A City of Splendors FORGOTTEN REALMS®
Web Enhancement
Environs of Waterdeep
NEW HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION CITY OF SPLENDORS:
WATERDEEP
City of Splendors: Waterdeep
provides the most in-depth description to date of the famed city of
Waterdeep in the FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting.The book also offers
new prestige classes, feats, monsters, and magic items. But space did
not permit an exhaustive description of the areas around Waterdeep, so
author Eric Boyd has provided a complete description and history of
those areas in this web enhancement.
As always, feel free to adapt the material presented here as you see
fit to make it work with your campaign.
City of Splendors: Waterdeep(CoS:W)
Champions of Valor (CoV),
Draconomicon (Drac),
Epic Level Handbook (ELH),
Fiend Folio (FF),
FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting (FRCS),
Lost Empires of Faerûn (LEoF),
Monster Manual II (MM2),
Monsters of Faerûn (MoF),
Player’s Guide to Faerûn (PGtF),
Power of Faerûn(PoF),
Serpent Kingdoms(SK),
The Fright at Tristor(TFaT), and
Underdark (Und).
Other parenthetical notes refer to the map key in this web
enhancement
or in City of Splendors: Waterdeep. The information presented here
utilizes the D&D v.3.5 rules.
Credits
Design: Eric L. Boyd Editing: Penny Williams Typesetting: Nancy Walker
Cartography: Rob Lazaretti Web Production: Bart Carroll Web
Development: Mark A. Jindra Graphic Design: Robert Campell, Cynthia
Fliege, Dee Barnett and Jen Page
Based on the original DUNGEONS& DRAGONS® game by E. Gary Gygax
and Dave Arneson and on the new edition of the DUNGEONS&
DRAGONSgame designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams,
Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison.
Features of Waterdeep’s Environs
Although the City of Splendors does not formally claim any territory
outside its walls, the Lords of Waterdeep have always kept a close
watch over the region stretching from the Mere of Dead Men to the mouth
of the River Delimbiyr, and from the Sea of Swords to the Dessarin
Vale. The lands surrounding the City of Splendors make up the Waterdeep
region discussed in the FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting and the
Player’s Guide to Faerûn. In addition to the human-dominated
city, this region includes dwarf holds in the Forlorn Hills and the
Sword Mountains, the moon elven lands in and around Ardeep Forest, and
the lower Delimbiyr and Dessarin valleys.
The environs of Waterdeep are commonly divided into nine distinct
sections: Ardeep, Delimbiyran, Elembar, the Forlorn Hills, the Lower
Dessarin Vale, the Mere of Dead Men, the Northern Coast,
the Southern Coast, and the Sword Mountains. Each of these regions
includes human thorps and hamlets, dwarven clanholds, and
elvensteadings, most of which are too small to warrant mention.
However, their total population exceeds that of Waterdeep by a factor
of two (in summer months) to ten (in winter months).
In general, Waterdeep’s environs sport at least one community every 20
square miles, although small thorps are much more concentrated in the
lower Dessarin Vale. Human communities,
located primarily in the open lowlands, are surrounded by lands used
primarily for farming and herding. Elven communities usu ally lie
within small woodlands, which the Fair Folk tend much as a human farmer
tends his fields. Dwarven communities, mostly located in the Sword
Mountains and the Forlorn Hills, rarely leave clear aboveground
footprints, except in the immediate vicinity of underground
excavations. The less common lightfoot halfling and rock gnome
communities resemble human and shield dwarf communities, respectively.
Ardeep
At various points in history, the Realm of the Deepening Moon was a
vassal of the elven empires of Aryvandaar, Shantel Othreier,
andIllefarn. Circa –1,100 DR, Illefarn fragmented into three realms:
Ardeep, Iliyanbruen, and Rilithar. At its height, Ardeep encom passed
the lands between the Sword Mountains and the lower Delimbiyr Vale.
The rulers of Ardeep were known as laranlors(masculine)
andlaranlas(feminine), elven terms meaning regal lord and regal lady,
respectively, and used to denote the king or queen of an elven
vassal realm or minor kingdom. Laranla Fildaerae “the Night Flame” died
in the Year of Ashen Faces (–395 DR) and was succeeded by
her grandniece, Imdalace. When Laranla Imdalace disappeared in the Year
of the Slaked Blade (4 DR), rulership of Ardeep passed to her kinswoman
Embrae Aloevan. Laranla Aloevan became a Chosen of Mystra and Sehanine
in the Year of Frostfires (292 DR). Shortly thereafter, in the Year of
Promise (308 DR), she descended into madness and death, consumed by the
silver fire of Mystra.
Aloevan’s successor, Laranlor Ruardh Lightshiver, forged the Alliance
of Illefarn with the shield dwarves of Dardath (now the Forlorn Hills)
in the Year of the Cantobele Stalking (342 DR).
In the Year of Trials Arcane (523 DR), this combined region became
Phalorm, the Realm of Three Crowns. Ruardh ruled as the elf kingof
Phalorm until the Year of Melding (557 DR), when he fell against a
horde of hobgoblins at the Battle of Blunted Fangs, nearthe site of
present-day Dragonspear Castle. His successor, King Ellatharion, ruled
until the Year of the Immured Imp (604 DR),
when he vanished along with a contingent of elves and halflings last
seen pursuing an orc horde into the High Forest. The last elf king of
Phalorm (and hence Ardeep), Lathlaeril “Leafspear,” died in theYear of
the Jester’s Smile (612 DR) at the Battle of Firetears, which was
fought south of modern-day Triboar against the orcs of theillithid-led
Everhorde. Sickened by the endless warring, most of Ardeep’s moon elves
abandoned Phalorm in the Year of the Lamia’sKiss (615 DR) and took ship
to Evermeet.
The elven realm of Ardeep was refounded in the Year of the Curse (882
DR), when the area was resettled by moon elves from Eaerlann who had
fled the demons erupting from Ascalhorn. The Alliance of Illefarn was
briefly reborn as well, but the Eaerlannielves quickly withdrew because
of rising anti-human sentiment. The moon elves dwelt in quiet
fellowship beneath the boughs until theYear of the Moonfall (1344 DR),
when most of the remaining moon elves heeded the call of the Retreat
and departed for Evermeet.
Ardeep ForestThe tall blueleaf, duskwood, and weirwood trees that
compose theremnants of this ancient forest lie between the Dessarin
andDelimbiyr river valleys. The interior of Ardeep Forest is filled
with ridges and breakneck gullies cloaked in thick vines and shrubbery.
Wild boars roam through the mists that pervade the forest, and ruins
lie
hidden beneath forest loam and stands of faintly glowing mush rooms.
Named Faraway Forest for its distance from Evermeet, this wood has
stood
forlorn and empty since the departure of Ardeep’smoon elves via many
covert voyages aboard the Morning Bird,a ship owned by Mirt the
Moneylender (FRCS, CoS:W).
More than one floating castle has been seen above the forest,
but neither the identity nor the interests of the inhabitants have
everbeen determined. Places of interest beneath the boughs include
the
Dancing Dell (3),
the
Green Glade (5)
the
House of Long
Silences (6)
and
Reluraun’s Tomb (10).
(See LEoF for further
informationon these sites.) When the Fair Folk departed the Realm of
the Deepening Moon,
they left behind baelnorns (MoF) and green wardens (MoF) to guard the
ancient elven legacies they left behind. With no moonelves to keep the
forest’s inhabitants in check, however, various monsters—including
assassin vines, kobold tribes, nyths (MoF), ten driculouses, thirsts of
stirges, and other creatures—have moved into Ardeep Forest during the
years since the Retreat.
CRYPTS OF THE
DEEPENING MOON (2)
In the depths of Ardeep Forest lie the Crypts of the Deepening Moon—the
royal vaults of ancient Ardeep—which are said to hold the remains of
many laranlorsand laranlas, as well as the fabulous elven artifacts
with
which they were interred. These rumors of great wealth draw many
mercenary adventuring bands, some of which have been hired by
Waterdeep’s various noble houses to plunder the crypts. But since the
crypts are guarded by a trio of moon elf bael norns (MoF) and a legion
of green wardens (MoF) that inhabits the surrounding woods, no such
expedition has ever returned.
PHYLUND HUNTING LODGE (9)
In the Year of the Bloodbird (1346 DR), Lord Urtos Phylund I builta
stone hunting lodge in the western depths of Ardeep Forest. Ever since,
the family has used this building as a base from which to launch
carefully planned hunting expeditions for wealthy Waterdhavians. The
object of such hunts is always a rare and fantastic creature brought
in from elsewhere in Faerûn and released just prior to the
event’s
commencement. Lords Urtos I and Urtos IIhave both made small fortunes
hosting such events—enough to con sider establishing similar camps in
the Sword Mountains or the Forlorn Hills.
No one has yet noticed that these hunts never take place during nights
of the full moon, or that Lord Urtos II always visits the Phylund
hunting lodge on such nights for a “private hunt.” In fact,
Urtos II is an afflicted werewolf, and he stays at the lodge during the
full moon to ensure that his transformations and subsequent hunting
harm
no one. Thus, visiting the area of the lodge during such nights is
unusually dangerous.
