Campaign setting: water deep

Core Details:
- Waterdhavian society centers around trade/ capitalism
- Government is technically a oligarchy with elements of a monarchy
- Ruled by lords in a council with one open lord/king/queen, and the rest as
masked lords
- Law and Order are absolute
- Aesthetic and layout is a mix of the concept of Constantinople, the
multiculturalism of USA, and the aesthetic of renaissance era Italy (give or
take 17th to 18th century.).
- Considered the city of splendors
- High living standard generally
- People centric even among the rich (culture wise this is true but there can be
political games made surrounding this).
- Not imperialist, concerned mostly to the town itself
- Core people: Guilds, Nobility, Merchants, Adventurers, Peasantry
- Basically a country turned into a city.
- So strong that other countries don’t bother with invading
History Summary:
- Aelinthadaar elf capital to the empire Illefarn
- Illefarni people made deal with Clan Melairkyn( Dwarves ) Elves ruled above,
dwarves ruled below
- Coronal/Emperor of elves come back to feywild.
- Not all agreed and thus kingdom razed in magical fire
- Melairkyn people felt betrayed and thus went underground
- Humans immigrated and settled
- At one point Halastar Blackcloak built his tower and dungeon, then vanished
- Nimoar officialized water deep as a settlement
- Aghairon (high mage), also one who made potions of longevity, made new
system (Masked Lords)
 He also opposed imperialist Raulor, the warlord in charge at the time
 Established main institutions like magisatars, Griffon Cavalry
 Served as first open lord
 Lies entombed in his tower in the palace of waterdeep
 Established as holiday
- Three apocalyptic periods
 Time of Troubles
o Tablets of Fate were stolen by bane, myrkul, and Bhaal
o Tablets dictated the power of each god
o Gods were Cast down, to be mortals and retrieve the tablets,
but did not do so
o Instead with the mortals kelemvor, midnight/mystra, and Cyric
they put the order back to the world
 Spell Plague
 Sundering
Changelog from original lore:
- Changed waterdeep to be a capital of magic in faerun
- With the discovery of font of magic and influence of the weave over this place
it made it easier for mages to be more in tune with the weave
- Rumors have it this place is so connected to arcane magic due to
 The visit of the god of magic

