Waterdeep (city)
Encyclopedia
Waterdeep is a fictional city-state
that forms part of a popular Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
campaign setting
called the Forgotten Realms
. It is a port city that is located along the western coast of the Faerûn
sub-continent. Known as the City of Splendors, Waterdeep is one of the largest and busiest cities—and one of the most important political powers—on the continent. The population is primarily human, although other races dwell therein. The city government consists of a cryptocracy
of (mostly) anonymous individuals known as the Masked Lords of Waterdeep.
Underneath a rise in the western part of the city is an extensive complex of tunnels and chambers known as the Undermountain. This dungeon has been used as an adventure setting for several computer games.
's house campaign, and is the most important city in the north of the Forgotten Realms setting.
campaign setting
. These describe Waterdeep, or the City of Splendors, as the most important and influential city in the northwestern part of the Faerûn
continent, an area referred to as the North. Geographically, the city is included in a region called the Heartlands of the Realms, even though it lies 150 miles north of the western Heartland town of Daggerford
, along the Sword Coast. The roads to Waterdeep are described as well paved and well patrolled. The city serves as a trading hub, tying together the mineral-rich lands to the north, the merchant kingdoms of Amn and Calimshan to the south, the kingdoms of the Inner Sea to the east, and the sea kingdoms and traders to the west.
Waterdeep is named for its outstanding natural deepwater harbor, which has made the city a commercial crossroads. The population of the city is listed as approximately 130,000, with more than one million Waterdhavians making their home within the city's territorial area. The city sprawls northward from the sea, spreading along the flanks of Mount Waterdeep, a solitary mountain. Mt. Waterdeep is indicated to have been a citadel of a fantasy race called the dwarves, and the entire length and great depth of the mountain is riddled with passages and tunnels, most of which are still occupied by deadly creatures whose presence in the mountain pre-dates the founding of the city itself. For gaming purposes, Waterdeep is an attractive location for adventurers because it has a large adventuring site, the Undermountain, located near temples and other health recovery areas.
Despite its size, the inhabitants of Waterdeep are described as largely benevolent and ethically good-natured
people. This is due to the efforts of a group called the Masked Lords, the patrols of the Waterdeep City Watch, and the close proximity of Skullport, which draws away those prone to unlawful or unethical behavior. Skullport is located directly below Waterdeep in the Upper Underdark
—a region of extensive caverns and tunnels beneath Faerûn.
Waterdeep was founded by local tribes who benefited from trading timber and furs with southern merchants, and the settlement's deep harbor gave the city its name. These were violent times, and a savage human tribe overran the settlement and built defenses and fortified their new homes. As tribes of humanoids advanced on Waterdeep, more human tribes converged on the settlement, swelling its size and number of defenders, and after savage battles, Waterdeep emerged as a free city ruled by War Lords. The mighty mage Ahairon then overthrew the last of the War Lords and established a government based on wisdom instead of armed might, and he ruled the city with a group of masked Lords who were secretly selected to govern. When Aghairon died 200 years later, his rule was followed by a brief period of anarchy, as powerful guildmasters attempted to gain sole control of the city, until Aghairon's surviving fellow lords took steps to reestablish the rule of the Lords.
The city grew rapidly, such that by 1248 DR both the City of the Dead and the various trade guilds had been developed. The guildmasters seized control of the city soon afterward, ushering in a period of unrest and bitter conflict known as the Guildwars. The Guildwars ended only when the two surviving guildmasters brought in their own period of misrule. It was only in 1273 DR that the present system of government (or lack thereof) was instituted. This was the year that the Magisters were established and the secret Lords of Waterdeep were firmly reestablished.
Since that time, the city has continued to grow and prosper. Humankind and other races come from parts of the Realms to engage in business in the Waterdeep, now known as the City of Splendors. Over the years these successful merchants set up guilds and themselves become nobility, supporting the secretive Lords of Waterdeep who police the city fairly, by means of the well-trained city guard (soldiers), city watch (police), and over 20 black-robed magistrates. As a result, Waterdeep is now described as a place tolerant of different races, religions, and lifestyles. This in turn has encouraged commerce, and Waterdeep has grown into a huge, eclectic city.
