History of Waterdeep

The  history of Waterdeep dated back to an ancient elven settlement called Aelinthaldaar, which was the capital of the Tel-quessir city-state of Illefarn starting around the year -8500 DR.

Early history

 * -1288 DR:
 * Melairbode was created in the mountain beside and underneath Aelinthaldaar by the dwarven King Melair I, who began mining mithral there. As more and more dwarves from Clan Melairkyn arrived, they expanded their home to include areas nearer and nearer to the surface, which made the elves uneasy. In exchange for a large amount of mithral being mined by the Melairkyn dwarves, the elves created a magical effect on the plateau on which their city stood. This ensured that no matter what occurred below, the surface would remain unaffected and never collapse underneath.


 * -1100 DR:
 * Aelinthaldaar was razed after the elves inhabiting the city retreated to Evermeet. It was soon taken over by barbarian tribes who used it as a trade center from -1088 DR, doing business with peoples further south. The deep natural harbor on the site made it a particularly good point to hold trademoots because large ships were able to load and unload goods. Eventually, tribes made the area their permanent home rather than revisiting for each trademoot. However, conflict was common due to the lucrative trade opportunities.


 * -750 DR:
 * The Netherese had moved to Melairbode uninvited, and made their home adjacent to the dwarves. The Sargauth Enclave was hewn from the rock by magic spells and then sealed. Over the years, a mantle was raised that served a similar purpose to a mythal.


 * -677 DR:
 * The drow began to push the Melairkyn dwarves back and claimed more and more of the Undermountain for themselves.


 * -339 DR:
 * The disruption to the Weave caused the collapse of most of the Netherese enclave; what remained came to be known as Skullport.


 * 52 DR:
 * By this year, a permanent farming community of Illuskans had been established.

Blackcloak Hold

 * 168 DR:
 * The wizard Halaster Blackcloak moved to the area and constructed Halaster's Hold a little ways northwest of the farming community. Between 171 DR and 308 DR he conducted Halaster's Hunts which brutally exterminated the drow and duergar from Undermountain, clearing the space for his own purposes.


 * 211 DR:
 * The drow finally removed all the remaining Melairkyn from the Undermountain.


 * 302 DR:
 * The waters of the Lizard Marsh rose, forcing the settlement of Tavaray to be abandoned. The human settlements on the future site of Waterdeep became much more isolated, and the lack of prosperity and outside contact caused the populace to split back into tribes.


 * 307 DR:
 * Halaster Blackcloak's apprentices, known as the Seven abandon Halaster's Hold for the Undermountain. The wizard's hold would subsequently fall into disrepair.

Bloodhand Hold

 * 482 DR:
 * A warlord from Tethyr named Ulbaerag Bloodhand came to the area and united the tribes, claiming the settlement as "Bloodhand Hold." It began exporting timber onto ships destined for areas further south that did not benefit from such large trees as could be found in the North. Ulbaerag actively rejected the opportunity to join the Kingdom of Phalorm, known as "the Realm of Three Crowns." It was not until his son came to power that Bloodhand Hold finally joined the Kingdom.
 * Construction began on extensive building and irrigation projects.


 * 493 DR:
 * The drow of the Undermountain finally abandoned their former home.


 * 615 DR:
 * The Horde of the Wastes overran Phalorm, destroying Uthtower and leading to the formation of the Mere of Dead Men. The Sword Mountains became infested with orcs but Bloodhand Hold survived.


 * The collapse of the Realm of Three Crowns led to the formation of the Kingdom of Man. Despite Bloodhand Hold maintaining its independence, it was widely regarded as part of the kingdom.


 * 697 DR:
 * With no apparent heir to the Kingdom of Man, it collapsed into civil war. Despite the conflict, Bloodhand Hold remained. Poor harvests in


 * 734 DR:
 * Poor harvests and intense summer fires caused the leader of Bloodhand Hold, Raulbaera Bloodhand, to establish an outlying settlement named Rowan Hold. Years later it would come to be known as Amphail.

Nimoar's Hold

 * 872/882 DR:
 * A tribal leader known as Nimoar the Reaver led his tribe in search of a new home after the fall of the elven kingdoms. Nimoar and his tribe came across Bloodhand Hold and had no trouble in seizing it for themselves, renaming it "Nimoar's Hold."


 * 887 DR:
 * Nimoar's Hold suffered a large pirate attack, but held strong and was rebuilt.


