Moondell
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Contents
Moondell
History
Brief History
Waterdeep was used as a trading site for trade activities between northern tribesmen and southern merchants from -1088 DR onwards. By 52 DR, permanent farms had sprung up in the area.<ref name="CoS:CG-p29">Template:Cite book/City of Splendors (boxed set)/Campaign Guide</ref> The name "Waterdeep" (not as a city, but as a town) was used by the ship captains docking to trade at the port, and it was slowly adopted into common use. The city was truly established by 1032 DR, the year Ahghairon became the first Lord of Waterdeep, and the date from which Northreckoning is counted.<ref name="FRCS-p180">Template:Cite book/Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition</ref>
The city grew spectacularly, such that by 1248 DR both the City of the Dead and the guilds had been developed. The guild masters seized control soon afterwards, ushering in a period of unrest and bitter conflict known as the Guild wars. The Guild wars ended only when the two surviving guild masters brought in their own period of misrule. It was only in 1273 DR that the present system of government 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.<ref name="FRCS-p180"/>
Humankind and other races came from all over the Realms to earn hard coin in the City of Splendors.Template:Fact Over the years these successful merchants set up guilds and themselves became nobility, supporting the secretive Lords of Waterdeep who policed the city fairly, yet with a light hand, by means of the superb City Guard (soldiers), City Watch (police)<ref name="FRCS-p178"/> and over 20 black-robed magistrates.<ref name="CS:W-p14">Template:Cite book/City of Splendors: Waterdeep</ref> As a result, Waterdeep was a place tolerant of different races, religions, and lifestyles. This in turn encouraged commerce and Waterdeep grew into a huge, eclectic city.<ref name="FRCS-p178"/>
- Population 3985
- Established around 1322 Year of Lurking Death
The Waterdeep Way is the portal to Waterdeep and is under guard from both sides and those that wish to use the portal must have proper documents in hand due to the abuse of the portal in its first years by the Weeping Willows thieves guild. Moonbeam Citadel is the Largest Church in town run by the Oracle of Moondell, a blind priestess named Claudia. Hanging from a large alter behind the pulpit are 2 relics of selune once carried by Colby, the fairly new stonework to the right of the alter signifies how the relics feel about theft. Gree Manor, a giant halfling hole / house is left abandoned but unmolested by the locals mostly due to the owners ties to the thieves guild and the lord of the town. Three inns, The Moondeep Tavern, The Trail Inn and The Hungry Halfling. The Hungry Halfling is the smallest inn in town on the north side near the waterfall. it is owned and staffed by a large halfling clan of "former" thieves from everlund, the eldest and head of the clan is called Grand Pappi. Grand Pappi is missing his right foot. Suspected to be a front for the Weeping Willows thieves guild. The Trails Inn is the first inn your would see if you came in by the south road, a two story inn run by a pair of dwarves that care for the place themselves. a married pair from two rival groups, (hes (Torsten) a deep dwarf and shes (Fatina) a shield dwarf) they moved to moondell to escape ridicule. Commonly said to be the best place to eat in town. The Moondeep Tavern is the largest inn at three stories tall with a full basement. The Innkeeper Lars is a human wizard/cleric that moved to town from waterdeep when his item shop went under. A minor trinket he can mass produce has given him a large advantage, its a small clay tablet that once broken will instantly teleport the owner back to the inn from any location on the plane. The inn is completely staffed by contructs and unseen servants making the service excellent while leaving the cooking somewhat lacking. Eight main shops in town, scolls and potions, blacksmith, tailor, books and maps, mundane gear, pack animals and carts, musical instruments, and food stuffs and rare plants. The Moondeep tavern doubles as the towns magic shop selling scrolls, potions and magical knick knacks along side the famous returning tiles. The Musty Tome is the towns library / bookstore and map maker, run by an elderly male gnome linguist named Yiran.