The archmage Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun was also of the Lords, and perhaps chief among them, exceeding even Piergeiron. Three members of The Four
(excluding Randal Morn, who rules far Daggerdale); Mirt the Moneylender and his wife Asper
, and Durnan
the barkeeper and owner of the Yawning Portal are revealed to be Lords of Waterdeep in several of Ed Greenwood's stories. Though the names of the courtesan Larissa and Texter the Paladin have been connected with the Lords, evidence exists to both prove or disprove claims that they are Lords. Beyond these listed conjecture swings widely as to who is a Lord and who is not.
The Lords appear in public only in the Lords' Court, hearing all cases of murder, treason, misuse of magic, and appeals from lower courts. On such occasions there are always at least four Lords present, but sometimes six or seven are seen, and rarely as many as nine. Piergeiron chairs the Court and asks all questions, for the Lords speak through him. In chambers the Lords all appear similarly masked and robed, their robes formless and black, with black capes, and their masks completely covering the head and face. These masks have featureless faces, with mirrored crystals over the eyes, save for Piergeironís. He has had his face covering separated from his helm, and lets those who appear before the Court see his face.
Khelben's status as Masked Lord was later revealed, but only after resigning the post, and in the Songs and Swords series of novel, Danilo Thann, of Waterdeep's wealthy and influential Thann family, and Khelben's nephew, became one of the secret Lords.
s, drow, beholder
s and other less savory creatures traffic with merchants and buccaneers from the surface. This settlement was detailed in the 1999 supplement Skulldeep, written by Joseph Wolf.
of caverns in the Underdark
under the area of Waterdeep. It was created by Ed Greenwood
in 1975. This was the first dungeon for his fledgling Forgotten Realms
campaign setting
, and he used the Undermountain in both his Dungeons & Dragons and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons games. In 2003, Waterdeep and Undermountain served as part of the setting for the Neverwinter Nights
computer role playing game expansion, Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark
.
The third level contains Skullport, also known as the Port of Shadows, and Qilué’s Promenade of Eilistraee, a temple complex northeast of Skullport. The latter dedicated to the followers of a deity named Eilistraee.
There are ruins of an ancient Ghaunadaur-worshiping drow city in a part of Undermountain near the Promenade whose inhabitants were single-handedly driven away by Halaster while he was creating Undermountain. The lower three levels were delved by dwarves
. Below that not much campaign information is available. Madgoth’s Castle also lies below the depths of Undermountain.
Many magical portals lead into Undermountain from all over Faerûn
.
This dungeon is the titular location of Descent to Undermountain
, a game maligned as "a classic example of a game that was shipped too early."
developed by Westwood Studios
and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc.
The game plot concerns an unidentified evil presence located underneath Waterdeep. The character controlled by the player is dispatched to investigate, but becomes trapped following a cave-in of a sewer tunnel. The goal thereafter is to escape through the dungeon, which is replete with traps and monsters.
Hordes of The Underdark
, second expansion of Neverwinter Nights
, features Waterdeep and Undermountain in the first levels of the game.
City-state
A city-state is an independent or autonomous entity whose territory consists of a city which is not administered as a part of another local government.-Historical city-states:...
that forms part of a popular Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
called the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
. It is a port city that is located along the western coast of the Faerûn
Faerûn
Faerûn is a fictional subcontinent, the primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms. It is described at a relatively high level in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting from Wizards of the Coast, and various locales and aspects are described in more detail by separate...
sub-continent. Known as the City of Splendors, Waterdeep is one of the largest and busiest cities—and one of the most important political powers—on the continent. The population is primarily human, although other races dwell therein. The city government consists of a cryptocracy
Cryptocracy
Cryptocracy, from the ancient Greek κρυπτός and κραττείν , refers to a type of government where the real leaders are hidden, or merely unknown. A puppet government or figurehead, whether aware or not of their status as such, usually figures into this type of government in concept...
of (mostly) anonymous individuals known as the Masked Lords of Waterdeep.
Underneath a rise in the western part of the city is an extensive complex of tunnels and chambers known as the Undermountain. This dungeon has been used as an adventure setting for several computer games.
Development
The City of Waterdeep was an integral part of Ed GreenwoodEd Greenwood
Ed Greenwood is a Canadian writer and editor who created the Forgotten Realms. He invented the Forgotten Realms as a child, as a fantasy world in which to set the stories he imagined, and later used this world as a campaign setting for his own personal Dungeons & Dragons playing group...
