Republic of Waterdeep

From the storm-wracked coast of the Sea of Wrath, to the wild pine forests of the Caalaresti to the east, the Republic of Waterdeep is a vast mix of lands, cultures and peoples. Its capital, Waterdeep, one of the few safe harbors on the Sea of Wrath, is a bustling metropolis. The rocky and sparsely inhabited Stormbreak Isles protect it's deep natural harbor from the massive storms that regularly scour the Sea of Wrath. Established as a naval outpost of the Kingdom of Het Varen nearly 1200 years ago, it grew steadily from a military outpost to a bustling trade port. 100 years later, as war tore Het Varen apart, splitting it's power and attention, the mercantile leaders of Waterdeep decided to come together, and claim independence, a swift and silent coup removing the remaining loyalists of Het Varen from control of the naval shipyard, and the local garrison. The Lords of Waterdeep, a masked council who's members, fearing reprisal or assassination, by necessity remained unknown and hidden in the shadows. Their control of Waterdeep, and insistence of neutrality in the ongoing wars that Het Varen still fought spelled doom for the once-mighty kingdom. Without the safe port and control of the sea that Waterdeep offered, Het Varen had lost a crucial supply line to the battle lines in the north, and despite five attempts to retake the valuable port, they weren't ever able to surmount the natural defenses from the sea, or the dangerous trip overland. Over the next century, the port grew from a town to a city. Walls protected it, roads were painstakingly carved out to the north, connecting them to the scattered kingdoms that had once been either ruled by, or at war with Het Varen. Kingdoms such as Ostland and Eola found vital trade with the south through Waterdeep's harbor. Relations with the insular dwarves to the east, settled in the Starmetal Hills and the Stonefall Mountains were established. Beyond them, the Caalaresti elves, settled deep in the pine forests, also found trade and peace simpler and more profitable than they had been under the rule of Het Varen. Trade ties deepened into mutual dependence for nearby villages and cities. Soon, a council was established, with Waterdeep at it's heart, and the Republic of Waterdeep soon sprung into existence.

Geography

The Republic of Waterdeep is a land of diverse biomes. To the east, the Sea of Wrath crashes against a rocky coastline, which protects fertile plains, forming the heart of the Waterdhavian countryside. On this coastline sits the capitol of Waterdeep, a sprawling, walled city that started it's life as a military port, used for it's deep, protected harbor. Now, though, it is a center of trade and industry, a nexus of crossroads and a vital corridor from the more scattered northern kingdoms to the greater powers of the south. Seated at the mouth of the Silvertongue River, where it opens to the sea, the city and it's port are protected from the vicious storms of the Sea of Wrath by a group of rocky islands known as the Stormbreak Isles. On it's northern border is a region known now as the 'Ashen Devestation'. With the violent eruption of Mount Hotenow thirty years ago, the fertile farmland and numerous small towns that dotted the area were destroyed in a wave of ash and magma. Even now, the largest city in the area, Corlinn Hill, is an abandoned ruin, though rumor has it that it survived better than it's sister cities. In the center of the Republic lies the forest of the Southeastern Vale. Once a prosperous land, it has never fully recovered after the orcish invasion that befell the area nearly 500 years before. Legends are told that the prosperity of the region was driven by the Mines of Phandelver, at a mystical place called Wave Echo Cave, rich in the rare and valuable magical metal orichalcum. Because of the abundance of this mystical ore, the place itself was said to be a location of power, where powerful enchantments could be wrought upon crafted items. Beyond this forest, to the northeast, lies the Starmetal Hills and the Cometpeak Mountains. Dwarves have made their homes here for generations, before Waterdeep itself was even established. Irondelve is the largest and oldest of the cities, so named for the vast quantities of iron beneath it's halls. South of it lies Mithrilode, where a rare and hard to obtain mythical metal known as mythril has been found and excavated. At the far eastern border, the elven nation of Caalaresti lies, in the coniferous pine forest that stretches into the wilderness. Caal Unarith is their largest city, sitting rather near the Cometpeaks. The forests are vast and unmapped, with none but the elves aware of what secrets may lie within.

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