hidden away beneath the streets of the city. These included churches of Cyric, Talona, Umberlee, Shar, Auril, and a wide variety of the Beast Cults, including the Cult of the Dragon. In the years immediately following the Time of Troubles, Waterdeep had an active Cult of Ao; however, this later diminished almost to nonexistence.
There was also a temple dedicated to Baravar Cloakshadow located within the Warrens beneath Waterdeep.
Although the faith of Talona is considered misguided or bad, it does not mean small groups of lay followers cannot practice their personal faith. However, the building of a public house of worship to her is forbidden in Waterdeep. It is also illegal to form a public priesthood dedicated to her..
As of 1491 DR, a new temple to Valkur had already been built in the city. In the same year, the returned drow goddess Eilistraee was witnessed as she danced in the moonlight, near the walls of the city, up the road to Amphail. This led many of her followers to Waterdeep, with the goal of creating a shrine to their goddess within its walls. The project was supported by the Harper leading delegate Remallia Haventree.
Festivals and holidays
In addition to the standard festivals of the Calendar of Harptos, there were several festivals and holy days held in Waterdeep:
Ahghairon's Day: A holiday celebrated on the first day of Eleasias, commemorating Ahghairon's birthday. It consisted of small details, like toasting for the Lords; leaving violets at the base of Ahghairon's Tower, the Plinth, or atop the altars of the House of Wonder; and bards performing songs in honor of the Old Mage. The Open Lords visited taverns and inns across the city, to wish the people well.
Auril's Blesstide: Held on the day of winter's first frost, this day saw everyone in the city wearing white clothes, not serving or eating hot meals, and a parade of naked men and women wearing only white cloaks going from Cliffwatch in the North Ward, across the city and to the beaches. There, participants dived into the icy waters, sacrificing their warmth to the Frostmaiden.
Fleetswake: A festival celebrating the sea, the sea trade and the gods of the sea. It spanned the last tenday of Ches, and included boat races, the Shipwright's Ball at the Shipwright's House, and guild-sponsored galas at the Copper Cup festhall. The festival was concentrated in Dock Ward and the Fiery Flagon in Sea Ward.
Lliira's Night: A celebration honoring the Lady of Joy with dances and balls, held the night of Flamerule 7. Although the celebration was shared all over the city in many festhalls, the highlight of the night was the Cynosure Ball, which was sponsored by the Lords, the local clergy of Lliira, and several noble families.
Trolltide: This lesser holiday celebrated the end of the Second Trollwar at the start of Kythorn. On this day, Waterdhavian children would run about the city, dressed as trolls demanding treats from citizens and shop owners lest the children pull pranks on them at sundown.
Government
Waterdeep is ruled by a council whose membership is largely secret. These hidden Lords of Waterdeep maintain their identities behind magical masks; while they rule in public, none know the true identities of most of them.[3] The subject of who the Lords are is a common topic of noble conversation, and some consider it a game to discover their identity, a game made more confusing by the fact the Lords themselves set their own rumors afloat. It is a known fact[citation needed] that Piergeiron the Paladinson, Warden of Waterdeep and Commander of the Watch, whose golden-spired palace dominates the center of the city, is a member of the Lords. He is the Unmasked Lord (in some references, the Open Lord), and wears no mask over either his face or his heart.
The archmage Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun was also of the Lords, and perhaps chief among them, exceeding even Piergeiron. Three members of The Four (excluding Randal Morn, who rules far Daggerdale Mirt the Moneylender and his wife Asper, and Durnan the barkeeper and owner of the Yawning Portal are revealed to be Lords of Waterdeep in several of Ed Greenwood's stories. Though the names of the courtesan Larissa and Texter the Paladin have been connected with the Lords, evidence exists to both prove or disprove claims that they are Lords. Beyond these listed conjecture swings widely as to who is a Lord and who is not.
The Lords appear in public only in the Lords' Court, hearing all cases of murder, treason, misuse of magic, and appeals from lower courts. On such occasions there are always at least four Lords present, but sometimes six or seven are seen, and rarely as many as nine. Piergeiron chairs the Court and asks all questions, for the Lords speak through him. In chambers the Lords all appear similarly masked and robed, their robes formless and black, with black capes, and their masks completely covering the head and face. These masks have featureless faces, with mirrored crystals over the eyes, save for Piergeironís. He has had his face covering separated from his helm, and lets those who appear before the Court see his face.
Khelben's status as Masked Lord was later revealed, but only after resigning the post, and in the Songs and Swords series of novel, Danilo Thann, of Waterdeep's wealthy and influential Thann family, and Khelben's nephew, became one of the secret Lords.
Defences
Waterdeep maintained two separate armed forces, the City Guard and the City Watch. The City Guard served as Waterdeep's soldiery and its members staffed garrisons, road patrols, and watchposts, and served as bodyguards and gate guards. The Watch was the local police force.
