Adventurer's Quarter

The '''Adventurer's Quarter''' is a neighborhood between the High Road, Coach Street, Slop Street, and Snake Alley located in South Ward, Waterdeep.

The area is generally a residential area for retired or less active adventurers surrounded by a number of support businesses for the caravan trade. (Other areas with many former adventurers are located farther north between Blackmul Street and Beacon Street, as well as a small area along Irimar'’s Walk in Trades Ward.) These general environs are representative of much of the South Ward, in terms of architecture and business demographics, though areas closer to the docks are as rundown as the hovels of Dock Ward.

Despite the fires and devastation of Myrkul'’s minions that destroyed this area and other areas of South and Dock Wards in the Year of the Shadows (1358 DR, 326 NR), this area was swiftly restored with newer buildings (many of the old stone foundations were reused, providing a smoke-stained contrast between building foundations and the new wooden upper stories). As a result, about half of the buildings in Adventurer's’ Quarter are about ten years old and in good condition; exceptions are easily noticed by age or state of repair (such as the Daily Trumpet building and the Kolat Towers).

The main avenues for traffic within the Quarter include Weeping Maiden'’s Run, Grocer’'s Lane, Snake Alley, and Kerrigan'’s Court. Weeping Maiden’'s Run is named for the ghost that appears on the nights of the full moon during Kythorn (but is heard crying during any full moon). The figure runs silently westward from behind Hemmerem’'s Stables, dropping to her knees to cry softly on the stones just shy of Snake Alley-—some say she is the shade of a girl Rokekk Ingerr wronged in his youth, while others insist she existed long before his grandsire! Grocer’'s Lane, an alleyway finally named by locals, is wide and tidy as Nindil Jalbuck hires men to keep it that way (and keep the midden within its bounds, not in the street). Many assume Snake Alley is named after its twisting path, but some tell tales of a monstrous serpent loose in Waterdeep that carved this path through the buildings nearly two centuries ago. Kerrigan'’s Court is named after a traitor-Lord from Ahghairon'’s time. Ahghairon killed him with spells and then cursed Kerrigan “to lie in the dust and never have stone to decorate your passing.” To this day, any large stones that are laid down or pass over the center of the court fly up and strike passersby!

The midden and general dumping ground for refuse is located in the dead-end alley south of Grocer'’s Lane, behind the Krabellor Silversmiths; garbage is picked up every tenday by the Dungsweepers' Guild. Handbills, broadsheets, general notices, and employment inquiries are posted on the stout, post-mounted barrels that serve as kiosks; there is one at the intersection of Weeping Maiden's Run and Fishwife Alley and another at the corner of the Way of the Dragon and Fillet Lane, as well as many others throughout the city.

Watch and guard rotations occur in this neighborhood on the same schedules as the rest of the city, though there is a bit more activity around the watch guardpost on Grocer's Lane. There are rarely problems in this area, due to the abilities and watchfulness of the locals, the many former adventurers being quite capable of dealing with miscreants, thieves, and taproom-brawlers. More often than not, criminals are delivered to the doorstep of the guardpost for questioning and, if necessary, delivery to the Magisters or the Lord's Court. With this "neighborhood watch" in effect, this area is far safer at night than many areas this close to Dock Ward.