 * 889 DR:
 * The Bull Elk tribe from the Dessarin set Nimoar's Hold ablaze, but were eventually defeated.


 * 927 DR:
 * Uktar 30: As prophesied by the orc shaman, Wund of the Sword Mountains, the Blood Plague spread over the mountain peaks and the orcs unified under the leadership of King Uruth Ukrypt. Their growing presence would displace many beasts and monsters, including a great number of trolls.

Trollwars
Due to massive orc uprisings and population growth in the north, trolls were forced out of their homes and pushed south, into the area now known as the Evermoors. This migration caused a great and long-lasting conflict with the humans of Nimoar's Hold.


 * 932 DR:
 * The first conflict of the Trollwars occurred in this year. Before the year's end the humans purged the moors area of trolls.


 * 936 DR:
 * The orc armies of Uruth Ukrypt attacked Nimoar's Hold in a series of battles that began the Orcfastings War. Although they had a number of victories, the Duke of Calandor would turn the tide of the war broke the orc siege in the Battle of Burning Cliffs. Eventually King Uruth fell in the Battle of Westwood and the orc shaman Wund shortly thereafter.


 * 940 DR:
 * The second conflict of the Trollwars erupted when the trolls made continual raids on human settlements. They continued for 12 years.
 * Nimoar died and Gharl was chosen to be the next "War Lord" of Nimoar's Hold.
 * The use of the name "Waterdeep", as an alternate for "Nimoar's Hold" came to common use.

The 32-year-old mage Ahghairon used his arcane power to end the Trollwars in a decisive victory. However, the six Warlords of the city were killed in combat. A knight of Tyr named Samular Caradoon was recognized as a hero during this conflict and went on to form the Holy Order of Samular.
 * 952 DR:
 * A temple and monastery to Lathander was constructed outside the city, which would later be known as the Spires of the Morning.


 * 974 DR:
 * Following the conflict, a walled keep was constructed on the slopes of the mountain, and the walls continued to expand as more and more people from the surrounding area came to the stronghold for protection. During this time, the keep and surrounding are were known as the "Free City of Waterdeep".


 * 1010 DR:
 * Nimoar's Hold came to be known as the Free City of Waterdeep. During this year the harbor was fortified and its walls expanded and rebuilt.
 * Lauroun became the first Warlord of Waterdeep.


 * 1024 DR:
 * The Waterdhavian adventurers known as the Dawnbringer Company raided Ukrypt, the resting place of the deceased King Uruth, inciting the wrath of the Brotherhood of the Scarlet Scourge and the Broken Bone orcs. Although they were the first horde of orcs to leave the mountains in a generation, their assault on Waterdeep was stopped when they were attacked by the "Claws of the Coast", Lhammaruntosz.


 * 1026 DR:
 * The Brotherhood of the Scarlet Scourge mustered another horde of orcs from the Sword Mountains, known as the Black Claw and set them to assault Waterdeep. Warlord Laroun lost his life defending the city walls from the monstrous assailants. The orcs were finally defeated at Stump Bog.


 * Following Laroun's death, Warlord Raurlor became the ruler of Waterdeep.

Age of Ahghairon

 * 1032 DR:
 * Raurlor used the city's wealth to create a vast "Empire of the North". Ahghairon voiced strong opposition to this in 1032 DR, and Raurlor ordered that he was to be arrested. When Ahghairon used his magic to prevent his own arrest, Raurlor struck out at him, but Ahghairon turned Raurlor's sword into a snake, which inflicted a poisonous bite, eventually killing him.
 * Ahghairon declared himself the first "Lord" of Waterdeep, creating the nearly-entirely-anonymous governing body that would last for centuries. All Lords of the city save for one, initially himself, had their identities hidden from the citizens of the city.
 * Under Ahghairon, Waterdeep secured the areas to the north for the humans and built new roads to interconnect them, while continuing to grow to five times its size, becoming more and more prosperous. The city developed the nickname "the Crown of the North." Ahghairon restructured the army and navy that Raurlor had built up into the city watch and the city guard.


 * 1035 DR:
 * Waterdeep began to use its system of city wards. The four original wards were the Castle Ward, Trades Ward, Dock Ward and Temple Ward.


 * 1037 DR:
 * Creatures from another plane appeared in Waterdeep after emerging from the Undermountain. Ahghairon and one of the masked Lords, Kherris, turned them back.


 * 1064 DR:
 * The population of Waterdeep reached 50,000 inhabitants.