TEARS OF ALOEVAN (4)
In a sylvan glen deep inside Ardeep Forest lies a mystical pool ofwater
guarded by an other wordly dragon. Within the clear waters of this pond
is a portal that leads to a cloud of magic known as theTears of
Aloevan,
which is located in a pocket plane.
Once the Chosen of both Sehanine and Mystra, the moon elfqueen Aloevan
descended into madness, consumed by the silver fire that raged within
her. Upon her death, her spirit was trapped in animbus of silver fire
that prevented her from passing on toArvanaith. Upon realizing her
situation, seven clerics of Sehaninecreated a link between the natural
world and the spiritual limbo in which Aloevan was trapped. Throughout
the intervening centuries,
Sehanine’s priests have labored to ease the mad queen’s torment
by recreating the long-lost Court of Silver Fire within her pocket
plane.
But still the laughter of Aloevan (CG female ghost [augmentedmoon elf]
Chosen of Sehanine/Chosen of Mystra wizard 19) is tinged with madness,
and she clings to the vestiges of her sanity thanks only to her
ever-present attendants.
Passage between the two realms is restricted to solar eclipses.
Whenever one of Aloevan’s seven attendants is ready to pass on
to Arvanaith, another cleric of the Moonlit Mystery travels to the
Tears
of Aloevan by way of the mystic pool to serve in her stead.
Although many others have sought entrance to Aloevan’s court,
none have returned to tell the tale, so no one knows whether any one
not called there by Sehanine has ever succeeded in entering.
Floshin Estates (11)
Halfway between the town of Daggerford and Ardeep Forest,
Lord Elorfindar Floshin maintains a graceful, ridge side manor that
dates back to the days of ancient Illefarn. Tended by moon elf
retainers in the employ of the House Floshin, the Floshin Estates
encompass an expanse of lightly wooded land generally used for animal
husbandry and the cultivation of rare native plants.
Elorfindar Floshin:Lord Elorfindar Floshin (NG male gold elffighter
1/wizard 5/eldritch knight 10) is a dignified sun elf withbronze skin,
golden-blond hair, and green eyes shadowed with thewisdom of many
years. Elorfindar wears magic elven chain mailwith a simple elven cloak
and carries his ancestral blade, Elfhost(+3defending longsword).
Although he does not mind the
company of other races as much as many of his brethren do, the aging
elf
knight has other reasons for remaining behind in Faerûn. Few now
realize that in the days of the Siluvanede, House Floshin gave rise to
one branch of fey’ri. In penance for the sins of his ancestors,
Elorfindar has taken it upon himself to guard the many portals in the
House of Long Silences,
which lies in the depths of Ardeep Forest.
Elorfindar’s gold elf wife remained with him in his self-imposed
exile for six centuries, but she died more than two centuries ago,
after
presenting him with four children. Elorfindar has since taken three
human wives from the Waterdhavian nobility and had several more
children.
Harpshield Lands (12)
The small kingdom of Harpshield was one of the successor states
toDelimbiyran, the Kingdom of Man, located along the southeasternverges
of Ardeep Forest. In the Year of the Circling Vulture (942DR), after
ferocious drow raids up and down the Sword Coast had decimated the
realm’s population, the survivors fled to Nimoar’sHold at the
invitation of Warlord Gharl. The descendants of Harpshield’s royal
house
are now members of House Majarra, andthe family’s royal origins have
largely been forgotten. The western Harpshield Lands, which now lie
within the territory of the Floshin Estates, have reverted to the
ancestral claim of the Fair Folk.
DUNGEON OF THE SHIELD (13)
The dungeons of Harpshield Castle lie largely forgotten and
unexplored in the southeastern fringe of Ardeep Forest. The fact that
the entrance lies beneath an arch adorned with the Harpshield crest
accounts for the popular name given to the place in bards’ tales. A
handful of monsters have taken up residence in the dungeons from time
to
time, and recent reports speak of a tangle of gricks that now lairs
within.
NANDAR LODGE (8)
At the extreme southwestern tip of Ardeep Forest lie the foundations
of a hunting lodge built by House Nandar of Waterdeep in theYear of the
Black Buck (1226 DR). Though the lodge was repeatedly attacked by moon
elves, the scions of House Nandar returned to it time and again.
Eventually, however, the patience of the elves won out, and the lodge
was abandoned. All that remains of it today are the cellar pit, a few
stones, and a natural spring that flows into the forest before draining
away into a sinkhole.
Talmost Lands (14)
Like Harpshield, the small kingdom of Talmost was one of the successor
states to Delimbiyran. Located along the northeastern verges of Ardeep
Forest, Talmost was also abandoned to drow raiders in theYear of the
Circling Vulture (942 DR). Unlike Harpshield, however,
the Talmost lands have remained in the hands of the royal
house’s descendants, who are now members of the Waterdhavian nobility.
The Talmost clan maintains several small hunting lodges in the
territory, and crofters in the house’s employ watch over scattered
flocks
of sheep and shaggun (cattle).
TALMOST KEEP(15)
The royal seat of fallen Talmost, never reclaimed by the descendants
of House Talmost, now lies in ruins. Today it is home only to the
ghosts
of those tortured to death by the drow.
House Talmost, one of
Waterdeep’s leading clothiers and furriers,
manages extensive trapping and fur-trading operations in the North and
lucrative silk operations in Calimshan. Its members are closely
associated with the League of Skinners & Tanners and the Solemn
Order of Recognized Furriers & Woolmen.
History:House Talmost traces its history back to the Kingdom of Man.
First ennobled by King Javilarh II of Delimibiyran for service in the
waning days of Phalorm, members of this family once ruled the Barony of
Talmost on the southeastern edge of Ardeep Forest. After the fall of
Delimibiyran, Baron Delsinger Talmost declared himself King of Talmost,
joining the ranks of numerous petty nobles who claimed sovereignty over
their own holdings. The family ruled its small kingdom for nearly three
centuries, until unrelenting drow raids in the Year of the Circling
Vulture (942DR) forced both rulers and subjects to abandon Talmost for
the relative safety of Waterdeep. There House Talmost quickly joined
the merchant nobility, becoming in time one of the older and
more powerful families of the city.
Plots & Intrigues:In the Year of the Unstrung Harp (1371 DR),
Lady Hyara Talmost died under mysterious circumstances, shortly after
she had embarrassed Lady Hlanta Melshimber by revealing some of her
youthful indiscretions. To everyone’s horror, Lady Hyara arose as a
ghost (NE female ghost [augmented Chondathanhuman] aristocrat 12) and
continued to play the role of familiy matriarch. Although the Lords
have
recognized Lady Hyara II ashead of the clan, she dares not assert her
authority because the ghost still holds sway over the family. Numerous
attempts to destroy Lady Hyara’s ghost, secretly funded by her two
youngest children, have failed. Each time, Lady Hyara has returned,
blaming her hated foe—Lady Hlanta Melshimber—for the treachery.
Unbeknowst to all including the ghost, the only way to lay LadyHyara to
rest permanently is to recover the crown of Talmost,
thought to have been hidden amidst the ruins of Talmost Keepduring a
drow raid, and place it atop her remains.
Hyara Talmost II:Hyara (LN female Chondathan human aris tocrat 3),
daughter of Lady Hyara and Lord Pallin of Cormyr, is the young,
untested
matriarch of House Talmost. This thin, sour looking woman has long
lived in the shadow of her formidablemother, and that poisonous
relationship has continued even after the latter’s death. Hyara still
shows no signs of rebellion against the continuing influence of her
mother’s ghost, leading many to whis per that her misery is what binds
the elder Hyara to this world.
Pallin Talmost:The father of Hyara II, Pallin II, and Delaeya Talmost,
Pallin is the former Lord-Consort of House Talmostand a minor noble of
Cormyr. Although he stood by his increasingly dissatisfied wife in
life (and drowned his sorrows in drink),
he was wholly unprepared for her to continue haunting himafter death.
Pallin is now a pitiable figure who lurks in the shadows of
Waterdeep’s taverns, spilling his sad tale to anyone whobuys him an
ale.
Talmost
From time to time, hordes of fiendish spiders erupt from th e uins to
bedevil the surrounding region. Some scholars suggest that a
portal from a
drow temple in the Underdark may be discharging spiders that have been
summoned during religious ceremonies into the ruins.
Delimbiyran
Originally named for the Kingdom of Man and its capital
city, the northern bank of the lower Delimbiyr Vale, just west of the
Forlorn Hills, is still known as Delimbiyran. (The history of this lost
realmis given in Lost Empires of Faerûn,along with descriptions
of the
Shining City of Delimbiyran [16]
the
Laughing Hollow [20]
,
and
Mount Illefarn [19].
Much of the Delimbiyran region, including the
town of Daggerford, lies within the Duchy of Daggerford, and residents
of the duchy are considered part of the Western Heartlands region.
Black
Helm Tower
This fortified compound squats atop a low hill located
about a day’sride north and east of
Daggerford (17).
It is home to
GhelimarFirefrostarr (NG male Tethyrian human bard 1/fighter 10),
currentholder of the Black Vizor office in the High Heralds. Ghelimar
israrely in attendance because his position requires much travelingand
magically assisted communication. The Black Vizor is deeply involved in
the current politics of western Faerûn, keeping track of
intrigues, changing attitudes, treaties,
and shifting balances of power. He also keeps records of all
peace treaties and formal declarations of war, and reports on their
fulfill ment to the Heralds, the Lords’ Alliance, and the
Merchants League. Ghelimar does grant audiences when he is in
residence, buthe is careful not to undercut the office of Falconfree
(CoS:W) in Waterdeep, which is currently held by Scirkhel Wands.
