Neverwinter

The Jewel of the North

Before the eruption of Mount Hotenow, Neverwinter was a picturesque city and boasted such sights and edifices that would be noteworthy in other cities, but were fairly common features in the Jewel of the North.[30] Neverwinter was usually described as being "laid out roughly in the shape of an eye," with the Neverwinter River marking a long axis roughly east and west of its waters. One end of the city was the harbor, and the other end was the Upland Rise, and beyond that the Neverwinter Wood. Four gates were located in its walls, two in the northwestern and the northeastern corners, and two in the southwestern and southeastern corners.
Among its most prominent vistas were its three spectacular, intricately carved bridges: the Dolphin, the Winged Wyvern and the Sleeping Dragon, considered the city's emblems by its inhabitants. Under these, the waters of the Neverwinter River cascaded over small, gentle waterfalls as they coursed into the city's bustling harbor. Its lamps of multi-colored glass, its precision water clocks and exquisite jewelry, and its magnificent gardens (the phrase "The City of Skilled Hands" referred to Neverwinter's accomplished gardeners) ensured the warm winters were colourful and the summers were rich with fresh fruit.
The city was full of beautiful and ingeniously designed buildings, many of which were famous in their own right, such as the House of Knowledge, Neverwinter's tall and many-windowed temple of Oghma; the Hall of Justice, the temple of Tyr and the public office for the rulers of the city; and Castle Never, the castle of the ruler of Neverwinter. In addition, the reputations of such unique taverns as the Moonstone Mask, the Shining Serpent Inn, and the Fallen Tower reached far beyond the city's walls and further added to the city's distinction.
After the Ruining, the city was almost entirely destroyed. Of the three bridges, only the Winged Wyvern remained functional. Much of the southeastern quadrant of the city collapsed into a yawning pit, known as the Chasm, that continually spawned plaguechanged horrors. Many former edifices and homes became martial garrisons to maintain the monsters at bay.

Neverwinter in ruins, around 1479 DR
Although Neverwinter remained in ruins for almost two decades, thanks to Lord Neverember's efforts the city began to be repaired to its former glory in the late years of the 1480s DR. Inns like the Driftwood Tavern and the Beached Leviathan became pretty popular across the Sword Coast.
The Chasm was magically sealed around 1484 DR, although at such cost to the city's coffers, that some of its outer walls still lay in ruins and several of its neighborhoods remained abandoned and invaded by monsters and brigands.
Emblem of Neverwinter

Government
As of 1370 DR, the city was ruled fairly and justly by Lord Nasher Alagondar, an ageing, veteran adventurer and devout worshiper of Tyr. As such, the Neverwintans followed a Tyrran faith that promoted justice and fairness, with greed being frowned upon. Lord Nasher ensured that the city was well defended before his death, both physically and magically, against attacks or infiltration from Luskan, Neverwinter's warlike rival. Maps of the city were not allowed to be made as part of an effort to thwart Luskan spies. While Lord Nasher was the nominal leader of Neverwinter, the real power in the city was held by the Many-Starred Cloak, an order of good-aligned wizards that supported the rule of Lord Nasher.
Lord Nasher rejected the position of King of Neverwinter for much of his life, accepting the title only in old age, by public acclamation. After his death, he was succeeded by his son Bann Alagondar, who founded the Alagondar royal family. The Alagondar line of kings and queens ruled justly and kept Neverwinter stable and prosperous even in the dark period that followed the Spellplague, until the destruction of Neverwinter after the eruption of Mount Hotenow, when all members of the royal family died in the disaster.

Society

As of 1370 DR, Neverwinter was a cosmopolitan and cultured city, and even merchants from Amn and Calimshan, who had a poor opinion about the cities of the North, considered Neverwinter to be a civilized place. The Neverwintans avoided conflict and controversy, and were considered to be a quiet, mannered, literate, efficient, and hard-working folk, who had great respect for deadlines, as well as for the property and happiness of others. Amid all the weird-following tolerance and variety in the city, there was a great respect for peacefulness, law, and order.
After the foundation of the Alagondar royal family in the late years of the 14th century DR, the Neverwintans became a very patriotic people, proud of their leaders and their city.
After the destruction of the city in 1451 DR, the Neverwintans showed a new facet: stubbornness and determination. Many survivors remained in the city, and ever since had demonstrated the resolution to rebuild Neverwinter to its former glory and to defend her from many dangers, both mortal and extraplanar alike.

Type

City

“Neverwinter is a friendly city of craftsmen, who trade extensively via the great merchants of Waterdeep; their water-clocks and multi-hued lamps can be found throughout the Realms. Neverwinter gained its name from the skill of its gardeners, who contrived to keep flowers blooming throughout the months of snow -- a practice they continue with pride. ” — Elminster Aumar

Brief History
The first settlement in the Savage Frontier was an elven city known as Illefarn. Illefarn became a bustling nation after the time of the Crown Wars. Eventually, Illefarn was divided into three nations, of which Iliyanbruen was the most prominent. Iliyanbruen was weakened by orc invasions, which paved the way for Eigersstor, the first multi-racial settlement in the area, which would later be called Neverwinter. Neverwinter became a center of civilization, peace and culture and was widely viewed as a marvel by visitors. This trend lasted, seemingly unbroken since its founding until 1372 DR when a disease known as the Wailing Death laid low most of the city's inhabitants. Then, in 1385 DR, the Spellplague struck.
The century that followed saw the rise in power of Netheril. Netherese loyalists infiltrated the power structure of the weakened Neverwinter, but their efforts were sidetracked by the eruption of Mount Hotenow in 1451 DR, so powerful that it laid the city to waste and killed the ruling royal family.
In 1467 DR, Lord Dagult Neverember, seeing an opportunity to add to his financial empire, hired workers to help rebuild the city and Mintarn mercenaries to protect it from monsters and bandits; claiming himself to be a descendant of Neverwinter's former rulers and thus the rightful "Lord Protector" of the city, started the New Neverwinter movement. Lord Neverember invested a great deal of his own personal fortune to rebuild the city's infrastructure, buy the interest of merchants to send their caravans again to Neverwinter, and even ensuring Neverwintan refugees had enough food and gold in hand. By 1491 DR, Neverember's efforts to rebuild the city proved successful, and Neverwinter had slowly being restored as a center of civilization in the Sword Coast North.