Castle Ward
The Cast le Ward is the heart and mind ofWaterdeep, if
not its sou l. ft houses the city's military forces, courts,
government, and the Market- the largest market square
of any city in the North. 1l encompasses the City Navy's
docks in the Great Harbor and all of Mount Waterdeep,
and it is home lo s ix walking statues, numerous temples,
and many other landmarks.
Cast le Waterdeep sta nds above the city on a great
bluff that ex tends 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 longlived
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. lfyou have
reason to be invited (not compelled, r should hope!) to
meet with the Masked Lords or the Open Lord ofWaterdeep,
it will likely take place in the audience cha mber 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 Ci ty 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 sma llest resident population of all the wards.
Many landmarks of interest are found in this ward
aside from the six walking s tatues (discussed later in
this chapbook). You could hardly see them all in a day,
but the following are highly recommended.
BlackstaffTower 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
l ong-absen t owner. Mirt has quite a history with Durnan, the proprietor of
the Yawning P ortal. Together they descended into "the
Well," as the e ntrance to Undermountain was known in
old en days. Waterdeep used to throw criminals in the
We ll, leavin g them to die horribly in Unde rmountain's
dungeons. Durnan and Mirl ente red th e dungeons of
their own free will - and no t only that, but re turned
laden with treasures. Both used magic to extend their
li ves, but they eventually parted way s. Mirt kept on with
a life of adventure, while Duman built the tavern called
the Yawning Portal over the Well and now, almost two
centuri es late r, charges coin to descend into it. Not a bad
way to part fools from their money!
The g lorious Spi res of the Morning, dedicated to
Lathander, is one of Waterdeep's most beautiful temples.
But it is r ivaled in this ward by the Temple of the
Seldarine, d edicated to all the e lf gods. The journey
through Mount Melody Walk, a tunnel c ut through
Mount Waterdeep, to New Olamn's academy of mus ic
and other arts is a wondrous daytime e xc ursion. The
Market offers a wild array of s ig hts, smell s, and sounds
in which folk might lose themselves for a tenday. The
Font of Knowledge is a temple to Oghma, yes, but also
the c ity's largest public library. Titles written throughout
the ages can be viewed here- und er the watchful eyes of
the temple's priests. In short (if I can claim this section
of the enchiridion to be such), the Castl e Ward offers far
too many s pl endors to li st them all here.
TwE STAT ELY, CLEAN , /\N O IVELL·OEl'EN OEO C AS T LE WARD
The Castle Ward's colors are bl ue and purple, and its
mascot is a griffon. typically depicted in gold. These borrow
colors from the c ity's flag and reference the Griffon
Cava lry, of course. Champions for the wa rd 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 competition s, their crowds of
rabidly cheering fans are naturally much smalle r than
those of other wards.
Included Locations