Delimbiyr, the River Shining
This clear, cool, fast-flowing river runs
more than a thousand milesfrom its headwaters in the Nether Mountains
to the Sea of Swords.
Its largely navigable waters are mint-sweet and safe to drink. Theriver
is home to many szorp—brown, troutlike fish whose white flesh is quite
tasty. In fact, szorp is a favored delicacy in Waterdeep’s finer
taverns.
Elembar
The open lands between Ardeep Forest and the Forlorn Hills
are known as Elembar, after the kingdom that once claimed them. In the
Year of Risen Towers (146 DR), humans founded Elembar and its capital
city of Delimbiyran in the unclaimed lands between the moon elven
kingdom of Ardeep and the shield dwarven kingdom of Dardath. Northern
and central Elembar fell to an orc horde in theYear of the Fortress
Scoured (511 DR) and eventually became the Elembar of today. (A
description of Stoneturn, the
House of Stone (7)
can be found in Lost Empires of Faerûn.)
Moon Tower of Elembar (22)
Little remained of Elembar’s northern settlements after the inva sion
of an orc horde shattered the realm. One notable exception,
however, is the Moon Tower of Elembar, an ethereal spire visible only
on
the nights of the full moon. Thought to have been the domi cile of
Elembar’s mage royal, this mysterious figment has spawned many fanciful
tales. The Moon Tower of Elembar can be accessed via the Border
Ethereal, but the magic-laden ruin is well guarded bythe ghosts of its
defenders, the ancient constructs that still keep watch over it, and an
advanced (6-HD) ethereal marauder that uses the place as a lair.
Forlorn Hills
The slow collapse of dwarf-ruled Dardath in centuries past
eventu ally gave rise to the name that the hills east of Ardeep Forest
now bear. Also known as the Fallen Hills, the Forlorn Hills are cold
andempty, home only to scattered flocks of wild sheep and the leucrot
tas (CoS:W) and wyverns that prey upon them. Ruins and abandoned mines
are scattered throughout the rolling landscape, largely hidden from
creatures flying above by the shadows of sheltering tors and the
cloying
mists that rarely burn off before midday.
Crumbling Stair (23)
The Crumbling Stair is all that remains of Taeros, a grand,
turreted mansion that once stood proudly amid fanciful gardens
adorned with fountains and pools. The house sprawled along a curving
ridge in the heart of the human-ruled barony of Loravatha.
Originallybuilt by a merchant lord, Taeros became a school of arcane
study for young lasses seeking to master sorcery under the direction of
hiswidow, the sorceress Ybrithe. Twenty years after the founding of
the school, the mansion was torn apart by southern mages seeking
toplunder whatever they could. But before they could seize
Ybrithe’s treasures, a latent magic trap blew apart the ridge, Taeros,
and all the surviving attackers.
The Crumbling Stair now rises up from broken lands overgrown with scrub
woods. The weathered staircase, made of green-veined whitemarble, rises
six or so steps into the air from a dark hole at its base.
Beyond this aperture is a long corridor with a few attached rooms
that once served as extensive cellars. The fore chambers are home to
the maddened ghost of one of the attacking wizards and some sort of
crea
ture—possibly an all-consuming hunger (Und)—that leaves glowing walls,
floor, slime-trails on the and ceiling. In addition, the phantom of a
half-elf sorceress sometimes appears to point out collapsed tunnels
and forgotten secret doors leading to a large warren of catacombs,
which are said to be home to some sort of beholder.
Torstultok (25)
Torstultok, or the Hall of Grand Hunts, is a temple-fortress of Haela
Brightaxe. The place is well known among the Stout Folk of the North
for
the all-dwarf and mixed-race adventuring companies its inhabitants
sponsor to reclaim long-lost dwarven relics from orc held halls.
Torstultok lies within a sprawling complex of tunnels and grandhalls
beneath the eastern end of the
Watchers of the North (24)
—
the line of tors that marks the northern edge of the Forlorn Hills.
Torstultok was known as Firehammer
Hold before the Fallen Kingdom fell, and much treasure is still
ascribed
to the latter name in the tales of the North. Those same legends claim
that the dwarves of Firehammer Hold perished in a plague shortly after
the founding of the Kingdom of Man, but in fact the dwarves’ numbers
had
dwindled over time, and the leaders of the hold planted false evidence
of a deadly plague to increase the security of the dwarves who
remained.
An unexpected consequence of this action was the arrival in subsequent
centuries of treasure-hungry adventurers seeking long-lost hoards of
dwarven gold. To assuage the anger of such would-be plunderers, the
dwarves hired them to seek out other dwarven holds that they knew to be
occupied by orcs. From this tradition evolved the hold’s current role
as
a clearinghouse for battle-loving dwarves and adventurers of other
races
who sought glory amidst the ruins oflong-fallen dwarven kingdoms. In
recent times, Haela’s clergy have even begun to lure adventurers to the
temple deliberately withancient-looking, incomplete maps and other
enticing items. Such a map may be found on the walls of a not-so-secret
hidden room in the Singing Sprite—a slate-shingled, many-gabled stone
inn located in the bowl at the center of the three hills upon which the
village of Secomber is built.
Lower Dessarin Vale
The lower Dessarin Vale is a wide, fertile basin
through which great volumes of water and commerce flow. The land slopes
up northtoward the Sword Mountains and east toward the Forlorn Hills,
forming a vast flood plain in between. The region is heavily farmedand
dotted with thorps and hamlets almost too numerous to count.
One place of particular interest along the banks of the RiverDessarin
is the
Death Shallows (27)
see CoR)
Dolblunde (28)
In the Year of the Leaping Centaur (232 DR), several gnome and deep
gnome clans led by Olbrent Handstone built the subterranean city of
Dolblunde near Maiden’s Tomb Tor (30). Dolblunde became a duchy in the
Realm of Three Crowns in the Year of Trials Arcane(523 DR), when
Phalorm was founded. The city was sacked by the Horde of the Wastes in
the Year of the Shattered Scepter (614 DR)
and abandoned thereafter.
Today the ruined city serves as the lair of Daurgothoth (maleblack
great wyrm dracolich wizard 20/archmage 5), First-Reader ofthe Cult of
the Dragon. The Creeping Doom, as he is known to many,
is one of the most powerful arcane spellcasters in Faerûn, second
only to Larloch and the Chosen of Mystra. Tunnels link the lost city
with the so-called Bandit Tunnels beneath Maiden’s Tomb Tor,
certain passages in the vast dungeon complex of Undermountain, and
a flooded tunnel leading from the muddy bottom of the River Dessarin.
To
discourage intruders, the undead wyrm has placed many traps and undead
servitors in the smaller, gnome-created passages surrounding the great
caverns of his lair.
At the heart of Daurgothoth’s chain of caverns is a side passage large
enough for a dragon to fly down. This tunnel is guarded by a wall of
Large skeletons (the remains of a tribe of hill giants, still armed
with
their greatclubs) with orders to attack all beings other than
Daurgothoth himself. Above them hangs a death tyrant with similar
instructions.
Some distance beyond these guardians, the tunnel ends in a closed stone
door that is actually a stone golem with orders to attack any one other
than the dracolich who tries to open it. On the other side of this door
lies Daurgothoth’s spellcasting chamber—a vast, ravaged cavern almost
half a mile in length. Its scorched and scarred walls and the broken
stone heaped on its floor give mute evidence ofthe magical experiments
he conducts here.
A smaller tunnel leads off one side of this cave and doubles back on
itself several times before opening into the gem-filled cave
where Daurgothoth sleeps and broods upon a huge pile of bones. In
addition to serving as a bed, this grisly pile affords him raw material
for some bone-related attacks he is currently researching.
Though rumor holds that a secret, walled-away chamber built to hold
Daurgothoth’s host lies adjacent to this cavern, only two lesser caves
appear to branch away from the main one. The first of these is a
treasure vault crammed with all manner of magic, statuettes,
coins, and the like. The second is a storage room in which the
dracolich keeps his spellbooks, the magic items he knows enough about
to
feel safe in using, a smooth-walled prison pit into which he
drops living creatures that he wants to keep for later, and a vast
collection of odd substances that might serve as material
components—includ ing the pickled corpses of such large monsters as
dragon turtles, purple worms, and remorhazes, as well as several kinds
of dragons.
Amphail (26)
The village of Amphail, famous for its horse breeders, lies on theLong
Road, a good three-day ride north of Waterdeep through rolling
farmlands. By night or in a snowstorm, a traveler can locate this
quiet,
beautiful village by the thick stands of duskwood and spruce that
cluster along the road nearby. In summer, the stench of horse manure
gives outsiders ample evidence of the town’s presence.
At the heart of the settlement is an open space known as
the Malanderways, where several side streets meet the Long Road. In the
center of this square is a black stone statue of the great Shalarn,
a war stallion bred in Amphail decades ago. Other notable land marks
include the Horse Pond, the Old Dead Rowan (a tree as large as some
cottages), and the ruins of the Laughing Bandit Inn.
