Lhestyn's Court

Lhestyn's Court was an alleyway in Waterdeep haunted by greater shadows. It was named after Lhestyn Silmaeril, a famous Open Lord of the city in the early 14 century DR. The location was notorious as a killing ground for unscrupulous nobles to dispose of enemies and "problems" while keeping their hands clean.

Location
Lhestyn's Court was the interior of the city block bounded by the High Road to the east, Chasso's Trot to the south, Copper Street to the west, and Immar Street to the north. The inconspicuous entrance was on Immar Street just across from the primary entrance to the Jhansczil Villa.

History
At the end of the 13 century, Lhestyn had taken on the persona of the "Masked Lady" and had infiltrated the Waterdhavian branch of the powerful Shadow Thieves consortium. In the, she surreptitiously led groups of Shadow Thieves into deadly ambushes in this dead-end alley. None of the Shadow Thief agents escaped alive. Over the course of a tenday, seven of these unsuspecting parties totaling some fifty Shadow Thieves met their demise at the hands of the Masked Lady and her allies. This essentially drove the criminal organization out of Waterdeep.

It took more than twenty years, but the spirits of five of the betrayed Shadow Thieves manifested as greater shadows haunting Lhestyn's Court, making it a deadly place to wander. The area remained safe from two bells before highsun until two bells after, or if an intruder bore a light source of some kind. But other times the shadows could be seen flitting across the walls of the court, and any objects or detritus weighing less than was whirled and tossed about even on calm days.

When they attacked a victim, even the victim's own shadow joined in the swarm. The first cut was always a slash across the right ankle, a signature move of the Shadow Thieves who often left the right foot of an unfortunate assassin or thief at the scene of a failed attempt. As the fight progressed, the victim's shirt was ripped open and more slashes formed a bloody pattern on their chest—that of the insignia mask of the Shadow Thieves with a gash through one eye. Once dead, the body was always found with the right foot severed and the victim's head barely visible from the street through the narrow archway into the court.

Rumors & Legends

 * Those not familiar with the history of Lhestyn's Court usually believed it was named after her because it was where she died, but this was not the case.
 * The noble families Jhansczil and Rosznar were thought to be the primary contributors to feeding the shadows of Lhestyn's Court, trapping unsuspecting victims inside until death was inevitable.