's house campaign, and is the most important city in the north of the Forgotten Realms setting.
General
The city-state of Waterdeep is documented in several publications that support the Forgotten RealmsForgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
. These describe Waterdeep, or the City of Splendors, as the most important and influential city in the northwestern part of the Faerûn
Faerûn
Faerûn is a fictional subcontinent, the primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms. It is described at a relatively high level in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting from Wizards of the Coast, and various locales and aspects are described in more detail by separate...
continent, an area referred to as the North. Geographically, the city is included in a region called the Heartlands of the Realms, even though it lies 150 miles north of the western Heartland town of Daggerford
Daggerford
Daggerford is a location in the fictional Forgotten Realms setting of Dungeons and Dragons.-General:The village of Daggerford lies along the Shining River along the Sword Coast in Western Faerûn. It is a walled town with a population of approximately 900, with a number of outlying hamlets, farms...
, along the Sword Coast. The roads to Waterdeep are described as well paved and well patrolled. The city serves as a trading hub, tying together the mineral-rich lands to the north, the merchant kingdoms of Amn and Calimshan to the south, the kingdoms of the Inner Sea to the east, and the sea kingdoms and traders to the west.
Waterdeep is named for its outstanding natural deepwater harbor, which has made the city a commercial crossroads. The population of the city is listed as approximately 130,000, with more than one million Waterdhavians making their home within the city's territorial area. The city sprawls northward from the sea, spreading along the flanks of Mount Waterdeep, a solitary mountain. Mt. Waterdeep is indicated to have been a citadel of a fantasy race called the dwarves, and the entire length and great depth of the mountain is riddled with passages and tunnels, most of which are still occupied by deadly creatures whose presence in the mountain pre-dates the founding of the city itself. For gaming purposes, Waterdeep is an attractive location for adventurers because it has a large adventuring site, the Undermountain, located near temples and other health recovery areas.
Despite its size, the inhabitants of Waterdeep are described as largely benevolent and ethically good-natured
Alignment (role-playing games)
In some role-playing games, alignment is a categorisation of the moral and ethical perspective of the player characters, non-player characters, monsters, and societies in the game....
people. This is due to the efforts of a group called the Masked Lords, the patrols of the Waterdeep City Watch, and the close proximity of Skullport, which draws away those prone to unlawful or unethical behavior. Skullport is located directly below Waterdeep in the Upper Underdark
Underdark
The Underdark is a fictional setting which has appeared in Dungeons & Dragons role-playing campaigns and Dungeons & Dragons-based fiction books, including the Legend of Drizzt series by R. A. Salvatore...
—a region of extensive caverns and tunnels beneath Faerûn.
History within the Forgotten Realms setting
Within the Forgotten Realms campaign history, years are listed in terms of Dalereckoning, or DR. The first mention of a Waterdeep (not as a city, but as a collection of warlords) occurs around 900 DR. The city was truly established as a growing concern by 1032 DR, the year Ahghairon became the first Lord of Waterdeep, and the date from which Northreckoning is counted.Waterdeep was founded by local tribes who benefited from trading timber and furs with southern merchants, and the settlement's deep harbor gave the city its name. These were violent times, and a savage human tribe overran the settlement and built defenses and fortified their new homes. As tribes of humanoids advanced on Waterdeep, more human tribes converged on the settlement, swelling its size and number of defenders, and after savage battles, Waterdeep emerged as a free city ruled by War Lords. The mighty mage Ahairon then overthrew the last of the War Lords and established a government based on wisdom instead of armed might, and he ruled the city with a group of masked Lords who were secretly selected to govern. When Aghairon died 200 years later, his rule was followed by a brief period of anarchy, as powerful guildmasters attempted to gain sole control of the city, until Aghairon's surviving fellow lords took steps to reestablish the rule of the Lords.
The city grew rapidly, such that by 1248 DR both the City of the Dead and the various trade guilds had been developed. The guildmasters seized control of the city soon afterward, ushering in a period of unrest and bitter conflict known as the Guildwars. The Guildwars ended only when the two surviving guildmasters brought in their own period of misrule. It was only in 1273 DR that the present system of government (or lack thereof) was instituted. This was the year that the Magisters were established and the secret Lords of Waterdeep were firmly reestablished.
Since that time, the city has continued to grow and prosper. Humankind and other races come from parts of the Realms to engage in business in the Waterdeep, now known as the City of Splendors. Over the years these successful merchants set up guilds and themselves become nobility, supporting the secretive Lords of Waterdeep who police the city fairly, by means of the well-trained city guard (soldiers), city watch (police), and over 20 black-robed magistrates. As a result, Waterdeep is now described as a place tolerant of different races, religions, and lifestyles. This in turn has encouraged commerce, and Waterdeep has grown into a huge, eclectic city.
Government
Waterdeep is ruled by a council whose membership is largely secret. These hidden Lords of Waterdeep maintain their identities behind magical masks; while they rule in public, none know the true identities of most of them. The subject of who the Lords are is a common topic of noble conversation, and some consider it a game to discover their identity, a game made more confusing by the fact the Lords themselves set their own rumors afloat. It is a known fact that Piergeiron the Paladinson, Warden of Waterdeep and Commander of the Watch, whose golden-spired palace dominates the center of the city, is a member of the Lords. He is the Unmasked Lord (in some references, the Open Lord), and wears no mask over either his face or his heart.The archmage Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun was also of the Lords, and perhaps chief among them, exceeding even Piergeiron. Three members of The Four
The Four
The Four can refer to:*The four prominent leaders of the Glasgow School*Four , a group of fictional comic book supervillains from the series Planetary*The Four , a 2008 TVB drama series...
(excluding Randal Morn, who rules far Daggerdale); Mirt the Moneylender and his wife Asper
Asper
- People :* Aemilius Asper, Latin grammarian* David Asper, Vice-president of CanWest Global Communications Corp.* Gail Asper, President of the CanWest Global Foundation and managing director and secretary of The Asper Foundation...
, and Durnan
Durnan
Durnan is an Irish Celtic surname...
the barkeeper and owner of the Yawning Portal are revealed to be Lords of Waterdeep in several of Ed Greenwood's stories. Though the names of the courtesan Larissa and Texter the Paladin have been connected with the Lords, evidence exists to both prove or disprove claims that they are Lords. Beyond these listed conjecture swings widely as to who is a Lord and who is not.
The Lords appear in public only in the Lords' Court, hearing all cases of murder, treason, misuse of magic, and appeals from lower courts. On such occasions there are always at least four Lords present, but sometimes six or seven are seen, and rarely as many as nine. Piergeiron chairs the Court and asks all questions, for the Lords speak through him. In chambers the Lords all appear similarly masked and robed, their robes formless and black, with black capes, and their masks completely covering the head and face. These masks have featureless faces, with mirrored crystals over the eyes, save for Piergeironís. He has had his face covering separated from his helm, and lets those who appear before the Court see his face.
Khelben's status as Masked Lord was later revealed, but only after resigning the post, and in the Songs and Swords series of novel, Danilo Thann, of Waterdeep's wealthy and influential Thann family, and Khelben's nephew, became one of the secret Lords.
Skullport
Skullport is a city that lies more than a mile beneath Waterdeep. Skullport is a lawless place of slave traders, pirates, and demi-humans, where illithidIllithid
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, illithids are monstrous humanoid aberrations with psionic powers. In a typical Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting, they live in the moist caverns and cities of the enormous Underdark...
s, drow, beholder
Beholder
The beholder is a fictional monster in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It resembles a floating orb of flesh with a large mouth, single central eye, and lots of smaller eyestalks on top with deadly magical powers....
s and other less savory creatures traffic with merchants and buccaneers from the surface. This settlement was detailed in the 1999 supplement Skulldeep, written by Joseph Wolf.