Amphail was named for Amphail the Just, one of Waterdeep’s early
warlords who had estates here. Although all traces of his keep are long
gone, legend holds that Amphail still rides the area in spirit form,
frightening away trolls and hostile barbarians.
Amphail’s horse farms have traditionally equipped the noble fam ilies
and armies of Waterdeep and Neverwinter, as well as merchantsand
satraps from Amn and Calimshan. Amphail grays (seeChampions of
Valor,page 154) are famous across Faerûn as intelligent, loyal,
and hardy personal mounts. Most soldiers, however, pre fer the larger,
more powerful, glossy black chargers that Amphail’s breeders produce.
The various Waterdhavian noble families who keep stables here—
most notably the Amcathra, Ilzimmer, Jhansczil, Roaringhorn, andTarm
families—have traditionally been major breeders, and thewhip-wielding
Ilzimmer racing teams that frequently thunder upand down the Long Road
are grudgingly tolerated by the locals. The independent stable masters
Ohm “Steelhand” Oglyntyr, RorthBaldasker, and Elraghona Selember are
also noted breeders.
The extensive holdings of the Eagleshield clan include a farm where
sick
animals are nursed and a shop where tack of the finest sort is made and
sold. The Ammakyl family—the richest in the region by far—is Amphail’s
dominant producer of grain and vegetables. Ammakyl caravans are a
regular sight on the road from Amphail to the City of Splendors.
Notable businesses in Amphail include the Stag-Horned Flagontavern, the
Stone Stallion Inn, and Mother Gothal’s Festhall. Other places of
interest include Ammakyl Flowers and Foods (a produceshop), Blodhlar’s
Wares (a hardware shop), Eagleshield Fine Horse Leathers (a tack
store),
Elboar’s Finest (a winery), Golaund Sester’s(a rooming house), Hagala’s
Manyturrets (another rooming house),
Halan Shauluth’s (a bakery), Imbryl’s Cloaks (a garment shop),
Maerlbar Eggs and Fresh Fowl (a fowler), Pelost Galathaer’s (a car
penter), Shrunedalar’s Secrets (a boutique), and Ulvinhand Smithy.
Amphail (Village):Conventional; AL NG; 200 gp limit;
Assets 6,000 gp; Population 600 (850 including outlying farms);
Mixed (humans 384 [544], shield dwarves 60 [85], elves [all types]
60 [85], lightfoot halflings 30 [43], half-elves 30 [42], gnomes
[alltypes] 18 [25], half-orcs 12 [17], others 6 [9]).
Authority Figures:Lord Warder Briiathor Alougarr (see below).
Important Characters:Dlara (see below), Mother Gothal (seebelow),
Krivvin Shamblestar (see below), Thorn Tlassalune (seebelow).
The other citizens of Amphail are too numerous to enumerate.
Notable Exports:Agricultural produce, fine horses.
Briiathor Alougarr:Lord Warder Briiathor (LN male Tethyrianhuman
fighter 4) is a stout, muscular man with a closely trimmedbeard and
level, gray eyes that see much. He generally eschews armor and
ceremony,
preferring to wander about Amphail on foot at all hours. Briiathor
remains a member of Waterdeep’s city guard,
although he is officially retired, and he is absolutely loyal
to Piergeiron (CoS:W). Briiathor is also an old battle-companion of
the Blackstaff (FRCS, ELH, and CoS:W) from the Wheel of
Blades adventuring company and has occasionally hidden persons or
items for him.
D l a r a :This 8-foot tall, dusky-skinned warrior (LN femaleChultan
human rogue 5/fighter 4) enjoys watching and participating in tumbling
and acrobatics, and she has a delightful sense of humor, though she
seldom speaks. Dlara is very popular among theyoung noblemen of
Waterdeep for her willingness to wrestle with them. These bouts take
place on stage at the festhall, with both combatants wearing little
more than plenty of oil. Dlara often wins,
since she can easily pick up an average human male and throw him across
the room.
Mother Gothal:“Mother” Gothal (NG female Tethyrian human rogue 10) is
the elderly proprietress of her own festhall. Once a dancer of striking
beauty in Baldur’s Gate, she managed to steal enough money to retire to
a life of ease in Waterdeep. There she hired adventurers to free some
slaves secretly held by her neighbors,
the Oloskar family, and was forced to flee with the former slaves
across
Faerûn, killing the clan members who pursued them. In the end,
only Gothal and one slave—Dlara—survived. Eventually the pair returned
to Amphail and started a festhall. Mother Gothaldelights in hearing
people’s dreams and schemes and often offers good advice.
Krivvin Shamblestar:Krivvin (NG male Illuskan human commoner 8), the
tavernmaster of the Stag-Horned Flagon, is a stocky,
silver-haired, soft-spoken man who has seen nearly eight decades.
Largely retired now, he passes his days in a back corner of his tavern,
observing those who come and go. He has an excellent memory for
faces and the favored drinks that go with them, and a keener ear than
most realize. Krivvin has long served as a Harper friend and as the
eyes
and ears of the Lords of Waterdeep. Mirt the Moneylender is a regular
visitor and one of Krivvin’s oldest friends.
Thorn Tlassalune:This longhaired, engaging, would-be minstrel(NE male
Tethyrian rogue 9/bard 1) owns the Stone Stallion Inn.
His lute-playing has improved, but he was never a luthier’s
apprentice from Amn, as he claims. In fact, he’s a thief from Tethyr
who
stole a great deal of money from the crown during the Ten Black Days
of Eleint and then fled. Thorn has five daughters by his late wife,
but he has recently remarried. His new wife, Phelansheene (CG
female Illuskan sorcerer 5), was long trapped in ghostlike form by the
curse of a Red Wizard. A wizard of the Arcane Brotherhood in
Luskan finally freed her in exchange for Thorn’s agreement to serve as
the Amphail.brotherhood’s eyes and ears in As a result, Thorn
has remained in Amphail, despite his inclination to become an adven
turer. Thorn also acts as a fence for adventurers seeking to
unload certain illicit items in the village.
Legacies of Dalrosz Mother Gothal’s festhall was once the country house
of DalroszKothont, an eccentric old nobleman who turned his back on the
high society of Waterdeep and relocated to Amphail. His own
familyspurned him because of his interest in the necromantic arts, so
helived out his days here alone, experimenting with captured outlawsand
cadavers in a quest for immortality. Kothont also experimentedwith
certain augmentations of the human form, such as extra limbs,
eyes added to the back of the head, and the like.
After Dalrosz disappeared, a dozen or so of his experiments escaped to
live in the hills near the village. Local rumor maintains that
their weird descendants—misshapen mongrelfolk (FF) with tentacles,
extra arms, and the like—still roam the region around Amphail, preying
on mountain animals and the occasional unlucky traveler.
Dalrosz’s house eventually fell into the hands of an adventuring band
from Waterdeep known as the Five Ready Blades. The members of this
company used the place as their headquarters for only a season before
disappearing without a trace. Rumor holds that they never left the home
at all. Some villagers think they were killed by Dalrosz, who is said
to
dwell in heretofore-unknown catacombsbeneath the festhall in the form
of a ghost or lich. Others believe the band left via a hidden portaland
never returned.
Tomb of the Maiden King In the depths of Horse Pond—a placid, muddy
pool
filled with frogs and water lilies—lies the submerged entrance to the
tomb of Raulbaera “the Maiden King” Bloodhand. The descendant
ofBloodhand,Ulbaerag she claimed the lands near present-dayAmphail and
established the settlement of Rowan Hold there.
According to legend, Raulbaera sleeps forever on a stone bed with the
sword of the Maiden King on her breast.
Adventurers have entered the pond on several occasions, but none have
reported finding the tomb’s entrance. But several years ago,
one company failed to return from the pond. Shortly thereafter, a
number
of undead skeletons emerged from the water and stalked through the
village, strangling several residents before they were hacked apart.
The
truth of what lies below the surface of this placid pool remains
unknown.
Dessarin, the River
The cold, deep River Dessarin rises in the Star
Mounts of the HighForest, then joins many other streams and rivers
before flowing intothe Sea of Swords just south of Waterdeep at
Zundbridge. Its watersare navigable for much of its length. The river
is home to the silver shalass—a fish that has become a delicacy across
the North—as well as catfish, coldwater crabs, and small brown fish
known as lout.
Gaustar’s Creek (31)
This small, fast-flowing stream has cut a narrow but deep gorge along
its route, which lies 100 miles northeast of Waterdeep and ends where
its waters merge with the River Dessarin. Various creatures—including
a long-established thirst of stirges—have scratched tiny caves and
tunnels into the soft rock of the gorge.
This small creek was named for the dwarf Gaustar Jadehammer,
who is said to have buried a large chest of precious gems
some where along its banks in the Year of the Sunset Winds (1309 DR).
Forced from their delves in the Year of the Wandering Waves (1293 DR),
his people were harried by orcs all the way south and slaughtered one
by
one. Because the treasures of Clan Jadehammer have never surfaced,
most believe that they are still buried somewhere along the gorge.
