Waterdeep

Main Article: History of Waterdeep Deepwater Bay is the best harbor along the Sword Coast, and the plateau in the shadow of Mount Waterdeep is a natural site on which to build a city. Elves, dwarves, Netherese wizards, Illuskan seafarers, and Tethyrian migrants have all laid claim to what is now the city of Waterdeep at various points in time.

The City of Splendors is home to over one hundred thousand citizens, growing to five times that number in the summer months. Among the city’s vast numbers, a handful of individuals have achieved particular prominence.

Piergeiron the Paladinson, the Open Lord of Waterdeep, and twenty hidden Lords of Waterdeep rule the City of Splendors. The City Guard, the City Watch (led by Captain Rulathon), and the Gray Hands (led by the ranger Jardwim) enforce the rule of the Lords.

The influential merchant nobility controls much of the city’s wealth and wields a great deal of power behind the scenes. Most common merchants and craftsmen are members of one of the city’s guilds. Prominent guilds include the Council of Musicians, Instrument-Makers, & Choristers, the Order of Master Shipwrights, and the Watchful Order of Magists & Protectors.

Although religion does not play a major role in Waterdeep’s culture or (aside from the Church of Tyr) government, most known faiths are represented by at least a handful of worshipers within the city’s walls. The major acknowledged faiths include the Churches of Gond, Lathander, Mystra, Oghma, Selûne, Siamorphe, Sune, Tempus, Tymora, and Tyr. The churches of Loviatar and Shar and cults of Ghaunadaur and Ibrandul also play prominent roles from the shadows.

Many powerful arcane spellcasters have settled in Waterdeep, drawn by the combination of resources and freedom found in the City of Splendors. Noted archmages include Khelben “Blackstaff” Arunsun, Laeral Silverhand Arunsun, Halaster Blackcloak, Kappiyan Flurmastyr, Tessalar Hulicorm, Muiral, Maaril, Marune, Savengriff, and Trobriand "the Metal Mage". Famed bards include Danilo Thann and the Masked Minstrel.

Waterdeep’s wealth has also attracted a host of black-hearted rogues, including lone agents such as Alauneth “Black Viper” Orrane, Elaith Craulnober, and Zabbas Thuul, and guilds such as the Shadow Thieves and the Xanathar Thieves Guild. Spy guilds such as the Knights of the Shield and the Kraken Society flourish here as well, as do various bands of predatory monsters, including the beholders of the Graypeaks Hive, the Savants of the Dark Tide, and the Unseen.

As Gateway to the North, cosmopolitan Waterdeep is home to all manner of individuals, some of them native to the city and some of them hailing from distant lands. Humans make up the bulk (64%) of the populace, but representatives of nearly every race or ethnic group native to Faerûn dwell within the city walls. Elves (predominantly moon elves) and shield dwarves make up 10% each of the population, while lightfoot halflings and half-elves makes up 5% each of the population. Gnomes, at 3%, and half-orcs, at 2%, are the remaining racial minorities found in sizable numbers.

Waterdhavian culture and society derives most strongly from Chondathan, Illuskan, and Tethyrian influences. (The ethnic make-up of Waterdeep’s human population is Tethyrian 51%, Illuskan 23%, Chondathan 22%, Calishite 2%, other 2%.) Waterdeep’s maritime heritage can be traced back to the Illuskan sailors who first anchored on the shores of Deepwater Bay. The city’s tolerance and egalitarianism is the legacy of Tethyrian settlers whose forebears have always rebelled against empires and domination. Chondathan merchants imparted a strong mercantile streak into the city’s culture in recent centuries and left a legacy of Chondathan as the primary tongue.

Waterdhavians tend to be talkative, friendly, easygoing, and outspoken. Most are slow to take offense or fright and are relatively worldly compared to their counterparts in less cosmopolitan cities. Lecherous and drunken behavior is usually tolerated but considered unusual. Small talk often centers on matters of commerce and warfare elsewhere in Faerûn. Waterdhavians are generally proud of their history but not dismissive of other realms. With important exceptions, they dream of wealth and individual aggrandizement, but eschew thoughts of empire and conquest.

In keeping with the tolerance shown to outsiders, all forms of dress and appearance are seen on the streets of Waterdeep, though impersonating a Lord of Waterdeep, a black-robed Magister, or officers or members of the city guard or watch is forbidden. Guild livery is reserved for guild members, but only worn on official business, holidays, extra-city business ventures, and during guild meetings. Coats of arms can only be worn by those so entitled; nobles rarely display them except in signet rings, belt buckles, or pendants, but their servants wear clothes emblazoned with their masters’ coats-of-arms. For women dressing in high fashion, glittering, diaphanous gowns of silk and sequins accompanied by glittering jewelry are much in favor, as are furs and fi ligreed stomachers in exquisite designs.

Legal authority in the City of Splendors rests within the Open Lord and the hidden Lords of Waterdeep. The Lord’s Court is chaired by Piergeiron, and is attended by at least two other Lords and two Magisters. The Lord’s Court hears all “severe” crimes, including suspicious deaths, rape, misuse of magic, and succession and inheritance disputes.

