The Wards of Waterdeep
Newcomers to the city of Waterdeep are often confused by the importance that Waterdavians give to wards. In other cities, such as Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter, districts are bounded by rivers or walls. But in Waterdeep, one can traverse from ward to ward by crossing a street—a fact that offers the drivers of hire-coaches some amusement when an ignorant tourist requests a ride to an adjacent ward.
Each ward has its own history, legends, and traditions based around who lived there in the past, famous or infamous events, and the uncanny things that continue to occur. For example, children (and even some adults) hop on one foot when crossing Asmagh's Alley in the Castle Ward. Why? Well, Asmagh was an apothecary who poisoned many patients, then buried them upright beneath the alley under cover of night. He was discovered, and some say that as many as eighty bodies were subsequently pulled up from holes under the alley's wide flagstones. Though this happened over a century ago, children passing through the alley still sing a song: “Hop for the hollows, hop for the dead, hop on the flagstones, hop on their heads.” As you stroll down Warrior's Way or the Street of Silver, listen for the children's delighted screams and go give it a try.
These shared stories and traditions impart to each ward a different culture, just as much as distinctions of class and wealth. Yet nothing drives residents to identify with their wards as much as festivals and sport. Nearly every race and parade in the city features a competition between wards as part of the festivities. On such days, homes and businesses fly the colors of their wards, trot out their mascots, and sing rousing songs that celebrate where they live. If you stay in the city for even a month, you're sure to see some version of this display of civic spirit.
Speak like a Native
The many idioms and slang expressions of Waterdavians would take a whole book to explore, but here I explain a few that might otherwise mystify.
“Dabbler but no master” and “No mastery blazing forth”
These idioms trace their origin to Ahghairon, who early on in his studies of magic humbly said, “I am no wizard. I am a dabbler but no master of magic; it seems no mastery burns within me.” Both now serve as expressions of false modesty applied to any skill or craft, not just magic use.
“Sharpjaws,” “fastfists,” “bullyblades,” and “alleyblades”
Those who boast of martial skill but who shrink from violence or lack real ability are “sharpjaws.” In sharp contrast are Waterdeep's “fastfists” (any lout easily provoked to violence), “bullyblades” (battle-hardened mercenaries hired as muscle), and “alleyblades” (muggers and thieves).
“Longride” and “Last ride”
To a caravan merchant, a drover, or a farmer from the lands around Waterdeep, as well as any Waterdavian who rides for sport, recreation, hunting, or falconry, the late afternoon is “longride,” and dusk is “last ride.”
“Which the greater thief?”
Tuezaera Hallowhand was a famous “lone cat” thief of Waterdeep in the 1200s DR, who disappeared suddenly and is thought to have come to a violent end. She once robbed a wizard and wrote this on his wall with a fingertip dipped in his favorite red wine: “I take things. You take freedom with your spells. Which of us is the greater thief?” Waterdavians now use this phrase in argument with one another over all kinds of matters when comparing wrongs done.
“Doth thy mirror crack?” or “Hurl but think not?” or “Take but not count cost? Be nothing, then!”
Laeral Silverhand, then the Lady Mage of Waterdeep when she was married to Khelben “Blackstaff” Arunsun, once publicly rebuked an overambitious wizard of the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors thusly: “If I hurl spells but think not of consequences, I am nothing. If I take lives but count not the cost, I am nothing. If I steal in the night and see not the faces of the devastated come the next morning, I am nothing. If I make decrees like a ruler but undertake none of the other responsibilities of the throne, I am nothing. And if I do all these things in the name of the Watchful Order, I am less than nothing. Doth thy mirror crack?”
These scornful words are remembered and used almost daily in Waterdeep even a century later.
