Nurneene's Marvelous Masks

Nurneene's Marvelous Masks was a boutique that sold stylish hand-made custom masks and costume accessories to the Waterdhavian elite. It was a well-known and well-established business by the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR, and was still selling masks as of the Year of the Ageless One, 1479 DR.

Location
This establishment was tucked between two larger shops on the east side of the Street of Bells in the Castle Ward of Waterdeep.

Structure
Nurneene's was a very thin, four-story building about ten feet (three meters) wide, set back from the street and its neighbors by a pace. It had a sharply peaked roof which provided space for an attic. Below ground were two levels of cellar and a third, secret subbasement. At ground level, the front of the store was just a door and a large display window. The upper stories each had one window that was barred from within and had shutters on the outside, except for the fourth floor window, which could be opened. The attic had a round door in the peak of the eaves that gave (very dangerous) access to the roof. The roof and gutters were sloped such that rain water drained to downspouts on the rear of the building. The front of the store was surfaced with fieldstone.

Interior
The first floor was the main showroom with a counter in the back for purchasing and wrapping the merchandise. The second floor contained a fitting area with a few mirror-closets where customers could try on a mask and view themselves from many angles. There were also cabinets of drawers that contained common masks for those that did not want something custom-made. The third and fourth floors were filled with cutting tables, dyeing pans, drying racks, stretching frames, sewing stations, and many light, wooden heads for the construction and display of masks. The top floor also had a few beds and a sitz bath for the workers. The attic was the repository for old furniture and shop records from years gone by.

The cellars were mainly used for storing bolts of cloth and other materials used by the shop. They hung from the rafters on hooks and were wrapped in linen to keep them clean until needed. A dumbwaiter connected all the main floors and the cellars for easy transport of most items. There was also a speaking tube that could be used for communication once a person's attention was attracted by ringing a handbell.

The subbasement was accessed by releasing a catch and sliding a section of four steps in the middle of the lowest staircase into a niche in the wall. This revealed a short drop and another staircase that led down to a full-height chamber that was used as a chapel for worshiping Mask, the Lord of Shadows.

Atmosphere
The main attraction that set the tone for this establishment was a giant-sized, free-floating, sinister-looking mask that hovered about the display area behind the front window. It was quite visible at any hour because it was illuminated by three lanterns hung behind a valance across the top of the window, and the diorama was backed by a cream-colored sheet that hung from a rod and draped over a counter. The material was held in place by black wooden letters on the counter that spelled out "Nurneene Masks". The eerie mask turned to follow passers-by as if watching them suspiciously. Occasionally, it flew up to the glass and startled a pedestrian or a gawker, appearing to stare at them appraisingly. The effect of this animated object was so spooky that some Waterdhavians refused to walk by the shop, choosing to cross to the other side of the street or go around the block to avoid it, while others stopped to marvel and admire.

Appearances

 * Downshadow novel by Erik Scott de Bie