Page 55 - D&D - Player's Handbook

yet any guilds to restrict trade or construction, and no the wisdom that comes from diligent study, is the real
nobles to be petitioned or placated. Those seeking to treasure of Silverymoon, as much as magic or wealth
create a home or start a business can simply do so, and could ever be.
even those without skills or money can use their hands While it is easy and pleasing enough to get lost among
and backs to provide until they can set up a place for the trees of the city, anyone who comes close enough
themselves. to the River Raurin is awed by the vision of the Moon-
Along the river, many of the merchant villas are being bridge: the great arch of silvery force that spans the
claimed and restored by folk who have heard rumors of water. Even for those native to the city, it is a powerful,
what Neverwinter once was, and might be again. Some moving sight, and some claim to see the goddess Lurue
have no skills to speak of, and many have no wealth, (for whom the city is named) dancing above the motes of
but all come with the desire to work and to enrich them- the bridge when no one else is watching.
selves in the process. New stores and workshops open Given its beauty, a visit to Silverymoon is among the
by the tenday, and workers without training offer their most memorable experiences most non-Silvaeren might
services as laborers or apprentices; those that fail move have. Even among those that regularly fight monsters or
on to other employment, taking advantage of the mul- handle magic, Silverymoon is a place of quiet, contem-
titude of opportunities the city now offers. Those with plative beauty, splendid opportunities for learning, and
no other options can get work dredging or mapping the respite from the harsher realities of the North.
city's sewers for the Lord Protector, a task made neces- Folk seeking knowledge that has been lost or hidden
sary by the cataclysm that created the Chasm. often come to Silverymoon seeking a means to find it,
Like any city, Neverwinter isn't without its drawbacks. whether by studying in the Vault of the Sages or perus-
Though most folk are willing to work, some steal as a ing the Map House for the location of a lost city or grove.
means of making their living, and prey upon those who These are but two of the many buildings and houses
have little to be taken. Food is sometimes scarce, as of learning in the Conclave of Silverymoon, the great
inns and taverns underestimate the number of guests center of knowledge and wisdom that forms much of the
they will receive, or merchants simply run out of goods city's southern part. If a map, a book, or a spell exists
to sell. It's likely to be a few years before the city entirely anywhere in Faerun, knowledge of it likely exists here,
shakes itself of these ills, but for some, the uncertainties even if only a mere mention in a tome or a recollection
of life in Neverwinter are what make the place exciting. of one of the city's great sages. Candlekeep might be the
For many traders, in particular those who produce or greatest assembly of written knowledge anywhere in
vend the grains and vegetables needed in the city, it is the world, but in the end, that place represents accumu-
a vast opportunity to both aid a fledgling power and get lation for its own sake. Silverymoon is where study and
quite rich in doing so. wisdom are honored. If your charge is to translate an
ancient tome in a lost language, to learn the proper into-
SILVERYMOON nation of a complex song, or to better understand the
cryptic writings of a long-dead sage, there is no better
Long a powerful and influential member of the Lords'
Alliance- and, for its entire existence, the Silver place to seek aid than Silverymoon.
Marches of Luruar- Silverymoon is what many cities It is an easy thing to come to Silverymoon seek-
ing knowledge of one subject, and find oneself so
aspire to be: a quiet, peaceful realm, where many races
enraptured by the study that it takes a lifetime to accom-
live together for common knowledge, celebration, and
plish- or to realize that it was the study, rather than
defense. The city is peopled primarily by the "goodly"
the sought-after fact, that one truly desired. Although
races (humans, dwarves, gnomes, elves, halflings, and
half-elves), but no being is turned away from Silvery- tutors and sages in every field can be found In Silvery-
moon because of its race- though a drow or an ore moon, rarely is interaction with one so simple as to ask
proving true to one's blood is sure to be punished in a question and be provided an answer. Learning to cast
full for transgressing against the peace of the city. I will a particular spell, to find an ancient ruin, or understand
make no secret of my love for my home in the following a specific secret might involve undergoing months of
summary, but I will endeavor to be as evenhanded as I
can in describing it.
The Gem of the North is a stunning place of sweeping
curves, soaring towers, and structures built into the
living trees. To many elves, the city is a reminder of the
ancient elven cities of old; some call it the Myth Drannor
of the North, even nowadays after the restoration and
subsequent fall of that fabled city. Even where stone is
employed in construction, ivy and other living plants
grow through, over, or around most structural elements,
giving most of the city a green cast.
Despite its arboreal architecture, Silverymoon is
very much civilized, boasting schools of music and
magic, a great library, bardic instruction, and temples
or shrines to Mielikki, Oghma, Silvanus, Sune, Tymora,
and Mystra. Knowledge, both the acquisition of it and