Twenty-six appointed black-robed Magisters conduct the Common Courts of Waterdeep. Three “Black Robes” are always on duty at the Palace. During daylight hours, a Magister is also posted at each gate. Magisters can pass sentence instantly, but most sentences are conditional on the supporting evidence of witnesses. Magisters are always accompanied by at least six members of the city guard. Any citizen of Waterdeep can appeal to the Lord’s Court within two days of being sentenced by a Magister, but most such appeals fail. There is no bail in Waterdeep, and barristers are barred from working in the city (although counsel from “professional witnesses” is grudgingly tolerated).

Waterdhavians are largely law-abiding, and most of Waterdeep’s laws remain unwritten, within the “reasonable discretion” of the Magisters (and thus the Lords who oversee them). The Code Legal serves as a basis for sentencing, dividing all crimes into four Plaints and each Plaint into severe, serious, lesser, and minor offenses.

The first Plaint involves Crimes Against the Lords (treason, impersonation, forgery of official documents, destruction of city property, assault, willful disobedience of edicts, and blasphemy against a government offi cial). The second Plaint involves Crimes Against the City (poisoning of wells, murder, spying, sabotage, fraud, fencing, unlawful dueling, bribery, unlawful entry into the city, vagrancy, littering, brandishing a weapon without cause, and reckless driving). The third Plaint involves Crimes Against the Gods (defiling of a holy place, theft of temple goods, tomb-robbing, assault on a religious person, public blasphemy of a god or priesthood, and disorderly conduct at worship). The fourth Plaint involves Crimes Against Citizens (arson, rape, bodily harm, magical assault, forgery, slavery, robbery, burglary, theft/killing of livestock, usury, property damage, assault, hindrance of business, and excessive noise).

Slavery is illegal within the city, and slaves brought into the city are considered free. Selling slaves within the wall is forbidden and strictly policed. Weapons can be worn openly and used in self-defense, but brandishing weapons in other situations is a crime. Waterdhavians also expect debts to be paid in full, even if that means the debtor must serve a form of indentured servitude to the creditor (in the case of small debts) or the city (in the case of large debts).

Duels (for reasons of specific, unprovoked injury) are legal only in specific places, but must be marshaled by a member of the Watch or a Magister. Lords, Magisters, guard and watch members, and Heralds are exempt from challenges, and the Lords forbid most duels involving heads of guilds, noble houses, or priesthoods. Most importantly, duels are rarely to the death.

Sentences for lawbreaking include instant death, death upon conviction, exile, mutilation, hard labor, imprisonment (dungeon), imprisonment (light work in castle compound), fine (payable to city), or damages (payable to injured party). Perjury, adjudicated by magic, is punished by expulsion from the city. Death sentences vary by station—commoners and soldiers are hung from the Castle battlements, while nobles are beheaded by the sword. Floggings are typically carried out at the Court of the White Bull. Death sentences are sometimes commuted to exile into Undermountain, although this often winds up with the same result.

As Waterdeep is home to all manner of churches, cults, sects, nationalities, and racial groups, almost every calendar day is celebrated by one group or another, and not a tenday goes by without some local festival in one of the smaller neighborhoods of the city. The City of Splendors has long been tolerant of all such activities, so long as they do not violate the law or interfere with the flow of commerce. Waterdhavians became blasé about such public displays long ago, and most celebrations draw little more than a casual glance or a curse of annoyance when they momentarily get in the way. Nevertheless, in addition to the standard festivals of the Calendar of Harptos, there are several other noteworthy festivals and holidays observed in the City of Splendors.

Ahghairon’s Day

Celebrated on the first day of Eleasis, in honor of the Old Mage’s birthday, this holiday does not affect the city’s operation (aside from closing the Lord’s Court). It is honored in small ways, with many toasts to the Lords of the city in tavern talk, bards performing songs in honor of the much-loved Old Mage, and the leaving of violets at the base of Ahghairon’s Tower (C79), the Plinth (T38), or atop the altars of the House of Wonder ($21). The Open Lord often visits taverns and inns throughout the city to wish the people well, a practice continued by Piergeiron over the years, despite two assassination attempts during such visits.

Auril’s Blesstide

Serving more to ward off the Frostmaiden than as a true celebration, this holy day is observed on the day of winter’s first frost. Nearly everyone in the city wears white clothes, no one eats or serves hot meals, and vendors are largely absent from the streets. In the past century, a disrespectful lark by some unclothed and besotted young nobles has become a traditional part of the Auril’s Day ceremonies; as such, a parade of white-cloaked (but otherwise naked) men and women runs from Cliffwatch in North Ward across the city, through the West Gate, and out onto the westernmost beaches. From there, the participants leap into the icy waters of the Sea of Swords, thus sacrificing their warmth to the Cold Goddess.

Fleetswake

Spanning the last tenday in Ches, this mariners’ festival celebrates the sea, the sea trades, and the gods of the sea. Events are concentrated primarily in Dock Ward, although the Fiery Flagon ($37) in Sea Ward sees a great deal of activity as well. Notable events include boat races (involving both private boats and the navy’s rakers), the annual Shipwrights’ Ball at the Shipwrights’ House (D19), and guild-sponsored galas at the Copper Cup festhall (D54). Any ship entering the harbor during Fleetswake is charged 1 gp per day (rather than the standard docking fee), which is added to the Fair Seas tribute to Umberlee.