- Halashtar is a significant mage in water deep

 Maybe helped with founding or system or whatever
 Spell plague caused him to go mad (at least for societal standerds)
 20 level wizard once people encounter him
 Madness can be subjective
 He was trying to ascend to godhood, to try to grant order to the chaos over
the war
- Durnan is a lord/ guardian of the dungeon
- He works with only few people to help surveil the dungeon
- Masks of the masked lords, contain the knowledge of the predecessors (all of
it), including the open lord
- Make god of magic be intermingling with a fragment of halastars soul
 He was like the Prometheus of the Pantheon
 Seeking to let the mortals grow and expand the creation he and the
gods have made for them
 The other gods did not approve, seeing it as a folly given mortal flaws,
and the threat to their power base
 He was exiled to the mortal realms but kept at work in maintaining
the weave
 Soon he spotted the increasing threats of the emerging abyss as the
mortal realms are at each other’s throats in the war
 He tried to warn them, but fell on deaf ears, he tried to combat it
himself but failed
 Part of his energy was absorbed and it put a nail in the coffin as the
abyss was released into the world
 What was left was used by halastar to try and defend his city
 Great innovation based around this (the ethics surrounding it remains
to be questioned)
 Soon when all hope was lost ( at least in his eyes) he decided to
become the god that waterdeep needed
 He did not believe in the power of the spirit of mortals, saw it as
fleeting and flawed, easily corruptible to the abyss
 Saw power of the gods as the only objective fact that could save his
nation
- Farvald the wise (renamed from Aghairon), united the people of waterdeep
and was able to stave off the hordes of Demons at their gates
- He also fixed and modified the wards that are present in waterdeep, staving
off invaders of both the material and astral plane.
- Dungeon itself is filled with occult stuff, but its Halashtar mastering all
elements of the multiverse
- Portals themselves remain open till the party finds a way through the current
storage in the dragon vault
- Their will be a cult for the mad mage (basically the belief system of imperium
of man)
- Crater filled with exotic plants and spices, near which is a base of the emerald
conclave, around the southern ward, crater itself caused by fight of the mad
mage
- For the nobility themselves, cutting to around 15 families each with a
relation towards an aspect of life, maybe towards an ward
- Venice towards the docks area and then only main waterways as it
approaches the main land (due to changes from the sundering of the mad
mage?)
- Surviving are the cult to the mad mage, and apprentices who went mad (and
are also immortal) (all in accordance to different schools of magic)
 (evocation and abjuration)
 Necromancy
 Divination
 (Transmutation and conjuration and enchantment)
 Illusion
- There will be artifacts left by halastar (some of which are just simply body
parts) that represent some of the aspects of halastar.
- But main plot point will be the recovery of certain fragments of his soul,
which have been transfereed to some humans
- Spell Plague replaced by the “ War of creation”
 Essentially fantasy world war
 Partially based on world war 1
 The conflict incited more power from both good and evil deities
 Opening portals from the heavens and hells
 Some Old Gods died, or were reborn after the war,
 Other were chosen by AO the (head deity)
 Each faction had their fair share of qualms
- Sundering was at the second part of the “War of creation”
 Demons started to swarm from the abyss
 The wolf who cracked the heavans, That whom preys in the dark, the
sunderer or most commonly called the Nameless Beast
 Gods of the pantheon fell from their thrones and dominions in the
heavans, all were bound to the dirt and their immortalities shattered
 Each relegated to the kingdom they are most in attunement with, in
other words those who worshipped them the most
 They toiled and suffered alongside the mortals that lived here
  One half of them saw enlightenment through their shared suffering of
their subjects and once they ascended back, took the responsibility of
guiding the mortals (The new pantheon), while seeking to become
more than what their nature entails
 The other relegated themselves to madness, some saw their own
weakness and embraced their own devious nature, others just flat out
became part of the abyss
- Also Changed Asmodeus to be more grey area then flat out evil
 The Nameless beast was defeated by adventurers and gods
 Asmodeus became the warden of the abyss and purgatory
 Some say he went mad over his duty, others enlightenment
 Once the God of hope, he became the god of suffering, discipline, and
of redemption
 Through his station he looks over the abyss with his devils, humans
invigorated and powered by Asmodeus to stave off the demon threat
 In a sense this is punishment for those humans with no god to claim
them
 More akin to reapers from the black butler series
 Using their own sins and regrets of their soul and convert to their
power they fight back the evils of the abyss
 These souls are the tether of becoming demons, but are claimed by
asmodeus in the hopes of redemption
 He is the cause of misfortune, the lesson behind the whip, the
stubbornness borne out of suffering, and the spirit of mortlas
- There is this mysterious being that is sensed by all gods, they call him the
Prime Deity, he remains aside from any conflict, outside of the inner
workings of anything

Core Themes:
Main theme: POWER

Side themes:
- Crime and Law and Order
- Making a name
- Rags and riches
- Obscurity
- Knowledge and fear of the unknown
- Line between logic and madness
- Truth and lies

Main devices (to provide lense and context for characters and theme)
-Obsession
-finance
- goals
 -ambitions
-family
-culture

Lore of the World

First Chapter: The Dragon Heist

Main villain: Jarlaxle

Side villain: Zhentarim

Main Npcs:

Volo
General description: A stout middle-aged man with mighty fine full beard and
especially visible moustache. He wears simple baggy shirt worn over a
leather vest, and baggy grey pants (akin to a medieval poet who is also an
adventurer). To complete the outfit he wears a white scarf with golden
stripes running along its length, and a blue poet’s cap

Wants: fame and fortune through his experiences, to be remembered as a

famous writer, to brave the unknown, to see beyond his home, experience
the world

Needs: Satisfaction with his life, reliable and lasting friends

Goal: Write his experiences his books and share it with the common folk to
guide them throughout the world , then become famous because of it, mingle
with the locals

Connections: Renaer, wizard acolytes, nobles, waterdeep vendors

Floon

General description: He is a scrawy young adult man with brown hair

wrapped up in a pony tail, and green eyes. The moment you find him he is
wearing mismatched noble’s clothes with the top being a long military coat
which has a bright blue, yellow color scheme, unbuttoned to reveal a simple
tunic, while his bottom, a simple, yet well-made brown leather pants.

