Lords of Waterdeep



The Lords of Waterdeep are the ruling council who have ruled the city of Waterdeep] for the most of the last 300 years. Throughout that time, there have been between 50 and 80 lords, four of whom have reigned as Open Lord: Ahghairon the Mage, Baeron Silmaeril, Lhestyn the Masked Lady and the current Open Lord, Piergeiron the Paladinson. The Lords come from all walks of life and (while predominantly comprised of humans) has had members of various races throughout the Realms.

The currently Open Lord, Piergeiron the Paladinson, is the only Lord whose face is exposed and known to the public. While no other Lords are formally name, some individuals become the subject of widespread rumors that can even become a general consensus. The penalty for impersonating a Lord, whether by dressing in a set of their indentical clothing or by a false claim is punishable by the imposter's immediate execution.

The Lords only appear in public when deliberating on high crimes or when asked to by the lower court but even then only four generally appear and one is always Piergeiron. All save him wear black formless masks and robes and speak through Piergeiron to keep their identities secret.

History
There has been one Lord through the institution's history who has abused his position; Kerrigan the Arcanist. Through subterfuge and hired agents, Kerrigan killed three of his fellow Lords before he was routed by Ahgharion. The conflict resulted in a spell battle within the streets of Waterdeep than ended in the Southern Ward with Kerrigan's death.

Notable lords

 * Piergeiron the Paladinson: Open Lord of Waterdeep.
 * Brian the Swordmaster: An aging master smith of of Waterdeep as well as a Masked Lord.
 * Brianne Byndraeth: Masked Lord.
 * Caladorn Cassalanter: Masked Lord.
 * Danilo Thann: Masked Lord, cousin of Khelben Arunsun.
 * Durnan "the Wanderer": Gruff, yet prudent Masked Lord.
 * Deliah the White
 * Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun: Masked Lord of Waterdeep. Khelben revealed himself as a Masked Lord in 1367 DR, and resigned, presenting the Masked Lord Danilo Thann as his successor (Danillo Thann had become a Lord of Waterdeep as early as 1364 DR). In truth, Khelben remained a Lord, although his resignation was genuine, if brief), died 1374 DR.
 * Kyriani Agrivar: A recent addition to the Lords of Waterdeep.
 * Larissa Neathal: A friend and confidante of Durnan who is currently gathering information on the other Lords.
 * Mirt the Moneylender: Also known as Mirt the Merciless and the Old Wolf, Mirt rose to wealth first as an adventurer in Undermountain and later as a successful trader, gaining enough influence to become a Masked Lord of the city.
 * Nymara "Kitten" Scheiron: Nymara was recruited to become a Masked Lord by Durnan and Mirt over 25 years ago, for her understanding of the common folk.
 * Sammereza "Sammer" Sulphontis: A skilled merchant and trader.
 * Texter: A fearless paladin.

Deceased lords

 * Carril Byndraeth
 * Kerrigan the Arcanist
 * Nindil Jalbuck: A deceased Masked Lord who was replaced by a greater doppelganger.