Lliira’s Night

Celebrated on the 7th of Flamerule, this nightlong festival honors the Lady of Joy with dances and balls held throughout the city. The Cynosure Ball is the highlight of the night, sponsored jointly by the Lords, the local clergy of Lliira, and various noble families. Many festhalls become centers of wild carefree dancing and other pursuits under the Lady’s purview.

Adventurers from all over Faerûn come to Waterdeep in search of wealth, knowledge, trade, and adventure. The City of Splendors lies on the western coast of Faerûn, just north of the mouth of the River Dessarin. It can be reached by air, by sea, overland, through the caverns of the Northdark, by spell, or by portal.

Roads and Trade Routes

Four major overland trade routes connect the City of Splendors to the rest of Faerûn—the High Road, the Long Road, the Trade Way, and the East Trail. A fifth road, the Coast Way, leads north along the coast from the Troll Gate until it joins with the High Road several miles north of the city. The High Road enters Waterdeep through the Northgate at the northern end of Sea Ward and continues through the city until it becomes the Trade Way upon exiting the South Gate. The High Road leads north along the coast, threading between the Mere of Dead Men and the Sword Mountains, connecting the City of Splendors to Leilon, Neverwinter, Port Llast, and Luskan. Overland traffic along the High Road is dominated by metal ores from the Frozenfar, metalwork from the City of Sails, lumber from the Neverwinter Woods, the craftwork of the City of Skilled Hands, and the agricultural and artistic bounty of the City of Splendors.

The Long Road splits away from the High Road a dozen miles north of the city proper. It runs north-northeast through the Dessarin River valley, passing through such settlements as Rassalantar, Amphail, Red Larch, Westbridge, Triboar, Longsaddle, and Xantharl’s Keep, until it reaches its terminus in Mirabar. Metal ores and metalwork from Mirabar, cattle and livestock (including shaggun, a herd animal that resembles the bison) from Longsaddle, leatherwork from Triboar, and Waterdeep’s myriad trade goods dominate overland traffic along the Long Road.

The Trade Way leads south along the coast, passing through Daggerford before skirting inland of the Trollbark Forest and Troll Hills. South of Dragonspear Castle it forks, with one branch leading southeast toward Scornubel and the Sea of Fallen Stars, and the other bending westward to reach the city of Baldur’s Gate and the northern terminus of the Coast Way. Trade is dominated by raw materials heading south (metal ore, lumber), spices heading north, and agricultural produce and finished goods sent in both directions.

The East Trail leads east from the Trade Way several miles south of Ardeep Forest and runs up the lower Delimbiyr valley, connecting Secomber, Loudwater, and Llorkh to the Zhentarim-built Black Road across the sands of Anauroch. Craftwork and rare spices pass in both directions along this route, although traffic is but a fraction of that running north and south along the Sword Coast.

Sea Lanes

Countless ships ply the waters of the Sea of Swords, although most of them remain within twenty miles of Faerûn’s western coast. The bulk of the Waterdhavian traffic flows along the legs of the triangle formed by Waterdeep, Caer Calidyrr in the Moonshaes, and Baldur’s Gate and north along the Twilit Coast to Neverwinter and Luskan. Some ships venture farther south along the coast to Athkatla and Murann. Only heavily armed merchant cogs dare Asavir’s Channel, for the pirates of the Nelanther regularly prey on ships headed south to the coastal cities of Tethyr and the Shining Sea.

In recent years, more and more shipborne traffic has headed west to Ruathym and from there to the colony of New Waterdeep in distant Maztica. Orlumbor, Mintarn, and the lesser isles of the northern Trackless Sea are infrequent ports of call, but collectively make up a not insignificant amount of sea traffic.

Spells and Portals

As Waterdeep’s reputation as the City of Splendors has spread across Faerûn and beyond, it has increasingly become the favorite port of call for powerful adventurers, no matter where the whims of Lady Luck take them. Given the availability of various teleport spells to such folk, visits to the City of Splendors can become a fairly standard occurrence. In order to discourage such folk from appearing in the middle of a city street and to increase the safety of such travels, the Watchful Order of Magists & Protectors maintains a deliberate teleport target just northeast of the South Gate, between the inner and outer walls. Members of the guild ensure that the site remains both static and very distinctive, which is important to safe teleportation of all types. A circle of white marble pillars, each engraved with a stylized depiction of a local animal (bear, wolf, or the like), make it simple to become very familiar with the site.

In addition to spells, Waterdeep is also well connected to the rest of Faerûn by portals. Unfortunately, thanks to centuries of portal building by the Mad Mage of Undermountain, most of those portals actually enter the halls of Undermountain and not the city proper.

Trade & Research in Waterdeep

In a city as large as Waterdeep, almost anything is available for sale, and almost anything can be sold. Travelers come from all over Faerûn to shop in Waterdeep’s markets and bargain with Waterdeep’s merchants. Trade in Waterdeep runs the gamut, from finished goods and edible treats to special services and even illegal items. Most commerce in illicit goods such as assassinations, drugs, poisons, slaves, or evil magic items occurs in Skullport, though a good deal of trade in minor illicit goods (proprietary information and stolen property) occurs in Waterdeep’s own shadows.

