Waterdeep
The City of Splendors is the greatest of the Sword Coast cities. Home to as many as two million residents, Waterdeep is a stable and generally peaceful city. Still, there are parts of Waterdeep that can be dangerous for the unwary, such as the rough-and-tumble Dock Ward.
Demographics
Given its size and influence, Waterdeep is a cosmopolitan city with a diverse population of citizens. While humans comprise the majority of its populace, it is home to large number of draconic creatures, elves, predominantly moon elves, dwarves, lightfoot halflings, half-elves and gnomes. Waterdhavians tend to be social, stalwart and outspoken people who maintain a worldly perspective of the cultures throughout Toril.
Waterdeep has a huge variety of faiths, and the odds are that if a deity is worshiped somewhere in Faerûn, it has 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 are dedicated to Oghma, Tyr, Tempus, Gond, Selûne, Mystra, Silvanus and Mielikki, Lathander, Sune, Tymora, along with and a temple dedicated to Baravar Cloakshadow located within the Warrens beneath Waterdeep. There is also a large temple known as the Plinth, which is open to all faiths.
Government
Waterdeep is ruled by a sixteen-seat council whose membership was largely secret. These hidden Lords of Waterdeep maintain their identities behind magical masks, called the Lord's Helm, and while they ruled in public, none knows the true identities of most of them.
Defences
Waterdeep maintains two separate armed forces, the City Guard and the City Watch. The City Guard serves as Waterdeep's soldiery and its members staffed garrisons, road patrols, and watchposts, and serve as bodyguards and gate guards. Not only that, throughout the years the city had quite a few dragons that sought to protect their home.
Infrastructure
Castle Ward
This central ward encompasses Mount Waterdeep and much of the government of the city. Located within was Castle Waterdeep, the place of government, as well as the Palace of Waterdeep (also known as Piergeiron's Palace), Lord Piergeiron's private residence, and Blackstaff Tower, the residence of the Archmage of Waterdeep.City of the Dead
This park-like area is surrounded by high walls. It is often visited during the day by wanderers and the odd picnicker; at night, the gates of the City of the Dead are closed, for it was Waterdeep's graveyard.Dock Ward
As one might assume, the Dock Ward is situated hard on the Great Harbor of Waterdeep and holds the docks, shipbuilding yards, and warehouses for the sea trade. The harbor is inhabited by merfolk who keep the peace within their own aquatic city.North Ward
Tucked in the northeastern portion of the city. North Ward is the home of the nobility and their villas. The moneyed classes make their homes here, far removed from the hustle and bustle of the lower classes by the docks and in Southern Ward.Sea Ward
The wealthiest of the wards, Sea Ward contains many of the temples of Waterdeep, along with a good helping of the newer noble families and retired adventurers who could afford the odd villa or two. The Field of Triumph, Waterdeep's arena, is located here.Southern Ward
Sometimes referred to by the locals as simply "South", the Southern Ward is a place of caravan masters and traders, for it is close to the South Gate, the opening to the Trade.Trades Ward
Waterdeep's commercial section.History
The region that would later be called Waterdeep was originally a trading stop utilized by the local tribesmen of the North and merchants that came up from the cities to the south. Early accounts of permanent farms being established in the area varied slightly, with some sages stating that they were first observed as early as the Year of the Thundering Horde, 52 DR, while others noted their appearance circa to mid–4th century DR.
The actual name "Waterdeep" was first used circa the 10th by sea captains to refer to the warlord-controlled town at whose port they docked. It did not become a true city until the Year of the Nightmaidens, 1032 DR, the year Ahghairon became the first Lord of Waterdeep, and the date from which Northreckoning is counted.
Its size and population grew at a tremendous pace. By the mid–13th century Waterdeep's famous guilds had taken root in the city and construction of the City of the Dead graveyard had been completed. Waterdeep's guild masters seized control of the the City of Splendors shortly after the Year of the Cockatrice, 1248 DR, beginning an area of great turmoil and political conflict referred to as the Guildwars. This dark period ended after a couple decades, and the more modern form of governance was put in place in the Year of the Wagon, 1273 DR. The secretive Lords of Waterdeep took power, aided by the diligent and astute Blackcloaks.
People from all across Faerûn and beyond traveled to Waterdeep to take their chance at earning wealth and renown. They were afforded their chances by the city's stable and fair system of government, its stalwart defenders of the City Guard and vigilant members of the Watch. By the 14th century, Waterdeep earned the reputation as a place of tolerance for the myriad of different cultures, lifestyles, and religions that were associated with the people of the Realms.
When the Time of Troubles came upon Toril in the Year of Shadows, 1358 DR, Waterdeep became the battleground of the gods. The goddess Shar orchestrated the abduction of Luna, the avatar of moon-goddess Selûne, and masqueraded as her in the city. Selûne was freed by the efforts of Luna's adventuring companions and proceeded to defeat Shar and prevent any great destruction from befalling Waterdeep. That same year saw the avatar or Myrkul and his legion of night riders invade the city in pursuit of the mortal Midnight, who possessed one of the Tablets of Fate. The Lord of the Dead was disintegrated atop Blackstaff Tower by Midnight in a great battle that led to the opening of the Celestial Staircase atop Mount Waterdeep, and the ascension of three mortals to deific status: Cyric, Kelemvor, and the restored Mystra.
While Waterdeep did not face ruin as some other cities did when the Spellplague struck the Realms in the Year of Blue Fire, 1385 DR, the magical network that wound through its infrastructure was greatly altered. The cataclysm "awakened" the remaining Walking Statues that previously only existed on the Ethereal Plane and brought them back to Waterdeep on the Prime Material plane. They each ran rampant in the city, causing some extent of destruction before they were stopped by various means.
Waterdeep was struck with another catastrophic event in the Year of Silent Death, 1395 DR, when the Putrescent Anathema spread throughout its region of the North. The plague hit Goldenfields particularly hard, destroying much of the city's primary grain supply. The catastrophe reduced the city's population greatly, hitting its poorer citizens particularly hard.
Founding Date
52 DR
Type
Large city
Population
1,747,680
Included Locations
Characters in Location