Wants: to get a higher rank within the zhentarim,

Needs: to be useful, to feel that he has a purpose

 Goals: spy for some zhent officials, to get the stone of golor for the higher-ups
Connections: local pubs, gang leaders in the area, fencers

Renaer:
A semi muscular young adult man, with brown curly locks, wears a simple
tunic with a layered leather vest when you meet him, and brown pants soiled
with alcohol.

Wants: to be his own man, go back to his roots, escape the shadow of his
father, good will of both nobles and the masses

Needs: Independence, wealth, allies

Goals: to rediscover his lineage in waterdeep, experience the culture, escape

from his father in neverwinter, re-establish his line in waterdeep

Connections: Volo, Jaeral, certain noble families

List of events:
Meeting at the yawning portal

Description of the location: Welcome to WaterDeep the city, beset by

war, tragedy, and betrayal in its relatively young yet larger than life
history, it still stands the test of time, as a bastion of peace and hub of
opportunity in the land of Faerun. Its geographical significance, its
competitive ,yet open –minded culture and last not but not least the
hard-work of its people have led to its economic boom even after the
devastation that happened 100 years ago. Now people from across the
realm gather at the prospect of fame, fortune, or perhaps a personal
matter entirely.

That is where you come in.

Deep within the castle ward there lies, a tavern. Unlike the other
fanciful buildings surrounding it, it is ancient with its 3-story
rundown wood structure reinforced with ramshackle stone and brick.
Its central stone beam still atop the middle of the roof still in ruin, a
remnant of the building this establishment sat upon. This is the
Yawning portal, a famous tavern known as a hub for adventurers
seeking their own glory. It is here where your story begins

Fight of Zhents and other gangs in tavern

- When all the characters are introduced zhent gang members appear to start a
barfight with some adventurers while they are drunk, they start a barfight
with some members of a gang named “blood fang”
 Meeting volo inside the troll

- After the bar fight breaks troll appears from the hole, battered and injured
- A bunch of adventurers oversee the commotion, some want to join in but let
the newbies and Durnan handle it
- He sheathes his magical longsword tossed in by on of the barmaids and
flashes his flaming sword
- After the troll is defeated volo asks for help inside the stomach
- Details his side of the story
Offering 100 gold piece each supposedly by the end

Search for Floon at the Dork ward

- blood in the streets, some skirmish with the local cops
- describe the stark contrast between the wards of castle and dock, outside of
the main street that connects towards the main plaza of water deep,
waterdock is a less than aestheticly pleasing. Its moldy wood and
ramshackled contraptions for construction scattered around your
surroundings. Identified in the small shacks, some of which you identify as
old boats.
- Old xoblob shop caches eyes of the players with its deep purple color scheme,
run by a hill gnome who spies for the guild, driven by run-off memories from
a beholder he established this shop as his domain, he sells an assortment of
trinkets, willing to reveal information if you give him a deep purple item, or
something that looks mighty weird
- Not far from the shop is the skewered dragon, a tavern but with windows all
broken and an anchor lodged in the roof. It is similar shape and design to a
trading ship.
- Ways in getting info here
Asking the regulars, for info, which will either require a bribe and a
persuasion/intimidation check. After a fight, the barkeep will try to stop the
fight by offering info in exchange of not blowing up his establishment

Asking the barkeep will have the adventurers see him reading a book with
his glasses. If they ask nicely he won’t resist and diverge some info on the
zhent’s hideout., along candle lane through the alley left of the skewered
dragon
- Candle alley is a narrow, and congested street, serving as merely a way for workers
to go in between warehouses deep in the dock ward, and into the main streets
where they are to trade their goods. Its street lights only maintained by continual
flame spells

Encounter at the warehouse

- if they are loud outside, the enemies inside will prepare an ambush for them
 - You can see from the outside that there are hostiles inside, mainly goblin
rogues, with an odd bugbear there.
- All the doors and windows are locked except the one for the back entrance.

Arrival of the watch

- city watch arrive
- Main captain Staget arrives: honest man trying to do his job, well-respected,
tries to be the perfect figure for the ward and citizens there
- He is glad to see that his work is done for him, less risk towards his men, but
doesn’t overtly say it
- Inquires on the happpenings here
- Renaer appears from hiding before the watch arrives
- Details that floon was taken to the sewers probably mistaken

Search for Floon at the sewers

- orc trying to prove towards the Ilithid to get into guild of xanathar
- boss man
- then ilithid proves existence of xanthar

Return of Floon
- be like friends uniting

troll skull manor

- property hunting
- crafting
- starting skills

Chapter 2:

Medallions for buying houses/buildings

Available Player Houses:

- Haunted Mansion
 With moving house sort of shtick like the one in black clover
 With the bar objects haunted of sorts
 Get some reference from the book itself with the poltergeist
- Abandoned light house
 Treacherous journey due to waves and rocks
 Possibly because of triton
- Wrecked Ships Junkyard
 Maybe a bunch of orphans
- Sewer Hideout
 Old Hideout from last time
- Small Shack along the hillside
 Hidden hole through wall of small shack
  Probably small mine with an old dwarf
Vendors:
Blacksmith:

Small stoic dwarf with a Taller human 14 year old apprentice

Stoic dwarf comes from humble family of hill dwarves that migrated to water
deep for more opportunities and to mingle with other people. In the past he
was a masterwork blacksmith for heroes during the war. Now with the peace
he just wants the peace.

- Likes: Hardwork, simple breaks with simple foods recipies (rustic feel), little
banter on small rumors over client’s lives, making tools for people, living
fully

- Dislikes: being over-complicated to the point of destroying use, too much

decorations, fame and splendor, nobles, legacy,

Apprentice girl came to go to waterdeep and apprenticed with the dwarf, due
to the rumor of him being a famous blacksmith. Has an obsession with
adventurers and tales of heroism. Would like to supply with the most
powerful weapons and armor

- Likes: Hardwork, Weaponry, Armory, Fine Craft, Fine art, milk, eating a lot
(even though she cant eat much), sweets causes her go on overdrive,
Workaholic, Legacy

- Dislikes: Breaks, Resting, Eating vegetables, Alcohol, Nobles, Puberty

Goliath monster hunter that makes monster weapons and armors from
The things he kills and gets sent by the warriors guild, that looks down on his
other adversaries, even though he is lean and around average height. SUPER
competitive

- Likes: People being competitive as him, Passion, Restrictions (to a point), his
business, self-sufficiency, respect towards his prey, defeating mighty prey,
individualism

- Dislikes: skill-less people, no seriousness in fighting or display of skills,

disrespect towards the environment, losing, sticking to family
Alchemist:
Old man Experimenter that try to test the limits of mortal capabilities that is
incessant to pain and loves explosions

- Likes: Poisons, Experimentation, scientific method, Gods themselves, testing

the limits in human conception

- Dislikes: Perfection, Concept of Gods, extremes,

Clerics for the temple:

- A clumsy, studious, female attendant with a gift from the gods, goal to
become like an angel
- Veteran Cleric who is obsessed with details and cleanliness, very puritan
vibes, and has undying faith towards his gods and superiors

City Watch:
- An old watch guard that maintains watch even in a sort of neglected part of
the city
- A lazy buffoon that sleeps a lot on his work, and is easily a victim of his own
vices, with worried big sister (acts nice but has a vicous side to her) pure of
any vices (except one)

Griffon Guard:
- A Hardy, stoic paladin, with Braum vibes, extraordinary things, but wishes a
regular life at the farm

Tavern Owner:
- Half-Orc, with a sort of sister like attitude, argues a lot, will try to set you
right, has an half-orc bigger brother, also sells leathers of all sorts from her
hunting trips
-
Guild officer for Houses:
- Ceo like personality, who is super easy

Pet Owner:
- Sleepy mother who takes in many pets and acts as caregiver,

Locals:
- Elf old lady with a kinship with a pet
 An Ex-Queen who simply wants to see what waterdeep is for
herself and go on last adventures
-

FOOTNOTES:
- No chosen one arc for ryan’s character, focus on the sister