Goldenfields (29)
Also called the Granary of the North, Goldenfields is a walled abbey of
Chauntea that lies south and west of the Sumber Hills. Founded by High
Harvestmaster Tolgar Anuvien in the Year of the Bridle (1349 DR),
Goldenfields has grown from a small farm lost in the rolling sweep of
the grassy Dessarin meadows into the largest abbey of Chauntea in
Faerûn. Now considered the agricultural backbone of the North, it
supplies Waterdeep and many other inland settlements with food. As an
official member of the Lords’ Alliance,
Goldenfields enjoys good relations with Waterdeep and the other cities
of the North. The Great Mother is said to be very proud of
Goldenfields,
and her adherents claim that she watches over it personally, guiding
her workers through dream-visions and aiding defenders with timely
bolts
of lightning or earth tremors.
Encircled by stout wooden walls, this fortified farm complex is as
large
as a small city. Its holdings sprawl across 25 square miles
of countryside, encompassing fields of grain and vegetables as well as
a community of more than five thousand devout worshipers. The sheer
size
of the tillage makes Goldenfields a frequent target for raids by
goblinkin, trolls, and barbarians. Thus, mounted patrols con sisting of
twenty or more adventurer-priests constantly scour the surrounding
lands, seeking out brigands, trolls, goblinkin, orcs, for aging
monsters, and other evils to fight. They challenge all folk theymeet
but don’t fight unless they are attacked or encounter obviously evil
creatures, such as drow or orcs.
The High Harvestmaster welcomes the services of adventurers who serve
either Chauntea or Lathander if they are willing to pledge loyalty to
the abbey, but most such wanderers soon depart, bored with a life of
endless patrolling. Adventurers of other faiths who are weary of danger
or on the run from justice are welcome as well, but they may stay only
as long as they work in the fields and defend the abbey when called
upon.
Goldenfields (Small City):Magical; AL NG; 15,000 gp limit;
Assets 400,000 gp; Population 5,324; Mixed (humans 5,111,
halflings 106, half-elves 54, others 53).
Authority Figures:High Harvestmaster Tolgar Anuvien (seebelow).
Important Characters:Szuszalan “the Warrior Maid” (see below).
The other citizens of Goldenfields are too numerous to enumer ate here.
Notable Exports:Grain and agricultural produce.
Tolgar Anuvien:High Harvestmaster Tolgar (NG maleTethyrian human cleric
16/divine disciple of Chauntea 3) is a gray haired veteran of many an
adventuring campaign with the Company of Crazed Venturers. His deeply
expressive, wrinkled face is tanned and weathered, as is his nearly
bald
scalp. These days, he favors the humble vestments of a devout
Chauntean,
though he sported fancier clothes in his adventuring days. Tolgar is
quick witted and possesses a dry sense of humor, but he earned both of
his nicknames: “The Patiently Vengeful” and “Beholderslayer.”
As the abbey’s importance to the North has grown, Tolgar’s influence
and stature have also increased. He is now considered the equal of such
rulers as Lord Nasher of Nevewinter and High Lady Alustriel of
Silverymoon (FRCS), and he is in nearly constant communication with
Khelben “Blackstaff” Arunsun and Piergeiron ofWaterdeep. Tolgar
continues to expand Goldenfields toward the strategic Ironford river
crossing, with the goal of eventually extending its borders to the
eastern bank of the River Dessarin. Recently,
the High Harvestmaster has become a silent investor in the Bargewright
Inn, having arranged for the abbey to inherit the business after
Feston Bargewright’s death.
The High Harvestmaster possesses a vast amount of personal wealth,
which
he stores in a variety of secret caches located in Piergeiron’s Palace
(C75), in Tolgar’s private house in Waterdeep(C80), in or near the Inn
of the Dripping Dagger (T3), in Malchor Harpell’s Tower of Twilight
(just west of Longsaddle), and in other places. Goldenfields used to
constitute a significant drain on his treasury, but now it adds to his
riches with each passing day.
Szuszalan:Known as the “Warrior Maid,” Szuszalan (CG elderlyfemale
Chondathan human fighter 15) is a friend and advisor toTolgar. Because
of her advanced age, few now recognize her as thefounder of the Company
of the Fiery Fane or the author ofWalking on a Swordblade. Even fewer
realize that she was once a member of the famous Circle of Steel, an
all-female adventuring band whose members explored Myth Drannor in
their
youth and lived to tell the tale.
Bralagar Winterhand:Bralagar (CG male Illuskan human fighter12) is the
jolly, rotund Seneschal of Goldenfields. Beneath his gray ing hair and
ample girth lurks the heart of a dashing warrior.
Indeed, he was an early member of the Company of CrazedVenturers, and
he adventured with Tolgar in his youth. Bralagarnow holds the security
of the abbey in his hands, and all adventurers who serve Chauntea by
patrolling the borders of Goldenfields report directly to him.
Maiden’s Tomb Tor (30)
This bare, high peak is named for Nalethra of the Winged Spear,
a princess of the Black Boar tribe who attacked Waterdeep in the Yearof
the Defiant Salute (1076 DR). Nalethra and the last of her body guards
were laid to rest in a cairn beneath the tor by Waterdeep’s army, in
honor of their valiant campaign. The peak is also the destination of a
one-way painting portal constructed by Sword Herald Murald in Suzail’s
Palace of the Purple Dragon.
In the Year of the Prince (1357 DR), the Black Spear kobolds—a tribe
with more than 450 members led by a chief named Kuthil—
took up residence in the caverns beneath this tor. Waterdeep’s
guard discovered the kobolds’ presence in the Year of Maidens (1361
DR)
and staged several attacks on them with the aid of various mercenary
groups. Clearly outmatched, the kobolds fled into the many subterranean
passages beneath the tor, never to be seen again. The attackers sealed
the tunnels with rock and patrolled the area heavily for a few years,
but eventually abandoned the practice when the tor remained secure.
Unbeknownst to Waterdeep’s defenders, the Black Spear tribe stilldwells
within the tor, armed with magic weapons plundered fromNalethra’s
cairn. After the tunnels were sealed, the tribe began scouting in the
Underdark for a regular food source. Their explo
rations led them into the territory held by the illithids of Ch’Chitl.
After a few initial skirmishes, the two groups forged a pact thatallows
the kobolds to retain their independence in exchange for act ing as
aboveground spies for the mind flayers. For their part of thebargain,
the illithids used their psionics to carve new tunnels leadingfrom the
caverns beneath the tor to the surface, far from the watch ful eyes of
the Waterdeep guard. But since the illithids have “gifted”
the leaders of the tribe with various illithid grafts (FF) over
theyears, Kuthil’s followers are unlikely to escape the status of
thrallsfor much longer.
Rassalantar
The hamlet of Rassalantar is a caravan watering stop, but
the ever present fog and the nearby Stump Bog make it an unpleasant off
road campsite. The settlement consists of half a dozen walled farms,
centered on a spring-fed pond that drains into a stream to the east.
This waterway eventually empties into the Stump Bog.
A bridge spans the stream just a pace or two north of the
SleepingDragon Inn, which stands across the road to the east of the
pond.
The innkeeper, Thrun “Spider” Samallahan, is a close friend ofDurnan of
Waterdeep (CoS:W), and rumor has it that one of thegirls working at
Thrun’s inn is actually a gold dragon in humanshape. Thrun scoffs at
this tale, but it never goes away for long. The remnants of an old
cellar serve as the inn’s midden heap.
Unbeknownst to most, a sealed archway in the cellar wall is actuallya
keyed two-way portalleading to the cellars of Mirt’s Mansion(C52) in
Waterdeep. Rassalantar is currently under Waterdeep’s protection.
Sixtyguards, quartered in barracks just off the road behind the
SleepingDragon Inn, patrol the Long Road from the gates of Waterdeep
toa cairn a half-day’s ride north of Amphail Village. They rotate
backto duty in Castle Waterdeep once a month.
cRassalantar (Hamlet):Conventional; AL LN; 100 gp limit;
Assets 1,000 gp; Population 200; Mixed (humans 128, shielddwarves 20,
elves [all types] 20, lightfoot halflings 10, half-elves 10,
gnomes [all types] 6, half-orcs 4, others 2).
Authority Figures:Civilar Gheldarm Tassor (LN male Tethyrianfighter 6),
Armar Blaskos Ulraven (LN male Chondathan fighter4), and Armar Timmer
Longschal (LN male Tethyrian fighter 4).
Important Characters:Yamid Osterim (LE male Chondathanhuman fighter 5,
merchant and Zhentarim captain), Thrun “Spider”
Samallahan (CG male Tethyrian human commoner 5, innkeeper ofthe
Sleeping Dragon Inn).
The other citizens of Rassalantar are too numerous to enumeratehere.
Notable Exports:Agricultural produce.
RASSALANTAR’S KEEP
An age ago, the warrior Rassalantar built a keep just
west of thepresent settlement. The ancient structure now lies in ruins,
cloakedby a narrow, dense strip of gnarled trees known as Keep Woods.
Visiting tramps, doppelgangers, and less savory monsters often
takeshelter in the ruins for periods of time.
Sarcrag (32)
This small, jutting crag of bare rock provides a perfect natural look
out. On a clear day, some 60 miles of territory is visible from here,
and on clear nights, campfires can be seen 90 miles off to the northor
east. Sarcrag also serves as a warning beacon for Waterdeep.
From its heights, northern patrols can signal the approach ofattackers.