Waterdeep had strong walls on its landward sides and was protected in part by Mount Waterdeep on the seaward side. Mount Waterdeep was studded with watch towers and defensive positions, and patrolled by special guard units on flights of griffons. Aside from this, Waterdeep also benefited from a large native population of the adventuring classes (including powerful mages, priests, and warriors) who were more than willing to deal with any and all miscreants who threatened their home city, and did so in the past. This often proved the City of Splendors' most potent defense.
The city also had the eight giant Walking Statues of Waterdeep. Seven of these statues could be animated by the Blackstaff of Waterdeep to defend the city, one was too damaged to be activated. These statues were extremely destructive, and only used to fend off armies or win otherwise impossible battles.
Ahghairon's dragonward
Ahghairon's dragonward was a powerful mythal cast by the famous mage Ahghairon over the city of Waterdeep.
In the mid-11th century DR, Ranressa Shiard returned as a hero from her journeys to Waterdeep atop the mighty copper dragon Galadaeros. Although she was welcomed home, the appearance of her mount flying over the city unsettled the majority of the populace. Ahghairon crafted this mythal to allay their fears.
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Centered under Ahghairon's tower, the mythal projected a permanent 12,800-ft-radius (3900 meters) dome, which encompassed the city as it existed in Ahghairon's day. In newer areas of Waterdeep, the dragonward's effects were less severe or non-existent. Any creature with draconic blood that tried to enter the city was overcome with an overwhelming urge to leave the area, never to return. However, any draconic creature that touched the Dragonstaff of Ahghairon was able to bypass the dragonward for as long as the staff's wielder allowed or until the creature was struck by the staff.
Walking Statues of Waterdeep
The Walking Statues were mighty constructs built for the defense of holy temples, ancient vaults and the most important cities, castles and fortresses of Waterdeep. They often served as ethereal guardians that could attack other ethereal creatures approaching its guarded area. They were unswervingly loyal to their instructions or orders, carrying them out to the best of their abilities.
Description of the Statues
Unlike most constructs, walking statues were free-willed, thinking creatures who could reason, learn and remember. They were able to stand still for centuries at a time, remaining endlessly vigilant, but all the while they would be deep in thought. Walking statues were capable of understanding Common and Draconic, but would speak only if they were commanded to do so by their creator or by any whom they recognized as an authority.
History of the Statues
Originally there was only one visible statue in the city, later know as The Sahuagin Humbled, while seven other statues remained hidden on the ethereal plane around the city. During The Spellplague (1385 DR) six more of the statues exited the ethereal plane and begun rampaging the city. Tsarra Chaadren, the Blackstaff at the time, was unable to control them or banish them back to The Ethereal plane. Once their rampage ended, the city rebuilt around, on top of, and sometimes inside the statues. Much later in 1479 DR the eighth statue, The Griffon, appeared. It defended Ahghairon's Tower (again, free from the control of the Blackstaff) before settling down near The Peaktop Aerie on Mount Waterdeep. As the statues are unable to be removed from the city, they've come to be used a landmarks to navigate.
The Statues
The God Catcher Settled in the Castle Ward of Waterdeep just north of The Market.
The Griffon Settled in the Castle Ward of Waterdeep on Mount Waterdeep near the Peaktop Aerie.
The Sahuagin Humbled Settled in the Castle Ward of Waterdeep on the far northern slope of Mount Waterdeep.
The Great Drunkard Settled in the Castle Ward of Waterdeep just south of The Market.
The Lady Dreaming Settled in the Castle Ward of Waterdeep on the far northern slope of Mount Waterdeep.
The Honorable Knight Settled in the Trades Ward of Waterdeep.
The Hawk Man Settled in the Castle Ward of Waterdeep.
The Swordmaiden (Destroyed) Settled in the North Ward of Waterdeep.
Industry & Trade
As of around 1370 DR, stone was imported from Mirabar via Luskan for use in construction, having been magically transported. This was an expensive process.
Around 1374 DR, during the late autumn time, wagons and carts overcrowded the markets as foreign vendors attempted to sell as much as possible before returning home for the winter. This was a practice ignored by the Guard, the Watch, and the guilds.
Waterdeep was the start of several trade routes:
The Long Road, the inland trade route to the north.
The High Road, the coastal trade route to the north.
The Trade Way, the trade route to the south.
The city was also the largest spelljamming port of Faerûn. Although welcoming to most spacefaring races, Waterdeep's laws required that all ships landed on the ocean several miles from the city and made their final approach by sea. Transgressors were punished with harsh fines and imprisonment. This rule prevented some types of ships from ever reaching Waterdeep, but was enforced to avoid mass panic from the population. Departing vessels were subject to the same rules.
Docking at Waterdeep's port incurred a fee of 1 cp per 10 ft (3 m) of keel length per week. Sages and traders from Waterdeep were eager to listen to stories from wildspace and traded on all the products the city had to offer.