Just as Waterdeep is known as a place where nearly anything can be purchased or sold, it is also a place where spies, rumormongers, libraries, magical researchers, and sages flourish.

Coins and Trade Bars

Although only coins and trade bars minted by the Lords of Waterdeep are technically considered legal tender in the City of Splendors, all forms of currency are welcome in this merchant friendly city. However, suspect coins and trade bars, including those of uncertain antique vintage oft-recovered by adventurers, might be refused or deeply discounted by wary merchants. Coins of Waterdhavian mintage include harbor moons, taols, suns (platinum pieces), dragons (gold pieces), shards (silver pieces), and nibs (copper pieces).

Harbor moons are worth 50 sp in the city and 30 sp outside the city walls. Named for their traditional use by the docks for buying large amounts of cargo at a time, harbor moons are fashioned of platinum inset with electrum and consist of a crescent with a hole cut into the center of its curve. Taols, worth 10 cp within the city walls and almost nothing beyond them, are square, flat brass coins issued and honored by the Lords’ treasury. Among some neighborhoods and classes, slang terms for various coins rise and fall in popularity. Most Waterdhavians apply local names to foreign coins as well. Thus an Amnian danter or Cormyrean golden lion is still called a dragon in the City of Splendors.

Trade bars are usually blocks of silver, kept wrapped in wax paper to avoid corrosion, and are minted in 1-, 10-, 25-, and 50-pound weights (worth 5, 50, 125, and 250 gp, respectively). They are common throughout the North and used everywhere in Faerûn. (In the South, gems are more often used for such purposes.)

Waterdeep is ably defended against external attack, with many of the defenses dating back to the First and Second Trollwars and the Orcfastings War. The recent invasions from the sea during the Deepwater War and the extraplanar invasion during the Time of Troubles revealed new weaknesses in Waterdeep’s defenses, which the Lords are moving quickly to correct. The city’s first line of defense is its topography; Waterdeep’s coastlines and placement atop the high, sloping plateau surrounding Mount Waterdeep deter most orc and troll hordes from even making the attempt. The bald, rough crag enables the city’s defenders to occupy the high ground. Just below the summit on the landward side is the Peaktop Aerie (C67), home to the city’s griffon cavalry, and two Watching Towers (C68 and C69), one located high above Piergeiron’s Palace and the other overlooking the Naval Harbor, give the city’s lookouts unobstructed views in all directions. The city’s natural harbor is a nigh-perfect redoubt on the Trackless Sea. The navy occupies the Naval Harbor at the west end of the Great Harbor and garrisons four forts along Deepwater Isle, Stormhaven Isle, and the Harborwatch Peninsula.

Waterdeep is shielded by the Trollwall, thus named for its role in the Trollwars. These stout stone walls are 15 feet thick and 40 feet high, and have crenellations on both sides and a tunnel and small rooms running through the interior. The walls encircle the entire city, except for a small stretch north of the City of the Dead, known as the Cliffwatch, where the cliffs are so high that they act as effective walls. A second set of walls wraps around the northern edge of the city and the South Gate, providing an additional line of defense against land invasions. Even the islands that form the harbor are walled, connected to the mainland and each other by stout chains that bar passage to ships in times of war. Five major gates pierce the Trollwall—South Gate, River Gate, Northgate, Troll Gate, and Westgate.

Waterdeep is also enmeshed in a variety of magic wards, the effects of which are largely unknown, even (in some cases) to Khelben. Only Ahghairon and Halaster had or have a near-complete understanding of Waterdeep’s magical defenses, which typically encompass the outer (fortified) walls and cliff tops, all of Mount Waterdeep and Deepwater Isle down to the low tide lines on their seaward sides, and so reach a maximum two-dimensional extent of 10,500 feet east to west, and 23,000 feet north to south.

Waterdeep’s armed forces include the City Watch, which plays the role of a police force; the City Guard, which defends the city from external land-based threats; the City Navy, which defends the city from external sea-based threats; and the Griffon Cavalry, which defends the skies above Waterdeep. The merfolk and sea elves of Deepwater Harbor form an aquatic contingent of the City Guard, and the Gray Hands act as an elite strike force for the Lords. Waterdeep’s last line of defense is the most important—its ever-resilient citizenry. On more than one occasion, the inhabitants of Waterdeep have rallied to defend their city, reinforcing the City Guard and City Watch. Likewise, the city’s arcane and divine spellcasters have crafted numerous wards and other magical defenses against external attack. Two examples are given below—Ahghairon’s dragonward and the Walking Statues.

Ahghairon’s Dragonward

Just over three centuries ago, the noted adventurer Ranressa Shiard flew over the palace and alighted from dragonback atop Mount Waterdeep to a hero’s welcome. However, her dramatic flourish caused much consternation among the Waterdhavian populace, leading Ahghairon to craft a magic ward that prevents most wyrms from doing such a thing today.

The City of Splendors is now blanketed by an epic spell known as Ahghairon’s dragonward. Any creature of the dragon type attempting to enter the city is subject to an antipathy effect. The effect is a mythal centered beneath Ahghairon’s Tower. Notable exceptions to its coverage include the halls of the Mad Mage below the city and the docks along the harbor. (The southern reaches of Dock Ward are outside the effect because the city slopes down just beneath the ward’s coverage. This little-known fact is occasionally exploited by wyrms that swim into the harbor and meet with minions along the docks or in the southernmost sewers.)

The Melairshield

Over two millennia ago, the Fair Folk of Aelinthaldaar foresaw that dwarven Melairbode might one day grow to honeycomb the entire plateau beneath their city. While the capital city of Illefarn is no more, one enduring legacy that survives until this day is the Melairshield, a powerful high magic mythal that still guards the City of Splendors against excessive tunneling in Halaster’s Halls. Specifi cally, the Melairshield renders the top 100 feet of the Waterdhavian plateau immune to collapse, no matter how much dirt and stone is excavated from the depths of the plateau. It in no way prevents new excavations, magical or otherwise, but it does prevent the cumulative effect of such excavations ever leading to the collapse of the plateau. Although Khelben has discerned that the Melairshield exists, only Halaster truly understands the protection it affords the city above and the unspoken thanks owed by the citizens of Waterdeep to the long-dead High Mages of Aelinthaldaar.

Walking Statues of Waterdeep

Built by the Archmage of Waterdeep and controlled by him and the Open Lord, the eight giant stone colossi known as the Walking Statues of Waterdeep play a unique role in the city’s defense. During times of peace, one statue stands on Gull Leap, gazing out over the waters of the Trackless Sea, while the others are hidden away on the Ethereal Plane—two at the base of the Cliffwatch, two within Mount Waterdeep (to defend the Castle and the Palace), one each beneath Northgate, River Gate, and South Gate.

The Material Plane statue is dormant and unmoving, normally remaining motionless unless under the direct command of Khelben or the Open Lord. Over time, it tends to accumulate birds’ nests, moss, mantles of snow, and other such cosmetic debris. Many visitors to the city naturally believe it is nothing more than a gigantic statue. However, certain conditions can cause the statue to animate and act to defend the city even without an explicit command, based on a set of “standing orders” dictated long ago. For example, the statue attacks any Huge or larger creature that it perceives is engaged in destructive or hostile activity against the city, and the statue also acts to defend itself against serious attack.

The colossi on the Ethereal Plane do not shift to the Material Plane unless summoned by the Open Lord or the Archmage of the city. However, they actively guard against ethereal intrusion into the city. They ignore ethereal humanoids (unless such creatures are traveling in a company of ten or more) but attack other ethereal creatures they perceive within the bounds of the city. Visibility on the Material Plane for an ethereal creature is limited to 60 feet, so unless an intruder happens to pass close by one of the city gates or approaches the Castle or the Palace, the ethereal statues are not likely to notice the intrusion.

The City of Splendors is home to a wide and varied range of individuals and groups, ranging from the bards of New Olamn to the Savants of the Dark Tide, and from the pampered scions of the merchant nobility to the hardworking members of the Cellarers’ & Plumbers’ Guild.

Arcane Schools and Practitioners

Arcane spellcasters have long been drawn to cosmopolitan Waterdeep. The City of Splendors has a strong tradition of magical research, and its role as a central trading hub means that one can purchase nearly any material component therein. However, Waterdeep’s strong guild system, specifically the Watchful Order of Magists & Protectors, has prevented the formation of many arcanists’ academies such as those found in cities such as Silverymoon today or Myth Drannor before the fall. As a result, most Waterdhavian wizards and sorcerers are either very powerful lone practitioners or members of the Watchful Order. Likewise, most bards are either legendary troubadours or members of the Council of Musicians, Instrument-makers, & Choristers.

• Blackstaff Academy
• Eltorchul Academy
• Enclave of Red Magic
• Halaster's Heirs
• New Olamn
• Watchful Order of Magists & Protectors

Other Practitioners

Although most arcane spellcasters of lesser or middling power join the Watchful Order, many powerful loners call the city home as well. While the most famous independent Waterdhavian wizard is undoubtedly Halaster Blackcloak, others less well known deserve attention as well. Among the ranks of the nobility are Lord Huld Belabranta, Lady Hlanta Melshimber, Lady Alathene Moonstar, Lady Thyriellentha Snome, Telbran Nelarn, Lady Nleera Tarannath Tesper, Lord Baerom Thunderstaff II, Lord Maskar Wands, and Lady Olanhar Wands. Several notable lone practitioners resident in Waterdeep also include Dagsumn, Kappiyan Flurmastyr, Tessalar Hulicorm, Telbran Nelarn, Savengriff, and Maaril.

Armed Forces

Armed Forces

The Lords of Waterdeep enforce their rule and maintain peace and security through the city’s armed forces. Waterdeep’s defenders are divided into four branches: the Griffon Cavalry, the City Guard, the City Watch, and the City Navy. The Gray Hands act as an elite company, called in for emergencies.

Churches and Religious Orders

Polytheistic Waterdeep is home to all manner of faiths. The city’s largest temples include the Font of Knowledge (Oghma, C4), the Halls of Justice (Tyr, C5), the House of Heroes (Tempus, $58), the House of Inspired Hands (Gond, $38), the House of the Moon (Selûne, $56), the House of Wonder (Mystra, $21), the Shrines of Nature (Silvanus and Mielikki, $5), the Spires of the Morning (Lathander, C1), the Temple of Beauty (Sune, $10), the Tower of Luck (Tymora, $19), and the Plinth (all faiths, T38). Temples to dark gods, such as Ghaunadaur, Loviatar, and Shar, are said to lie in the depths of Undermountain. The City of Splendors is also home to religious orders such as the Order of the Aster (Lathander), the Order of the Blue Moon (Selûne), the Order of the Sun Soul (Lathander, Selûne, Sune), the Order of the Even-handed (Tyr), and the Holy Order of the Knights of Samular (Tyr).

• Church of Cyric (Waterdeep)
• Church of Gond (Waterdeep)
• Church of Lathander (Waterdeep)
• Church of Loviatar (Waterdeep)
• Church of Mystra (Waterdeep)
• Church of Oghma (Waterdeep)
• Church of Selune (Waterdeep)
• Church of Shar (Waterdeep)
• Church of Talos (Waterdeep)
• Church of Tyr (Waterdeep)
• Church of Tymora (Waterdeep)
• Church of Umberlee (Waterdeep)

Fences and Smugglers

Although the assassin, drug, poison, and slave trades of Waterdeep are largely confined to Skullport, the City of Splendors is home to a fair share of illegal commerce. There is a large resale market for purloined goods, many of which are stolen in one ward, sold in another, and then displayed prominently by their new owners in a third.

Guilds and Merchants

Economic activity in Waterdeep has been dominated by the city’s guilds for more than one hundred years. Their management and skilled control of commerce has brought Waterdeep to its current prominence as the premier center for trade on the Sword Coast. Although their avarice, ruthlessness, and greed have nearly destroyed Waterdeep twice in the past, the guilds have also brought the city great prosperity. The Lords must recognize all guilds, and applications for guild formation are rarely granted. No new guild can overlap the provenance of an existing guild because the Lords prefer that competition exist within guilds rather than between them.

Guilds have widely varying degrees of influence, but no official precedence. The guilds are rarely if ever united. They constantly ally with and strive against rival guilds, prominent noble houses, established trading costers, and the Lords themselves. Some guilds work closely with the Lords, providing essential city services, while others are specialty guilds that wield influence only in the Market.

All guilds have a guildhall, which acts as a headquarters, showcase, meeting place, central clearinghouse for guild business, offices of the guild officers, and (sometimes) place of business. Within a guild, individual ranks vary, but usually they include the following: Master, Elders, or Council; “senior members”; and Apprentice or Prentice or Novice. Guild law, the rules under which specific trades are conducted, are distinct from city law, but they can never conflict with or override city law or the intent of such laws. Guilds can never restrict all trade to themselves; the Lords are adamant in enforcing the right of merchants and tradesfolk to operate outside the strictures of the guilds if they prefer. Obviously, guilds cannot be held accountable for such persons, and tradesfolk operating outside the guilds are not entitled to guild rights and privileges.

The current roster of Waterdhavian guilds (and guildhalls) includes the following establishments:

• Baker’s Guild (C27)
• Carpenters’, Roofers’, & Plaisterers’ Guild (S2)
• Cellarers’ & Plumbers’ Guild (T26)
• Coopers’ Guild (D31)
• Council of Farmer-Grocers (C8)
• Council of Musicians, Instrument-Makers, & Choristers (T19)
• Dungsweepers’ Guild (D21)
• Fellowship of Bowers & Fletchers (T10)
• Fellowship of Carters & Coachmen (S13)
• Fellowship of Innkeepers (C39)
• Fellowship of Salters, Packers, & Joiners (D28)
• Fishmongers’ Fellowship (D39)
• Guild of Apothecaries & Physicians (N51)
• Guild of Butchers (D47)
• Guild of Chandlers & Lamplighters (T29)
• Guild of Fine Carvers (C21)
• Guild of Glassblowers, Glaziers, & Speculum-makers (N46)
• Guild of Stonecutters, Masons, Potters, & Tile-makers (S11)
• Guild of Trusted Pewterers & Casters (C34)
• Guild of Watermen (D43)
• Jewelers’ Guild
• Launderers’ Guild
• League of Basketmakers & Wickerworkers (T14)
• League of Skinners & Tanners (D50)
• Loyal Order of Street Laborers (D72)
• Master Mariners’ Guild (D44)
• Most Careful Order of Skilled Smiths & Metalforgers (S20)
• Most Diligent League of Sail-makers & Cordwainers (D35)
• Most Excellent Order of Weavers & Dyers (T27)
• Order of Cobblers & Corvisers (T37)
• Order of Master Shipwrights (D19)
• Order of Master Tailors, Glovers, & Mercers (T11)
• Saddlers’ & Harness-Makers’ Guild (S6)
• Scriveners’, Scribes’, & Clerks’ Guild (T25)
• Solemn Order of Recognized Furriers & Woolmen (C36)
• Splendid Order of Armorers, Locksmiths, & Finesmiths (D3)
• Stablemasters’ & Farriers’ Guild (T34)
• Stationers’ Guild (T31)
• Surveyors’, Map & Chart-makers’ Guild (C40)
• Vintners’, Distillers’, & Brewers’ Guild (S3)
• Wagonmakers’ & Coach Builders’ Guild (S5)
• Watchful Order of Magists & Protectors (C15)

Lords of Waterdeep

The Lords of Waterdeep have ruled the city for most of the last three centuries. During that period, there have been between fifty and eighty Lords of Waterdeep, of whom four reigned as Open Lord: Ahghairon the Mage, Baeron Silmaeril, Lhestyn the Masked Lady, and Piergeiron the Paladinson. The Lords of Waterdeep have been drawn from all walks of life, from noble to dungsweeper, and from merchant to cleric. Although most of the Lords of Waterdeep have been human, they have included elves, half-elves, and halflings among their number.

Of all the Lords selected by Ahghairon or his successors, only one, Kerrigan the Arcanist, has abused his position. Kerrigan, through various subterfuges and hired agents, killed three of his fellow Lords before Ahghairon discovered his treason. The resultant spell battle crossed the city before ending in Temple (now Southern) Ward with the death of the traitorous Lord.

The penalty for impersonating a Lord is immediate execution. On those occasions when a Lord appears to be about in the city in full regalia, officers of the guard or watch alert Piergeiron at once, for the Open Lord can demand that any Lord unmask himself or herself at his command. Failure to do so is also punishable by death. It is not uncommon for those seeking to improve their standing, socially or economically, to claim to be a Lord. This is a dangerous practice, however, for if the perpetrator is caught in the lie, such claims are also punishable by death.

The Open Lord of Waterdeep, currently Piergeiron the Paladinson, holds the titles of Warden of Waterdeep (commander of the guard), Overmaster of the Guilds, and Commander of the Watch. He or she is the only Lord whose face is exposed and known to the public, and he serves as the city’s chief diplomat. Although no other Lord is ever formally named, some individuals become the subject of widespread rumor or general consensus. Mirt the Moneylender, Larissa, and Texter are generally mentioned as prospects, and, until his apparent resignation, Khelben was generally agreed to be a Lord.

Mercenaries and Guides

The City of Splendors is home to countless fighting-men, some of them employed in the armed forces of Waterdeep and others in the private militias of Waterdeep’s nobility. A large underclass of warriors intermittently inhabit Dock Ward and South Ward, finding rude accommodations until the next caravan, adventuring company, or warmonger needs their services. Others find employ as guides, leading nobles, adventuring companies, and caravans into the North in hopes of reducing the danger of getting lost or blundering into the territory of some monster. A sampling of mercenaries and guides includes Blazidon One-Eye, Filiare, Myrmith Splendon, and Aluar Zendos.

Nobility

Main Article: Nobility of Waterdeep

Since the founding of Nimoar’s Hold in the Year of the Curse (882 DR), wealthy merchant families in what is now Waterdeep have claimed the mantle of nobility. In some cases, such claims were based on the awarding of nobility to the familial line by another sovereign realm; in others, such claims reflected the aspirations of a powerful family with the means to demand such honorifics from their neighbors.

In the Year of the Cockatrice (1248 DR), the Lords of Waterdeep recognized the merchant gentry, marking the formal beginnings of the Waterdhavian nobility. In some cases, they retroactively acknowledged a longstanding claim, allowing the family to date its ennoblement to an earlier date. However, the Lords carefully insisted there was no established order of precedence or seniority, preventing the formal establishment of an “old guard.”

Ahghairon proposed the establishment of a nobility as both a matter of practicality and of diplomacy. From a practical standpoint, the chaotic use of widely varying titles among the populace prompted all manner of disputes and feuds and threatened the authority of the Lords. (At one point, there were no less then twelve “Dukes of Waterdeep” among just three families.) As a diplomatic carrot, the city used the granting of titles to lure powerful, land-owning lords from the surrounding countryside and wealthy merchants from lands far away into the city. In so doing, Ahghairon drew new wealth to the city and prevented the emergence of numerous tiny statelets in Waterdeep’s backyard that might incessantly war among themselves and thus threaten the city’s prosperity.

Since the Year of the Cockatrice, noble families have been granted the right to bear arms, including small private armies of up to seventy warriors. (Non-noble families, businesses, and individuals are restricted to sixteen warriors by edict of the Lords.) Nobles have also been granted the right to bear “arms of grace,” a coat-of-arms borne by all warriors and low-ranking servants in their service. The noble families have always been required to contribute one percent of their annual earnings to the city coffers, payable each Midsummer, for the defense and maintenance of the city. Slave trading is forbidden, and all families were required to renounce it upon induction in the Year of the Cockatrice (1248 DR). Several backsliding houses (including Anteos, Kormallis, and Thann) were required to renounce it again upon the restoration of the Lords’ rule in the Year of the Wagon (1273 DR).

Over time, the rate at which new families are ennobled by the Lords of Waterdeep has greatly diminished. Effectively, Waterdeep’s nobility is now a “closed shop,” as no new family has been ennobled since the Year of the Snow Winds (1335 DR). As Waterdeep’s power has grown, the need to lure minor nobles from the surrounding countryside into the city has diminished, and the current families have no interest in reducing the value of their pedigrees by “sharing the wealth,” as it were. In recent years, there has been some talk of ennobling the Duke of Daggerford and thus drawing that town more formally into Waterdeep’s orbit, but for now such discussions have gone nowhere.