 * 1071 DR:
 * The renowned adventurer Ranressa Shiard returned to the slopes of Mount Waterdeep riding on the copper wyrm Galadaeros. This event led to Ahghairon placing a powerful mythal over the city, that acted as a magical barrier against the flying beasts.


 * 1076 DR:
 * Waterdeep was attacked by Nelethra the Winged Spear and the Tethyrian Black Boar of the Dessarin Valley.


 * 1101 DR:
 * The city walls were further expanded to include the Spires of the Morning, the temple to Lathandar that had previously been outside the city.


 * 1148 DR:
 * The netherese necromancer Shradin Mulophor, who would come to be known as the "Lord of Bones", discovered the ruins of the Sargauth Enclave and used the destroyed chambers as his own personal domain. He would open up trade routes with various powers of the Underdark by linking the Sargauth river with subterranean waterways and a series of portals to other lands.


 * 1150 DR:
 * Waterdeep was hit by the plague that was travelling the Sword Coast.
 * Khelben the Elder first arrived in the city.


 * 1173 DR:
 * The Lord of Bones' lair was a permanent settlement by this year and came to be known as the "Port of Shadow", or Skullport.


 * 1179 DR:
 * Maulagrym attacked Blackstaff Tower but was defeated by Khelben, Elminster, Hamiklar Wands and other Waterdhavian mages.


 * 1184 DR:
 * The Lord of Bones took an expedition to the Underhalls and returned to Skullport as an unstable and unpredictable man.


 * 1235 DR:
 * The Sword Coast was overrun and Waterdeep besieged by the largest orc horde in recorded history. The siege of the city lasted for nine months, and was broken when Ahghairon used griffons to fly supplies of food and aid into of the city. These brave actions would lead to the formation of the griffon cavalry.


 * 1246 DR:
 * The Masked Lord Kerrigan began slaying other Lords of the city. He murdered three of the city's rulers in a bid for power, before Ahghairon confronted him in a battle of magic that ended in the Masked Lord's death within the Southern Ward. This was the only known act of betrayal among the Lords of Waterdeep.


 * 1248 DR:
 * As crime and deceit began to develop in Waterdeep, Ahghairon ordered the creation of city guilds, a trend from cities in the south, to prevent the further spread of problems.


 * 1250 DR:
 * Owing to a lack of space, the individual graves within Waterdeep's graveyard were replaced with tombs,leading to the creation of the City of the Dead.


 * 1252 DR:
 * Problems with undead from within the most-recently-constructed wae led to the raising of walls around the City of the Dead, to segregate it from the rest of the city.


 * 1255 DR:
 * The Shadow Thieves began operating within the city of Waterdeep.

Reign of Guildmasters

 * 1256 DR:
 * Lord Ahghairon passed away and was ceremoniously interred within his tower. It was sealed away, protected by magic, and as of the mid-14 century DR had never been disturbed.
 * Turmoil followed Ahghairon's death while the merchants of Waterdeep bickered over who would assume power. Nothing was heard from the masked Lords of Waterdeep. This was either caused by the fact that, without Ahghairon, they could not communicate without revealing their identities, or because their identities had already been compromised and they had been murdered.
 * In truth, following Ahghairon's death, the only survivors Masked Lords were the woodworker Baeron and the apprentice wizard Shilarn. After two months, power was taken by the Council of Guildmasters, who had been appointed by Ahghairon. This left the Council of Guilds in charge of the city's rule.
 * The guildwars began. This six-year-long period of bickering and mistrust was highlighted was highlighted by violent feuds between the mercantile families at the hands of hired mercenaries.


 * 1262 DR:
 * The guildwars ended with a great ammount of bloodshed within the city. After the conflict, only two surviving guildmasters, the gemcutter Ehlemm Zoar and shipwright Lhorar Gildeggh were left in positions of leadership. Sick and tired of the infighting, they agreed to rule together, as "Lords Magister," in 1262 DR. Despite their initial partnership, they would agree on little else. Their bickering led to continued tensions within the city and would come to be known as the "Misrule of the Magisters".
 * The Thieves Guild of Waterdeep began open operations within the city.

Reigns of Baeron and Lhestyn

 * 1273 DR:
 * The Lords Magister were visited by Baeron and Shilarn who had concealed themselves underneath cloaks. Shilarn ordered the Lords Magister to leave the city. When they refused, she struck them down with magic and killed them both. Baeron and Shilarn, the two remaining former masked Lords, took power and reinstalled the Lords of Waterdeep. Baeron publicly revealed his identity and assumed the role of the Open Lord.
 * The Gildeggh and Zoar houses were banned from Waterdeep.
 * In order to further prevent the discovery of the identities of the Masked Lords, a group of Magisters named ehe Black Robes were instated as judges and dispensers of the law.


