Guild of Watermen

The Guild of Watermen

The Guild of Watermen is a group of Waterdhavian dockmen and sailors that keep Deepwater Harbor clean and free from debris and ferry goods from moored ships to the dock. Due to the large number of ships coming in and out of Waterdeep's port, their duties have them working round-the-clock. Fortunately, the importance of their labors is well-known. They are the masters of the city's Dock Ward and know all the harbor's currents, its varying depths, and every drain pipe that empties from the sewers.

Activities

Using a fleet of skiffs and small ferries, the Watermen remove any errant crates or other debris that can possibly clog the harbor, clear away seaweed from ship hulls, and dispose of any bodies they come across. In addition, they load and unload nearly all of the ships that come into the city's docks. 
They are allowed to keep any cargo they recover, as long as it isn't claimed by its previous owner within a period of seven months. If the owner identified lost goods, sufficient to the judgement of a local magister, but do not wish to immediately pick it up, the city stores the goods for some time and pay the Watermen a finder's fee of 1 gp.

Costs

The guild charges 1 sp per man-hour to load or unload cargo from ships. This fee is increased to 2 sp if they have to handle hazardous or potentially deadly goods such as caged beasts, incendiary items or oil, or creatures that carry disease of the body or mind.

Uniform

Guild livery consists of blue raincoats and white, formless hats.

Notable Members

• Zzundar Thul: "Master of the Harbor" during the late 14th century DR
• Jaster Thul: The guild's spokesman in the same period

Type

Guild, Professional