Sarcrag is said to be haunted by “the Howler,” a bansheelike crea ture
that is never around when adventurers come seeking it, butalways seems
to attack the weak or unwary. Leucrottas are also apersistent problem
in the area, and their presence is the main reasonthat guards from
Waterdeep and Goldenfields patrol the road northas far as the trail
that heads east to Ironford.
According to popular legend, some bandits once buried a
fabuloustreasure at the foot of Sarcrag. Historical records verify that
anarmed force escorting the person and regalia of King Jaszur ofTethyr
was ambushed by bandits just north of Waterdeep in theYear of the
Ormserpent (1295 DR). Waterdeep’s armies trackeddown the bandits,
surrounded their position, and slaughtered themthe very next morning,
but they were too late to save the king.
Jaszur’s body was found stripped of its orb, scepter, bejeweled crown,
and sword of state. The fate of the royal treasures remains unknown to
this day. Thesoldiers of Waterdeep’s guard swore that no one could have
escapedthrough their lines because their mages had been casting
divinationspells all night to prevent magical escapes or attacks.
Likewise,
Waterdeep’s air cavalry had searched for any escaping maraudersfrom
griffonback, but to no avail. Many hopefuls have since con tinued the
search for King Jaszur’s treasure, but to date none havefound the lost
riches.
Stump Bog (33)
This vast, sprawling bog is named for the numerous rotting stumpsthat
rise from its still, green waters like blackened teeth. Algae-cov ered,
muddy waters drain into this marsh from the River Dessarin,
just south of Goldenfields. Since the trees here were cut by enter
prising woodcutters centuries ago, frog-fisherman, outlaws,
andWaterdhavian ne’er-do-wells have been the only humans to enterthis
bog. Over the years, these waters have embraced the corpses ofcountless
orcs from the Black Claw horde, as well as numerous bod ies dumped here
by agents of Waterdhavian noble families seekingto dispose of their
political enemies. Many wounded victims of theregion’s outlaws have
gotten lost in the Stump Bog and met theirdeaths by falling into the
sticky morass and drowning.
In addition to small bands of outlaws, the Stump Bog is home tomany
unpleasant creatures, ranging from swarms of common leechesand slugs to
their larger and more exotic cousins. In addition, will-o’ wisps,
mudmen, and undead creatures haunt the deeper reaches of thebog,
emerging only at night to hunt in the surrounding region.
Mere of Dead Men (50)
This vast salt swamp stretches along the Sword Coast west of theSword
Mountains. Seldom visited by civilized races, this desolate,
insect-ridden place is home to many fell creatures. The mere gained its
name from an incident involving the armies of Phalorm,
Uthtower, and the Horde of the Wastes. After the King ofUthtower
beseeched the realm’s former mage royal to save his kingdom from the
orcs, the lich Iniarv caused the sea to rise up andflood the whole
area, drowning all three armies, as well as the folk of the realm.
Travelers along the High Road
often undertake grueling, continuous hikes spanning three days and
nights just to avoid camping near the Mere of Dead Men. During the
night
hours, will-o’-wispsbob over the mere along this stretch of the High
Road. Legends speak of floating islands in the midst of the mere and of
lizardfolk commanded by liches, as well as dark tentacles (MM2) of
gargantuan proportions, doppelgangers, yuan-ti slavers, temples to
inhuman
gods, giant leeches (TFaT) with bullywug riders, and the great black
dragon Voaraghamanthar. (Unbeknownst to all,
Voaraghamanthar has an identical twin named Waervaerendor, and the two
wyrms are both CE male adult black dragons.) The flooded remains of
several rich castles and manor houses also jut up from the mere, with
only their uppermost spires and battlements showing above the dark,
still waters. These sites include Castle Naerytar,
Holk House, Mornhaven Towers, and Wolfhill House.
Northern Coast
The rocky uplands north of Waterdeep are owned by
variousWaterdhavian noble families and held by crofters in their
employ.
Although a few hardscrabble fields dot the landscape, this region
isused primarily for grazing large flocks of sheep and herds of goats.
Communities in this area tend to be very small, and each is home tojust
a handful of families. Although the guard keeps the monsters that come
down from the Sword Mountains and the Mere of DeadMen in check, a
dragon could wing in from the sea at any time to grab a quick snack.
Circle of the
Deepening Moon (34)
This ancient circle of moss-covered standing stones is believed to date
back more than two centuries to the waning days of Ardeep. At one time,
the boughs of Ardeep Forest sheltered the circle, but nowthe stones
stand exposed atop a gently sloped, grass-covered hill. The only magic
still within these stones is a keyed, one-way, variable portal leading
to a random location within the underground forest known as Wyllowwood
on the fourth level of Undermountain. The portal can be activated by
stepping inside the circle while the clouds cast a shadow over them.
Thornhold (35)
The fortress known as Thornhold lies west of the High Road alongthe
coast, just south of the Mere of Dead Men. This gray stone edi fice is
set against and near the top of a hill that sweeps up highbefore
descending in a sheer drop to the sea. A thick wall with acurving sweep
surrounds the two tall towers of the central keep. The fortress is
devoid of adornment, and its plain walls are bro ken only by narrow
arrow slits and evenly spaced, wood-shutteredcrenellations atop the
walls. Inside the wall, clustered around the bai ley, are numerous
small, wood-and-plaster buildings used for holdinganimals, brewing
beer, smithwork, laundry, repairing wagons, andmaking candles.
Thornhold was the keep of a petty warlord named BrunyundarMargaster
until the paladin Samular Caradoon and his followersseized it in the
aftermath of the Second Troll War. Although the Holy Order of the
Knights of Samular maintained it as a chapter house for many years, the
fortress of Thornhold remained the personal property of the Caradoon
family, as recorded in deed at the Herald’s Holdfast. After the death
of
Hronrulf of Tyr in the Yearof the Banner (1368 DR), the fortress
briefly fell into the hands ofthe Zhentarim. But Hronrulf’s daughter,
Bronwyn Caradoon,
reclaimed the stronghold with the aid of the rings of Samular and the
artifact known as Kezefbane. Instead of returning tenancy to the
Knights
of Samular, however, Bronwyn allowed the shield dwarves of the
Stoneshaft clan to occupy Thornhold. Clan Stoneshaft continues to
operate the formidable redoubt to this day as a merchant stopover—the
last along the High Road before the dangerous dash past the Mere of
Dead
Men.
Red Rocks and
Redcliffs (36, 37)
The coast north of Waterdeep rises to a height of nearly 200 feet above
sea level before drifting down to the lower elevations of the Mere of
Dead Men. The cliffs along this stretch of coast are known as the
Red Cliffs for the distinctive hue they assume in the light of the
setting sun.
Off the coast are thousands of tiny islets known collectively as the
Red
Rocks. Most of these landforms are sea stacks carved by the relentless
waves of the Sea of Swords, but some are little more than boulders
peeking up above the waves. The Red Rocks have sunk countless ships
over
the centuries, so sailors tend to give the area awide berth. Fishermen
frequent these waters, however, since they are home to an endless
variety of fish and shellfish, many of which are highly prized by the
diners of Waterdeep.
Many dangerous predators—including several shrieks of harpies and a few
swoops of perytons—also dwell in the Red Rocks. In recent years,
fisherman have had to avoid the northern Red Rocks altogether because
the area has become the hunting grounds of a manticore allied with a
pack of seawolves.
Alsapir’s Rock (38)
Alsapir’s Rock was named for a long-ago fisherman who died when his
boat
was dashed apart against it during a storm. The tiny island lies off
the
coast just north of Waterdeep, so close to Mount Sarthat it doesn’t
even appear on most maps and charts. In the island’s western face, the
sea has carved a many-armed tide water cavern that once served as the
home of Gaulauntyr (FRCS).
Although this complex no longer holds the dragon’s fortune in gems,
it still contains a captive deepspawn (LEoF), whose offspring
can’t escape from the caverns thanks to the watery entryway. The
monsters this creature births include rothé (FRCS), deer, and
boars, plus various other prey animals suitable for Gaulauntyr’s
appetite. But the cavern lacks any food for these beasts, so now that
Gaulauntyr isgone, they regularly starve to death.
Hall of Reflected
Moonlight (39)
The chapterhouse of the Order of the Blue Moon stands atop a jagged
spur
of rock amidst the Red Rocks, just north of Waterdeep.
The fortress is quite small, capable of holding at most sixty persons,
but twenty knights can ably defend it. The islet is linked to the main
land by a rocky sandbar, visible only at low tide, which links up witha
narrow trail that eventually joins the High Road.
The Hall of Reflected Moonlight consists of three stout towers linked
by
a triangle of inner walls and encircled by a roughly oval outer wall.
Landbound creatures must approach across the sandbarand climb a series
of narrow stone steps carved into the face of the Redcliffs. This
staircase bends back and forth and passes throughfive gates before
reaching the lower portions of the structure.
Waterborne creatures can approach via a sea cave on the westernside
that is large enough to dock a small ship. However, the only way into
the castle proper is up a narrow shaft that houses a winch driven
elevator. Before it was claimed by the Order of the Blue Moon, the
fortresswas known as Black Logan’s Keep. According to legend, Black
Logan was a contemporary of one of Waterdeep’s early warlords,
though exactly which one remains unclear. After the two had a falling
out,
Black Logan fled to his keep, forcing Waterdeep’s army to besiege the
stronghold for more than a year. The siege ended when Black Logan died
of heartstop and his men threw the body over the wall.
