Castle Waterdeep
“The Warding Crown”
Castle Waterdeep rises from the western cliffs of Mount Waterdeep like the crown of the city itself—an austere and immovable monument of stone that has loomed over the city for centuries. Its walls are impossibly thick, its silhouette unmistakable against the skyline. From the Dock Ward to the far side of the field, all roads seem to glance toward it. For most commonfolk, the castle is not a place one enters. It is simply there—watching, waiting, guarding. A place where Lords tread, and the rest know to mind their business.
Exterior and Structure
The fortress is a massive edifice of granite quarried from the mountain it rests upon, shaped into battlements, towers, and curtain walls that seem untouched by time. Flags bearing the symbol of Waterdeep—a crescent moon above a ship—flutter high from the turrets, though the banners change more often than the faces of those who guard it. A great road called the High Road snakes its way up the mount toward the main gates, which are sealed more often than not. The path is flanked by statues of lions and griffons, each said to be enchanted with old protective magic. Torch sconces burn night and day, fueled by spells instead of flame. Locals whisper that the castle has more defenders than can be seen—stone guardians, blades that float in the air, and spells that turn arrows mid-flight. The walls are dotted with arrow slits, but it’s the main towers that draw the eye: the West Tower, known as the Watcher’s Roost, and the High Tower of the Hand, said to house the private chambers of the Open Lord—though no one can say for sure. At night, mage-light traces the windows like glimmering eyes, and when storms come, the thunder echoes louder from the castle than from the sky.Interior: Known and Imagined
Ordinary folk are rarely allowed past the outer ward, and even then only under strict supervision. Merchants with appointments, messengers on royal business, or petitioners lucky enough to be granted audience might see the first court—a cold, echoing space of stone and shadow where armored guards stand still as statues. It is said there are always more watching than you see. Beyond that lie halls and chambers none outside the nobility or government have ever truly walked. Some say there is a grand council room where the Masked Lords meet, and a secret vault beneath the keep where the city’s most dangerous relics are sealed away. Others claim the walls themselves hear and remember, that the castle was built with old magic, and no secret told within survives in silence for long. What is known for certain is this: the Lords of Waterdeep meet here. The Open Lord resides here. And no army, not in a hundred generations, has ever breached its gates. For the common folk, Castle Waterdeep is a place of unreachable power and unyielding law. A place of secrets, of watchful stone, and of judgment that trickles down like rain from on high. And when bells ring from its towers, the city listens.
Parent Location
Owner