Government
Template:Main Waterdeep was ruled by a council whose membership was largely secret. These hidden Lords of Waterdeep maintained their identities behind magical masks, called helms and while they ruled in public, none knew the true identities of most of them.<ref name="FRCS-p178"/> 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 rumors afloat.<ref name="FRCS-p179"/>
Trade
As of around 1370 DR, stone was imported from Mirabar via Luskan for use in construction, having been magically transported. This was an expensive process.<ref name="VoloN-p152">Template:Cite book/Volo's Guide to the North</ref>
Around 1374 DR, during the late autumn time, wagons and cart overcrowded the markets as foreign vendors attempted to sell as much as possible before returning home for the winter. This was a practice ignored by the Guard, the Watch and the guilds.<ref name="B-p32">Template:Cite book/Blackstaff/MMP</ref>
Waterdeep was the start of several trade routes:
- The Long Road, the inland trade route to the north.<ref name="CS:W-p15">Template:Cite book/City of Splendors: Waterdeep</ref>
- The High Road, the coastal trade route to the north.<ref name="CS:W-p15"/>
- The Trade Way, the trade route to the south.<ref name="CS:W-p15"/>
Defense and justice
Template:Main Waterdeep maintained two separate armed forces, the Guard and the Watch. The City Guard served as Waterdeep's soldiery and its members staffed garrisons, road patrols, and watchposts, and served as bodyguards and gate guards. The Watch was the local police force<ref name="FRCS-p178"/> and in addition to capturing criminals, its members settled petty disputes, gave directions, summoned medical and priestly aid, generally performing duties that promoted the idea that Waterdeep was a city open to all who know how to behave themselves.<ref name="CS:W-p35">Template:Cite book/City of Splendors: Waterdeep</ref>
Waterdeep had strong walls on its landward sides and was protected in part by Mount Waterdeep on the seaward side. Mount Waterdeep was studded with watch towers and defensive positions, and patrolled by special guard units on flights of hippogriffs. Aside from this Waterdeep also benefited from a large native population of the adventuring classes (including powerful mages, priests, and warriors) who were more than willing to deal with any and all miscreants who threatened their home city, and did so in the past. This often proved the City of Splendors most potent defense.Template:Fact
Waterdhavian justice was dispatched by the Magisters, who directed the common courts of the city. These Black Robes, as they were often called, were empowered to pass sentences.<ref name="CS:W-p14"/> They were always accompanied by six members of the guard.Template:Fact Any individuals found guilty could appeal to the Lord's Court, ruled over by the masked Lords of Waterdeep, where serious cases were usually heard.<ref name="CS:W-p14"/> Individuals bringing frivolous cases to the Lord's Court usually faced stiffer fines than if they accepted a magister's ruling.Template:Fact
Other important factions
Guilds
Template:Main It was said that the Lords ruled Waterdeep but do not truly run it. This was quite true, in that there were a number of other factions who made up Waterdeep.Template:Fact The most noticeable were the guilds—powerful merchant and craft organizations that controlled much of the life-blood of the city. Once, the guilds ruled the city, and it almost destroyed itself in a series of internal commercial wars. No one wanted to see those days return.<ref name="FRCS-p179"/>
Nobility
Template:Main A second important Waterdhavian faction was the local nobility. It consisted of 76 families of varying degrees of power, most of whom could trace their lines to before the founding of Waterdeep itself.<ref name="CS:W-p59">Template:Cite book/City of Splendors: Waterdeep</ref> Many powerful names came out of Waterdeep, including the Amcathras (whose scion is nowTemplate:Timescale Lord of Shadowdale),<ref name="CS:W-p61">Template:Cite book/City of Splendors: Waterdeep</ref> the Cassalanters, wealthy moneylenders,Template:Fact as well as the Wands, a family of powerful and noble wizards.<ref name="CS:W-p63">Template:Cite book/City of Splendors: Waterdeep</ref>
Merchants
Third, a rising merchant class existed outside the standard guilds. These were caravan and coaster operators, and they used Waterdeep as a destination for their caravan goods. More shops offered a variety of different goods because of this growing group. The most notable of these new merchants was the retired wizardess Aurora, who established a magical retail organization to supply a wide number of patrons across the North with specialized items.Template:Fact