Neverwinter

Neverwinter, also known as the City of Skilled Hands and the Jewel of the North, is a bustling, cultured, and cosmopolitan city-state in northwest Faerûn.
Neverwinter is regarded by Volothamp Geddarm as the most cosmopolitan and civilized city in all of Faerûn.
The city is a member in good standing of the Lords' Alliance. Known for its craftsfolk and gardeners, the city's multi-colored-glass lamps, precision water clocks, exquisite jewelry, and magnificent gardens ensure the warm winters are colorful and the summers are rich with fresh fruit.


“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's notes on Neverwinter

Etymology

The city was originally named Eigersstor, which was an Illuskan word. The name "Neverwinter" was the Chondathan translation.

A number of legends explain where the city's name came from, but they contradict each other.
Some believe the city was founded by a sun elf named Halueth Never, who led the elves of Iliyanbruen against an Illuskan invasion in −10 DR. Surrounded by enemies, he chose the site where the river met the sea to make his last stand, naming the place "Never's Winter", believing he would die in the ensuing battle.
However, human allies arrived just in time and together they defeated the Illuskans. Never founded the city, keeping the name, and over the years it was shortened to "Neverwinter".

Others, such as Volothamp Geddarm and Elminster, reported the name came from its gardens, for Neverwinter's gardeners are acclaimed throughout the Realms for keeping their gardens growing and flowers blooming even through winter snow.
This was also the source of the city's moniker, "the City of Skilled Hands".

Others, however, believe the city was named for its unusually warm climate and how its harbor remains ice-free in the winters.

Brief History

The first settlement in the Savage Frontier was an elven city known as Illefarn, 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 the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR when a disease known as the Wailing Death laid low most of the city's inhabitants.
Then, in the Year of Blue Fire, 1385 DR, the Spellplague struck both Neverwinter and all of Faerûn.

The century that followed saw the rise in power of a new Netheril.
Netherese loyalists infiltrated the power structure of the weakened Neverwinter, but their efforts were sidetracked by the eruption of Mount Hotenow in the Year of Knowledge Unearthed, 1451 DR, laying the city to waste and killing the ruling Alagondar family.

In the Year of the Three Heroes United, 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 to be a descendant of Neverwinter's former rulers and thus the rightful "Lord Protector" of the city, Dagult started the New Neverwinter movement.
Lord Neverember invested a great deal of his own fortune to rebuild the city's infrastructure, buy the interest of merchants to send their caravans again to Neverwinter, and even ensure 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 been restored as a center of civilization in the Sword Coast North.

Circa 1357 DR, the badge of Neverwinter was three white snowflakes of different shapes contained in silver and blue halos. These were arranged vertically as if falling and offset so they pointed to the right. They were linked by a white swirl.

Trivia

• Neverwinter was the origin of the phrase "By the clocks of Neverwinter", used when one swore something to be completely true and honest, declare something to be precise and accurate, or to complain something was needlessly perfectionist and pedantic. This was of course a reference to the precision of its timepieces.
• The Neverwinter knife owed its name to the city.
• Neverwinter's broadsheet was named Neverwinter Nights.

Demographics

As of 1370 DR, Neverwinter was inhabited mostly by humans, half-elves, and a minority of dwarves.

As of 1479 DR, the city is more cosmopolitan, with members of many races living alongside the common human and half-elven families.
The rare eladrin and even tieflings are common sights among the citizens. A sizable delegation of dragonborn mercenaries had been hired by Lord Neverember alongside the Mintarn ones.
The River District was invaded by a tribe of orcs from Many-Arrows, and although most left when they were recalled by their compatriots in the north, around 1484 DR, a few orcs and half-orcs are still living in Neverwinter as of 1491 DR.

Government

By 1357 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 frowned upon.
Lord Nasher ensured the city was well defended, both physically and magically, against attacks or infiltration from Luskan, Neverwinter's warlike rival. It was forbidden to make maps of the city as part of an effort to thwart Luskan spies.
While Lord Nasher was the nominal leader, 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, only in old age accepting the title by public acclamation.
After his death, he was succeeded by his son Bann Alagondar, who founded the Alagondar royal family.
The Alagondar kings and queens ruled justly and kept Neverwinter stable and prosperous even in the dark period after the Spellplague, until the destruction of Neverwinter in the Mount Hotenow eruption, when all members of the family were slain.

New Neverwinter

As part of his bid to create a mercantile empire in Neverwinter, Dagult Neverember created the title of "Lord Protector of Neverwinter" for himself in 1467 DR.
However, it was questioned whether Dagult was the rightful ruler, as many factions vied for Neverwinter and the citizens were divided in loyalties.
As he had to fulfill his obligations being also Open Lord of Waterdeep, Lord Neverember left the day-to-day running of the city to General Sabine and Mayor Soman Galt.

In the Year of the Warrior Princess, 1489 DR, Lord Neverember was exiled from Waterdeep and replaced as Open Lord by Laeral Silverhand.
Afterward, Neverember focused all his attention on Neverwinter.
Due to his commitment and help given to Neverwinter, the Neverwintans finally accepted Lord Neverember as their rightful leader.
But bitter over being exiled from Waterdeep, Neverember became more despotic and enforced heavy-handed laws.
He levied heavy taxes to noble families living in Neverwinter, preventing them from gaining significant power, while enacting harsh laws that prohibited the formation of new guilds and limited the power of existing ones.

Guilds and Factions

Many of the organizations that operated in Neverwinter took on more prominent roles by 1479 DR.
As of 1491 DR, many of these factions still vied for control of the city. Among the most important were:

• The Covenant, an order of wizards that operated out of Neverwinter during its earlier years.
• The Many-Starred Cloak, an order of wizards that supported the rule of Lord Nasher Alagondar in the 1370s DR.
• The Graycloaks militia that protected Neverwinter during the rule of Lord Nasher Alagondar.
• A cell of the Harpers that operated in Neverwinter in the 1360s DR.
• The New Neverwinter movement started by Lord Neverember in 1461 DR.
• The Neverwinter Guard, the army of Neverwinter in the late years of the 15th century.
• The Wintershield Watchmen, the police force of Neverwinter in the late years of the 15th century DR.
• The dreaded Abolethic Sovereignty, which pulled the strings from behind the scenes since the eruption of Mount Hotenow.
• The Ashmadai, who gained great renown in Neverwinter in the late 15th century.
• A Thayan cell under Valindra Shadowmantle, operating in Neverwinter in the late 15th century to advance Szass Tam's agenda in the region.
• The Dead Rats of Luskan, who had gained a foothold in Neverwinter in the late 15th century.
• The Sons of Alagondar insurgent movement that opposed Neverember's rule, but was mostly disbanded by 1491 DR.
• A cell of Bregan D'aerthe, under the direct leadership of Jarlaxle Baenre himself.
• A cell of the Order of the Gauntlet that became prominent in Neverwinter around 1491 DR.

Before their utter defeat in the late 15th century,[30] a cell of Shadovar agents and a tribe of orcs from Many-Arrows also operated in the city.

Maps

• 

  Neverwinter

  as of 1491 DR

Founding Date

-10 DR

Alternative Name(s)

Eigersstor, City of Skilled Hands, Jewel of the North

Type

City

Population

~23000

Inhabitant Demonym

Neveren or Neverwintian