Zeldan's Alley

'''Zeldan's Alley''' is an alley located in Castle Ward, Waterdeep.

This narrow winding way runs south from The Crawling Spider tavern, along whose south wall it connects with the Street of the Sword, past a pleasant little well of safe drinking water shaded by trees to circle around the southern interior of the city block bounded by the Street of the Sword, Waterdeep Way, Warriors’' Way, and Buckle Alley. Along the way, it offers back door access to The Golden Key and other shops, townhomes, and apartments.

Zeldan was a short, puffing merchant who was a devout worshipper of Gond. He finally met his doom some 30 winters ago in the arms of an automaton that came to life too soon and too vigorously and smashed him through a wall it was supposed to raise him gently up to paint!

Unfortunately for all concerned, Zeldan built most of the warehouses and townhomes that fill the center of this block - —and under cover of the construction, spent much of his fortune sponsoring priests of Gond who came to Waterdeep on ships from Lantan to build and install various experimental devices in this alleyway. Some of them still lurk, hidden beneath paving stones and behind walls, waiting for the unwary to trigger them. Some are harmless or do nothing more than make grinding noises and lurching movements (they were either faulty designs or have broken since installation)— but some are mechanical traps and killing devices that rank right up there with the most horrible killing devices that rich fiends in Thay and Calimshan have devised! A few still pop up from time to time, frightening, crippling, or slaying outright the folk who discover them. Be warned— - and avoid this alleyway unless unavoidable business takes you there.