Undermountain
Undermountain is a vast labyrinthLabyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos...
of caverns in the Underdark
Underdark
The Underdark is a fictional setting which has appeared in Dungeons & Dragons role-playing campaigns and Dungeons & Dragons-based fiction books, including the Legend of Drizzt series by R. A. Salvatore...
under the area of Waterdeep. It was created by Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood is a Canadian writer and editor who created the Forgotten Realms. He invented the Forgotten Realms as a child, as a fantasy world in which to set the stories he imagined, and later used this world as a campaign setting for his own personal Dungeons & Dragons playing group...
in 1975. This was the first dungeon for his fledgling Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
, and he used the Undermountain in both his Dungeons & Dragons and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons games. In 2003, Waterdeep and Undermountain served as part of the setting for the Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights , produced by BioWare and published by Infogrames , is a third-person perspective computer role-playing game that is based on third edition Dungeons & Dragons and Forgotten Realms rules. It was originally to be published by Interplay Entertainment, but the publisher's financial...
computer role playing game expansion, Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark
Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark
Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark is an expansion pack for the role-playing video game Neverwinter Nights produced by BioWare and published by Infogrames Entertainment...
.
Campaign description
The published campaign information describes Undermountain as at least nine levels deep and possibly deeper. The majority of Undermountain was created and expanded from the natural caverns already in the area by a powerful and ancient wizard named Halaster Blackcloak, who dwelled in Undermountain and uses it as his personal playground and laboratory (307 DR–1370 DR).The third level contains Skullport, also known as the Port of Shadows, and Qilué’s Promenade of Eilistraee, a temple complex northeast of Skullport. The latter dedicated to the followers of a deity named Eilistraee.
There are ruins of an ancient Ghaunadaur-worshiping drow city in a part of Undermountain near the Promenade whose inhabitants were single-handedly driven away by Halaster while he was creating Undermountain. The lower three levels were delved by dwarves
Dwarf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, dwarves are a humanoid race, one of the primary races available for play as player characters...
. Below that not much campaign information is available. Madgoth’s Castle also lies below the depths of Undermountain.
Many magical portals lead into Undermountain from all over Faerûn
Faerûn
Faerûn is a fictional subcontinent, the primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms. It is described at a relatively high level in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting from Wizards of the Coast, and various locales and aspects are described in more detail by separate...
.
This dungeon is the titular location of Descent to Undermountain
Descent to Undermountain
Descent to Undermountain is a computer role-playing game created and distributed by Interplay in 1997. It was developed by Chris Avellone, Scott Bennie, John Deiley, Robert Holloway, and Steve Perrin. The game is based on the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, which was published at the...
, a game maligned as "a classic example of a game that was shipped too early."
In media
- Mark Anthony, Escape from Undermountain (Wizards of the Coast, 1996).
- Eric L. Boyd, Ed Greenwood, Christopher Lindsay, and Sean K. Reynolds, Expedition to Undermountain: Campaign Adventure (Wizards of the Coast, 2007).
Official Material
- Waterdeep and the NorthWaterdeep and the NorthWaterdeep and the North is an accessory for the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting Forgotten Realms.-Contents:...
- City of Splendors: Waterdeep (Excerpt)
- City SystemCity SystemCity System is an accessory for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:The City System set maps the city of Waterdeep in detail on 10 large color maps, with another map showing the city as a whole, and one more map that plots the interior of Castle Waterdeep...
- "Welcome to Waterdeep", Dragon #128.
In media
The Eye of the Beholder was a 1990 role-playing video gameRole-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
developed by Westwood Studios
Westwood Studios
Westwood Studios was a computer and video game developer, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was founded by Brett Sperry and Louis Castle in as Westwood Associates, and renamed to Westwood Studios when it merged with Virgin Interactive in...
and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc.
Strategic Simulations, Inc.
Strategic Simulations, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher with over 100 titles to its credit since its founding in 1979. It was especially noted for its numerous wargames, its official computer game adaptations of Dungeons & Dragons, and for the groundbreaking Panzer General...
The game plot concerns an unidentified evil presence located underneath Waterdeep. The character controlled by the player is dispatched to investigate, but becomes trapped following a cave-in of a sewer tunnel. The goal thereafter is to escape through the dungeon, which is replete with traps and monsters.
Hordes of The Underdark
Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark
Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark is an expansion pack for the role-playing video game Neverwinter Nights produced by BioWare and published by Infogrames Entertainment...
, second expansion of Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights , produced by BioWare and published by Infogrames , is a third-person perspective computer role-playing game that is based on third edition Dungeons & Dragons and Forgotten Realms rules. It was originally to be published by Interplay Entertainment, but the publisher's financial...
, features Waterdeep and Undermountain in the first levels of the game.