Loudwater

With Zelbross, Orlbar, and Llorkh in ruins, Loudwater is the last bastion of civilization in the Delimbiyr Vale east of Secomber. If the town is worried, it doesn't show it. Loudwater provides a welcome respite for weary caravan and riverboat drivers, not to mention adventurers. It lies on both sides of the Delimbiyr River, the two halves linked by an arching stone overpass built by dwarves to honor the elves.
Ancient wards placed on the overpass to preserve it had an unintended magical side effect: river trout attempting to swim under the bridge are propelled over it instead, which is why locals refer to it as the Flying Fish Bridge. People crossing the bridge are occasionally struck by these fish, which deal no damage. Whenever a fish hits a traveler and flops onto the bridge, it's a local custom (and considered good luck) to toss the fish back into the river.
Once a home to elves, Loudwater is a human town today. Its grand wood-and-stone buildings are overgrown by vines and hung with flowering plants. Streets curl and meander. Huge, old trees line the riverbanks, and gardens and bowers are everywhere. The town replaced its earthen rampart with a wall years ago, but the wall has flowers growing along its foundations both inside and outside the settlement. The river is unusually wide here, providing the town with space for a modest harbor.
Adding to Loudwater's problems are the stone giants of the Graypeak Mountains, who have begun laying waste to Llorkh, Orlbar, and the hamlets of Grayvale. Refugees are pouring into Loudwater, and those who can't afford to stay at the local inns are being herded like cows into warehouses overlooking the harbor. As if that weren't bad enough, stone giants have been seen spying on the town from afar, no doubt trying to determine its defensive capabilities.

Demographics

From 1357 to 1370 DR, Loudwater was recorded as having a population of about 4,000. They were largely human but almost one-quarter were half-elves, arising mostly from the descendants of Eaerlann, who had a habit of marrying other half-elves. Their ancestors were moon elves. Others were the descendants of wild elves. Few of the original elves remained. In 1372 DR, the population was recorded as 8,137, humans and half-elves still. By 1479 DR, the population had diminished to 2,000.

Government

The town was ruled by the High Lord of Loudwater. By 1357 DR, High Lord Nanathlor Greysword had reigned for a half-century and was loved by the people as a careful administrator and just ruler. He was still in power by 1370 DR. Nanathlor resided in High Lord's Hall, the seat of power in the city. The half-elven Lady Moonfire was never documented as being referred to as High Lord, but her successor, Telbor Zazrek, was.
The High Lords were served by two Gauntlets who commanded the city's militia. Each Gauntlet was given the responsibility of protecting Loudwater's territory (known as the "marches"), either east or west of the city. By 1357 DR and through 1370 DR, the two Gauntlets were Harazos Thelbrimm and Kalahar Twohands. In 1372 DR, the Gauntlet of the eastern marches was Harazos Thelbrimm and the Gauntlet of the western marches was Isyan Kiy'sisnos, who succeeded Kalahar Twohands when he became High Lord. It is unknown whether High Lords were only chosen from among the Gauntlets.
The militia of Loudwater comprised 300 warriors, divided into patrols of 20.
Although they coexisted (relatively) peacefully with the humans south of the river and were ruled by the High Lord along with everyone else, the elves of Loudwater had a largely independent noble class before they abandoned the city.
The lands claimed by Loudwater stretched for two days' ride up and down the river. The army patrolled this domain.

Industry & Trade

The local people made a living through farming and fishing, as well as by providing services to caravans. They often ate szorp, a fish caught in the Delimbiyr. The Loudwater Vale region was known for making the richest cheeses in the North, such as the translucent mist cheese. These cheeses were ripened in local caves. Hardwoods were also produced in the area; such woods were fine carved for the "Avatar" chess set sold by Aurora's Emporium in the 1360s DR.
In the mid–14th century DR, Loudwater was a significant stop on the trade route along the Delimbiyr. Formerly, in the days of Eaerlann, most trade through Loudwater went north overland, past the Shining Falls, but in the 1360s DR, it went east to Llorkh, where caravans were assembled. From Loudwater to Llorkh, all trade was tightly controlled by the Zhentarim. Zhentish trade through Loudwater and neighboring Llorkh helped prominent local merchants grow rich. The city offered a safe place to rest to both caravans and riverboats; merchants and travelers often passed through the first two times but stayed on the third.
After the Spellplague, Loudwater took an entire century to cope with the loss of trade that followed and ironically was saved by the Zhentarim, who came to control all of the trade through the town via unfavorable tax rates for their competition. Much reduced since its heyday, by 1479 DR, it was still a secure stop for merchants, despite the ruination of its neighbors after the Spellplague.

Infrastructure

Thanks to the bridge over the river, Loudwater spread out on both sides of the Delimbiyr. Part of the river flowed over upthrusting rocks, producing some noisy rapids that gave Loudwater its name. However, a wide pool was dug into the bank of the river, providing an area for lading cargo, serving as the harbor. Barges, coracles, and flat-bottomed skiffs used for fishing and trade clustered here. The only ugly things in town were those left bare by practicality: four warehouses by the harbor and the cooper works beside them on the west. The bridge was a spectacular and beautiful arching stone structure. It was decorated with fancifully carved stone heads, with snarling, pig-snouted faces said to be those of dragon turtles. They watched over the warehouses, giving the business its name: the Watchful Turtle.

