North Ward of Waterdeep

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Notable Neighborhoods
  • Copper Street: Agundar Court, Banner Cut, Cragscut, Manycats, Midcopper, the Sidle, Smallgrove, Snakewatch, Tarumcourt
  • Dawnwall: Blackhook, Eastwall, Endcliff Lane, Farwatch, Grovecourt, Horn Court, Horn's Echo, Lion Street, Maidenswatch, the Passar, Taeyuma's Ride, Tayver's Cut, Trollmarch, Ussilbran Street
  • East of High: Brondar's Way, Ilzantil Street, Threecrowns, Twocourts, Urantil's Switch, Vorenna's Promenade, Wavestar Court
  • Lower Suldown: Aveen Street, Black Cat Way, Brahir's Street, Carversgate, Deadcliffe, Magecourt, South Nindabar, Welcourt
  • Northmarch: Brassfeather, Fivecross, Kennet's Path, Pikespoint, Stargarde, Sundershield, Thunderstaff Way, Trollskull Alley
Trades Ward Lifestyles
  • Wretched: xxx
  • Squalid: xxx
  • Poor: xxx
  • Modest: xxx
  • Comfortable: xxx
  • Wealthy: xxx
  • Aristocratic: xxx
• Waterdeep •
The Gem of the North
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Home to the many wealthier middle class, lesser nobles, and well-to-do merchants, North Ward is a quiet haven from the hustle and bustle of Waterdeep's commercial endeavors. Dominated by residences, this ward tends toward insular, walled villas and distinctly individual stone and timber houses. While, on the surface, it seems tedious compared to the rest of the city, North Ward seethes with intrigues of far-reaching effects hidden just beneath the surface. There is little for visitors to do within this ward beyond gawk at the marvelous houses and towers, unless they are already linked into the nobles' or guilds' politics.

The city watch keeps this ward under tight control, suffering noise and disruption only from the local nobles and dandies while rousting noisy trespassers. Though lightly armed, the watch maintains a constant presence in North Ward, making it as safe as one can be in a city of this size. If ever a place "closes down upon the cobbles at dusk," North Ward fits the bill.

North Ward's western boundaries consist of the High Road with a western arm extending to Shield Street along Vondhil Street and Trader's Way. Andamaar's Street marks the southern border, while the walls of the City of the Dead and the Trollwall close out the rest of the ward.

Architecture

The first thing to notice here is the lack of row buildings that dominate much of Waterdeep, Herein the lowest types of buildings are two-story cottages with expensive wood and slate decorations. The more common domiciles share such details as wrought iron fences, rooftop spires, gabled roofs, and ornate carving work on statuary and wallwork alike. The walled noble villas and grand merchant houses contain gardens with elaborate adornments. In many ways, this ward seems more prosperous than Sea Ward, but the neighbors to the west are quick to remind folk that "we need not show our wealth and station in such gaudy, tactless ways, for we are above such petty oneupsmanship."

Nearly all of the streets and alleys in North Ward are cobblestone-paved, testifying to the comparable youth of this area. The Dungsweepers' Guild members all prefer to work here, as the haughty, affluent inhabitants often pay well for additional streetsweeping (and "accidental" mishaps upon the stoops of rivals).

Watch of North Ward

Wardsman: Sturmnir the Uthgardt (Vhezoar St. Watchpost)

  • Tower March Watchpost: Rorden: Ernoldus Crae • x patrols
  • Wavestar Court Watchpost: Rorden: Halette Locast • x patrols
  • Vhezoar St. Watchpost: Rorden: Svert Hostane • x patrols
  • Golden Serpent St. Watchpost: Rorden: Fritha Throngmar • x patrols
  • Nindabar St. Watchpost: Rorden: Galberra Knuckletom • x patrols

Residences

Noble Villas

Private Homes

  • Sweetsong House: The private residence of Danilo Thann before he was the Open Lord, Sweetsong House still remains in Thann holdings. It is currently given over to Corylus Thann as his private residence.

Rentals

  • Greenglade Tower: Rooming House (mages)
  • Firesong Villa: Rental Villa
  • Brianne's Tower: Rental Tower
  • Orlpar's House: Rental house (owned by House Husteem)

Businesses

  • The Bent Nail: Shop (Ironmongery)
  • Breerdil's Fine Wines: Shop (Wine) (4c). A fine wine shop. There is a small stream of water that runs from a water feature in the shop, out the shop to form a small stream (complete with walking bridge over it) and flows into Dailantha's.
  • Bhephel's Bottles, Exotic Wines & Cordials: Shop (Wines & Alcohol) (5c). One of the finest spirits shops in Waterdeep, specializing in having the widest offerings from around Faerûn. Their small size belies their actual business, for many of their customers simply have them ship their purchases directly from warehouse to residences, without ever entering the shop.
  • Corondorr's Countinghouse: School (Finances). A school that caters to young guild members and unguilded shopkeepers desiring to learn number skills and "how business is really practices" from a cynical, veteran clerk-of-coin retired from Piergeiron's Palace.
  • Dailantha's Herbs & Exotic Plants: Shop (Herbs and Plants) (4c). A fine herbal shop, complete with a small stream of water that runs through it.
  • Downybeard Tobacconist: Shop (Tobacco). A small, aromatic shop with a wide variety of pipeweed, tobacco and snuff. Its owner Lucilla Downybeard is descended from the original Kro Downybeard, a halfling from Luiren. She makes good coin on a made-to-order service offering wooden pipes with hand-carved crests and symbols on them.
  • Earthenware Wonders: Shop (Clay Goods). xxx
  • The Eltorchul Academy: Wizard School (5c). A pair of tall towers, connected by a two-story campus building with living spaces and common areas. Named for one of the old Waterdhavian Houses known for their magical education, the Eltorchul Academy was the first academy the Watchful Order ever took over from someone else. Based out of the North Ward, Eltorchul students tend to be nobles without connections to get them proper training. Noble scions with the intellect and inclination toward arcane mastery study here under noble members of the Watchful Order who can best teach them about the realities of being a spell-wielding noble in Waterdeep.
  • The Grand Salle: Fencing School. A highly respected school of swordwork run by and on the villa grounds of House Agundar.
  • Hriiat Fine Pastries: Shop (Bread) (3c). A wondrous bakery run by a family long of the Bakers' Guild, with constant crowds forming when the smells of new pastries roll out into the streets. Its meat and vegetable meal loaf is a savory meal for those on the go.
  • Robelard's Fine Silks: Shop (Silk and Luxury Textiles (5c). xxx
  • Sulmest's Splendid Shoes & Boots: Shop (Shoes) (5c). A frighteningly expensive shop for footwear, but their guarantees on craftsmanship bear up as well as their fashionable boots do.
  • Three Moves Ahead: Shop (Games). A shop owned by the elven artisan Eatiel, a well-known craftsman and collector. The proprietor established his shop in the mid-1300s, and continues to run it even today.
  • The Tirelessly Turning Wheel: Shop (Curios from around Faerûn) (4c). A vast and wonderful curio shop, with oddities and interesting gew-gaws from around most of the known world, and a few other places besides.
  • Wands Academy: Wizard School. This Academy is one of the few such left in the city that isn't run by the Watchful Order. Three stories in height and on the grounds of the House Wands villa, the academy's ground floor features a large gathering chamber generally used for meals and addressing the whole of the student body, plus the academy's library, divided into deeper and deeper vaults of lore. Each student has an attuned badge that gives them access to the vaults they are permitted, as well as allowing them open the glass-fronted cases within those vaults. The second story is exclusively classroom space, as is half of the third floor, the rest of which is spellcasting chambers and student labs.

Warehouses

  • Kormallis Warehouse: xxx
  • Robelard's Warehouse: xxx

Nightlife

Inns

  • The Galloping Minotaur: Inn (4c•3a). An inn well-favored among visiting merchants that has had to expand its operations to two other buildings and implement Waterdeep's first advance bookings system. Known as a busy place with lots of overstuffed merchants, bustling messengers, and secret passages by which the servants get around.
  • The Cliffwatch: Inn (3c•3a). An inn of tremendous size that caters mostly to wealth merchants and their caravans, the Cliffwatch is the beating heart of its neighborhood. Though blown up in the 1370s sometime, the Spindrivver family rebuilt it taller and grander than before.
  • Swordshire House: Inn (4c•4a). A grand building that is best described as a cozy halfling burrow blown up to human-sized scale, the Swordshire attracts mostly out of towners as well as the occasional noble party looking for a unique venue for their celebrations. Notably, most hin-folk find it tacky and ridiculous. Even the most grumpy of them are forced to admit that there is no better curated collection of "hill wines" - as the wines made from sweet root vegetables made by halfling folk - to be found in Waterdeep. Its proprietor, Harnorr Leerthyn, is the Speaker for the Fellowship of Innkeepers.
  • Twilight Hunters: Inn. An inn decorated with various adventuring equipment and battle trophies, the Twilight Hunter is named for an adventuring company of old that owned it. The tropies are actually those gathered by the company from its days of adventuring. It is now in the holding of some of their descendants, all of whom have been inkeeps for generations now. The inn's taproom is gaining some notice for its "orangeberry wine," a sweet and fiery drink.

Taverns

  • The Grinning Lion: Tavern (4c•2p). A raucous tavern favored by less adventurous young nobles who dare not visit the Dock Ward.

Festhalls

  • The Gentle Mermaid: Gambling House (4c•4p). One of the largest gambling houses in all of Faerun, and a luxurious place to see and be seen among the fabulously wealthy and powerful.
  • The Many Masks: Festhall (4c•4p). A bawdy environs where everyone goes masked – including when they are wearing nothing else. A grand masquerade at all times.

Temples

  • Holyhands House: Interdenominational Temple. Formerly the villa of House Maernos, Holyhands now acts as a temple for non-human faiths, per the bequest of the last Maernos patriarch in 1372 DR. With the founding of the Seldarine temple, Holyhands now caters mostly to the dwarven, gnomish, and halfling pantheons, with a scattering of other shrines as well.
  • Hospice of St. Laupsenn: Charity Mission of Ilmater.

City Buildings

  • Guard Barracks: Barracks for City Guard
  • Northgate: City Gate
  • Farwatch Tower: Sentry Tower
  • Endcliff Tower: Sentry Tower
  • Upper Towers: Sentry Tower

Walking Statues

  • The Sword Maiden: Walking Statue. A fierce depiction of a square-stanced warrior maiden, sword drawn and raised before her.

Guildhalls

  • House of Crystal: Guild of Glass-Blowers, Glaziers & Speculum-Makers. A window-heavy building known as being a source of fine crystal balls and mirrors.
  • House of Healing: The Guild of Apothecaries & Physicians. This guildhall functions as an emergency hospital, potion shop and minor school for student physicians.

Alleys & Courts

  • Manycats Alley: The home of many cats that feed on the scraps from the surrounding butcher shops, and also known for carved stone heads that line its walls (some say they speak portents of evil to passersby).
  • Watch Alley: A rallying point for the Watch patrols of the ward where single, severed, bare human feet are occasionally found at odd times. Notably, this is a mark of punishment used by the old Shadow Thieves' Guild of Waterdeep.

Previous Eras

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