Angered that Black Logan had escaped justice, the warlord had the body
brought back to Waterdeep, put on trial, hung, and then drawn and
quartered. It is said that Black Logan’s vengeful ghost still haunts
the keep.
If the tale is true, the Knights of the Blue Moon must have reached
some
accommodation with the spirit, since no supernatural strife is apparent
to visitors.
Southern Coast
South of Waterdeep, the coast slopes down to the sea via
a maze of gullies carved by countless tiny streams. Although the region
is frequently lashed by fierce tempests blown in from the Sea of
Storms,
scrubby trees peek up from sheltered ravines here and there. The shore
is marshy only near the outflow of the Selpir, and the only beach of
note has been transformed into the Rat Hills.
Byndraeth Estate (40)
This sprawling, stone villa lies within a wooded copse some 5 miles
east
of Waterdeep’s South Gate. Originally owned by the crimelord Carril
Byndraeth, the estate passed to his wife Brianne (CoS:W) after his
murder. Although Brianne spends the bulk of her days in her personal
tower in the city (N75), she returns to the Byndraeth Estate at least
once every tenday to rest and think.
Since Carril’s death, the Byndraeth Estate has been the target
of repeated theft attempts. Rumors speak of a vast fortune in gems
and magic accumulated by the crimelord during his lifetime and hidden
so
well that even his widow cannot find it. Whether such stories are true
or not, they do serve a purpose by allowing Brianne to
observe Waterdeep’s most skillful rogues in action.
Roaring Dragon House (41)
Located just 1 1/2 miles south and east of the South Gate and sur
rounded by a stout stone wall is the Roaring Dragon House—
Waterdeep’s newest gambling den. Built to allow gambling, brawling,
and beast fights outside the reach of the watch, the Roaring Dragon
offers no food, no rooms, and a menu of overpriced drinks.
Even so, however, it does not lack for excitement during the night time
hours. The Harbright family owns both the High Flagon Gambling House
($76) and the Roaring Dragon House.
Zundbridge (42)
Named for its creator, the wizard Zund, this squat, massive stonebridge
spans the River Dessarin, extending the main caravan road south from
Waterdeep toward Amn and the Caravan Cities of the Western Heartlands.
Zundbridge has held firmly for nearly a century, even through the
roaring spring floods of the Dessarin, with out requiring any repairs.
Waterdeep’s forces patrol the road as far as Zundbridge and maintain a
guardpost there—a double-walled castle situated on a rocky outcropping
above the river gorge just southeast of Waterdeep. Theinner wall
protects the garrison buildings, and the outer wall encircles a vast
field where caravans can rest while their wares are inspected by
Waterdhavian customs officers. In fact, most trading costers own
permanent “yards” here for their caravans. Also within this outer
bailey
is the Red Rune Inn, whose kitchen staff is rumored to make the finest
shalass stew in all Faerûn. The outer bailey’s north gate opens
onto a drawbridge controlled from within the gate towers. “Judge”
Kazardun, a former mercenary (LG male shielddwarf fighter 8) commands
the guard here. The post is also equipped with a flight of three
griffon
steeds to give Waterdeep advancewarning of any important visiting
delegation or attacking force.
The other purpose of this guardpost is to stop adventurers whocome in
search of a stone golem said to have been used by Zund in the
construction of the bridge. According to legend, the golem was left at
the bridge upon Zund’s death, and it can be taken by any who can divine
or stumble upon the secrets of commanding it. Over the years, many such
seekers have dug around the bridge’s moorings on both banks, swum
beneath the span, and even tried to pry stones out of the arches. The
commanders of Waterdeep’s guard fear that if the bridge were left
unguarded, these zealous, would-be golem owners would soon demolish it.
Unbeknownst to most golem-seekers, one of the arches beneath the bridge
is actually the terminus of a two-way keyed portal from the city of
Nagarr (shown on some maps as Kagarra) in Sespech on the Nagawater
(SK).
The Zundbridge golem disappeared through Kiothun’s portal long ago and
is
now an overlooked piece of statuary standing in a park in Kagarra.
Rat Hills (44)
This area was once a barren, windswept pebble beach, with crashing
waves
that rolled endlessly in the shallows. For almost a mile out to sea,
the
sea bed lies 5 or fewer feet from the surface of the water. In older
days, ships used to beach here for repairs, and lumber barges pulled up
at this spot for loading. But as Waterdeep became rich enough to suffer
raids, its people began to see this easy landing place as a danger to
their safety—and a free alternative to Waterdeep’sharbor.
A rough shantytown came into being here in the Year of the Groaning
Cart
(1267 DR), and the Shadow Thieves quickly moved to control it. Upon
their restoration to power, the Lords saw the danger and acted
swiftly, calling the guard out in force in the Year of theWagon (1273
DR). They drove out the inhabitants of “the Beach,” as the area was
known, slaughtering those who resisted and setting fire to all that
would burn. The guards then camped on the spot until the fires had died
down and used fortified patrols to keep the area clear.
Under their protection, Waterdeep’s citizens began to bring
their garbage to this area in wagonloads—a task performed today by
the Dungsweepers’ Guild—rather than burning it directly outside the
city
walls. Within a few years, the accumulated garbage piles became known
as
the Rat Hills—a name that is still in common usage. At their largest,
the Rat Hills covered an
area almost 4 miles in length and up to a mile in width. But in the
Year
of the Shield (1367 DR),
the Rat Hills Conflagration reduced the size of the hills by half
and drove out many of the previous inhabitants.
As the name suggests, these tangled hills of refuse are infested with
rats. Scrub trees and gnarled creepers climb everywhere, root ing in
the rotting garbage and the bits of soil that have accumulated on the
heaps. The reek is indescribable and foils all attempts to track by
scent or to smell anything but the strongest perfume. The monsters
living in the hills make it too dangerous for the dungsweepers to carry
garbage into the interior, so fresh garbage is simply piled at the
outer
edge of the hills daily, resulting in a net growth of almost half an
acre per year. Even with many of the bolder creatures scattered by the
fires, the Rat Hills remain a dangerous place for humanoids and a
relatively safe haven for numerous monsters.
The guard patrols the nearby trade road and protects the daily convoy
of
Dungsweepers’ Guild garbage wagons but otherwise leaves the Rat Hills
alone, allowing them to grow at their own pace.
Efforts to bolster the guard presence near the Rat Hills have
slowly faded because Waterdeeep’s guard is stretched too thin to keep
a close eye on the situation.
Commonly encountered monsters in the Rat Hills include rat swarms and
all manner of individual rats and dire rats, plus kobolds,
lacedons, lizardfolk, nyths (MoF), wererats (CoS:W) of the Plague Rats,
will-o’-wisps, and various forms of undead. Rarer monsters sometimes
seen within the region include advanced otyughs, beholders,
catoblepas, doppelgangers, gulguthydras (MoF), leucrottas(CoS:W),
shambling mounds, and independent wererats. The Rat Hills Conflagration
drove most of the doppelgangers of the Unseen(CoS:W) out of the Rat
Hills and into the city.
Contact with the
disease-ridden garbage in the Rat Hills requires a DC 12 Fortitude save
to avoid contracting the malady known asdarkrot. Exposure may consist
of immersion in or excessive contact with the dark, evil-smelling water
of the Rat Hills (be it rainwater pools in the interior or the water of
the coastal shallows), contact with the garbage on dry land, or eating
the meat of a creature inhabiting the region. A saving throw must be
made once for each such contact, or once per minute of prolonged
contact, such as swimming in the shallows, bathing in a pool, or
climbing atop a pile of garbage.
If the garbage is excessively disturbed (by digging, explosive spell
casting, fire, or a violent physical fight), every creature in the
vicinity must make an extra, immediate save for each such disturbance.
Furthermore, a creature must make a DC 16 Fortitude save each time it
ingests the water in the Rat Hills to avoid contracting blinding
sickness. Dilution with clean water or wine grants a +5 circumstance
bonus on the save, and boiling it grants a +10 circumstance bonus.
Eating the meat of a creature inhabiting the region requires a DC 16
Fortitude save to avoid contracting this disease, but cooking the meat
first provides a +10 circumstance bonus.
Because of the countless insects swarming in the fetid air above the
garbage and stagnant pools, every creature in the Rat Hills hasa 5%
chance per minute of being bitten by a disease-carrying bug (DC 12
Fortitude save to avoid contracting filth fever). Anyone injured while
in the Rat Hills must also make the same saving throw.
Creatures that inhabit the Rat Hills are immune to blinding sickness,
darkrot, and filth fever.
Darkrot:Your breathing becomes labored and takes on a hissingsound, and
large, black patches form on your skin. You remain con tagious until
cured. Infection:Contact; DC 12; Incubation:1d2 days; Damage:1d2Str,
1d2 Con.
THERAT’S MAW
Somewhere within the Rat Hills, buried beneath a hill of
noxious garbage, is a small temple of Talona operated by the Plague
Rats. The Rat’s Maw, as it is called, consists of a warren of twisting
tunnels carved through the garbage connecting a handful of larger
“rooms”
that serve as nests for the resident rats. At the heart of the hill is
a rectangular room with stone walls. This former basement, dug for“the
Beach” prior to its destruction, serves as the temple’s mainshrine.