 * Uktar:
 * The Shadow Thieves were outlawed in Waterdeep.


 * 1276 DR:
 * Lhestyn was born to Baeron and Shilarn.
 * The city expanded to contain six wards, with the addition of North Ward and Sea Ward.


 * 1298 DR:
 * Lhestyn, under the alias of the "Masked Lady", infiltrated the thieves guild of Waterdeep and exposed them throughout the city. The group's members were either killed outright or were chased out of the city.


 * 1300 DR:
 * Lhestyn and Zelphar Arunsun of Neverwinter, the youngest son of Khelben the Elder, were married.


 * 1302 DR:
 * Lhestyn gave birth to Khelben Arunsun the Younger, son of Zelphar and grandson Khelben "Blackstaff".


 * 1308 DR:
 * Lord Baeron died of a fever, and his wife Shilarn threw herself onto his funeral pyre.
 * Lhestyn became the Open Lord of Waterdeep.
 * Lhestyn's Palace was constructed over the ruins of an old Chauntean abbey.


 * 1311 DR:
 * As an act of favor to the Shadow Thieves, an anonymous lich of the Twisted Rune murdered Zelphar Arunsun by means of an arcane hand of force. The identity of Zelphar's killer would remain unknown to the lords of the city for well over a century.
 * After the death of his son, Khelben "Blackstaff" returned to Blackstaff Tower to train his grandson as the new Blackstaff. Khelben the Younger assumed lordship over the tower.
 * To better protect the Open Lord and their loved ones, the Masked Lord Durnan formed the Red Sashes.
 * Lhestyn named Piergeiron the Paladinson as her successor to rule Waterdeep as the Open Lord.

Reign of Piergeiron

 * 1314 DR:
 * Lady Lhestyn died and Piergeiron took over as Open Lord of Waterdeep.


 * 1321 DR:
 * Khelben the Younger left Waterdeep. Khelben the Elder continued to serve as lord of the tower, under the guise of his grandson.


 * 1345 DR:
 * During the Night of the Temple Fires, religious disorder between the churches of Lathander, Selûne, Shar and Tempus led to the Spires of the Morning and the House of Heroes to be burned to the ground. Both were rebuilt within a year.


 * 1355 DR:
 * Amril Zoar, member of the exiled Zoar family killed two masked lords of the city, Lady Tamaeril Bladesemmer and Lord Resengar the Whitebeard and gravely wounded Lord Piergeiron. After he was caught, he was spared execution by Storm Silverhand and the Harpers.


 * 1356 DR:
 * The Dragonspear Wars break out after patrols of Waterdhavian soldiers were attacked by feinds and goblins from the Open Marches by means of Dragonspear Castle.
 * The Tome of the Unicorn was stolen from the Green Library, by Shond Tharavin. This led to a Luskanite caravel being sunk by the Nelanther isle of Ruathym.
 * Waterdeep negotiated peace between Ruathym and the city of Luskan.

The Time of Troubles
During the Time of Troubles in the Year of Shadows, magic went awry within Waterdeep as everywhere else in the Realms.
 * 1358 DR:
 * Kythorn 20: Mystra, greater goddess of magic and among the most powerful of the gods, was destroyed when she attempted to bypass Helm at the Celestial Stairway.
 * An avatar of a goddess appeared in Waterdeep, calling the faithful to her. The next night, they gathered at the House of the Moon temple and proclaimed her to be Selûne, the Moonmaiden. However, Lord Piergeiron and Khelben Arunsun were wary, and proposed to play good but watchful hosts. At the avatar's instigation, a mob attacked the supposed unbeliever Vajra Valmeyjar, while the avatar defeated Luna in spell-battle on the steps of the temple before the faithful. The avatar was later guest of honour at a party at Castle Waterdeep, but this was disrupted by the Dark Army of the Night and then by a spell-battle between the avatar and Kyriani. Piergeiron and the nobility came to feel the goddess's behavior was reckless and they may have been hasty in welcoming her.




