Location
The Yawning Portal was located on Rainrun Street in Waterdeep's Castle Ward between Waterdeep Castle and Snail Street.
Interior
A stone building with a slate roof, the Yawning Portal offered guest rooms on the three upper floors. Well-worn boards covered the floor, but the main impression was of comfort. Rich blue tapestries decorated the wood-paneled walls of the common room, which consisted of a bar and tables of stout wood. A signboard that simply read "The Yawning Portal," hanging on chains from a black iron pole above the front door, announced the entry to the inn.
Entry to Undermountain
The inn had a total of two wells that both could serve as entry points to Undermountain. The first measured 40 feet in diameter (12 meters), descended 140 feet (43 meters), and was located between the bar and dining tables. This dry well was the main and only publicly known passage to Undermountain. A waist-high stone ring was built around the well to prevent customers and objects from falling into the dungeon. Around the 50 feet point (15 meters), the well grew completely dark and on reaching the floor, one entered a sandy floor with stone walls decorated with shields. These shields were rusty to the point of uselessness but for one purpose: people who wanted to be drawn up hit these shields and the noise made that way was considered a sign that people below wanted to be pulled up from the dungeon.
The second well was a normal well in the sense that water could be pulled up from it. It was located in the back room and was the inn's source of washing water. It led directly to a total of two areas: a different area of Undermountain than the Entry Well and to the sewers of Waterdeep. It also led to the Pool of Loss, a portal to Hades.
Atmosphere
The clientele consisted mostly of adventurers eager to enter the depths of Undermountain. The Called, as they were sometimes known, listened to Waterdhavians, who were only too keen on sharing rumors and stories about the dungeon. As Durnan, despite his old age, was still a brawny man,[as of when?] who kept his old greatsword among the racks and asked any troublemakers to leave the inn, the Yawning Portal remained safe from toughs and brawlers.
Services
A typical dish served at the Yawning Portal consisted of quipper and chips. Shadowdark ale was a popular beverage served at the taproom.
Durnan and the local church of Tymora had a deal. Durnan was to pay the church a daily fee and the church sent daily a cleric of theirs over as medical personnel. The clergy's service cost the injured a donation, which was effectively a fee for it was enforced and not merely expected, in the form of cash for the clergy did not accept credits.
While this was not exactly a service of the inn, it was quite common for customers to gamble on the success of those who ventured into Undermountain.
Prices
Entrance down the Entry Well to Undermountain cost 1 gp per person.
The fee for getting hoisted up again was 1 gp per person.