Major Temples of Waterdeep
| Deity or Deities | Temple Name | Location |
|---|---|---|
| All deities | Holyhands House | North Ward |
| All elven deities | Temple of the Seldarine | Castle Ward |
| Gond | House of Inspired Hands | Sea Ward |
| Helm | Helm's Hall | Southern Ward |
| Ilmater | Hospice of St. Laupsenn | North Ward |
| Lathander | Spires of the Morning | Castle Ward |
| Mielikki, Silvanus | Shrines of Nature | Sea Ward |
| Mystra | House of Wonder | Sea Ward |
| Oghma | Font of Knowledge | Castle Ward |
| Selûne | Tower of the Moon | Sea Ward |
| Sune | Temple of Beauty | Sea Ward |
| Tempus | House of Heroes | Sea Ward |
| Tymora | Tower of Luck | Castle Ward |
| Tyr | Halls of Justice | Castle Ward |
| Umberlee | The Queenspire | Beach |
Sea Ward
The Sea Ward stands proud on the high ground above Mount Waterdeep's sunset shadow. The rich and the powerful (or those who wish you to think such of them, and can afford the rent) reside or run their businesses here. When the warlords and pirates of early Waters Deep gained enough gold, they built fortresses on what used to be fields of grass tousled by sea wind. You can still see the remains of some of those old castles incorporated into the palatial homes of the noble families that dwell in the Sea Ward. For the best all-around view of the glittering homes enshrouded by garden walls, go to where Diamond Street and Delzorin Street cross, nigh to Mystra's House of Wonder, and simply spin in a circle.
Blue and gold are the Sea Ward's colors in competitions, and the ward's mascot is the sea lion—a fanciful combination of fish and feline. There's a persistent but patently false legend that the famous Lion Gate at the Field of Triumph is the gaping maw of a sea lion. The architectural designs for the gates show this to be false, however, and they can be viewed in the Map House—the guildhall of the Surveyors', Map-, and Chart-makers' Guild in the Castle Ward.
Must-see locations in the Sea Ward begin, of course, with the Field of Triumph, but just across the street is the no less remarkable House of Heroes—the largest temple in the city. Dedicated to Tempus, its many grand halls celebrate the city's champions of both battle and sport. The winners of ward competitions are paraded here after their victories, often carried on shoulders or passed from hand to hand over the heads of a crowd. It is a sight you shouldn't miss.
You should also visit the House of Wonder. This is surely the most splendid temple dedicated to the gods of magic—with Mystra foremost among them, of course—in all the world. Although your eye will be drawn to its ornate towers, brilliant mosaics, and magical displays, look also for the humble violets growing amid the ostentation. These delicate flowers were Ahghairon's favorite, and they are planted about the temple in memory of him.
Two other temples in the ward are as impressive, but in different ways. The beauteous House of the Moon has the tallest tower of any temple in the city, rising some seventy-five feet above the street. At its top, priests of Selûne bask in the light of the moon in all seasons. The House of Inspired Hands, dedicated to Gond, presents an altogether less peaceful experience. Here, all the great innovative minds of the city invent and experiment, attempting to create everything from flying machines to stronger door hinges. But don't expect a museum of marvels such as can be found in Baldur's Gate. At this site, “worship is work,” as anyone at the temple is liable to tell you.
If you're looking for some good fortune, you should surely visit the Tower of Luck, a temple complex dedicated to Tymora. The “tower” in question is actually a many-pillared atrium ingeniously roofed over with glass. Beneath the roof, a bronze sculpture of a diminutive Tymora, depicted as a laughing young girl, appears to be leaping from the very top of an astounding fountain. To pay your respects and make a wish, you come around to the fountain on a walkway and toss your coin to Tymora. Managing to land it in her outstretched hand is a sure sign of her favor.
If you need to refresh yourself during your travels, or perhaps to primp before an important meeting or a night out, visit Sune's faithful at the Temple of Beauty. Its marbled public baths and mirrored salons are open from before dawn to after dusk. There's no fee for these services, or for the advice and aid of the temple's many pleasant attendants, but donations are encouraged.