History

Early History

The area was originally settled by Netherese human refugees fleeing the downfall of Netheril, sometime after its fall in the Year of Sundered Webs, −339 DR. Their communities were the progenitors of the city of Loudwater, as well as other cities of the North.
The area was once the site of a community of elves, part of the nation of Eaerlann. The great dwarf craftsman Iirikos Stoneshoulder and his team of dwarves from Ammarindar built an ornate bridge across the Delimbiyr River at this site for some elven friends in the Year of the Dwarf, 149 DR. These elves, who were members of two moon elf families who followed Labelas Enoreth, built a school of philosophy on the north bank of the river. Constructing homes around the school, which they named the Velti'Enorethal, the site grew into a small town. The population grew again when Earlanni sun elves applied to join the school.
Later on, further settlement of the Loudwater and Llorkh region, as well as Longsaddle, Secomber, Triboar, and others, was undertaken by human pioneers from Waterdeep after the establishment of the Lords of Waterdeep there in 1032 DR. These pioneers were sponsored by noble and mercantile Waterdhavian families.
The humans discovered the town and built their own houses, bringing human ideals to the expanding settlement. Though most of the humans lived separately from the elves on the south bank of the river, the growing human population upset the elven natives and in the Year of the Bloodrose, 1100 DR, desiring to escape, the elves began leaving their homes for Evereska.
Fifty years later, in the Year of the Scourge, 1150 DR, a family from Calimshan called the Renshas, led by Ibun Rensha, together with a mercenary army, conquered the Delimbiyr Vale, centering their power in Loudwater. Though they made Loudwater a much more prosperous town by exploiting the Vale's natural resources and expanding its limits, they despoiled much of the pristine beauty of the area and the amoral Renshas also committed several atrocities in pursuit of their magic.
The Renshas ruled for 165 years before a Nimbrali mercenary working for them named Nanathlor Greysword rebelled against the rule of Pasuuk Rensha in the Year of Spilled Blood, 1315 DR. Nanathlor was a noble of Nimbral who'd desired to establish a realm of his own in the North, and found one that needed him after receiving a message from the goddess Mielikki, who was angered at the Rensha's actions within the Vale, which she considered sacred. He became the Green Regent.

Modern History

The two-year-long War of the Returned Regent freed the Vale from Rensha rule. Finally, in the Year of the Wandering Wyrm, 1317 DR, Nanathlor Greysword defeated Pasuuk and the Renshas' forces at the battle of Tanglefork and became the ruler of Loudwater. However, some histories marked his reign as commencing four years earlier, circa 1313 DR. In either case, the start of Nanathlor's reign marked the official founding of Loudwater.
In Tarsakh of the Year of Shadows, 1358 DR, on a number of separate occasions, the residents of farm holdings on the outer edges of Loudwater's domain heard eerie howling and later discovered corpses near their lands. These were identified as various wicked beings, including two drow and some fish-like humanoid, and all carried bite marks. Nanathlor was notified and he formally reported the news. A search of caves in the Delimbiyr valley showed signs of recent occupation, but no connection to underground. Later that year, in Eleasias, a mysterious healer of the High Wood called Radoc helped victims of an orc raid and escorted them to Loudwater. His odd appearance, taciturn nature, and purchase of supplies with crystals made him the subject of rumor before he departed.
Nanathlor ruled in relative peace for 52 years until Malarite lycanthropes attacked the city after a blood-red moon appeared in the sky over the Vale. Nanathlor himself was on his deathbed but the citizenry, led by a young man named Stedd Rein saved the town when Stedd opened his father's stock of silvered weapons. Kalahar Twohands, Gauntlet of the western marches, replaced Nanathlor, who didn't survive to see his city saved. Kalahar oversaw the most turbulent years in Loudwater's history since the war, including a mass migration of orcs, threats from a bandit army and their illithid allies, dragons and several attacks from the Zhentarim.
Along with Secomber, Loudwater was the only settlement of any size in the area to survive the effects of the Spellplague, though it was much reduced in size and had been almost completely abandoned by the elves. Still, it managed to resist the dangers of the surrounding area. What it struggled to cope with was internal troubles. There was barely enough trade to keep the town afloat and dangerous criminals replaced the small-time thieves guild that had been operating there. Many foundlings discovered on the shores of Highstar Lake came to live and grow up in the town, unknowingly the spawn of some fishlike creature who dwelt beneath the lake's waters.
By 1491 DR, the northern wizard Telbor Zazrek was the High Lord.

Architecture

Loudwater was a splendidly picturesque garden town, with every spare patch of ground and any available surface adorned with lovingly tended greenery and full gardens and bowers to be found all over town. The wooden buildings—of all shapes and sizes, no two of which were alike—were overgrown with vines and decorated with hanging plants, with plants both inside and on the roof. Even the streets were planted with tanglemoss (though it wore down to bare dirt on busy routes), and they curved and meandered to provide a good view or an interesting route. Giant ancient trees lined the green grassy banks of the river. Until about 1480 the town didn't even have defensive walls, only a ditch and earthen rampart, both covered with planted flowers; now the rampart has been replaced by a wall, still covered with flowers. Loudwater seemed to melt back into the forest or to have grown out of it. It was a gardener's joy. Just like the meandering roads, life took a slow and measured pace here, where one preferred to enjoy the view than hurry.

Maps

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  Loudwater

  Loudwater was a city that sat on the confluence of the Delimbiyr and Greyflow rivers. It was a pleasant and thriving community home to humans and half-elves.

Alternative Name(s)

City of Grottoes

Type

City

Population

2,000

Characters in Location

• Brosha Manx
• Captain Harrowleaf

Related Reports (Primary)

• Session 1 Report

Races

Humans 37%
Half-elves 20%
Elves 18%
Halflings 10%
Gnomes 7%
Dwarves 5%
Half-orcs 3%
Religions Lathander, Labelas Enoreth, Mielikki, Silvanus