Infrastructure
Waterdeep was characterized by its broad and busy streets and boulevards. Its heavy traffic, a constant during all day and most of the night, was monitored by the traffic wardens of the City Watch. The streets were kept well maintained and signaled by the Scriveners', Scribes', and Clerks' Guild, who manufactured and installed labels and signs in all intersections.
Public transportation was available in Waterdeep through several options:
Drays were large, two-floored collective carriages that held a large number of seats and traveles through preset trajectories along the main boulevards. Fares varied between 2 and 4 nibs.
Hire-coaches were two-wheeled, two-seat carriages that could be called and dispatched to specific locations. Hire-coach drivers roamed the city streets in search for passengers, who could call a free coach with a shout. Fares, agreed upon in advance, rarely exceeded 6 shards.
Carriages were luxury vehicles that could accommodate up to 8 passengers comfortably. Prices varied, but usually carriages and their respective drivers and servants were hired for an entire day
Guilds and Factions
Guilds
It was said that the Lords ruled Waterdeep but did not truly run it. This was quite true, in that there were a number of other factions who made up Waterdeep.[citation needed] The most noticeable were the guilds—powerful merchant and craft organizations that controlled much of the life-blood of the city. Once, the guilds ruled the city, and it almost destroyed itself in a series of internal commercial wars. No one wanted to see those days return.
Nobility
A second important Waterdhavian faction was the local nobility. It consisted of 76 families of varying degrees of power, most of whom could trace their lines to before the founding of Waterdeep itself. Many powerful names came out of Waterdeep, including the Amcathras (whose scion became Lord of Shadowdale the Cassalanters, wealthy moneylenders; as well as the Wands, a family of powerful and noble wizards.
Merchants
Third, a rising merchant class existed outside the standard guilds. These were caravan and coaster operators, and they used Waterdeep as a destination for their caravan goods. More shops offered a variety of different goods because of this growing group. The most notable of these new merchants was the retired wizardess Aurora, who established a magical retail organization to supply a wide number of patrons across the North with specialized items.
Adventurers
A large host of adventurers flooded the city at any given time. Some established themselves as citizens of good standing and remained permanently, while others drifted off for other climes or met their ends in back-alley brawls.[citation needed] With the exception of the Gray Hands, secret societies such as the Harpers and the Red Sashes made up the closest thing to organizations drawn from this group.
History
Within the Realms history, years are listed in terms of Dalereckoning, or DR. The first mention of a Waterdeep (not as a city, but as a collection of warlords) occurs around 900 DR. The city was truly established as a growing concern by 1032 DR, the year Ahghairon became the first Lord of Waterdeep, and the date from which Northreckoning is counted.
Waterdeep was founded by local tribes who benefited from trading timber and furs with southern merchants, and the settlement's deep harbor gave the city its name.[3] These were violent times, and a savage human tribe overran the settlement and built defenses and fortified their new homes. As tribes of humanoids advanced on Waterdeep, more human tribes converged on the settlement, swelling its size and number of defenders, and after savage battles, Waterdeep emerged as a free city ruled by War Lords. The mighty mage Ahghairon then overthrew the last of the War Lords and established a government based on wisdom instead of armed might, and he ruled the city with a group of masked Lords who were secretly selected to govern.[3] When Ahghairon died 200 years later, his rule was followed by a brief period of anarchy, as powerful guildmasters attempted to gain sole control of the city, until Ahghairon's surviving fellow lords took steps to reestablish the rule of the Lords.
The city grew rapidly, such that by 1248 DR both the City of the Dead—a sprawling cemetery complex[6]—and the various trade guilds had been developed. The guildmasters seized control of the city soon afterward, ushering in a period of unrest and bitter conflict known as the Guildwars. The Guildwars ended only when the two surviving guildmasters brought in their own period of misrule. It was only in 1273 DR that the present system of government (or lack thereof) was instituted. This was the year that the Magisters[clarification needed] were established and the secret Lords of Waterdeep were firmly reestablished.
Since that time, the city has continued to grow and prosper. Humankind and other races come from parts of the Realms to engage in business in the Waterdeep, now known as the City of Splendors. Over the years these successful merchants set up guilds and themselves become nobility, supporting the secretive Lords of Waterdeep who police the city fairly, by means of the well-trained city guard (soldiers), city watch (police), and over 20 black-robed magistrates. As a result, Waterdeep is now described as a place tolerant of different races, religions, and lifestyles. This in turn has encouraged commerce, and Waterdeep has grown into a huge, eclectic city.
Geography
aterdeep was built on the site of the ancient elven settlement of Aelinthaldaar, which gave way to a farming community of humans that developed into Bloodhand Hold. This was conquered and renamed Nimoar's Hold before the name "Waterdeep" caught on. Waterdeep was the most common name used by the sea captains docking at the port to trade.
Alternative Name(s)
The city of Splendors
Type
Capital
Population
130000 within the city 1500000 within the teritorial limits
Inhabitant Demonym
Primarily Humans, dwarves, elves, halflings, half-elves, gnomes, half-orcs
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler