Page 56 - D&D - Player's Handbook

instruction to prove to a teacher that the knowledge Silverymoon has nonetheless long been known as a
imparted is being entrusted to a deserving person. safe haven for Harpers in the North, because the city
In the east. of the city is the High Palace, capital of the doesn't see the aims of the Alliance as conflicting with
city and of the fallen state of Luruar. Lord Methrammar Those Who Harp. Where other cities' rulers might see
Aerasume lives in this high, slender-spired structure. the presence of the Harpers as a threat to their author-
The merlons of its battlements are carved to resem- ity, Silverymoon desires an end to tyranny as fervently
ble unicorn heads. The soldiers of the High Guard, as the Harpers do, and thus the greater good is served.
clad in shining silver plate, protect the residence and At the same time, some Silvaeren believe that the city's
seat of power, and keep those out that don't have busi- tolerance of certain other members of the Alliance
ness within. (some mention Mirabar, others Baldur's Gate) is some-
Silverymoon has long been led by a high mage. One of what naive.
the longest ruling, and certainly the most influential of
these, Alustriel Silverhand, stepped down more than a
THE WARDS OF WATERDEEP
hundred years ago to become the High Lady of Luruar,
Waterdeep has long been divided into several large regions
and was succeeded by Taern Hornblade. Though called wards. To locals these are essential to Waterdeep,
he ruled wisely over the last century, Taern recently but outsiders often lose track of wh ich ward they're in or
relinquished the city's leadership to High Marshal what a ward's name signifies. The names of the wards sug-
Methrammar Aerasume, Alustriel's half-elf son and the gest the contents of the buildings and the character of the
leader of Silverymoon's armed forces. Taern still speaks activity in each one, but no laws exist that restrict a given
for the city on Methrammar's behalf at meetings of the activity or class of people to any specific ward.
Lords' Alliance, as the new ruler is far too blunt and Castle Ward. As the name indicates, Castle Ward con-
tains Castle Waterdeep, Piergeiron 's Palace, and many
impatient to suit the other lords of the compact.
other public buildings of the city. This ward is home to
Silverymoon is defended by several forces. First are
mainly the wealthy or influential who can't count them-
the Knights in Silver, the shining-armored warriors
selves among the nobility. Other structures are taken up by
that patrol the city and the nearby lands. Officers of the educational or religious concerns that primarily serve the
Knights are well trained in tactics and military history, city at large, not the residents of the ward.
and have high opinions of their own abilities and those Dock Ward. Most of the city's harbor area is located in
of their comrades-opinions that are very often borne Dock Ward, as are the businesses and warehouses that
out. They are bolstered by the Spellguard, a cadre of depend on the city's newly restored harbor. It's a crowded
powerful wizards and sorcerers that train in battle neighborhood of many winding streets, where folk are
magic. Last is the city's own mythal, the great field of comfortable making deals that might in other places pro-
voke the displeasure of the law.
magical force that prevents the inhabitants of the city
Field Ward. Of relatively recent vintage, the Field Ward
from engaging in all manner of spellcasting. In partic-
stands between the inner and outer north walls of the city
ular, spells that summon flame, conjure creatures, or
(an area formerly used as a caravan grounds) . This ward
permit teleportation fail when their target is within the grew up in a messy, unregulated fashion and is home to
bounds of the mythal. Should a foe try to traverse the many of the poorest residents of the city.
Moonbridge, the span can be willed (by the city's rulers, North Ward. Home to many noble villas, townhouses,
and certain others specially attuned to the mythal) out and a great many inns, North Ward is the neighborhood of
of existence, dropping attackers into the river. the respectably wealthy.
No city's prestige was harmed more than Sil- Sea Ward. Those whose fortunes are on the rise build
verymoon's by the recent war and the subsequent their homes in Sea Ward, and they join many long-estab-
lished noble families in residence. This area in the north-
dismantling of the Silver Marches. Though they tried to
west of the city is home to much of the city's wealth, the
bolster the nearby cities, the Silvaeren were accused of
location of the grandest villas of the city's noble families
providing insufficient and incompetent support to Sund-
(except for those in North Ward).
abar, the surface population of which was entirely wiped
Southern Ward. Stables, warehouses, and shops related
out. In the end, all of the dwarven states stepped away to overland trade dominate Southern Ward. Most residents
from Luruar, and without the support of those kingdoms are hardworking folk that load and unload caravan carts,
or the leadership that Alustriel provided at its founding, and otherwise perform low-paying work.
the confederacy collapsed. Taern Hornblade isn't as Trades Ward. A narrow sl ice of land between the Castle
powerful a voice in the Lords' Alliance as Alustriel was, Ward and the City of the Dead, Trades Ward is the center
either, in part because his affection and respect for the of commerce for the city, with most of the smaller transac-
tions and respectable trade taking place here.
former High Lady has been extended, in large part, to
City of the Dead. The city's walled cemetery, the City of
her sister Laeral, now the Open Lord ofWaterdeep. the Dead is the only place in Waterdeep where it is legal to
Despite reports of her death decades ago, rumors bury the deceased. It is used by many citizens as a public
have recently reached the city that High Lady Alustriel is park during the day, a lovely green space of pretty mau-
in fact alive and active in southern lands. Seemingly, she soleums and grand statues in wh ich to escape the city's
has contacted neither her son nor her former comrade, hustle and bustle.
Taern Hornblade- though given how widely known Undercliff. While not considered by many to be a ward
Taern's hopeless love for the High Lady was, and the of the city, the little villages and many farms that sprawl
long years he took to overcome his grief, it's not certain across the land east of the city were lawfully incorporated
how he would react upon receiving proof of her survival. into Waterdeep when it moved a barracks and training fa-
cility to the area.

CHAPTER 2 I THE SWORD COAST AND THE NORTH