Sacrifices to the Mother of All Plagues involve infecting a victim with
as many diseases as possible and then keeping him just barely alive and
in excruciating torment for as long as possible.
The Selpir (43)
This slow, quiet creek drains Ardeep River and South Ardeep River south
of Zundbridge. Lizardfolk occasionally lurk in the mouth ofits marshy
source, but the merfolk who congregate in this area have largely driven
the reptilian humanoids from the Selpir Marsh.
Over the centuries, the waters of the Selpir have breached many of
ancient Ardeep’s tombs. Overgrown and forgotten even by the Fair Folk
and the Stout Folk, these tombs have yielded their smaller riches to
the
relentless water. Patient searchers can sometimes find such treasures
in
the streambed, but most of the more valuable treasures are still
trapped
in the now-submerged tombs.
Sword Mountains
North of Waterdeep, the Sword Mountains march north
toward theNeverwinter Woods. Although not militarily significant, this
range shields the Dessarin river valley and the High Forest from the
worst of the storms that blow in from the Trackless Sea. The
western flanks of the range are home to orcs, bugbears, kobolds,
leucrottas (CoS:W), and other dangerous creatures. Self-styled bandit
lords,
such as Amalkyn the Black and the wizard Helduth Flamespell,
have long-established holds in the region. The southern peaks are home
to stone giants and more fearsome menaces, as well as sylphson the high
ledges and peaks. The Sword Mountains are littered with ruins dating
back to the orcish empire of Uruth Ukrypt and the dwarf and gnome
clanholds that preceded it.
Hall of Whirling Blades
(45)
The Hall of Whirling Blades is a fallen temple of Haela Brightaxe that
was dug into the foothills of the southeastern Sword Mountains, just
west of Amphail. Now occupied by the Sixblade Orc Tainted Dangers
Tribe, the Hall of Whirling Blades is famed for six separate
blade barriers that come into being, one after the other, using the
cached blades of the temple as whirling weapons.
Iniarv’s Tower
Iniarv was a mighty archmage of ancient Uthtower who
became ademilich in undeath. Some say he still guards the ruins and his
subterranean spell libraries. Many, however, believe he was
destroyed decades ago by an adventuring band known as the Company of
the Howling Wolf. In recent years, the Knights of Samular established
an outpost here, but it was abandoned after the paladins were set upon
by Voaraghamanthar and his twin (see Mere of Dead Men, above).
Mount Araddyn
Located just north of Mount Sar, Mount Araddyn is easily
accessible only from the High Road.
OLOTHONTOR’S LAIR (46)
Olothontor the Minstrel Wyrm (LE male very old blue dragon)
dwells on the western flank of Mount Araddyn, high above the High Road.
His lair lies behind the ruins of an old stone mansion originally built
for the brother titans Endrigul and Roevryn Taluth, and later taken
over
by the self-styled Gnome King Karlus “Goldgoblet”
Dlinshoulder as the seat of his court. In the wake of repeated orc
raids,
the place was abandoned. The rear rooms of the mansion are now open to
the sky, allowing the Minstrel Wyrm to fly in and out. A cavern in the
cliff face behind the mansion leads into the dragon’s lair, which lies
on the far side of a deep chasm heated by a volcanic flow.
Olothontor is entranced by music, and he demands regular visits
by traveling bards, from whom he commands repeat performances.
Mount Helimbrar
Mount Helimbrar, the southernmost peak of the Sword
Mountains,
was named for one of two great fomorian giants who lived in thesouthern
Sword Mountains before they were slain by an early war lord of
Waterdeep. Mount Sar, the second most southern peak, was named for
Helimbrar’s twin.
MARUNE’S STRONGHOLD (47)
The infamous necromancer who seeks to rebuild the Shadow Thieves Guild
in Waterdeep has laired for more than three decades beneaththe base of
Mount Helimbrar, undiscovered by Waterdeep’s city guard. Although he
spends the bulk of his time in the City of Splendors, Marune still
returns to his longstanding lair from time to time, usually to craft
new
magic items or research new spells. Thelair is always well defended by
a variety of undead, and the spell trigger traps that Marune has
placed there summon all manner of monsters to battle intruders.
Mount Sar
Mount Sar, the second most southern peak of the Sword
Mountains,
was named for one of two great fomorian giants who lived in the
southern
Sword Mountains before they were slain by an early war lord of
Waterdeep. Mount Helimbrar, the southernmost peak, was named for Sar’s
twin.
HESPHEIRA (48)
Centuries ago, the village of Hespheira lay in the shadows of Mount
Sar,
but in the Year of Lathander’s Light (1024 DR), unknown magics shifted
the village and all its inhabitants to the Plane of Shadow. Many
villagers were rescued by the paladin Dahaerlin of the Burning Brand
and
the Brotherhood of Light after fierce battles with a powerful shadow
dracolich named Umbralax, who dwelt in one of that plane’s mysterious
Darklands. The fact that Dahaerlin never returned leads many to believe
that he won the group’s escape at the cost of his own life.
In the Year of the Shadowkin Return (1136 DR), the ruined village of
Hespheira returned to Faerûn, wrapped in a cloying cloud
of blackness. Shadowy, wraithlike creatures began attacking
inhabitants of the surrounding region, drawing out the Knights of the
Aster. In the shadows of the village, members of the order battled
Umbralax and the wraiths. But although the shadowy invaders were
destroyed at great cost, thanks to the magic of the rod of Lathander
(CoS:W),
the dracolich’s phylactery was never found.
In the years since the Battle of Hespheira, isolated reports of
disappearances in the region have come to light, leading some to spec
ulate that a portal to the Plane of Shadow remains active in the area.
Some claim that the shadowy village still periodically returns
to Faerûn, but if so, it has never returned long enough to
threaten the surrounding region.
MELAIRRIN
High on the slopes of Mount Sar lies a warren of caves leading
deep into the mountain’s heart. Gulyaikin Dzrund, “the Mad Dwarf,”
dwelt there in nearly nine decades ago, and some believe that he
lives there still. Gulyaikin was noted for fits of berserk glee during
which he delighted in killing all sorts of passers by by rolling large
rocks onto the High Road below and catapulting boulders at fishing
boats offshore. The warren of caves is now home to Harshnag the Grim
(CoS:W),
a frost giant and member of the Gray Hands. Harshnag’s caves are linked
to Blackstaff Tower (C6) via a large-sized, two-way, keyedportal.
The deepest caves of Harshnag’s lair lead down to a dwarf-built citadel
in the heart of the mountain. Once known as Melairrin, the complex fell
to the orcs of Uruth Ukrypt early in the history of that realm, giving
them a secure base from which to dominate the south ern Sword
Mountains. In the Year of the Dracorage (1018 DR), the caverns of
Melairrin were taken over by a black wyrm named Shammagar, who claimed
it as his lair. The black dragon dweltt herein for several centuries
before Asilther Graelor (CG female half wood elf rogue 9), longtime
companion of Mintiper Moonsilver,
stole much of his hoard. Fearing further thefts, Shammagar abandoned
Melairrin and relocated to an offshore island.
The caverns of Melairrin still retain traces of their various owners,
but they are now home to a wide variety of monsters that have crept up
from the depths below. Harshnag reports encountering small bands of
half-black dragons of orcish ancestry from time to time, suggesting
that
Shammagar’s progeny may still dwell below.
Older reports speak of a vampire lairing in the depths and a
one-way portal linking the Sundered Throne (UM L1) to the dragon’s lair
in the depths of Melairrin. The vampire Rorrina, dual, (daughter)
ofTuvala of Clan Stoneshaft (CE female vampire [augmented shielddwarf]
cleric 10 of Abbathor), does indeed exist and is a servitor ofArtor
Morlin (CoS:W and Dungeon #126-127).
NASAQH ESTATES (49)
East of the High Road, in the valley between Mount Sar and
Mount Helimbrar, lie the Nasaqh Estates. Four generations of Nasaqh
lords have ruled this valley, but the current Lord Nasaqh (LN
male Illuskan human aristocrat 9) may be the last of his line,
considering that he is growing older and has not yet produced an heir.
TheNasaqh holdings are known for producing “seawine,” a potent liqueur
popular among Waterdeep’s merchant elite.
Within the holdings of Lord Nasaqh lies the Agrivar estate.
Consisting of more than 100 acres of fertile fields, old woodlands,
and a stone manor house set on a rise overlooking the land, the Agrivar
estate is held in trust for Priam Agrivar (LG male Illuskan human
paladin 10 of Tyr), a noted adventurer and part of the crew of Dwalimar
Omen’s Realms Master.
About the Author
Eric L. Boyd has been a fan of the Forgotten Realms
product line since the first time Elminster graced the pages of
DRAGON maga zine. When he’s not playing the role of software
development
manager or dad, Eric enjoys writing about Faerûn late into the
night and knitting together obscure bits of Realmslore. Eric has
written
or coauthored nearly a dozen books about Faerûn and contributed
to many more. His most recent credits include Faiths and Pantheons,
Races of Faerûn, Serpent Kingdoms, Champions of Ruin,and City of
Splendors: Waterdeep.
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