volos guide to waterdeep

Feldyn’s Recipes

Elminster warns that dragon meat should be properly prepared before eating (see page 82 of
FOR1 Draconomicon) and that cockatrices should not be touched for at least three hours after
death—and even then, gloves should be used to pluck out the larger feathers and throw them
away. The large feathers sometimes retain the power to petrify for days.

Dragon Soup Take them out and peel
them with a sharp knife.
6 large, ripe tomatoes Lay the skin aside. Stir the
14 hot onions (or 6 shal- rest back into the water.
lots and 2 cloves of garlic)
1 pinch salt Chop the onions (and
1 handful dill garlic, if used) finely. Stir
1 handful parsley this in too, adding salt, dill,
1 pinch black pepper and pepper TO the pot.
1 skin g o a t ' s m i l k
much clean water Remove any scaly, ined-
dragon meat (ingredients ible outer hide from the
listed do up to 10 pounds) dragon meat. Cut the meat
In a cauldron, bring water into manageable portions,
to a boil and with a ladle and drop it into the pot—
dip tomatoes in for the which must be at a rolling
space of a short trail joke. boil. Let boil while an inch
is burned down on a
thumb-thick candle.

Then, Stop feeding the
fire. As the pot cools, stir
in the goat's milk and the
parsley. Let stand until
the fat and oil present in
all dragon meat comes to
the surface. Skim this off
and then reheat the mix-
ture for dining.

Uncooked dragon meat
keeps six sunrises. Cooked
meat keeps for twice
that.

He also tells me one pour is a measure achieved by tipping a shaken bottle upside down and
then immediately upright again. A knife is an amount that stays on the blade of a knife.
Merithian sauce is equivalent to a strongly spiced steak sauce. Nightcap mushrooms are found
only in the Realms. Be very cautious with mushroom substitutions.

These recipes also show some time measures used by cooks in the Realms. The 16 verses of
song called for (at least, as Elminster sang them) equal about 8 rounds, game time, and the space
of a good sword-sharpening seems to be about 6 turns.

Roasted Cockatrice leek cooks, push it around just
enough to prevent burning.
1 cockatrice carcass
2 leeks Cut off the bony head and
2 handfuls of morels (or 1 neck of the cockatrice, which can
handful nightcap mushrooms) later be boiled for soup. Slit the
2 plants (whole stalks, with carcass up the breast, turning
hearts) celery or marsh lettuce out the gizzard (with its some-
1 handful bean tubers (or times-poisonous contents) and
marsh grass roots) other organs.
1 pinch thyme
1 pinch salt The cockatrice need not be
2 pinches pepper skinned. Its leathery, scaly outer
1 pouch flask’s worth of red skin protects the tender flesh
Lythton (or other semi-sweet) wine during cooking. Don't let blood
2 pours hot brown Merithian and fluids drain away or the
sauce bird will cook too dry. Tough or
2 knives of animal fat dried carcasses should be doused
In a skillet or upended iron in diluted wine (1 part to 2 parts
shield over a small fire, chop and water) before roasting.
mix leeks with salt, pepper, bean
tubers. Sizzle in animal fat until Stuff the carcass with celery
leek pieces grow soft. While the and thyme. Put in the skillet
atop sizzling leeks, roast for 16
verses of “The Unicorn and the
Maiden,” and turn.

When both sides are brown,
turn the carcass so it lies with
the flattest side down, and douse
it with the wine. When bubbling
and sizzling dies, baste the
carcass with the brown sauce.
Roast for the space of a good
sword-sharpening, basting often
and turning when needed to keep
the color even.

The skin will crack and dry
like old parchment, lifting and
flaking away like wood ash when
the meal is done. Take from the
fire and let cool until it can
be held for eating. Goes well with

ale and greens.

The House of complex has enriched all guild
Good Spirits members and now serves them
as a home away from home base
Tavern, Inn, Winery & Head- in which they can stay when
quarters of the Vintners', their homes are overcrowded or
Distillers', and Brewers’ Guild being worked on, go for a quiet
tankard when the working day is
Located on the northwest side of done, and house, entertain, and
the Rising Ride (at the crest of the meet with business guests.
small knoll for which that street
is named) between the mouths of The Place
Juth Alley and Robin's Way, this
complex of buildings is fronted The entire complex still looks
by a timber, wattle and daub like a collection of warehouses
tavern. It extends north and west and factories inside and out.
along Tornsar Alley as far as Massive, exposed beams and bare
Buckle Street, where an alleyway mud brick walls are everywhere,
offers access to the inn and its and the lamp lighting is dim.
stables at the back of the tavern.32 Small passages, cozy nooks, odd
doorways, and surprise steps up
The House of Good Spirits has and down are numerous, and
always been a guild headquarters furnishings are bare-bones and
and a winery where sluth33 and workaday, but comfortable and
zzar are made. (Zzar is made ruggedly serviceable.
from sluth by fortifying it with
almond liqueur.) The inn, tavern, wine store,
winery, and brewery are directly
Some 60 winters ago, a small joined inside, but a narrow
brewery was added on the courtyard separates the stables
corner of the Rising Ride and from the rest.34
Tornsar Alley and then the
tavern was opened. About four The Prospect
winters ago, the operators of the
House expanded into an adjacent The House of Good Spirits boasts
warehouse to open its doors as a the best and cheapest selection of
40-bed inn primarily for the liqueurs and strong drink in the
convenience of visiting grape- entire City of Splendors—even if,
growers and wine merchants. as a noble I overheard snootily
put it, “You have to sit in the
Owned by the guild, this stinking brewery to drink its
wares.” Fiery blackthroat from

32 This is #214 on the color city map.
33 Sluth is dry, sparkling white wine.
34 The Harpers novel Elfshadow describes an arrival (pages 114-117) and stay at the House.

152

far Lantan is as plentiful in its expert guide to the gambling
spacious cellars as is ruby-red houses and festhalls of Water-
elverquisst, beloved of the elves. deep) to Simon Thrithyn the
innkeeper. The resident chief
It is a comfortable, if disorga- guild buyer and seller is Dlarna
nized, inn, most of the rooms Suone. Her second is Gordrym
sporting two single beds and Zhavall. Dlarna is the only sharp-
bare board floors. There are no tempered and sharp-witted
luxuries, but tired travelers will person in the place. The others
find it a comfortable place to tend to be stolid, calm folk—even
sleep. The low prices attract a the seven burly bouncers, who
regular clientele of hard drink- are led by Mrorn “Black Bracers”
ers, but the staff35 keep order. Halduth.
Brawls are frequent, but take
place on the street outside, not The Prices
within. Breaking one of the long,
leaded windows of the tavern— A room costs 2 gp/bed per night.
or forcing another patron to do If one person wants a private
so by hurling him through it— room, he must pay for two beds,
costs a brawler 4 gp. During but can invite a nonstaying guest
daylight hours, guild representa- to eat the second food share. This
tives are always on hand for rate includes stabling for all
those who want to deal in spirits. mounts and all meals desired—
Private meeting rooms are just ask. Draft beasts are each 1
available for conferences. cp per night extra. The dining
fare is restricted to the spare
The Provender menu I listed. Also included is all
the ale the guest wants to drink.
The inn provides only a basic
menu: roast boar, rabbit-and- Wine and spirits are extra, and
smalls stew (fowl, vegetables, are sold by the bottle. Prices
squirrels, and the like, always range from 2 cp/bottle for sluth
simmering in the kitchen), and made on the premises (a cut
cheese-and-mustard saltbread rate—outside the tavern, such a
melts (small, circular loaves of bottle sells for 8 cp) to 6 sp/bottle
very tasty bread). of house zzar. Prices then rise
rapidly to a high of 33 gp/bottle
The People for the finest, and with local
unrest, very rare, Tethyrian
The guild staff numbers 40 or so, distilled dragonsblood.
from Elguth the stableboy (an

35 Staff acting as bouncers typically arrive as follows: 1d4 F2s in 1d4 rounds, an F1 a round after the
first arrival, then 1d4 F2s and an F3 1d3 rounds later.

36A few popular wines and their prices per bottle: Neverwinter black icewine, 7 sp; Best Old Mintarn
whisky, 1 gp; Wyvern Whisky, 2 gp (made in Nimbral—a wyvern’s scale floats in every bottle).

153

Travelers' Lore sent by spell to a comrade a day’s
hard ride distant as the adven-
It is widely rumored that a large turers fought their last fight.
amount of treasure—a dragon
hoard, brought back to Water- These days, most guild mem-
deep by an adventuring com- bers can recall only a snatch of
pany sponsored by the guild long the song. But visitors beware: If
ago—is hidden somewhere in or you laugh or offer disrespect
under the House. Would-be when this stanza is sung, all the
prospectors are warned that the men singing with tears in their
staff take a very dim view of eyes are apt to rise up and sepa-
people who dig or pry at walls, rate you from your life.
floors, and ceilings.
And no one will stand there to
The adventuring band, the hear our reply,
Guild Adventuring Company
(colloquially known as the Flying And no one will come there to
Flagons) all perished at Yartar, see heroes die.. .
defending it against raiding orcs.
This is remembered in the “Fall Oh, raise flagons high
of the Company” written by the And swords to the sky
Company’s bard, Felestin, and For guild and adventure
Die well when you die!

154

The Jade Dancer well and look down on the stage.
Three large, wide-curving circu-
Tavern & Festhall lar staircases rise around the well
to link the floors. They provide
This raucous haunt of the young, good views of shows, and are
free, and ardently romantic often lined with standing
opens onto Dancing Court, patrons.
sometime site of the eerily beauti-
ful Moon Sphere, just north of The kitchens, pantries, and
Slop Street in the Tween Run (the staff quarters are hidden below
local name for the alleys and ground level. The main floor is
buildings between the High Road entirely given over to a bar, a
and the Way of the Dragon).37 ring-shaped dance area around
the stage, and sturdily built,
The Place round wooden tables linked by
floor-chains to quartets of plain,
Built of timber and stone col- heavy-duty chairs for patrons.
umns, its outer walls sealed by a
slather-coat of plaster into which The upper floors are devoted
mud bricks have been pressed in to large, plant-adorned drinking
slanting courses, the Dancer parlors on the Dancing Court
looks like what it is: a warehouse side and festhall rooms (opening
with a grand front tacked on. Its off the promenade) around the
upper floors open onto a broad, rest of their extent.
two-tier balcony overlooking the
Dancing Court, which boasts The Prospect
intricate ornamental wrought
iron railings and potted fruit This clean, brightly lit, noisy
trees. Inside, minstrels play on a place is beloved of young
hanging gallery suspended from Waterdhavians wanting to be in
the ceiling on chains above a the rush of new fashion and “in”
raised central stage where behavior—and to be seen to be
dancers and singers perform. part of it. As most nights pass, the
visitor can see and smell the
The stage and gallery domi- steadily rising excitement. If half
nate an open central well that the too-loud, excited young boys
soars up to a roof skylight. Inte- swaggering around knew how to
rior balconies or promenades of use the huge weapons they wave
the upper floors open onto the about, the nightly slaughter
would make Dancing Court run
red with gore.38

37 The Jade Dancer is #208 on the color map.
38The chairs have been thoughtfully chained to the tables. Only an incredibly strong man (ST 18 or
greater) can lift and hurl a table and four chairs as one—though many patrons swear they’ve seen it

done.

155

The Dancer has a staff of taking liberties with escorts or
expert, good-looking escorts who guests are hereby warned that
mingle with the patrons. Mis- the Jade Dancer also has as a
guessing who is a patron and bouncer a watchful wizard,
who is an escort has left many a Selcharoon Nrim, who wears a
ring of invisibility and a ring of
visitor to the city with a face red jumping, and ably wields a wand
and ringing from a hard slap. A
hint: You can recognize an escort of paralyzation.
by the room keys worn around The establishment is named

their necks on fine chains. for its star dancing attraction:
The rooms are not all for the Jade, a magically animated,
incredibly beautiful, life-sized
use of escorts. Couples who find jade statue, fashioned like a
each other among the drinks can human female.39 Usually found
rent rooms. Those thinking of

39Elminster reveals that Jade is a special sort of figurine of wondrous power, mentally animated by
the owner of the club, the sorceress Cathalishaera. It will crumble into dust if taken more than 200 paces
from Cathalishaera or if Cathalishaera should die. She customarily keeps it in a Leomund’s secret chest,
and the tiny half of this item is carried on her person, avoiding the destructive effects of moving the
statue too far away.

The sorceress customarily sits in a locked, hidden room during performances, seeing through the
statue’s eyes and moving it by will in response to the music and the calls of the crowd. She loves this
work, but is too shy to ever dare dance in person.

156

dancing on the stage in acrobatic lishaera, who relies on her
poses no human dancer with any bouncer Selcharoon and her
dignity or nerve endings could staff of about 20 female and 12
endure for long, it begins an male escorts, about half of whom
evening with no hair but grows are on shift on a given night, and
illusory flowing hair as it the house staff of 10 bar and
moves—until a floor-length train kitchen workers.
of tresses flows behind and
around it. The hair then vanishes, The best-known of the house
to begin growing again. The cycle staff is the fat, talkative, wise-
takes about an hour. cracking lady bartender, Khalou
Mazestar. She loves to talk to
The Provender guests at the bar and is a great
source of jokes, information on
A wild variety of drinkables can current fads and interests among
be had here, from glowing the swinging young of Water-
amber dwarven thorl beldarakul deep, and gossip about who’s
(Old Trickster) to cool, minty involved with whom among
green shondath icewine, favored Waterdeep’s noble and monied
by some elves and halflings. families. She’s especially envious
Among humans, Al & Tal’s Slurp of those people who can afford
Syrup (well-spiked cherry syrup) to festoon themselves with
is popular, along with Fool’s precious jewels, and never tires
Thirst-Quencher (a mix of six of hearing or passing on news of
beers and winter wine), and, of Lady Shanderplast’s navel car-
course, zzar, which can be had at buncle or Lord Lunkoon’s huge
double strength. All drinks here emerald earplugs.
are 5 sp for a handglass and 1 gp
for a tall flagon. The Prices

To go with the drinkables, the Aside from the bar prices already
Dancer staff serves free bowls of given, the Dancer charges 2 cp
salted nuts, loaves of hot garlic- per glass or flagon thrown or
buttered bread (2 sp/round loaf), broken, and 1 sp per plant eaten
and skewered roast fowl two to a or destroyed, and 1 gp per piece
skewer for 3 sp/skewer. These of furniture set afire or de-
are small plucked chickens with stroyed. An hour’s use of a room
head, feet, and organs removed, key runs 1 gp, with a maximum
cooked over an open fire. of 10 gp for use of the room the
whole night.
The People
Escorts charge 6 to 12 gp per
The proprietress of the Dancer is visit to a room. No extra room
the seldom-seen sorceress Catha- charges apply, but the rate covers
half an hour or less of the escort’s

157

time. Those who want company down the Sword coast sometimes
for longer must pay multiple
charges. perform from the hanging
gallery. Once, a few winters back,
Travelers' Lore a sylph sang hauntingly mourn-

Tales connected to the Dancer ful love calls and reduced the
either have to do with love, whole place to tears.
legendary drinking bouts, or the
Moon Sphere out front. The There are persistent whispers
musicians hired to play here are
very good. Come early for a good about the Jade Dancer being a
seat and the least amount of transformed, trapped human
drunken drink-hurling at per- female—perhaps a princess or
formers. Bards known up and noble lady. There are also tales of
her occasionally taking a male
patron up to one of the rooms—

and that the men were never
seen again.40

40The tales about the Jade Dancer being a trapped or transformed human are false. So is any
reference to “her” enjoying the company of a human man. Elminster says tales of the Jade Dancer

leading men to the rooms are probably true. Cathalishaera used to use this method to remove
troublemakers or the hopelessly drunk or to get shy men and women together, but it has become too
attention-getting, and she no longer does it. Between shows, the Jade Dancer vanishes down through

the kitchens and into an air shaft (disused chimney) leading to the upper floors, where she’s unlikely
to be found by a would-be thief. As disassembled jade, the figurine’s body is worth about 9,000 gp.

158

Other Places of Aurora’s Realms Shop
Interest in Catalogue Counter
Southern Ward This is the South Ward outlet of
Aurora’s. Located next to the Red
Shops Gauntlet tavern in a crumbling
tenement, this shop fronts on the
Nueth’s Fine Nets Way of the Dragon. It has four
guards, who work in shifts of
This shop sells finely made ropes, two and two, a pretty half-elven
nets, hammocks, ship shrouds and counter clerk named Mril Juth-
lines, rope bridges, window and buck (an odd name for an elf—
tarp mesh, gauze, and the like. Juthbuck is usually a halfling
Thieves come here to buy coils of surname), and a darkly hand-
thin, waxed climbing cable at 30 some, arrogant service-mage
gp per 120’. It is sold in one-piece named Logros Hlandarr.
multiples of that length up to four
multiples (480’). A one-man throw- Taverns
ing net for fish goes for 7 gp, and a
stout tow rope for 20 gp per 100’. The Spouting Fish
Tow rope is available in length
multiples up to 10 (1000’). Large, noisy (“A bit like drinking
in the thick of a street brawl,” one
Proprietor: Thumir Aingahuth bravo told me, correctly), and
is the sarcastic, rat-faced, but popular, this brightly lit establish-
ever-alert proprietor.41 ment succeeds largely because of
its relentless street-crying adver-
Pelauvir’s Counter tising and its strategic location.
Many folk entering the city via
This huge, crowded former Southgate get to its huge, upright,
warehouse sells about everything spouting fish water fountain and
except food and drink, from pots decide they’re thirsty.
to lotions and carts to marbles.
Inside its a many-leveled
Proprietor: Braum Pelauvir labyrinth of booths, benches,
owns and runs Pelauvir’s Count- posts, and beams, all unpainted
er. He’s tall, beefy and jovial.42 and very flammable. Two hired
members of the Watchful Order

41 Location #209 on the color map. Climbing cable is rated to take the weight of a dozen large men at
once and to turn aside daggers. Since it contains twisted wire at its core, 7 hp damage must be applied

to a single spot to sever it.
42 Location #212 on the color map. Standard Player’s Handbook prices apply. If a desired item is not

listed, extrapolate from a given item—and then add some gold pieces! The shop’s floor plan appears on
Map 6 of the City System boxed set.

159

are always on duty because of bering old battles and slightly
the fire hazard. Zzar, wines, and shady merchants conducting
beers are available, but the paltry slightly shady deals in low, mut-
roast fowl, bread, and sausages (1 tering voices. There’s little food to
sp/serving of each) are heavily
salted to make you drink more. be had beyond fried fish, way-
bread, and rabbit-and-fowl stew,
Proprietress: Janess Imristar is and little selection (house wines
a small, bustling, mousy woman
whose loud voice and fearless and house ales), but everything is
demeanor belie her size.43 cheap: 3 cp/platter of food and 2

The Red Gauntlet cp/flagon or tankard. Folk are
allowed to drink themselves to
This old, shabbily highbrow sleep here. Those who become
place is dimly lit. Its booths are noisy or feisty when taken with
always full of old men remem- drink are simply slipped a little
sleep syrup in their next drink.
43 Location #210 on the color map.
Loud snorers are taken to a back
room. Others sleep where they
sit, watched over against thieves

160

by the proprietor, Daunt Buirune, the Realms, and there’s always a
who knows what to watch for.44 whole ox, boar, or deer—or all
three—turning on a spit, so
Proprietor: Daunt Buirune, the hearty meals (1 sp/platter) can be
proprietor, is a retired master had at any time. Open from
thief, although that is not com- highsun (noon) to dawn, daily.
mon knowledge.
Proprietor: The proprietor,
The Swords’ Rest
Beliarge “Old Boar” Maduskar, is
called Bel by his friends.45

This quiet, little-known tavern is The Full Cup
the warriors’ drinking place, the
chosen watering hole of those One of the seediest drinking
who swing swords for a living. It holes in Waterdeep, this battered
is a good place to hire out-of- place is used by bad-tempered
work fighting men. This tavern drovers and carters. Most are too
has strong ale, zzar, and exotic exhausted to fight when they get
drinks from the far corners of