All noble families are considered at least “minor organizations,” once you include servants, retainers, and the like. Almost all noble families are “isolated” in racial make-up (at least among the blooded kin), with noble members almost exclusively human. (Rare exceptions include families with half-elves, half-dragons, tieflings, liches, mummies, werewolves, or yuan-ti among their living relatives.)

In the current era, the number of actual nobles per noble family varies between a dozen and six dozen, but such figures include all acknowledged relatives, sometimes as far as fourth cousins from the current patriarch. Typically, the number of blood relatives of the patriarch of each family resident in the city is about fifteen or so.

Titles, lands, and funds can be inherited by any child or heir of a noble patriarch or matriarch. The standard practice in the Waterdeep assumes the eldest child (regardless of sex) inherits the title and the majority holdings of a family, with younger siblings and other relations getting lesser legacies. Living rulers of a noble family can proclaim a different heir should they choose, but such a proclamation must take place in the Lord’s Court and be confirmed by the Lords, keeping the city rulers appraised of who stands to inherit the lands and titles (and avoiding any problems with contesting the inheritance after a ruler’s passing). The changing of an heir is rare, although a number of heirs have refused family lands and titles, dedicating their lives to religious orders or adventuring. In cases where leadership of the family is contested, the Lords of Waterdeep make the final determination.

Matriarchal families are not uncommon in Waterdeep. Established matriarchs wishing to marry a nobleman can choose to adopt his name and family holdings (at which time she would abdicate her title and legacy to her chosen heir), or her husband can become a matriarch’s consort (at which time he would abdicate any former family inheritances and holdings in order to share in his wife’s title and station). If either spouse (or both) is a solitary heir with no heirs to receive his or her title, the family portfolios can combine under one name and one titular head of house or create an entirely new dynasty.

Some noble families, such as the Houses Deepwinter and Maernos, do go extinct, but the Lords usually work behind the scenes to arrange a hasty marriage to prevent such occurrences. Aside from the Houses Gildeggh and Zoar, there have been four such extinctions over Waterdeep’s history. Many wealthy, would-be nobles have viewed such extinctions as an opportunity for their own elevation to the nobility, but in practice there is little tie between the two.

Although it is often easier to marry into an existing noble family, individuals of wealth and influence can petition the Lords of Waterdeep to ennoble them and their descendants. Although the Lords of Waterdeep have never spelled out strict criteria for granting such petitions, some informal strictures have been deduced by would-be nobles over the years:

• An individual should have demonstrable personal wealth, in excess of 25,000 gp, that has been largely acquired through mercantile endeavors. (Adventurers who recover large amounts of treasure do not provide the same ongoing economic impact to Waterdeep as a wealthy merchant who employs hundreds of Waterdhavians.)
• An individual should reside in Waterdeep except when wintering in the South or leading trade expeditions. An individual should own several significant properties in the City of Waterdeep.
• An individual should play a prominent role in one or more guilds.
• An individual should be human. (Although some Lords might wish otherwise, the other families are unlikely to accept a nonhuman ennobled family any time soon.)
• An individual should be “sponsored” by at least five other noble families.

The key criterion is, of course, the last one. It takes a staggering amount of wealth, connections, debts, charitable giving, bribes, and humility to get five noble families to agree that it is in their best interest to add a new family to the nobility.

Rogues and Ruffians

Like all great cities, Waterdeep attracts its fair share of rogues who stalk the shadows and ruffians who prey on the weak. Waterdeep’s only recognized thieves’ guild, the Shadow Thieves, has been exiled for nearly a century, and the Lords have long sought to confi ne the city’s inevitable illegal pursuits to the Port of Shadow. As a result, most Waterdhavian rogues are independent agents or members of organizations based outside the city. Since the Year of the Wave (1364 DR), those who practice bardcraft have been regaining their former prominence in the City of Splendors. Much of this ascendance can be ascribed to the founding of New Olamn (C72).

• The Xanathar Thieves' Guild
• Black Boar Tribe
• Bull Elk Tribe
• The Shadow Thieves

Since the exile of the Shadow Thieves, the Lords of Waterdeep have fought to keep organized thieves’ guilds out of the City of Splendors. In their absence, individual agents have flourished, free to pursue their own aims and keep their ill-gotten gains for themselves. Some of the more notable independent agents include Thear Chessar, Elaith Craulnober, Duromill "the Fearless", Paerro, Juz'la, and Zabbas Thuul.

Sages and Loremasters

As the gateway to the North and the center of trade along the northern Sword Coast, one of Waterdeep’s most important markets is the sale and spread of information, knowledge, and lore (true or otherwise). However, unlike many other professions, Waterdeep does not have a guild of sages.

Secret Societies

Waterdeep attracts the interest of various secret societies the same way honey attracts the interest of flies. As the chief bastion of civilization, commerce, and military power on the northern Sword Coast, Waterdeep’s dealings affect people for a thousand miles around.

• The Harpers
• The Knights of the Shield
• The Kraken Society
• The Red Sashes
• The Tel Teukiira

Main Article: Guide to the City of Waterdeep

The City of Splendors is sprawling, bustling metropolis. Although some fixtures remain unchanged for centuries, others last for less than a tenday