Waterdeep
Waterdeep, also known as the City of Splendors or the Crown of the North, is the most important and influential city in the North and perhaps in all Faerûn. It is a truly marvellous cosmopolitan city of great culture that attracts the most talented artisans, artists, and scholars from across the Realms, as well as a commercial hub for financial interests along the coast and beyond.
It was one of if not the most powerful and influential member-states of the Lords' Alliance, the coalition of nations and city-states that sought to maintain order along the Sword Coast and the North.
The original farming community of humans developed into a settlement known as Bloodhand Hold before being conquered and renamed Nimoar's Hold. The name of "Waterdeep" was originally used by the sea captains docking at the port to trade, a moniker that originated from the city's outstanding natural deep-water harbor.
It is rumoured that somewhere in the city, a sum of 500,000 gold dragons has been hidden away by the ousted former Open Lord Dagult Neverember
Demographics
| Race | Percentage of Population |
|---|---|
| Humans | 64% |
| Dwarves | 10% |
| Elves | 10% |
| Halfings | 5% |
| Half-Elves | 5% |
| Gomes | 3% |
| Half-Orcs | 2% |
| Others | 1% |
Government
Waterdeep is ruled by a sixteen-seat council whose membership is largely secret. These hidden Lords of Waterdeep maintained their identities behind magical masks, called the Lord's Helm, and while they ruled in public, none knew the true identities of most of them. The subject of who the Lords were became a common topic of noble conversation, and some considered it a game to discover the Lords' identities, a game made more confusing by the fact the Lords themselves set their own rumours afloat.
Defences
Waterdeep maintains two separate armed forces, the City Guard and the City Watch. The City Guard serve as Waterdeep's soldiery and its members staff garrisons, road patrols, and watch posts, and serve as bodyguards and gate guards. The Watch is the local police force, acting as a constabulary within the city. More delicate missions taken in the name of the City of Splendors were handled by Force Grey, an elite force of a dozen or so skilled spellcasters and cunning warriors.
Waterdeep has strong walls on its landward sides and is protected in part by Mount Waterdeep on the seaward side. Mount Waterdeep is studded with watch towers and defensive positions, and patrolled by special guard units on flights of griffons known as the Griffon Cavalry.
The city is also home to the eight enormous Walking Statues of Waterdeep. Seven of these statues can be animated by the Blackstaff of Waterdeep to defend the city, while one is too damaged to be activated. These statues are extremely destructive and only used to fend off armies or win otherwise impossible battles.
Industry & Trade
Imports
Grain, livestock, leather, ore, timber, and exotic goods from other landsExports
Ale, arms, cloth, fish, furnishings, leather goods, pottery, refined metals, and all other sorts of finished goodsInfrastructure
Along with the Wards, there are some key roads:
- Trade Way, the trade route to the south.
- Long Road, the inland trade route to the north.
- High Road, the coastal trade route to the north, not to be confused with the stretch of the road that passed through the city.
Districts
The Wards of Waterdeep
Waterdeep has long been divided into several large regions called wards. To locals these are essential to Waterdeep, but outsiders often lose track of which ward they’re in or what a ward’s name signifies. The names of the wards suggest the contents of the buildings and the character of the activity in each one, but no laws exist that restrict a given activity or class of people to any specific ward.Castle Ward
As the name indicates, Castle Ward contains Castle Waterdeep, Piergeiron’s Palace, and many other public buildings of the city. This ward is home to mainly the wealthy or influential who can’t count themselves among the nobility. Other structures are taken up by educational or religious concerns that primarily serve the city at large, not the residents of the ward.Dock Ward
Most of the city’s harbor area is located in Dock Ward, as are the businesses and warehouses that depend on the city’s newly restored harbor. It’s a crowded neighborhood of many winding streets, where folk are comfortable making deals that might in other places provoke the displeasure of the law.Field Ward
Of relatively recent vintage, the Field Ward stands between the inner and outer north walls of the city (an area formerly used as a caravan grounds). This ward grew up in a messy, unregulated fashion and is home to many of the poorest residents of the city.North Ward
Home to many noble villas, townhouses, and a great many inns, North Ward is the neighborhood of the respectably wealthy.Sea Ward
Those whose fortunes are on the rise build their homes in Sea Ward, and they join many long-established noble families in residence. This area in the northwest of the city is home to much of the city’s wealth, the location of the grandest villas of the city’s noble families (except for those in North Ward).Southern Ward
Stables, warehouses, and shops related to overland trade dominate Southern Ward. Most residents are hardworking folk that load and unload caravan carts, and otherwise perform low-paying work.Trades Ward
A narrow slice of land between the Castle Ward and the City of the Dead, Trades Ward is the center of commerce for the city, with most of the smaller transactions and respectable trade taking place here.City of the Dead
The city’s walled cemetery, the City of the Dead and Outside City Proper is the only place in Waterdeep where it is legal to bury the deceased. It is used by many citizens as a public park during the day, a lovely green space of pretty mausoleums and grand statues in which to escape the city’s hustle and bustle.Undercliff
While not considered by many to be a ward of the city, the little villages and many farms that sprawl across the land east of the city were lawfully incorporated into Waterdeep when it moved a barracks and training facility to the area. More in depth information can be found here at The Wards of WaterdeepGuilds and Factions
Geography
Waterdeep is located in the north on the sword coast. The city spreads out along the flanks of Mount Waterdeep.
Waterdeep Crest
Founding Date
936 DR
Alternative Name(s)
City of Splendors, Crown of the North
Type
Metropolis
Population
1 347 840 (City of Waterdeep, Metropolis: 132 661)
Inhabitant Demonym
Waterdavian
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Ruling/Owning Rank
Characters in Location