Two parks in the Sea Ward might also be worth your time. The Shrines to Nature, just a block away from the Tower of Luck, are resplendent gardens dedicated to nature gods like Mielikki and Silvanus. The park is closed to all except residents of the Sea Ward. Yet from beyond the iron fence that surrounds it, you can catch glimpses of the superb shrines, statues, and fountains within. The Heroes' Garden is the only green space in the city that is open to the public besides the City of the Dead, but it is tucked away so far to the north in the Sea Ward that it gets few visitors—which is a pity, since the fine statuary in this lush garden portrays many of the figures important to the city's history.
I hesitate to mention a last location in the Sea Ward, and I will not reveal where to find it, for reasons that will soon become apparent. There is a house in the Sea Ward without windows or doors. You can't see it from the street, and those who live near it will not speak of it to others. You'll know you are near it when you see blue tiles on the streets and walls leading into an alley that passes under the surrounding buildings. At night, these tiles glimmer dimly with the blue light of foxfire. More than one route leads into the Blue Alley, as this place is known, but there are precious few ways out. Most who enter don't come back. If you see blue tiles, turn around and walk away before it is too late.
North Ward
Nobles aplenty live in the North Ward, but the character of this ward is more peaceful than that of the Sea Ward. Though it has taverns and shops to suit a variety of tastes, the tenor of the area tends toward reserved and polite. Most streets are lined with row houses inhabited by the families of prosperous people of business, investing, and civic service. They are each wealthy enough to employ a servant or two, or they endeavor to appear as such.
For the best experience in the North Ward, go there just before dawn, buy a broadsheet, and settle in at a café with a view of the street. Watch as the ward comes quietly to life around you. At first, it will be so silent that you'll be able to hear the resident a street over who opens her sash for fresh air and clears her throat. Then the birdsong will begin, and shortly thereafter, you'll hear and then see the drays arriving with servants. These aren't the live-in staff used by noble houses, but people hired to come and work for a day. Most of them come from less affluent parts of the city, arriving with the tools of their trade and outfitted in their customary garb: launderers and cooks in white, chimney sweeps and housecleaners in black, valets and child-minders in gray, gardeners in green, and tutors in blue.
As these servants spread out to knock on doors and begin their work, the residents of the ward take their exits, parting fondly with spouses and children, their footsteps tramping along the sidewalks or taking them into rattling hire-coaches. In the span of just an hour, the North Ward comes to noisy life and then settles again into quiescence, until later in the day when the process reverses itself, as residents return from work and servants leave.
The liveliest, and perhaps the loveliest, part of the ward is the Cliffwatch. Here, the plateau upon which Waterdeep sits features cliffs so steep and high that the city wall is interrupted to either side of them. Some of the most lavish residences and most luxurious taverns and inns of Waterdeep stand along this space, boasting terraces and balconies that allow one to take in the beautiful sight of the countryside to the east. Yet you need not pay their high prices, for a public walkway along the cliff's edge offers pedestrians ample opportunity to enjoy the view.
The North Ward's colors are green and orange, and its mascot is the gentle white dove, depicted in flight. Many North Ward homes have dovecotes on their roofs, and the great flocks of the birds that circle over the city at dawn and dusk are a delight to behold.
Castle Ward
The Castle Ward is the heart and mind of Waterdeep, if not its soul. It houses the city's military forces, courts, government, and the Market—the largest market square of any city in the North. It encompasses the City Navy's docks in the Great Harbor and all of Mount Waterdeep, and it is home to six walking statues, numerous temples, and many other landmarks.
Castle Waterdeep stands above the city on a great bluff that extends out from the mountain, its towers soaring hundreds of feet into the sky. It surprises many to learn that this isn't where Waterdeep's rulers reside, nor from where the city is governed. The castle was and is a redoubt of last defense should the city be attacked, but for well over a century, the ruler of Waterdeep has occupied the Palace of Waterdeep—also known as Piergeiron's Palace, and still called that by elderly and long-lived citizens (including many elves).
Though not quite as large as the castle, the palace is far more comfortable and lavishly decorated, with many halls used by government officials, guildmasters, and nobles for meetings and court proceedings. If you have reason to be invited (not compelled, I should hope!) to meet with the Masked Lords or the Open Lord of Waterdeep, it will likely take place in the audience chamber of the palace. There, you can witness the ancient and humble throne that Ahghairon first sat upon so long ago.
Many other buildings in the ward are given over to city business, including several courts for magisters and the barracks of the City Guard. So many of the ward's structures are offices and meeting halls for business owners, solicitors, publishers, and the like that the Castle Ward has the smallest resident population of all the wards.
Many landmarks of interest are found in this ward aside from the six walking statues (discussed later in this chapbook). You could hardly see them all in a day, but the following are highly recommended.
Blackstaff Tower is a squat black blot in the otherwise pretty ward. Humble though the edifice might be, looking at the place for too long can give you a queasy feeling and the sense that you are being watched—almost as if the tower itself has turned an unseen and wrathful eye upon you. Perhaps you think this fanciful. Well, go and try it yourself!
On the opposite end of the mountain, close to the Naval Harbor, stands Mirt's Mansion. Once a fortress-like and glowering tower, it has been upgraded with more delicate fashions of architecture since the return of its long-absent owner.
Mirt has quite a history with Durnan, the proprietor of the Yawning Portal. Together they descended into “the Well,” as the entrance to Undermountain was known in olden days. Waterdeep used to throw criminals in the Well, leaving them to die horribly in Undermountain's dungeons. Durnan and Mirt entered the dungeons of their own free will—and not only that, but returned laden with treasures. Both used magic to extend their lives, but they eventually parted ways. Mirt kept on with a life of adventure, while Durnan built the tavern called the Yawning Portal over the Well and now, almost two centuries later, charges coin to descend into it. Not a bad way to part fools from their money!
The glorious Spires of the Morning, dedicated to Lathander, is one of Waterdeep's most beautiful temples. But it is rivaled in this ward by the Temple of the Seldarine, dedicated to all the elf gods. The journey through Mount Melody Walk, a tunnel cut through Mount Waterdeep, to New Olamn's academy of music and other arts is a wondrous daytime excursion. The Market offers a wild array of sights, smells, and sounds in which folk might lose themselves for a tenday. The Font of Knowledge is a temple to Oghma, yes, but also the city's largest public library. Titles written throughout the ages can be viewed here—under the watchful eyes of the temple's priests. In short (if I can claim this section of the enchiridion to be such), the Castle Ward offers far too many splendors to list them all here.
The Castle Ward's colors are blue and purple, and its mascot is a griffon, typically depicted in gold. These borrow colors from the city's flag and reference the Griffon Cavalry, of course. Champions for the ward often come from among the ranks of the Guard, the Navy, or the Cavalry. Although such competitors have often have the advantage in races and competitions, their crowds of rabidly cheering fans are naturally much smaller than those of other wards.
Trades Ward
Shopping, shopping, shopping galore! Or eating, eating, eating! Or drinking, drinking, drinking! Or lavish accommodations, or fine art, or legendary parties! The Market in the Castle Ward is the largest market square in the city, but the Trades Ward is like a market town in itself—and is easily thrice the Market's size.
This ward bustles day and night with activity, both on the street and on balcony walkways that run the length of blocks and are sometimes layered five stories high. Shop signs appear to leap out from buildings, whose sides are plastered with advertisements all vying for the attention of the eye. Glove shops, shoe shops, jewelry stores, perfumeries, flower shops, cake shops, taverns, cafés, tea shops, inns, row houses, boarding schools, offices, dance academies, grocers, pottery stores, armor vendors—as long as it's not illegal, you can find it in the Trades Ward. But if you are looking for something illegal, the Trades Ward is likely the place to get that too.
Do not do so too loudly, though. The City Watch has a heavy presence in this ward, in the form of both open patrols and officers working out of uniform.
As befits a place of so much business, many guilds have their halls in this ward. Of particular note is the House of Light, the hall of the Guild of Chandlers and Lamplighters. Outside the building, a wagon-sized mound of wax with hundreds of wicks is kept lit day and night, while being continually built up with adhered candles. Inside, the best works of the guild are put on display and sold, including not just candles of various colors, lamps, and chandeliers, but elaborate waxwork constructions that depict all sorts of subjects from personages of note, to dragons, to complex and abstract lattices—all represented as fantastical candles.
Magic users should be wary in the Court of the White Bull. Long ago, this plaza was a grazing area for livestock, including an albino calf that was born here. The calf's owner built the White Bull Tavern, which thrived on the spot for years and gave the area its name. You'll not find the tavern now, though. It vanished, utterly destroyed during an infamous spell battle between the archmage Thongalar the Mighty and the evil mage Shile Rauretilar and his apprentices. In the storm of magic that touched down here, Shile and his apprentices all perished and the fabric of the Weave was rent, such that Azuth, god of wizards, was forced to appear and set things right. He is said to have stitched reality and the Weave back together, but a wrinkle in the fabric remains. To this day, magic brought to bear in the Court of the White Bull sometimes goes awry, and the use of magic items and spells is forbidden in the area.
The Trades Ward uses green and purple as its colors, and its mascot is the mimic. This tradition supposedly arose because when mascots were first chosen, the Trades Ward took a chest of gold as its own—and was roundly mocked by citizens of other wards for not picking a creature. Now, every four years, the ward reveals a new object for its mascot, declaring it to be the mimic. The nature of the object is subject to much speculation and rumor until its unveiling. For months afterward, the object becomes the source of practical jokes in Waterdeep. Rock gnomes and wizards cause illusory mouths to lunge from real versions of the object, artisans craft beautiful fakes out of cake or paper that are easily crushed when assumed to be real, and so on. As of the writing of this enchiridion, the current mimic is a tankard.
Southern Ward
It is called the Southern Ward, not the South Ward. Waterdavians are peculiar about this, and if you insist on referring to it as the South Ward, expect to be corrected or thought a fool. The name derives not merely from its southerly location in the city, but from the southerners who settled in this district as the city grew. Today, the ward still hosts most of the traveling merchants who visit the city, and is made up of many enclaves, blocks, and streets primarily occupied by citizens who trace their ancestry to other realms.
One can indulge in the finest halfling food here, enjoy the best singers of Calishite music, and examine the most stunning works of dwarven crafting—but the first challenge is finding where these treats are housed. The Southern Ward has long been a district of laborers catering to travelers, so its folk have adopted the architectural custom of building homes and businesses above stables or around inn yards, near to where wagon trains are housed.
Residents of the Southern Ward take pride in their legacy as overland travelers and hardworking folk, so it should be no surprise that the ward's mascot is the mule. On their competition flags, a pugnacious mule in rampant pose stands on a field of red and white—colors said to represent the blood and tears the people of the Southern Ward have shed during their labors.
Not a landmark as such, but surely a sight that must be seen, is the Moon Sphere. This isn't a structure but an event that occurs during every full moon, when a glowing, spherical field of blue light appears in the square known as the Dancing Court. Any creatures that enter the sphere find that they can fly about inside it just by willing themselves to do so. For centuries, Waterdavians have used these supernatural events to develop a unique flying style of dance—but amateur enthusiasts aren't welcome, except on certain daylight appearances of the full moon.
Even when the full moon isn't out, the Dancing Court is worth visiting because of the adjacent festhall, the Jade Dancer. During appearances of the Moon Sphere, people sometimes daringly leap into the field of magic from the balconies of this three-story tavern, dance hall, and inn. But the festhall takes its name from a peculiar dancer within it rather than those in the court outside. The “Jade Dancer” is an eight-foot-tall jade statue of a woman that magically animates and dances for patrons—and on occasion serves as a bouncer. Elminster has informed me that despite its dexterity and seemingly fragile beauty, the Jade Dancer is as puissant as a stone golem. So enjoy the show, but don't get too rowdy.
Dock Ward
The Dock Ward was long considered the most dangerous district in the city, but the Field Ward has since taken that title. I don't doubt the residents of the Dock Ward are glad of it, for in some respects this area has never truly deserved its bad reputation.
Yes, aside from the Field Ward, this is the area where most of Waterdeep's poor reside. Yes, it is home to some of the least literate people in the city. Yes, most of its taverns are inhabited by habitual drinkers, and far too many inns charge by the hour. But all must concede this: the residents of the Dock Ward often work the hardest while living under the harshest conditions.
Warehouses, poorhouses, and tenements dominate much of the area. Streets are steep throughout, and few have space alongside for pedestrians. Wandering through the ward can be a bewildering journey without a guide. Except in the immediate vicinity of the piers, shop signs and advertising of any kind are rare, and warehouses and other businesses often have no sign at all. You either know where you are going and have reason to be there—or you are lost, and a likely mark for pickpockets or worse.
Streetlamps don't fare well in the Dock Ward. Their candles, oils, and glass are too regularly stolen or smashed. The Guild of Chandlers and Lamplighters makes a halfhearted attempt to repair the streetlamps at the start of each season, but for most of the year, locals are forced to carry their own light when traveling these streets at night.
The colors of the Dock Ward are burgundy and orange, and its mascot is a swordfish that has always been depicted as green for reasons lost to time. The folk of the Dock Ward take competition seriously, and they frequently draft their champions from the rough-and-tumble sailors who come to the city. (Some say they draft pirates, but that is pure slander.) Frequent complaints arise that these women and men are more citizens of the sea than of the Dock Ward itself. But if they register with a magister and pay taxes, they are as welcome to compete as any long-term resident of Waterdeep.
City of the Dead
I could write a book about the City of the Dead. It is such a fascinating place, filled with so much history and so many stories. But alas, there would be few buyers for Volo's Guide to the City of the Dead, since it would be of interest mainly to Waterdavians—and the topic is one about which they are already intimately knowledgeable.
The City of the Dead is no drab cemetery. It is a great park of grassy hills, tended flower beds, artfully placed clusters of trees and bushes, beautiful sculptures, astounding architecture, and gravel paths that wend intriguingly through it all. Long ago, Waterdavians largely abandoned the practice of burying their dead, instead entombing them in mausoleums. For centuries, the major mausoleums here have each been connected to an extradimensional space where the dead are taken, mourned, and interred.
Those who can afford it memorialize the departed with sculptures, making the City of the Dead an open-air museum that features some of the most stunning, haunting, mournful, and downright eerie statues ever crafted in marble or bronze. Nobles and wealthy merchants have competed to erect the grandest markers for their dead, leading to a wide variety of styles and concepts created by artists at the height of their skills.
One of the cemetery's most impressive attractions is the Warriors' Monument. This intricate, sixty-foot-high sculpture depicts a circle of women and men striking down trolls, orcs, hobgoblins, bugbears, and barbarians, all of which are falling backward and outward around the warriors. Above all of them, a flying griffon rider spears a skeletal knight whose breastplate bears the symbol of Myrkul, god of the dead. But this statue is also a fountain, and the wounds on these combatants gush water! Don't try to imagine it—just go see it. And see it as Waterdavians do: pack a midday feast, have a picnic, and then take a stroll through the beauty of the place.
Outside the City Proper
There's more to the city of Waterdeep than just the wards within its walls. If you have need to visit the environs of the city, here's what you'll need to know.
Field Ward
This district was once a caravan yard between Waterdeep's two northernmost walls, kept free of settlement to serve as a killing field in times of war. As refugees from various calamities settled there after not being allowed into the city's wealthy northern neighborhoods, the area has grown up into a lawless town of its own.
Though not an official ward of the city, the Field Ward is commonly referred to as one. The Watch doesn't patrol this area, however, and many crimes go uninvestigated. The City Guard oversees the Field Ward from the walls around it, but its members get involved only when folk moving into or out of the city are threatened.
The area is a muddy mess, populated by the poorest people and those who take advantage of those folks' desperation. It has no sewer system and isn't served by the Dungsweepers' Guild—a fact that will be quite evident to your nose if you venture here. I don't recommend that you spend any more time here than it takes to pass through from one gate to the next.
The Guild of Butchers operates several slaughterhouses, smokehouses, and leather-making facilities in the area—noisome operations that have been pushed out of the city proper. A word to the wise: being friendly with a burly fellow who is good with a knife is one of your best defenses in the Field Ward. The other place you might solicit aid is Endshift Tavern, a popular stop for off-duty members of the City Guard, situated on the corner of Endshift Street and the Breezeway. Though the guards might not be inclined to assist you, your status as a visitor to Waterdeep technically obliges them to help you reach the city proper in safety.
Undercliff
This area of rolling grassland and small wooded areas east of the city is a rural community focused on farming and animal husbandry, and which caters to travelers. It is also the site of a large and well-protected training camp for the City Guard, and a prison farm run by the City Watch (called Amendsfarm) where those convicted of minor offenses work off their debt to the city. Many gnomes and halflings live in this region, and most buildings are built to reflect their stature.
Two noble families have estates in Undercliff. The Amcathra estate is used for the housing and final training of horses bred in the town of Amphail, many of which are sold to the City Guard. The Hothemer noble house has an estate where its members conduct business in overland trade—beyond the reach of Waterdeep's auditors.
If you visit this area, I recommend the Snobeedle Orchard and Meadery, owned and run by the Snobeedle halflings. They have a delightful drinking hall and a shop sized for larger patrons, and you can pick your own fruit when it is in season.
Undermountain
Tales of this legendary dungeon below Waterdeep are told well by many in the city, but I'll provide you with the basic truths here.
Beneath the plateau of Waterdeep lies the largest and deepest dungeon in the world. It sprawls out under the city, said to plunge as many as twenty levels deep. The Melairkyn dwarves first excavated the tunnels that would become Undermountain, and the drow are said to have dug their own tunnels up from below. All were claimed, altered, and expanded by the mad wizard Halaster and his apprentices—who are believed to dwell in the dungeons to this day. What drove them deep into the earth remains a mystery, but Undermountain's allure is a siren song that still draws many. If you want to see adventurers descend into the depths, or perhaps glimpse some returning with wondrous treasures, visit the Yawning Portal in the Castle Ward.
The Wonders of the Waymoot
The place where the High Road and the Way of the Dragon meet in the south of the city is called the Waymoot. At the center of the crossroads, a high signpost stands with hanging arrows pointing toward the harbor and each of the city gates. Created by the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors and funded by local merchants, the signpost magically directs travelers to well-known distant locations when the names of those locations are spoken into a crystal on the post. The magic of the Waymoot writes the destination onto the proper arrow of the signpost and indicates its distance from Waterdeep in miles. Folk are thereby sent out of the harbor or the appropriate gate leading north, east, or south, depending on their destination.
Unfortunately for newcomers, the Waymoot is of no use whatsoever in finding locations within Waterdeep. You will, however, find a number of enterprising individuals near the crossroads who take advantage of this fact to offer their services as city guides. Though some reputable members of this cadre will guide you true for a fair fee, plenty of citizens with nothing to lose or gain by doing so will also readily set you on the right course if you're simply polite.
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