44 Location #211 on the color map.
45 Location #213 on the color map.

161

here, which is for the best. It’s a the horses and oxen that crowd
the streets around, and lies
small, dim place dominated by a several feet deep in the noisome
long bar with stools and an cellar.
impressive, but largely dust-
Those who know how to
covered, selection of bottles discreetly ask the proprietor (and
behind it. There’s almost always a pay about 5 gp/item) can have
pile of the remnants of smashed items hidden under the dung for

furniture outside the front door. a month or less. After that, the
The Full Cup is notable for hider forfeits the item. Be
warned that the city watch
three things: the brawls that searches here regularly for stolen
occur here with distressing items and the like and once
found a buried skeleton with a
regularity the truly incredible dagger in its ribs. Patrons merely
cold winter drafts that send icy grunted as the bones were being
fingers stabbing into every carried out, “Errh. Someone who
corner of the place, and the didn’t pay up.”
bowls of hot buttered mush-
Proprietor: Gulth Djanczo is
rooms (1 cp/large wooden bowl)
grown in the taverns own dung
cellars. The dung is largely from

162

the Full Cup’s proprietor, and a Blacklock Alley
nasal-voiced, coldly polite weasel
of a man.46 This long, narrow way runs
parallel to the Way of the Dragon
Alleys south of Brian’s Street in the
Tween Run area. It is named for
South Ward’s alleys can be just as the Blacklock, a waist-high stone
dangerous as neighboring Dock obelisk about halfway down its
Wards—especially for lone walk- length. The Blacklock has a hole
ers late at night. Lantern parties worn in it, and youths play games
tend to be a half-dozen strong or that involve hurling a coconut or
more. If you carry a light, you rag-and-rock ball through the
draw thieves, thugs, and the like hole to score points. Local lore
to you—of course, if you don’t, says that anyone pure in heart
you can’t see them coming! who puts part of their body such
as an arm or leg, through the
Only the most interesting of hole will be healed.47
these back ways appear here. For
your own safety see them by
daylight.

46Location #22l on the color map. The Knight of the Living Dead gamebook gives a glimpse of this
place (on the page facing entries 84A-84D).

163

Gangs and sneak-thieves roam stone wall can be magically
this alley. Anyone trying to brought from the ethereal plane
remove, chip pieces from, or cast to block major roads in the city at
spells at the Blacklock will be
attacked by a general rising of strategic points, forming an
the neighborhood, all of whom inner ring of defensible walls.
believe the Blacklock brings
them luck and wards off any Just south of this alleyway one
tanar’ri that may roam near. such wall will block the High

The Forcebar Road—and the Forcebar, along
with Tilman’s Lane, will form a
This short, well-traveled passage route for defenders along the
is named for its intended defen- inside of this wall.
sive use. In the event that Water-
deep is invaded, huge sections of Although at least one gang has
used the Forcebar to crash
caravan wagons on the High
Road by spurring fast carts out of
it into contact with them and
then launching a sudden and

47 Elminster says the Blacklock is really a remnant of the altarstone of an old, now-vanished temple
to Lathander. It acts as a cure light wounds spell on neutral good beings only, once per creature per day.

164

well-armed attack on the goods long ago—but locals whisper that
and wagon crew this passage is sometimes wights, ghouls, zom-
heavily used by both the city bies, and skeletons come up from
guard and the city watch, and so the depths of the earth here!
is fairly safe.
Mouse Alley
Ilisar's Alley

This alley runs south from This very short, curving run
Telshambra’s Street only to loop links Blacklock Alley to Brian’s
around and rejoin it again. Street, just west of Fishwife Alley
Sometimes miscalled Illimar’s It is named for a famous mouse
Alley this street is named for a that ran along it in front of the
wizard Ahghairon and turned
famous local tailor who grew out to be, as he suspected, a
very rich. When he died of shapeshifted sorceress of great
blacktongue fever, the bulk of his
power—the goddess Mystra, in
wealth was never found. Some fact! It is today the haunt of one
think it’s buried or walled up in of Waterdeep’s best—if that’s the
one of the buildings here, be- proper term—informants and
cause he owned the whole block.
eavesdroppers: Ruufdeidel
Before Ilisar’s time, this back “Roove” Ressatar, a short, imp-like
route had a grimmer name: little man who is perpetually
Grave Alley In the days before smiling and has a talent for
the wizard Anacaster established hiding, moving silently and
gate- tombs in the City of the
passing unnoticed. He can usu-
Dead, citizens of Waterdeep too ally be found here lounging
poor to afford a crypt or to have against a wall awaiting hire.48
a country villa to be buried at
were interred here. Coffins were The alley is said to be sacred to

put in vertically under each Mystra. Here she aids those
flagstone. The eruptions of faithful to her and punishes any
undead this caused forced aban- who would harm her faithful
donment of this practice very taking refuge here.49

Of old, the wizard Thunturn,

48 Roove’s prices vary with the danger of the snooping task set him, rising from a base of 2 gp/day. For
this, he agrees to meet with the client at least once a day at a place mutually agreed upon, but will never
accept any work that involves him doing anything more active than leaving a message or sign. He’s

strictly an eavesdropper, not a thief, go-between, or assassin. He will always have concealed, hired allies
present at such meetings to prevent an employer double-crossing him. His allies are mimics and

dopplegangers!
49Any wizard who worships Mystra (or Midnight) fleeing into this alleyway will be instantly

rendered invisible, and have any spells they cast since the last time they studied restored to them. In

addition, they regain 1 hit point (if they have lost any), and will suddenly realize that they can dimension
door out of the alleyway, if they wish. This benefit is lost if they leave the alleyway by other means.

165

whose hair was white with age, come up empty-handed, and
came here in his pride and fugitives from the law. They fight
power to challenge Mystra for each other often, driven by
mastery of all magic—and she hunger and boredom—and leap
sent him away humble, stripped at the chance to attack or rob
of all Art, his hair turned jet anyone who passes this way who
black from the fright of con- looks weak enough for a half-
fronting Her. dozen or so of them to overcome.
The alley’s name comes from the
Rednose Alley many bloody noses they incur
fighting with each other when
This alley runs due west from they put away their daggers to
Tezambril Street, just south of its avoid swift deaths.
junction with Robin's Way. The
disused warehouses that line it Ruid’s Stroll
house gangs of homeless youths,
drifters who have come to This short, curving passage links
Waterdeep seeking fortune and Caravan Court with the nearest

166

Trollwall Tower (the one east of is shaken by a terrible chill,50 but
thereafter learns a truth.
the Redbridle Stables) and is
fairly safe thanks to the heavy use Sethma’s Court
by the city guard and the watch.
It is named for the ghost of a Named for an old wise woman
long-dead mage who appears on who dwelt here until her death
foggy nights, walking silently some 30 winters ago, this cobbled
down it with his staff in hand courtyard is a gathering place for
and the cowl of his dark robes all sorts of birds flying over the
drawn over his head. He appears city. They drink water from the
roof cisterns all around it. No one
at the Court end in swirling mists knows why this place almost
and fades away again as he magnetically attracts them so.
reaches the wall tower.

The ghost never reacts to
living beings, but it is said anyone
who touches or passes through it

50Contact with this strange phantom, which cannot be turned or dispelled, causes a loss of 1d4+1 hp
which can be regained by normal healing means. By means of a note, the DM should inform the player
of a character contacting the phantom that they will receive one true, full answer on something they

formally request the truth about during future play. This boon works only once per character—but
the hit point loss will happen each time the character contacts Ruid’s phantom.

167

168

Dock Ward

erhaps the most house.2 The cost is 4 gp/day or 2
notorious and gp/half-day. The boat comes with
colorful of the oars, a small mast, two long
wards of Waterdeep, fending poles, and a retired
Dock Ward is
fisherman as skipper (who must
known to thousands all over be kept on board and in com-
Faerun from travelers’ tales. Most mand of the vessel at all times).
portray it as a lawless, brawling
place of drunks, smugglers, Those daring or foolish
roaming monsters and fell magic,
where brawls are frequent. enough to want to delve beneath
the waters of the harbor are
Those tales aren’t far wrong. advised that the city guard keeps
a very close watch for smugglers
All they leave out is the heavy city and items dropped for recovery
watch patrols1 and the nonstop, by someone else later. Also, the
day-and-night work that goes on
around all that fun. mermen who patrol the depths
do not welcome tourists, and will
The harbor is very much a turn them back promptly.3
working place, full of sweating,
swearing dock-wallopers loading A further warning for those
and unloading vessels, assisted by
crewmen. Carts groan hastily to wishing to sightsee here: Unless
and from warehouses all over the salty tang of rotting fish and
sea life holds a special attraction
the southern half of the city for you, avoid the docks—or do
carrying ship goods. Sightseers not tarry overlong. I can attest to
are not welcome. my cost that when the damp

Anyone who is crazy enough night and evening dew or morn-
ing mists are present and the
to want to tour the harbor can clearing winds aren’t strong, the
rent small boats from Albaeron stink of the harbor clings to your
Halembic of the Fishmongers’ clothes and travels with you for
Fellowship at the Fish Ware- almost a day.

1 City watch patrols are detailed on page 17 of FR1 Waterdeep and the North. They pass a given point
about every 20 minutes and look into a tavern or inn dining room about every half-hour.

As detailed on pages 20-22 and 23 of the City System boxed set booklet, the city guard also patrols
Dock Ward in 12-man detachments. Typical patrol details are as given on page 23. Reinforcements will
be another dozen LG hm F3s to F6s clad in chain mail and armed with maces, long swords, daggers,
slings, and a pole arm appropriate to the situation.

Guard patrols pass a given street location about every half-hour. They appear in 2d4 minutes when
a city watch patrol blows a warning horn in Dock Ward.

2 On the city map in color, the Fish Warehouse is #237.
3 Some details of underharbor features and merman patrols can be gleaned from the Knight of the
Living Dead adventure gamebook. More is given on pages 25-26 of Waterdeep and the North.

169

Landmarks One of the largest privately
owned buildings in Waterdeep is
All sailors who regularly sail into the shipbuilding shed of Arna-
Waterdeep have their favorite
taverns and lodgings, but all are gus the Shipwright, who’s crafted
familiar with Cookhouse Hall4, many of the fine ships that ply
the large, echoing, hammerbeam- the Sword Coast. Owing to the
ceilinged hall where hot meals dangers of sabotage and fire, he
(usually roast beef, stir-fried doesn’t welcome visitors, but
vegetables, and a highly peppered many folk go to the docks where
stew) are served to all who line
up and pay 2 cp for a meal. the slipway from his shed runs
Minted drinking water is even down to the harbor to peer in at
provided. You don’t have to be a the work going on. A ship
sailor to eat here. It’s open from launching always draws great
dawn to dusk, and has fed many crowds. It’s the nearest thing
a weary (or poor or down on his after brawl watching to a specta-
luck) traveler who doesn’t mind a tor sport that Dock Ward has.6
little coarse company and dinner
conversation. The following guildhalls can
all be found in this ward: the
The Shipmasters’ Hall, by Butchers’ Guildhall,7 League
contrast, is a private inn and Hall,8 Mariners’ Hall,9 Watermen’s
dining club for captains, first Hall,10 Seaswealth Hall,11 Coopers’
mates, and ship owners and their Rest,12 Shippers’ Hall,13 Ship-
escorts only. It’s very old and wrights’ House,14 and the Metal
elegant, with polished dark wood House of Wonders.15
paneling everywhere, shining
brass fittings, comfortably cush- The Most Diligent League of
ioned brocade seats, and heavy Sail-Makers and Cordwainers has
plush drapes.5 as its headquarters the Full Sails
tavern.16 The Muleskull Tavern17
serves as headquarters for the

Dungsweepers’ Guild.

4 Location #230 on the color map.
5 Location #243 on the color map.
6 Location #252 on the color map. Map 7 of the City System boxed set has a floor plan of one of his
nearby workshop buildings.
7 Location #235 on the color map.
8 Location #241 on the color map.
9 Location #242 on the color map.
10 Location #244 on the color map.
11 Location #250 on the color map.
12 Location #255 on the color map.
13 Location #256 on the color map.
14 Location #266 on the color map.
15 Location #279 on the color map.
16 Location #251 on the color map.
17 Location #263 on the color map. In all cases, the guild owning the headquarters, and something of

its doings, fees, and current heads, is covered in the Waterdeep and the North sourcebook.

170

The Hanging matchmaker waits.
Lantern There clients are interviewed,

Matchmaker & Festhall pay and are ushered into one of
many narrow dark passages and
The Lantern, an escort service stairs that leads to the room of
known for the stunning beauty their chosen. I’m told that not a
of its workers, and for the skill of few stabbings and stranglings
its matchmakers, is famous up occur in these dark passages
and down the Sword Coast. when one patron lies in wait for
another. Selected escorts can also
There are many tales of clients meet clients by appointment. Yes,
who found a long-lost sweetheart they make house calls.
at the Lantern or met the girl or
boy of their dreams there. Mer- The matchmakers seem expert
chants and the lovelorn come at knowing exactly what clients
from up and down the Sword want—even those who refuse to
Coast to visit the Lantern, which say. A wizard I met leaving the
is tucked into a square of shops Lantern, in exchange for my
and warehouses bounded by promise not to name her, tells me
Shrimp Street, Pressbow Lane, they’re not expert matchmakers,
Oar Alley and Ship Street.18 but really dopplegangers! They
mind read to learn what folk like,
The Place and use their shapechanging to
supply it, when their hired girls
The Lantern is a large, window- and boys can’t.
less building that rises a full six
floors above the street. Thanks to The Watchful Order of Magists
flooding and old sewer tunnels, it & Protectors knows their secret,
has no cellars. It’s dim inside, and but preserves it, along with their
hushed—except for the constant, lives and continued operation, in
gentle flute and harp music. Both exchange for their solemn
the music and the sound-eating, promise not to slay any guests.
I’m told, are due to magic. There are rumors of occasional
evil outlander wizards disap-
pearing at the Lantern, though.

The People

The Prospect No one, not even the Lanterns

Folk come to the Lantern for just hired escorts, is sure how many
one purpose, slipping in any of matchmakers work at the Lan-
its seven doors into small, inti- tern. I’m told there are actually
mate rooms. In each room, a six dopplegangers, but they shift

18 On the color city map, the Hanging Lantern is #262.

171

their shapes often enough to sideline. Its the closest thing to a
baffle any exact accounting. costume rental service Water-
deep has, providing fooling
The spokeswoman for the
Lantern is a dignified elderly clothing for many occasions.
lady of rich dress and cultured Costumes are sometimes rented
manners, but its not known if
this is a real person, or a shape out, typically for 1 gp per night.
taken by more than one ‘ganger. Renters must pay for replace-
ment of any damaged garments.
The Prices
There are many many tales of
Escorts can be had for as little as finding long-lost heartmates here
10 gp for on-the-arm service only.
If acting is involved, such as (thanks to the shapeshifting of the
playing a false part in a conversa- ‘gangers), but there are also ru-
tion meant to be overheard or mors that drugged captives are
pretending to wealth or identity kept here to await a slavers’ ship or
in business dealings, the mini- recovery by kidnap gangs. I saw
mum fee is 25 gp. If more is
desired, fees rise from there to a no evidence of that—but I did see
high of around 75 gp. The match- carried out the body of an unfor-
makers have an uncanny ability tunate merchant who’d met a
to know how much a client can creditor on the stairs and been a
pay. Discretion is assured. bit too slow with his dagger.

If a client just wants to hire
bodies—a group of folk to accom-
pany her on a stroll or tavern
crawl through Dock Ward, say as
a bodyguard party, or to fool
someone into thinking the client
is part of a group or has lots of
friends—they can be had for as
little as 7 to 9 gp/head per eve-
ning. The Lantern has a call list
of those down on their luck, and
charges 3 gp for the trouble of
sending a runner boy for them
and providing suitable garb.

Travelers' Lore

The business the Lantern do
forces it to deal in a little-known

172

Helmstar of ten competitors: the Fellowship
Warehouse of Salters, Packers, and Joiners
and the Guild of Watermen. He
Facing the full fury of winter sea maintains this rare position by
storms howling across the har- handsome annual payments over
bor, this warehouse stands on and above his dues to both guilds.
Dock Street, on the northeast It allows him to carry on his
corner of its junction with illicit trade, which is the great
Crookedclaw Alley.19 majority of his business. Stolen
goods find shipboard ways out of
The Place Waterdeep in a variety of inge-
nious packagings devised and
This old, slightly leaning stone constructed by Chuldan and his
structure looks most impressive— skilled, discreet staff of fourteen.
in a worn, seedy way. Its carved
harpies and wyverns, encrusted The People
with white caps of bird drop-
pings, glare down endlessly on Chuldan is a close-mouthed, bird-
the bustle of the docks. like, suspicious man with jet
black eyes and hair. Always
The Prospect expecting double-dealing and
betrayal, he is steps ahead of foes
The Helmstar Warehouse is with contingency plans, escape
presently run by one of the third routes, and surprises up one’s
generation of Helmstars to trade sleeve—and seems satisfied when
on the docks of Waterdeep: such deceits occur, as if they
Chuldan Helmstar. confirm his forethought and
views on the true natures of all
Chuldan is one of the better- intelligent races.
known fences of Waterdeep. He
buys carvings and statuary of all The Prices
sorts, no matter how recogniz-
able and hot, for 35% of the Chuldan deals in the handling of
current new-made market price. small cargo, from six barrels or a
No value is given for any en- noble’s coach to individual crates
chantments on or magical pow- bound for friends and colleagues
ers of items, only on their up and down the Sword Coast.
material, size, and workmanship. His rates are high (2 to 6 gp per
container), and he guarantees
Chuldan is one of very few only same-season delivery. How-
Waterdhavians allowed by the ever, he has a large clientele,
guilds involved to hold dual because he is discreet, takes extra
membership in guilds that are

19On the color city map, this place is #267.

173

care in packing to ensure cargo lurking around the warehouse
safety and undertakes to threat- and Chuldan’s rooftop apart-
en, trace, check on, and otherwise ments, or by what means he
persuade hired carriers to make controls them. They hunt down
sure cargo they take coin from any who molest him, trespass, or
him to deliver is in fact delivered
to the right party as soon as try to steal.
possible. On occasions Chuldan has

Travelers' Lore found it necessary to explain
certain things to professionally
Few bother Chuldan, his goods, curious men of the city watch.
or his staff-word of his defenses Usually his explanations concern
and means of vengeance has a severed head, newly added to
spread. The high-vaulted, the end of a row of withered
crowded warehouse is guarded
by a band of margoyles whose fellow trophies above Chuldan’s
loyalty to Chuldan seems unshak- front counter. Chuldan’s words
able. No one knows exactly how tend to reflect the view that this
many of these creatures are latest head, like the earlier ones,
came in a recently unloaded
cargo from far and barbarous

174

lands, and has something to do, the warehouse are crumbling
he understands, with barbarian away. A shattered, fallen harpy

beliefs about guardian spirits was recently found on Dock
that watch over goods while they
travel afar. That certain of the Street one morning below its

heads seem familiar, closely customary perch. Under it was
resembling recently vanished
rogues and ruffians of the city is the flattened body of an unfortu-

something that troubles, puzzles, nate thief, still clutching the
and indeed mystifies Chuldan
over and over again. climbing line that had pulled the

Chuldan invites all passersby carving down atop her. Chuldan
Helmstar had the missing roof-
to poke their noses into his
warehouse to see the care he top carving replaced with a
takes over cargo and the speed
and volume of his business. He detailed carving that shows a
hopes (correctly) that many will
be impressed—either to use his crouching, terrified-looking
services or to refrain from trying
to steal from him. human female in leathers hold-

The lore of Dock Ward says the ing one end of a climbing cord,
ghost of Chuldan’s famous adven- and took great pleasure in
turing father, the bearded and
brawling warrior Thalagar, drifts pointing irti.doeust. to visitors for the
next few
around the warehouse—its sewer
door, in particular—in tattered
splint mail, battle axe in hands,

defending Helmstar territory.
The ghost is said to have routed
more than one thieving band
who used magic to neutralize the

margoyles. Thalagar especially
hated lizard men, and on certain
mist-shrouded nights, old sailors
say he can be seen striding
silently but speedily along the
length of Dock Street, storm-like
of visage, axe in hand.20

Some of the carvings on the
second floor ledge and roof of

20 These are always nights when lizard men have come near the harbor (as crew, captives, passengers,
or visitors—perhaps disguised—to the city).

175

The Old more. The shop is named for the

Xoblob Shop beholder, killed by the proprietor
in single combat long ago. Xoblob
The Old Xoblob Shop is a curio is all he could pronounce of its
shop little known outside Water- name.
deep, but famous in the city for
its trophies of battle, adventuring This treasure trove is next
bands, and exotic, faraway places. door to the Purple Palace festhall,
From drow sculptures to the
huge, eyeless, stuffed beholder on the northwest corner of the
that overhangs everything, the meeting of Fillet Lane and Slut
shop is crammed with an untidy Street. Just two doors down from
assortment of blades, treasure the Dock Ward outlet of Aurora’s
maps, coils of rope hundreds of
feet long, statuettes of forgotten Realms Shop Catalogue Counter,
make and mysterious origin, and the Old Xoblob Shop carries all
the things the catalogue chain
doesn’t, from lizard man tribal
boundary marking poles to

dwarven runestones bearing
treasure messages. For adventur-
ers and con artists, it’s the place to

find all those necessary props

176

that no one else sells anywhere! A broad stair leads up from
the shop to a landing, where a
The Place
narrow stair leads on up to the
The Old Xoblob Shop is a tall, top floor. Dandalus and his wife
ugly old stone and timber build- live on the top floor in a suite of
ing. Windows are few and dust is rooms connected to a roof
plentiful. The street-level floor of garden. The landing also opens
the interior is the shop, one huge
room with exposed ceiling beams into a large storage loft that fills
supported by an irregular forest the second floor. It is windowless,
of pillars. One of the pillars, I’m has a 60-foot-high ceiling, and is
told, is hollow. The jolly propri- usually nearly empty—a good
etor, Dandalus, sometimes uses it
to hide shoppers on the run from thing, too, because a teleport
the city watch or foes, keeping a from a certain spot on the sec-
display rack holding two glowing ond level of the dungeon of
human skeletons in there the Undermountain brings adven-
rest of the time. turers (and sometimes monsters!)
here.21 The chamber is lit by a
A stair hidden behind the
serving counter leads down to a driftlight (glowing globe), and
high-ceilinged basement, contain- contains an alarm-gong that
ing a bucket flush jakes, which is rings whenever any weight is
connected to the sewers via foot-
treadle trapdoor, a kitchen, and a added to the room’s floor.
row of huge wine casks. Danda-
lus does make his own wine, but Dandalus usually calls out
one of the casks is hollow. Its cheerfully “Come down smiling!
front swings open to reveal a No weapons out, please!” He also,
hidden room where folk on the just in case, reaches under the
run can hide for a fee. A kitchen counter for his wand of para-
cupboard has a sliding back lyzation. He has standing ar-
opening into the cask, allowing a
small person room to squirm out rangements with Khelben
of it or food and drink to be Arunsun and with the manager
passed in. of the Three Pearls Nightclub,
Xandos Waeverym, for the dis-
Dandulus sells his wine for 2 posal of paralyzed monsters.
sp/glass or 1 gp/bottle. He makes Adventurers are usually relieved
a sparkling green among the best
wines I’ve ever tasted. It’s worth of their weapons, and obvious
10 times what he asks for it. spellcasters are hand-hobbled
and hooded before the paralysis
wears off. If the shop is closed,

Dandalus or his wife will be
upstairs, the wand with them,

21 The Old Xoblob Shop, the gate linking it to Undermountain, and the driftlight magic item are all
detailed in the Campaign Guide to Undermountain, in the Ruins of Undermountain boxed set. See page
12 for an illustration of Dandalus and page 115 for driftlight details.

177

and will act the same. I’m told phies, and out-of-the-ordinary
Dandalus has a backup wand adventurers’ gear in six worlds
that deals damage of some sort.22 according to Khelben,23 and the
wine there is also first-rate.
The top floor apartments are Dandalus cheerfully buys all
sorts of bric-a-brac, paying a sixth
private, but I’ve learned herbs are of its worth. He is especially fond
grown on the roof, that there is a of things he can resell as spell

little bower there for relaxing components—or as genuine, no-
and romance on soft-starred guarantees magic items.
summer nights, and that the
third floor contains at least two The shop is not a good place
guest bedrooms. for thieves or the belligerent. The

stuffed beholder is hollow, and
conceals a hired wizard who can
fire a wand of paralyzation out

of its mouth to take customers by
surprise. (Yes, this is a second
wand of the same type. For all I

know, Dandalus has a box of

them under the bed upstairs!)
Dandalus himself is a walking
arsenal of magic, his wife has

surprises of her own, and the shop
bristles with concealed booby-
traps to deter miscreants, includ-
ing some Dandalus can trigger
from afar. The shop also sports
some not-so-hidden protections,

such as an iron golem, Guraim the
Gentle Persuader; who stands in a

corner of the shop, spending most
of his time as a rack for colored,
scented candles.

The Prospect The People

The Old Xoblob Shop is perhaps Dandalus “Fire-Eye” Ruell is a
the best source of curios, tro- balding, bearded, big-bellied

22This backup wand, Elminster reveals (he made it), is a special wand of magic missiles. Each
triggering releases a burst of either 6 or 12 bolts (as the wielder mentally directs: half or full power). The
wand is linked to three other wands hidden inside a wall of the shop and can call on their charges via
a special linkage—so each missile drains a charge in the usual way, but the wand in effect has 300 extra
charges to expend!

23 Elminster agrees.

178

fellow who’s always cheerful and Travelers' Lore

sees life for the long running joke The wares in this shop have their
that it so often is. He makes no own lore, hundreds of little tales
enemies. Those who attack or of dark magic, betrayal, and wild
adventures. The shop itself is
swindle him he merely charges well-known to neighbors for the
double or more. He is always clad deeds of Dandalus, such as the
in breeches with bulging pockets, time he wrestled a mimic to
sometimes overlaid by an apron death in the street outside and
whose pockets are just as the time a lich came through the
crammed. The pockets’ contents gate. Spells in plenty burst out the
windows of the shop before the
always include a selection of undead creature was destroyed
lockpicks, skeleton keys, small (by Arathka, the whispers say).
tools, and garment pins for
distressed ladies with torn garb.24 Dandalus refuses to go adven-
turing, but has been known to
Arathka Ruell (lovingly called come to the rescue of friends and
Rella by Dandalus) tends to the long-time customers trapped in
Undermountain. He once waded
cleaning and cooking, but is just into a brawl started by half-orcs
as charming and learned a in a nearby tavern, the Sleeping
shopkeeper as her man, if qui- Wench, and laid out every com-
batant involved. When an arriv-
eter. Unlike Dandalus, she doesn’t ing watch patrol mistook him for
dispense bad jokes and puns by the source of the trouble, he laid
the dozen. She’s a priestess of them all out cold too. (Once the
some sort, but I never learned matter was settled, he treated the
what power she serves. She’s not patrol to some of his wine.)
forthcoming about it.25
This is definitely a shop to
The wizard hired by the Ruells collect such tales. Dandalus can
is an ugly one-legged, misshapen, tell you the lore or supposed lore
and therefore very shy, little man of most of what he sells, and can
recall the deeds of adventurers
who is fiercely loyal and protec- in and around Waterdeep for the
tive of his employers.26 His name last 30 years or so. He likes to talk.
is Hlondaglus Shrim, and he Those looking for treasure leads
spends all the time the shop is should pay him a visit and buy
open, from an hour after dawn wine to talk over.
to two hours after dusk, up in the

beholder, eating sandwiches and
whittling. He’s the source of

occasional showers of shavings
that drift down to settle on
shoppers and shop alike.

24For details of the arsenal of magic Dandalus carries on his person, see the “Folk of Waterdeep”

appendix at the back of this book.
25 The “Folk of Waterdeep” section also speaks of Arathka’s faith and powers. Elminster knows all.
26Any attempts to charm Hlondaglus to do anything hostile or harmful to the Ruells will automati-

cally break the spell and goad Hlondaglus into a killing rage.

179

Serpent Books Serpentil’s will. Powerful fire-
& Folios guards spells prevent anything
from igniting.
This is one of the dustiest but
most exclusive shops in Water- Aside from Jannaxil’s desk and
deep. Some have called it the three chairs (two for visitors),
single best source of maps, charts, books are the furnishings of this
and books in all the Realms—and shop. More books are piled and
most wizards I’ve known agree. shelved together here than most
Located in a modest sandstone folk of Faerun will ever see.
shopfront on the east side of
Book Street,27 Jannaxil Serpentil’s The Prospect
shop is frequented by those who
have come from afar in search of Jannaxil handles all sorts of
the rare, the unusual—and a printed materials, from magical
chance to sell stolen goods. tomes to maps and charts of the
Sword Coast waters. He likes to
The Place warn folk sagely that spellbooks
give off green flames when they
The battered Serpentil sign burn. Magical tomes and Sword
hangs above an old, unkempt Coast maps are his two special-
stone building whose wares ties, but he can also find you a
window is boarded over, and tome of folktales of Cormyr or
whose black door entry is always the collected ballads of the long-
forbiddingly closed. (When dead bard Delshryn of Mirabar.
Jannaxil is open for business, a
small, sliding viewing panel in Jannaxil also buys printed lore,
the upper part of the door is left and is a cold, hard haggler. He
open.) Magical guardian glyphs gives 30% of the market value of
adorn both the boards and the all items he knows to be stolen. If
doors and glow faintly after dark. any sort of literary theft occurs
Few care to try their power. in Waterdeep, he typically knows
about it by the next day!
Inside, the shop is very dark. It
is crammed with deep-hued The People
bookshelves, and the walls are
paneled with wood. The sole Most people think of Jannaxil
light here comes from magical Serpentil as just a nasty, cold-
glowing globes that drift about at mannered old scholar, but from
earlier magical researches I
know him to be at least a dabbler
in magic and far older than he
looks. He is no doubt protected by
magic, and has been known to

27 On the color city map, Serpentil Books & Folios is #275.

180

clutch a certain slim black vol- The Prices
ume to his breast when attacked
No deals with Jannaxil come
in his shop. Most folk think its cheap. Even the shabbiest chap-
just his account book—but I think book will set you back at least 1
it contains a tome guardian28 gp. Shoplifters are warned that
Jannaxil has some way of know-
monster that he uses to protect ing when one of his wares is
himself. There is much of the leaving unpaid for, and that a
coward about him. binding spell prevents the guilty
party from exiting. Jannaxil
If Jannaxil has any family or never confronts anyone, but
staff, none have ever seen them. simply waits for them to remove
He is thought to sleep above his the hidden object and either pay
for it or set it down and leave.
shop, in windowless apartments.
Rumor says they include a large Most useful tomes, such as
spellcasting chamber where engineering instructions, math-

Jannaxil conjures up baatezu to
do his bidding.

28 The tome guardian monster is detailed in the sourcebook FR4 The Magister. Jannaxil might well
have trained or allied monsters, too, such as watchspiders (detailed in FOR2 The Drow of the Underdark

and in The Ruins of Undermountain boxed set) and mimics.

181

ematical texts, noble family found his cache of magic. Locals
histories, and detailed studies of talk in the taverns of long crawl-
the geography and history of a tunnels where guardian mon-
particular area, cost 15 to 50 gp. sters lurk, leading to a private
study where Jannaxil keeps
Spellbooks are in unreliable powerful magic.

supply, of course, and are pur- Jannaxil does book searches

chased as is, with no guarantees for a deposit of 10 gp plus 4 gp
as to the absence of curses or the per year thereafter. If the book is
efficacy of the spells within. found, he charges double the
usual price for it.
Jannaxil typically charges a base
price of 50 gp for each one plus Papers (accounts and letters)
300 gp per spell or spell fragment find their way most often to
contained within. Spells of the Jannaxil’s shop. He does a brisk
fourth or greater level command business in blackmailing Water-
dhavians with love letters and
a surcharge of 1000 gp per spell. the like that a malicious or

Spells of 7th level and up add careless person sold to him.
3000 gp each to the cost of a book. Jannaxil typically buys such
It is likely Jannaxil copies the wares for 1 to 5 copper pieces a

useful spells from books he sells
for himself, but no one has ever

182

sheet, and sells them for 1 sp per
sheet or more.

Travelers' Lore pinned one of his hands to his
desk with a thrown dagger.30
It seems that Jannaxil’s shop has
always been there, but old Water- Jannaxil loves good books. He
dhavians tell me its been open hungers to look inside just about
some 60 years or so. During that any book he sees or hears of,
time, Jannaxil has carried on
running feuds with several especially illuminated tomes, old
scholars of the city—feuds car- maps, and well-illustrated vol-
ried on in the form of insulting umes depicting female beauty. He
gestures, gifts, and letters, or in is known to pay extremely well
ditties that tavern singers have for such things.
been hired to perform in their
taverns, for the amusement of all.

Jannaxil’s cowardice has led
him to pile up so many magical
defenses that most folk think him
to be a powerful wizard. There
are many tales of thieves being
blasted off his roof, or torn apart
in the street outside his shop by
huge black talons that appeared
from thin air after they dis-
turbed one of the boards cover-
ing his wares window.29

Jannaxil is said to have a
special hatred of elves. He was
recently wounded by Elaith “the
Serpent” Craulnobur—who

29 Elminster tells us the self-renewing guardian glyphs on the shop are 99 in number. A dispel magic

will negate any one glyph (only) for 1 turn per level of its caster. Glyphs can fire once per day and are
ready again 24 hours (144 turns) later.

Thirty-three of the glyphs are spell turning magics (enough will activate in combination to reflect
back any spell 100% at the source).

Thirty-three more are Caligarde’s claw magics (a spell detailed in the FORGOTTEN REALMS®
Ad ventures hardcover). Some 2d4 of them will animate to attack any one being who tries to remove a
board, pick the lock of Jannaxil’s door, remove or harm the door, or chisel (or work magic on, including
the writing of runes) any part of Jannaxil’s shop walls.

The last 33 glyphs are magic missile spells. Any being flying up to the roof of Jannaxil’s shop or
forcing a magical or physical way through walls, floors, or roof will be struck by 2d12 of these missiles,
and a magical alarm will awaken Jannaxil to full alertness of their activation, wherever he may be in
Faerun.

30As related in the novel Elfshadow, by Elaine Cunningham.

183

Three Pearls The Place
Nightclub
The Three Pearls is now one
Pearls, as it is called, is a popular huge room (plus jakes, opening
evening destination for Water- off a cloak hall down one side). It
dhavians, offering stand-up has a low ceiling and is usually
comics, trained animal acts, hot and smoky. Stout low-backed
illusionists’ recitals, bards, ora- wooden benches radiate out-
tors, and exotic dancing.31 Its wards from the raised central
name comes from its purchase stage, which is lit from above and
price. When the owner of the has a ramp entrance up into its
tavern that stood here (the Black center via trapdoor from below.
Buckler) decided sourly he’d lost The central stage has a conical
his last gold piece pouring ale raised ceiling above it, complete
down parched throats and with a retractable circular
offered to sell the place to anyone staircase and drop ropes for
who’d give him the price of a dramatic entrances.
meal, one of his own dancers
stopped up on the stage, tore off The Prospect
three black pearls—nearly all she
was wearing—and threw them to On the stage of the Pearl, men
him, claiming the place as her have raised armies, women have
own. The dancer, Halidara Urin- raised eyebrows, and everything
shoon, is seldom on stage these from yeti through trolls have
days. She’s too busy eating choco- made jaws drop, bellies shake
lates and drinking amberjack with helpless laughter, and hands
sherry in North Ward while her itch to hurl things. On a typical
riches pile up. night, comics alternate with
dancers, musicians, and acting
Almost every evening, crowds troupes—of ten presenting satiri-
stream up Pearl Alley to the cal ballads or sketches related to
Three Pearls, except on nights recent city events. More than
when a guild or other large once Piergeiron or Khelben has
group rents it for a meeting or been portrayed as a buffoon, to
for private entertainment. Typi- the audience’s great amusement.
cally it rents out at prices ranging
from 50 gp for the space to 100 The Provender
gp for the space and shows
thrown in, cash up front. The Three Pearls offers finger
food (hot sausages inside crisp-
fried buns, pickles, and cream-
coated fruit, all at 2 cp/serving),

31 On the color city map, Three Pearls Nightclub is #273.

184

and drink—lots and lots of drink. a conversation crusher, to have
Drinks are served in light clay eaten such-and-such.32

cups that can’t be thrown too far The People
or do much damage.
Too many performers of note
A special, advertised attraction nave trod the stage at Pearls to list
shouted out by boys at the door them here, from the fabled bard
Mintiper to the orator Phaeros
and on nearby streets, when “Forktongue” of Baldur’s Gate.
available, is monster fare, such as
baked stirge on toast, roast The owner of the Pearls
seldom visits her gold mine these
manticore, or wyvern steaks. days, but meets daily with the
These rarities command high manager to book acts and plan
prices, sometimes going for up to publicity.
7 gp/serving. Folk buy them
mainly so that they can casually The manager, Xandos Waeve-

claim for the rest of their lives, as

32Adventurers are paid well for fresh kills, and even more for live. The more fearsome reputation
a nonhumanoid monster has, the better price it fetches. Eggs fetch a lower price, and undead, poisonous,
and petrifying beasts, or human-like creatures such as trolls and ogres, are not wanted at all. Recently,
the Company of the Flaming Boot sold a nearly intact, dead hatchling white dragon to the Pearls for 500

gp—a price the nightclub made back several times over by selling sizzling white dragon steaks for 10

to 20 gp each, depending on size.

185

rym, is known as “the Dandy” Patrons also tend to spend
around Waterdeep: a dapper, coins by throwing them at the
strutting little popinjay of a man, stage. There are no rooms for
pompous and comical—but rent, and cloak storage is free.
deeply committed to entertain- Outer garb is watchfully guarded
ing, and with a keen sense of while stored against thieves and
humor and a reading for what pranksters, though patrons can
the public will go for. He oversees pay—usually 1 sp/message—the
a staff of 14 bouncers, 16 run-and- guards to slip a message parch-
shout street boys, 12 dancers, and a ment into a particular garment
house bard (currently Zalanthess- in order to pass notes.
daughter-of-Zalanthar, an accom-
plished singer and harpist from There are three private boxes.
Neverwinter). These look down through win-
dows in the ceiling at its edge
The Prices where the conical central roof
peak begins to rise. These small
There is a 3 cp cover charge at rooms can each hold up to 10
the door (4 to 5 cp on some people crammed together, and
special nights), and everything can be rented for 10 gp/evening.
inside costs extra. In addition to These have long waiting lists.
the food, beer goes for 1 cp/cup,
house wine (very bad) for 2 cp/ A fourth private box is reserved
cup, good wine for 1 sp/tallglass, by the nightclub for its own use,
and zzar for 4 sp/tallglass.33 and is often offered for free to
Piergeiron or Khelben if they
Patrons can also buy peering show up to take in an evening’s
glasses, which are curved glass fare. These two personages usually
lenses that magnify things for donate 25 gp or more to the club’s
those far from the action, for 2 gp coffers, but other dignitaries may
each. Hurl birds are also for sale give nothing.
for 2 cp/each to throw at the
stage to register disapproval or Travelers' Lore
pleasure. These small hollow clay
spheres are weighted with dried Some say the Pearls is haunted by
beans for good throwing and are the phantoms of a running,
covered with glued-on feather weeping woman pursued by a
scraps gathered from nearby man with a drawn sword—but I
fowl-pluckers. They are too light couldn’t find anyone who could
to damage more than the dignity recall any details of this rumor,
of performers. or that the haunting had been
seen recently.

33A tallglass is just what it sounds like: a very tall, thin glass made by sealing a bone tube at the bottom
with curved, fired clay. It is hard to spill and easy to carry in the crowd—but a neighbor can easily cause
a drinker to choke with skillful use of an elbow when the long glass swings up!

186

The Thirsty curses or bawdy songs are those
Sailor who have already passed out.

Tavern Its so rough that none of
Waterdeep’s hard currency girls
This infamous dive faces the will venture into the place. Any
Ship’s Prow across the intersec- woman one meets there is as
tion of Fish and Ship Streets. It is hard-drinking a sailor or dock-
on the east, whereas the Ship’s walloper as the rest of the clien-
Prow commands the west side.34 tele, with fists to match. One has a
piece of my ear as a keepsake, but
The Place that’s another story.

This ugly, poorly built tavern Candles are few and soon
began as fieldstone with wooden broken. Night or day the Thirsty
upper levels, but many fires and Sailor is smoky and ill-lit.This
wild brawls with magic as well as would make it ideal for shady
axes and hurled tables have deals—if it weren’t so noisy, and
changed its face. Hasty patches you weren’t so apt to slip in
have been made with more vigor spilled drink, or find a thief’s
than skill, and little enough fingers or a bored drinkers fist
enthusiasm. Of scavenged, mis- uncomfortably close. A fair bit of
matched materials, they thrust hushed business does go on
like uneven buttresses from the among those wise enough to rent
burn-scarred, boarded-over an upper room.
walls. Not a window remains at
street level. Those higher up look The Provender
more like trapdoors than portals
to admit light or air. The Thirsty Sailor manages to
achieve its minimal rating for
The Prospect one reason only: If the first cause
of visiting a tavern is to drink,
The interior of the Thirsty Sailor and another is to be entertained
is no better than its battered with a brawl or two, then this
exterior. This is the sort of place tavern meets those requirements
all gentler folk think every admirably The drink here is
sailors’ drinking hole is: one strong, not watered (1 cp/tankard
filthy lawless, ongoing drunken for beer, 3 cp/whisky and 1 sp/
brawl, where the only patrons firewine). And one never wants
who aren’t fighting or roaring for brawls to watch, though it’s
often hard to remain a nonpar-
34 This place is #269 on the color city map. ticipant with the tables crowded
so close together.

187

The People vampiric sort, I believe, from
what I saw happen to wounds he
The proprietor is Kaeroven suffered in a brawl he waded
“Smiles” Yuluth, a tall, rotund, into the midst of—and is almost
unpleasant-looking man with
tiny deep-set eyes whose stare is always clad in a blood-smeared
as hard and cold as two dagger apron that reeks of cheap
points. He has blond, curly hair women’s perfume and bears the
and is clean-shaven, with razor stitched legend: “See Neverwinter
scars to prove it. His nickname by Night/Bring a Blade and Live
comes from the fact that no one Longer!” Why the apron smells of
has ever seen him smile save perfume I dared not ask him. No
when he’s dragging the latest one else seemed to know
corpse to the rear of the tavern
for disposal into the sewers.35 Kaeroven is known to be a
contact and information gath-
Smiles wears a magical ring—a erer for the Kraken Society36 and
ring of regeneration of the to sometimes hire thieves and

bravos to steal some item or

35The Sailor and much of the immediate neighborhood is on the oldest of Waterdeep’s sewers, the
tidal flush Smugglers’ Runs: ancient, crumbling tunnels that a small pole-punt can slip through that
empty right into the harbor.

36 More about the Kraken Society is in FR5 The Savage Frontier.

188

rough up a citizen. He no doubt surviving traps set for him
acts for someone who pays to argues that he has one or more
have the deed done, but doesn’t magic items down his boot when
want to be connected with it. he goes out to stalk the roofs,
sewers, and alleys of the City of
Many in Dock Ward suspect he Splendors by night.
is linked to shadowy unnamed
smuggling concerns—and even The Prices
say these provide him with most
of his income. I’ve heard rumors An upper room rents for 1 gp per
of Calishite connections and even evening or any part of it, or 4 gp
talk of the kidnapping of citizens for the night. There are no beds
to sell them into slavery in Calim- nor sanitary facilities save the
shan! Those who cross Kaeroven alley behind (via windows).
Renters must bring their own
openly do have a habit of tragi- lights. There are no locks, but
cally disappearing very soon. doors can be barred from inside.
The rooms are too dirty to tempt
Smiles maintains a staff of anyone sober enough to see or
seven bouncers and six surly smell to put them to any roman-
dwarven waiters. There are no tic uses—or any other uses, like
barmaids or any women on staff sleep. Most who use the rooms
are lowlives plotting clumsy
and no houseboys to clean up crimes or smuggling deals.
broken glass and spills, presum-
ably because protecting them Travelers' Lore
from drunken patrons would be
endless work. One bouncer is A certain dark-cloaked, soft-
rumored to be a doppleganger spoken man is seen in the Sailor
who impersonates murdered from time to time—a man whose
patrons when the Watch calls. features are hidden by a mask
and a hood, who sometimes
Kaeroven’s sidekick, errand visibly shifts form into a female
runner, and spy is a furtive, rat- body as he leaves, and who is
like man who goes by the grand almost certainly a mage of some
name of Winestab. He habitually power. At least once, this one met
eavesdrops on most upper room in the tavern with other
conversations—from the roof shrouded folk who must have
above, if need be. This unsavory been, by what they inadvertently
revealed, mind flayers. All in all,
sneak thief’s proper name is this tavern—if not as large and
Aldaeguth. Some older citizens noisy as, say the Bloody Fist
remember him as Oldy-gut, but nearby—is a dangerous spot.
his surname (if any) and origins
remain obscure. Winestab has a
vicious temper and long memory
Many have found him a danger-
ous, persistent foe. His habit of

189

The Ship's Prow as such things are judged in Dock
Ward. It provides an ideal haven
Inn for tired travelers newly arrived
in the city and not flush enough
As its name suggests, this inn juts to find beds in a better area. Its
into the broad, usually crammed, also a trysting place for masked
meeting of Fish Street and Ship young nobles of Waterdeep out
Street like the front of a rather on a lark, not wanting to be seen
fat ship.37 It’s well-known among by their peers (I marked at least
sailors up and down the Sword 11 such couples on my stay), and a
Coast. More than that, it’s well refuge for drunken sailors
thought of, and if my stay is to be looking for a bed to snore in,
trusted, justly so. Its best suited to rather than things to smash or
folk who can stand the fishy bodies to cuddle or punch.
stink of deep-sea traps and brine
barrels—and the noises of dock The Provender
work, drunken revelry and
fighting, the night through- There’s nothing stronger than
wafting into their rooms. water to be had, nor can you get
anything more to eat than
The Place smoked firefin, strong cheese,
and hardloaf bread, bolstered in
The Ship’s Prow rises four floors winter only with a bowl of hot
above the street. Years of wind fish-head soup (for 1 sp a person,
and weather have turned the old in addition to room rates). The
boards of its upper floors and water is brought by the barrel
outside balconies silvery. In the from wells near Amphail and
moonlight on a clear night, it laced with crushed mint. It
gleams from afar down the dark stands in jugs in every room, and
dockside streets. Inside, the floors can also be had for the asking as
are so warped that they rise and clear, hot tea.
fall in smooth curves, like the
deck of a ship in the swells. The The People
place is shabby, but feels comfort-
able and homelike. The inn’s peace and survival in
the face of the ever-present
The Prospect danger of fire is due to the
interwoven protective spells of
This inn is surprisingly quiet the resident wizard and part-
inside, and a cozy place to sleep time cook, Shryndalla “Were-Eye”
Ghaulduth. She’s an ugly but
cheerful old soul who pads

37 On the color city map, the Ship’s Prow is #268.

190

around in worn slippers and ments with the guilds for sup-
plies. He turns away rowdy
food-stained robes, accompanied would-be guests and those deal-
by an entourage of cats.38 ing in shady goods with cold
looks and grim words, and seems
The master of the house is a to have no truck with smug-
one-eyed, scarred and silver- glers—nor with the city watch.
bearded retired sailor, Jhambrote
Harkhardest. He’s genial and soft- The Prices
spoken, but ever alert—and never
Rooms can be had for 4 sp to 1 gp
lacks a short sword and an axe at per night (larger rooms and
his belt. The axe is magical. I saw higher floors are dearer), or 3 gp
an eye open on its blade and to 7 gp per ten day. Most are 6 sp
swivel around to take in all per night or 5 gp per tenday.
present. It winked shut in an
instant when it saw me watching, Linen is changed daily and the
fee buys a single bath per night, if
but I saw what I saw. one desires, stabling for a single
Jhambrote doesn’t go out

much, and has standing arrange-

38 Warning: Shryndalla’s cats spy for her! Don’t meet someone on the sly here if you don’t want her
to know. The cats climb along the outside walls and slip along hidden passages. You’ll hear the soft
thumps as they pounce on rats and mice alike at all hours.

191

animal, and unlimited drinking Rhiddyn and taken his place,
water. I, myself, would advise not aided and paid court to here by
availing oneself of a bath in the fell folk of the Dragon Cult.
harbor water, which smells of
fish or worse. The stabling is There was great battle that
around the back and is crowded night, and if the Watchful Order
and unheated, but feed is pro- had not been alert and plentiful,
vided for stabled mounts.
much of the ward might well
Travelers' Lore have burned. In the end, the
wyrm was slain, and the Dragon
I’m given to understand39 this Cult routed through the streets.
inn is notorious among longtime
inhabitants because it once No trace was found of the
housed evil beings of the infa- wyrm’s hoard. Cultists have
mous Cult of the Dragon. The skulked about the inn and kept a
Lords of the City are said to have watchful eye over it ever since-
given the present proprietor title seeking the dragons hoard or
to the place to keep an eye on it something else of value they’ve
after the spectacular passing of
his predecessor. not yet found.
Some say the dragon hollowed
About 20 winters back, the inn
was kept by one Halagaster out a large cellar beneath the
Brutheen, who acquired it in place, devouring unfortunates
mysterious circumstances from
Ulcap Rhiddyn, who just disap- whose adjoining cellars he broke
peared one day. When the Bran- into. No trace of such a warren
dished Blade, a company of has been found, and a docker I
adventurers, came to stay (by talked with told me that in that
chance, most say), the fury of the area a large cellar would soon
gods reigned in the Ship’s Prow— flood or buildings above would
for on sight they knew Hala-
gaster as a magically disguised collapse down into it.
red dragon on the run from When I asked host Hark-
them. This Halagaster-wyrm had
devoured the unfortunate hardest about this disguised
dragon, he rolled a slow and cold
eye around to stare levelly into
my gaze, and suggested I talk to
the city watch, if I was so very

interested in such dangerous
matters.4O

39 My source is Shabra the Beggar Queen, an old, stout, rather unwashed woman who styles herself
an expert on Dock Ward. She can often be found at the Spitting Cat tavern, nursing a cup of broth-and-
brandy as the hours pass. She can be induced to talk of doings and news of the area for the price of a
good meal.

40 When I tackled Shryndalla alone on the same subject, she laughed, said she’d heard about me from
some of her arcane colleagues, winked, and would say no more. I suspect she was referring to the
unfortunate reception that Volo’s Guide to All Things Magical received, but I wrapped myself in
dignity as if it were a fine cloak and turned our talk to lighter matters. Several times since, though, I have
seen Shryndalla’s cats watching me, as I walk the streets of the city.

192

The Blushing The Prospect
Mermaid
The original light pleasure palace
Tavern, Inn, & Festhall of Waterdeep, combining a place
to stay with places to drink and
The Mermaid is one of the most have fun, the Mermaid has
luxurious establishments in always catered to the wealthy by
Dock Ward. Everything is unhur- maintaining an atmosphere of
ried, luxurious, and sensual, with quiet decadence. The Mermaid
no detail overlooked. The staff bends most of its attention to
wear facemasks of black armor creating a cozy atmosphere for
plate with attached black gauze festhall activities—and so its food
veils to conceal their faces. and tavern facilities suffer. True
to its name, the Mermaid does
The Place offer one special drinking and
dining experience: a heated,
Fronting on Net Street within scented communal bath in
easy reach of the harbor stench- which patrons soak as they eat
es,41 the Blushing Mermaid spans and drink, served by mermaids,
three buildings. Scents stream who swim in from the harbor
from amber hanging lamps. via well-guarded secret tunnels.42
Gauzy curtains, cushions, and Messy foods can simply be
sound-eating carpets are every- washed away in the lavender-
where. Special, extremely expen- tinted waters.
sive enchantments prevent any
sort of open flame from igniting The Provender
them. Even fire magic is foiled.
Every guest has a plush, decadent Seafood—and, surprisingly, whole
private bedroom, a private roast pig—are the specialties of
bathroom, and an office/recep- the Mermaid’s kitchens. Every-
tion room in which to entertain. thing is good, if a little undersea-
soned, but runs expensive: 1 gp to
It is widely known that the 3 gp/person per meal. Drinks are
Mermaid is honeycombed with extra, with a full wine cellar (1 gp
secret passages, reached by to 22 gp/bottle, depending on
sliding wall panels in every your choice), plentiful zzar (the
room—but few guests manage to almond-flavored sherry favored
get those panels to work. by many in Waterdeep) at 1 sp/
glass, and very ordinary beer at 2
cp/tankard.

41 On the color city map, the Blushing Mermaid is #249.
42These tunnels were no doubt used for smuggling in bygone days, but they are now blocked by
locked gratings with alarms, and are used by mermen and mermaids to report for shifts at the Mermaid
and to dine: a special section of the Blushing Mermaid’s kitchens cater to the merfolk.

193

The People serenity. Patrons and staff are
guarded against rowdiness and
The Mermaid has a busy staff of violence by the watchful eye and
over 20 very efficient, hard- ready spells of the proprietress,
working maids who frequently Lady Alathene Moonstar. The
give personal attentions to the secret panels can only be opened
needs of guests. They get to keep by her hand—or by four magical
any tips tossed their way, and also
hands fashioned of silver, en-
get a percentage of all the Mer-
maid’s earnings. A seven-foot-tall, chanted by her and carried by
muscular blonde of northern staff members on security duty.
barbarian stock named Reetha is If one goes missing, she alters the
widely known around the city as pass spells within a few hours.
is an agile lass from the jungles of
Chult, Leilatha Subraira, who is Lady Alathene is old and very
covered from head to toes in
tattoos and likes to oil her skin to beautiful, her beauty kept up by
keep them colorful and herself magic. She glides silently around
hard to grab. the Mermaid dressed in full

The pleasant atmosphere of formal gowns with ornate,
the Mermaid is an enforced upthrust bodices and head veils,
often wearing the same sort of

facemask as her staff.

194

She is quick to use her magic, magically cleaned) are all in-
and fearless when facing down cluded in these prices.
even drunken mages—I saw her
employ disabling spells I’ve seen Tipping is common. Some
nowhere else, harmlessly confin- regular visitors give a standard 1
ing a belligerent drunkard gp/day extra and ask that it be
without injury to him or to the shared among the staff, as well as
surroundings. giving extras to those escorts
who see to them personally.
The Prices
Travelers' Lore
Rooms are 3 gp to 9 gp per night
(larger rooms and lower floors There are several pleasant
are dearer), or 10 gp to 50 gp per stories, probably pure legend,
tenday. Most are 5 gp per night or about men and mermaids falling
20 gp per tenday. Scents of your in love with each other in the
choice, fresh linen as needed, and pool and leaving either land or
unlimited, sparkling clear, scent- water with the help of the young
ed bath water (obviously pro- man’s magic, or the help of a
cured from elsewhere or friendly wizard, to be together.

The custom of the Hour of

195

Darkness provides many amus-
ing tales and naughty pranks. In
the early hours of each morning,
all lights in public areas of the
Mermaid are extinguished, and
aside from the silver hands
carried by the staff, which give
off a blue-silver glow like moon-
light gleaming on a sword,
everyone has to find their way
about by feeling. This custom
causes much laughter.

In addition, there are darker
whispers—of guests sometimes
vanishing in the Mermaid, never
to be heard of again. These tales
seem to be linked to a circular
staircase rising from the central
mermaid pool hall to a glass-
covered rooftop garden or
cupola, where herbs and flowers
are grown. It is adorned with
bones bound to its rails and
risers with fine wire.43

43Elminster tells us the tales of disappearing
guests are true-and are due to the Lady Alathene
Moonstar, an archlich whose unlife is maintained
by faulty, failing enchantments. She keeps to the
Mermaid because she likes to see young lively
folk having fun around her (and by magic, keeps
a close watch on their activities).

Although she is seen by the Lords of the city as
a force for good (sometimes sending word to
Piergeiron about illicit deals and doings that she
overhears in the Mermaid), she is forced to main-
tain her unlife by draining the life forces of liv-
ing, intelligent beings (two to three a year). She
must do this by direct bodily contact, and usually
chooses to so use guests she dislikes or sees as evil.
Their bones end up on the staircase.

Her family, the noble Moonstars of Waterdeep,
knows all about her, but keeps quiet about it. In
public, she ignores them and they ignore her, but
privately she helps in the training of young
Moonstars with magical talent and also provides
safekeeping for certain treasures and incrimi-
nating items for the family. (For more details of
Lady Moonstar, see the “Folk of Waterdeep” ap-
pendix at the end of this book.)

196

The Copper Cup much that the old floorboards
often shake from all the bustling.
Tavern, Inn, & Festhall
The Prospect

The Copper Cup is one of the As an inn, the Cup is pretty poor.
busiest and most famous places A patrons stay is ruled by con-
in Dock Ward, a must-see spot for stant noise. The Cup is always
many visitors. A large, roaring, busy with festhall traffic in the
many-leveled barn of a place, the halls and vacant rooms at all
Cup is a tavern, inn, and festhall, hours. It’s a lousy place to try to
all in one. It opens off the South- get some sleep.
yard, just inside the city’s South
Gate, and is easily reached by the The Cup is rescued by its
High Road or the Way of the services. Everything is available
Dragon, and easily fled from for a price, from having boots
down Smugglers’ Run alleyway.44 mended to mating riding stal-
Travelers overwhelmed by the lions. If the staff people person-
size and bustle of the City of ally don’t provide it, they have
Splendors can easily find the standing arrangements with
Cup, get much Waterdeep offers someone who will.
without ever leaving it, and boast
when they get home of having As a tavern, the Cup has an
stayed at one of the wildest places ever-changing clientele, and no
in the notorious Dock Ward! quiet places for intimate talk,
haggling, or involved planning
The Place unless you rent a room. It does
have cheap, plentiful, and fairly
The Cup goes several cellars deep bad (watered down) ale, as well as
as well as four—in some places good (but expensive!) wine, sold
five—floors up. It is actually three by the bottle.
linked old, converted warehouses
built tall and massive of dressed As a festhall, the Cup is one long,
stone with outside catwalks and ongoing party. It’s not a place to
back alley ladders. visit and remain unseen or to
relax and stretch—its where one
The cellars are prone to flood- goes to romp. The dancers are
ing, and reek of mildew. Except acrobatic and expert contortion-
for dumping carrion and gar- ists. Their common costume is
bage, they are little used. All of little more than a sheen of sweat!
the floors above, though, are used
the day and night round—so The Provender

Most food at the Cup is order in.
It is brought up to your room

44 On the color city map, the Copper Cup is #232.

197

ably and know how to have a
good time.

from other places in the city at The People
their prices plus 1 cp per dish for
the runners of the Cup to bring it Few know that the Cup is owned
and run by six of its dancers:
to you, hot, through the streets. Vivaelia Sunder, Evethe Untusk,
Ale costs 1 cp/tankard. Dark Yululee Lantannar, and Jhandril
Neth (the females), and Ilintar
ale (the good stuff) is double that. Belereth and Tiirlon Windstar
Wine goes for 2 sp to 3 gp/bottle, (the males).
depending on quality and scar-
city Good vintages are about 1 They take turns dancing,
renting out as escorts, and tend-
gp/bottle. ing bar with their large staff, and
The Cup’s kitchens are famous seem to love the life they’ve built.

for two things: hot fish chowder, The Prices
that tastes mainly of pepper and
Rooms can be had for 1 gp to 7 gp
old beer (2 sp for a large wooden per night (larger rooms and
bowl), and cinnamon butter toast lower floors are dearer) or 10 gp
(1 cp/plate of six hot, dripping to 40 gp per tenday. Most are 2 gp
per night or 15 gp per tenday.
slices). The cinnamon butter toast
is much favored by everyone Linen is changed daily and the
who samples it for after the fest fee buys a single scented-water
light dining. bath per night, if one desires,
unlimited drinking water, and
The company of the Cup’s stabling for one or two animals
beauteous and well-trained in a covered and constantly
attended stable. Additional beasts
companions (of either gender) are 1 gp/night each.
costs 10 gp per evening or any
part of it. These escorts know the Travelers' Lore

City well, can play most games Every visitor to this ongoing
party has their own favorite tale
of goings-on at the Cup, whether
it’s leaping from table to table or
wilder pursuits, but this place
has no hidden plots or deeds (or
does it? I did see a lot of folk
slipping down towards the
cellars . . .).

198

Other Places Empty cubicles of up to two
of Interest longboxes deep and eight high
in Dock Ward are available—multiply the fee

Shops accordingly. If cooling is needed,
ice and watching costs an extra 2
Red Sails Warehouse cp/day per longbox.

Proprietor: The proprietor,

Orblaer Thrommox, is fat, beard-
ed, and very strong.45

This warehouse offers rental Gelfuril the Trader
space to all, no questions asked.
Material to be stored can’t be Gelfuril, who runs this crammed
alive or flammable. Space is 1 cp/ shop, will sell or trade just about
day per longbox. The longboxes anything. He deals in barter (but
are more or less coffin sized. does not run a pawnshop) as well

45Location #265 on the color city map. Used by a known fence, One-Eyed Jukk (see Chapter 4 of
Waterdeep and the North).

199