 * Chaotic magic caused the streets of Waterdeep to warp and twist, turning flat roads to hummocks and dips in the Dock Ward and Sea Ward. Ultimately, after infiltrating the House of the Moon and rescuing Luna, the heroes of the Selûne's Smile tavern—Vajra, Kyriani, Timoth Eyesbright, and Onyx the Invincible—exposed the false avatar as the goddess Shar, while Luna herself was truly Selûne. Returning to the Selûne's Smile, they were attacked by trio of night riders and their gaunts, and saw the Celestial Stairway rising from Mount Waterdeep. Shar attacked the heroes at the ruins of the tavern, but ultimately they renewed Selûne. Selûne's defeat of Shar over the streets of Waterdeep became famous across the Realms.
 * Later on Midnight and her companions, Cyric, Kelemvor and Adon, arrived in Waterdeep. Shortly thereafter Myrkul appeared in the city from the Pool of Loss beneath the Yawning Portal inn with one of the Tablets of Fate and summoned legion of fiends and undead that poured into the city, causing huge fires and widespread destruction, mostly in the Castle, Dock and Southern Wards of the city. Midnight and her companions were accompanied by Elminster and Khelben the Elder as they holed up in Blackstaff Tower. having hidden the tablet within the spire's library.
 * Before Myrkul could ascend the Celestial Staircase, Midnight managed to steal one of the tablets, in thanks to her growing arcane power. The god and her minions attacked Midnight and her allies. As a griffon rider flew to the tower and temporarily distracted the Dead God, Midnight inexplicably managed to disintegrate the avatar of Myrkul, even while in the middle of a zone of silence. After Myrkul died, a cloud of brown pestilence fell from the roof of the tower and drifted over two city blocks, withering plants and choking people and animals alike.
 * Midnight and Cyric ascended to godhood.


 * 1361 DR:
 * Stories of the newly-discovered Maztica and rumors of a Harper assassin spread throughout Waterdeep.


 * 1364 DR:
 * In the summer of this year, Waterdeep experienced severe droughts and increased monster activity.
 * Shieldmeet: Celebrations at the Field of Triumph were disrupted by the green dragon Grimnoshtadrano.


 * 1365 DR:
 * Waterdeep established limited trade with Zakhara and Maztica, but the sea journeys were highly dangerous.


 * 1369 DR:
 * Ches 30: An army of sea monsters, led by the wereshark Iakhovas invaded Waterdeep via the harbor in the Deepwater War. Much of the Dock and Sea wards were damaged in the conflict.
 * Highharvestide: The Mad Mage Halaster released a horde of monsters into the city via portals, destroying much of the Castle and Trades Wards in what would come to be known as Halaster's Higharvestide.


 * 1372 DR:
 * Khelben Blackstaff, Storm and Laeral Silverhand led armies against the phaerimm that escaped from the Sharn Wall.


 * 1374 DR:
 * By this year, the only remnants of the long-razed Aelinthaldaar were crypts beneath the Pantheon Temple of the Seldarine, and the magic that prevented the plateau from collapsing.


 * 1375 DR:
 * Eleint 30: Halaster Blackcloak died. As a result, earthquakes ravaged the city and many Waterdhavians had visions related to the mage's death.

Spellplague

 * 1385 DR:
 * Tarsakh 29: The spellplague ravaged Toril, dramatically altering the landscape of Faerûn.
 * Six walking statues were exiled from the ethereal plane and rampaged through the city.


 * 1395 DR:
 * A plague called the Putrescent Anathema, which originated from Stump Bog, devastated Waterdeep and the surrounding area, particularly the Goldenfields. The combination of disease and lost grain supply killed thousands throughout the realm.
 * The majority of the effects of the Spellplague came to an end and most arcane magic returned to normal.


 * 1445 DR:
 * Timehands, a "golemwork clock" was completed and installed in the tallest tower of Lord's Palace.


 * 1479 DR:
 * By this year, Dagult Neverember was the Open Lord of the city, the Fiend Ward had been established, and Skullport was no longer inhabited.
 * The 8 walking statue, the Griffon, appeared in Waterdeep and to defend Ahghairon's Tower. It eventually settled down near the Peaktop Aerie on Mount Waterdeep and eventually became a landmark of the city.

Post Second Sundering

 * ~1485 DR:
 * The cloud giant castle of Count Nimbolo and Countess Mulara emerged from the clouds overhead and loomed above the city for a time and caused widespread panic. Laeral Silverhand dispatched heralds to calm the people and assure them that no harm would befall the city. The giants meant no harm to Waterdeep, and planned to meet with the city's leaders to learn more about the city's history and determine whether any remnants of Ostoria survived to that day.


 * ~1491 DR: