Waterdeep The Time of Troubles & Era of Upheaval Inspired By Ed Greenwood

Waterdeep, also known as the City of Splendors or the Crown of the North, was the most important and influential city in the North and perhaps in all Faerûn. It was a truly marvelous cosmopolitan city of great culture that attracted the most talented artisans, artists, and scholars from across the Realms, as well as a commercial hub for financial interests along the coast and beyond.

It was one of if not the most powerful and influential member-states of the Lords' Alliance, the coalition of nations and city-states that sought to maintain order along the Sword Coast and the North. The original farming community of humans that developed into a settlement known as Bloodhand Hold before being conquered and renamed Nimoar's Hold.

The name of "Waterdeep" was originally used by the sea captains docking at the port to trade, a moniker that originated from the city's outstanding natural deep-water harbor. As of the late 14th century DR more than 100,000 people made their home in the city proper of Waterdeep. Due to its great importance as a highly influential metropolitan city, Waterdeep was considered part of the Western Heartlands of the Realms, even though it lay 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of Daggerford on the shores of the Sword Coast North. The city sat "slightly above the 45 degree north latitude line on Toril".

The City of Splendors laid claim to the surrounding lands for approximately 100 miles (160 kilometers) beyond its walls. The various roads to Waterdeep were well paved and well patrolled. The major trade routes included, Trade Way, the trade route to the south, Long Road, the inland trade route to the north, and the High Road, the coastal trade route to the north, not to be confused with the stretch of the road that passed through the city.

Waterdeep was built on the site of the ancient elven settlement of Aelinthaldaar. It sprawled northward from the sea, spreading along the flanks of Mount Waterdeep, which used to be home to the Melairkyn, a mithral-mining dwarven clan, and the entire length and great depth of the mountain was riddled with passages and tunnels, most of which were occupied by deadly creatures whose presence in the mountain predated the founding of the city itself.

The halls of Undermountain located beneath the city were a popular target for adventurers, who enjoyed the close vicinity of the city's main taverns and temples where aid could be purchased through donations. Waterdeep was ruled by a sixteen-seat council whose membership was largely secret. These hidden Lords of Waterdeep maintained their identities behind magical masks, called the Lord's Helm, and while they ruled in public, none knew the true identities of most of them.

The subject of who the Lords were became a common topic of noble conversation, and some considered it a game to discover the Lords' identities, a game made more confusing by the fact the Lords themselves set their own rumors afloat.

The City Watch was the local police force whose duty it was to capture criminals, settle petty disputes, give directions, summon medical and priestly aid, generally performing duties that promoted the idea that Waterdeep was a city open to all who knew how to behave themselves.

Rulings on the city's laws were issued by the Magisters, more commonly referred to as Black Robes. They had the duty of running the courts and issuing sentences to those that were found guilty. The Black Robes were each protected by at least six members of the City Guard while traveling the streets of Waterdeep. Those who were convicted could request trial by the Lord's Court and appeal to the masked lords themselves, but faced strict punishment if their claims were ruled as frivolous.

The city was the hub of trading from the mineral-rich lands to the north, the merchant kingdoms of Amn and Calimshan to the south, the kingdoms of the Inner Sea to the east, and the sea kingdoms and traders to the west. Waterdeep's authority extended between 30 mi (48 km) to 40 mi (64 km) from its walls.

As of the early 1370s DR, stone was imported from Mirabar via Luskan for use in construction, having been magically transported. This was an expensive process. During that time it was witnessed that wagons and carts overcrowded the city's markets as foreign vendors attempted to sell as much as possible before returning home for the winter. This was a practice ignored by the Guard, the Watch, and the guilds.

The city was also the largest spelljamming port of Faerûn. Although welcoming to most spacefaring races, Waterdeep's laws required that all ships landed on the ocean several miles from the city and made their final approach by sea. Transgressors were punished with harsh fines and imprisonment. This rule prevented some types of ships from ever reaching Waterdeep, but was enforced to avoid mass panic from the population. Departing vessels were subject to the same rules.

Docking at Waterdeep's port incurred a fee of 1 cp per 10 feet (3 meters) of keel length per week. Sages and traders from Waterdeep were eager to listen to stories from wildspace and traded on all the products the city had to offer.

Uncle's Keep The Time of Troubles & Era of Upheaval Inspired By Ed Greenwood

Uncle's Keep, "as it was once known" is a dwarf-built keep that was part of deeds granted by the Lords of Waterdeep and received in an inheritance. Centuries ago, the keep stodd proud against the backdrop of Kryptgarden Forest.

It was once owned by an elderly wizard called Uncle "which is what most everyone called him so he just kept the name as his own". Uncle was what some called a particular reclusive wizard who owned the keep in the Kryptgarden Forest on the Sword Coast North. After his death, he left his keep to a relative who was either his niece or nephew.

I leave all my property, both real and personal, to any living heir who avenges me by ridding my wonderful home of these foul creatures no later than 60 days after my death―Uncle's Last Will and Testament".

The wizard known as Uncle was a recluse who did not maintain contact with people outside his keep, even family. Nevertheless, he was kind enough to treat his servants well, and made a point of celebrating their birthdays each year with parties. He was also conscious about security, as he filled his moat with invisible spears and had a secret escape route out of his keep.

The wizard's most significant possession was Uncle's Keep, a modestly sized but well-decorated building in the southern end of the Kryptgarden Forest. In his keep, he kept a number of guards and servants. He also had a stable full of livestock, which included a pony. He owned a magical mirror that could cause someone to be enthralled by their own reflection. He owned many other magic items, including enchanted weapons. Before his death, the wizard lived a somewhat solitary life in his keep although he made regular visits to Red Larch.

The wizard had few relatives. He was married to a woman from Red Larch, and had a friend who was a wandering druid. He occasionally thought about his distant niece or nephew, to whom he was considered 'long-lost', and who inherited his estate after his death. His keep made him a target of the Lostafinga tribe of hobgoblins.

About five years before his death, the wizard saved the life of a lord of Waterdeep, who repaid him by granting him a tract of land in the south end of the Kryptgarden Forest, as well as a keep there and money. Some time after, the wizard became married to a woman from Red Larch. His wife and their unborn child both died during childbirth. Two years after the death of his wife, the wizard's keep was raided by a patrol of the Lostafinga tribe of hobgoblins. They killed his hirelings, and the wizard as well. As he bled out from a fatal arrow wound, his last act was to write a will in ink and his own blood, leaving the keep to a particular niece or nephew of his.

The nephew failed to follow through on his uncle's dying wishes, and the keep eventually fell to ruin. Today the former keep stands in ruins, a shell of its former self. All manner of foul creatures have taken up residence over the centuries.

Legend states that the wizard constructed a maze of tunnels and catacombs beneath the former residence which has now been overrun with monsters of all sorts. Legend also states that Uncle burried a massive horde of treasure beneath his keep deep in the dungeon below but this could all be false, noone has been brave enough to explore the depths of Uncle's Keep.

Southkrypt Garden The Time of Troubles & Era of Upheaval Inspired By Ed Greenwood

Nestled beneath the mountains the dwarves once called Maruutdin, along the southern reaches of the Sword Mountains, lie the haunted ruins of Southkrypt, a forgotten stronghold standing on the northern edge of Kryptgarden Forest. Once known as the Southkrypt Garden, the fortress earned its name from the breathtaking gardens its dwarven inhabitants cultivated across the area.

Travelers who once approached from Leilon or the Stone Bridge still stumble upon the remnants of those once-celebrated the grounds, though time has transformed them into a tangled wilderness of twisted trees, thorn-covered paths, and ivy-choked statues from Kryptgarden Forest. The grand entrance remains partially intact, albeit overgrown by nature, its towering stone doors bearing the ancient symbol of Haungdannar—a seven-pointed star suspended above a fish facing left, floating over a mountain peak—a final reminder of the proud kingdom that once flourished here.

Long before its fall, Southkrypt served as one of the eastern bastions of the dwarven realm of Haungdannar, guarding the frontier against enemies that threatened from the wilds beyond. The hold was renowned not only as a fortress but also as a prosperous silver mine whose wealth helped sustain the kingdom for generations. Deep beneath the mountain, stretched an immense labyrinth of mines, workshops, temples, and residential halls, all expertly carved from solid stone "or so legend says".

Today those magnificent corridors have become a bewildering maze of collapsed tunnels, flooded chambers, hidden passages, and ancient vaults whose original purpose has long since been forgotten. Few who enter ever find the same path twice, and even experienced explorers often lose all sense of direction within its endless halls, many of these adventurers never exit the catacombs, and the few that do manage to leave tell of dark terrors in the lower tunnels. The wilderness surrounding the entrance has become nearly as dangerous as the ruins themselves. A fierce tribe of hobgoblins has claimed the outer approaches, attacking travelers and explorers alike before they can reach the gates. They are said to serve a mysterious master dwelling in the depths below, ensuring that few intruders survive long enough to escape. Those fortunate enough to break through their defenses soon discover that the upper levels have become infested with ravenous creatures that roam the abandoned halls. These creatures fight over every chamber, turning the once-orderly dwarven corridors into a chaotic battlefield where every echo could signal an ambush.

Those who descend farther tell far darker tales. The lower halls have become the domain of horrors rarely encountered on the surface, including vile storopers, winged vargouilles, sinister vilstrak, cunning xaren, and other creatures too disturbing for most survivors to describe in detail. Those few explorers who return from these depths bear strange scars, shattered minds, or refuse to speak of what they witnessed beyond a few whispered warnings. Some claim that unnatural whispers echo endlessly through the darkness, while others insist unseen eyes follow every step. Whatever evil has taken root beneath Southkrypt, it has grown steadily stronger through the passing centuries, corrupting the abandoned halls into something far removed from the dwarven masterpiece they once were. At the heart of these cursed depths resides the being of such evil, it is seldom mentioned by those who live today.

Cloaked in ancient magic, legend states the deepest depths are ruled by Morg, a vampiric hill giant shaman, he is surrounded by three equally monstrous vampire hill giant servants, Morg rules the forgotten halls like a dark king upon a ruined throne. Few know how such a creature came to occupy the fallen dwarfhold, but countless adventurers have vanished while seeking him, never to return. Those rare individuals who escape his domain speak of impossible rituals, blood-soaked altars, and an oppressive darkness that seems almost alive, as though the very stones themselves answer to Morg's command.

Despite its countless dangers, Southkrypt continues to lure treasure hunters, scholars, and ambitious adventurers into its depths. Legends insist that priceless relics of Haungdannar remain hidden within forgotten vaults, including enchanted weapons forged by the greatest dwarf smiths of ages past. Others speak of ancient portals concealed beneath the deepest chambers, gateways built by forgotten powers whose destinations have long been lost to history.

Yet darker rumors persist above them all. Many believe an ancient and malevolent force slumbers beneath Southkrypt, quietly gathering strength while hidden beneath layers of ruined stone. Whether that presence is the legendary Morg himself or something far older remains unknown, but those who survive the ruins often leave with the same warning: Southkrypt is not merely abandoned—it is waiting.