New Waterdeep was the colony established by the merchant organizations and noble families of Waterdeep on the New World in the mid-14th century DR.[1]
Description[]
New Waterdeep was a fort and trade colony that quickly grew to size on par with the New Amn's Helmsport colony. The colony was built mainly through the money and effort of the young families of Waterdeep – House Adarbrent, House Helmfast, House Raventree and House Jardeth. The families ensured that New Waterdeep was a welcoming place on a dangerous continent, promoting old Waterdeep's values.[1]
Unlike New Amn, New Waterdeep did not claim more land than it needed at the time, and when new land was acquired, it was done through purchase or mutually beneficial sharing with the locals. Mazticans received irrigation and technology from New Waterdeep as well as protection.[1]
After New Waterdeep was razed to the ground in 1369 DR. Refugees relocated to Trythosford, and the town was rebuilt on Maztapan Island.[3]
Geography[]
The first location of New Waterdeep was built on the Gulf of Kultaka with its wharves on the Maztapan Island – the first landing of the Waterdhavian colonists in Maztica. Immediate neighbors of New Waterdeep included Kultaka and Kultaka City to the southeast, territories claimed by New Amn to the south, and another Waterdhavian colony of Trythosford further along the shores to the north.[1][4]
Government[]
New Waterdeep was governed by the council of twelve elected officials – all elders and members of noble families that resettled to the new continent. Despite the open business practices and politics, many locals were wary that New Waterdeep was in danger of becoming just as greedy and corrupt as the Old World's Calimshan or Amn.[1]
Trade[]
The growth was fueled by heavy transoceanic trade, wide-open space, and friendly relations with the Maztican nations. The alliances between the locals and New Waterdhavian Borderlands territory made the colony the preferred trading settlement, and the fact that New Waterdeep offered better quality products and better variety didn't hurt either. Most Maztican merchants traveled to New Waterdeep unless stopped and forced to do business with New Amn by their many Golden Legion mercenaries.[1]
Noble House Raventree brought their famed shipbuilding business to the New World as well as their agricultural expertise. The family quickly became the main producer and exporter of food items out of Maztica. Adarbrents were in control of the transoceanic trade and managed the transport and trade vessels that sailed to and from Waterdeep. Each of the families had several trade agreements active, all agreed upon between themselves and distributed equally. Some of the trading partners who did business with New Waterdeep were the Council of Farmer-Grocers, the Fellowship of Salters, Packers, and Joiners, as well as many individual merchants (like Kro Downybeard of Downybeard Tobacconists) and merchant families in Waterdeep and through it – the Sword Coast[1] and Tethyr.[5]
Defenses[]
Noble House Jardeth was put in charge of defending New Waterdeep. The members of the family trained troops and ran guard drills on a daily.[1]
History[]
The continent of Maztica was discovered in the Year of Maidens, 1361 DR. Following a religious sacrifice of one of the Amnian leader's daughter to a cruel god of war, a swift and bloody war between the Nexalan empire and Amnian Golden Legion burned through the continent, leading to the establishment of New Amn, Helmsport, and beginning of trade between continents.[6] In the Year of the Sword, 1365 DR, twelve merchant shops from Waterdeep arrived at the colony of Helmsport but were refused entry due to recent restrictions imposed on transoceanic trade by the Council of Six. The ships sailed north, eventually reaching the Maztapan Island, and soon after negotiated with the nation of Kultaka for a plot of land along the Gulf of Kultaka, establishing the colony of New Waterdeep. Amnian Governor-General Cordell was furious over the new competitor whose lands were only one mile away from New Amn's borders. The same year another Waterdhavian colony of Trythosford was established, and the first group of Mazticans emigrated to Faerûn, some to return years later after receiving education.[2] In the Year of the Staff, 1366 DR, New Waterdeep was actively trading weapons and armor with the neighboring ally Kultaka. Cordell issued a stern warning against the trade agreement with the locals as a response. New Amn sent a small contingent of troops to the borders of New Waterdeep's holdings as an intimidation tactic against the trade. The same year Helmite clerics of New Waterdeep ventured into the continent guided by several explorers. The expedition was a success. After three months, the clerics returned with newly converted local Helmites and detailed maps of the surrounding lands. Later the same year, several Waterdhavian ships sank on the way back to Faerûn. The governors suspected Amnian sabotage.[7]
By the Year of the Gauntlet, 1369 DR, New Waterdeep began active trade with the nation of Tethyr through trade agreements arranged by the Lords' Alliance.[6] However the Borderlands suffered a monumental set back when the first location of New Waterdeep war raided and razed by Kultaka. The survivors fled north to Trythosford and to the Maztapan Island.[3]
The trade was stifled but did not stop, and neither did the relationships with Maztican nations. As of the Year of the Tankard, 1370 DR, many Maztican locals sailed to Waterdeep to receive education and training, and by the late summer of the same year, they were to return home. This came at the price of the shaken relationship between Amn and Waterdeep as the educated native Mazticans were vocal about injustices committed by the Amnian colonists and the Golden Legion and the poor, exploitative quality of goods imported to Maztica by Amn.[1]
By 1370 DR, Harpers had successfully established operations in New Waterdeep and started moving new recruits from Waterdeep sent by Khelben Arunsun. The Harpers were targeting injustices committed by Cordell against the local Payitlans. Two of the senior agents, Syllia Adarbrent and Farid al-Nisr, sailed to Waterdeep to present evidence of crimes against Mazticans in front of the Master Harpers, planning to return with a plan of action by the late summer of the same year. Lady Adarbrent was sent to address the Masked Lords of Waterdeep and asked for two or three New Lords to be assigned to actively advising the Harpers' efforts in Maztica. It was planned for the Masked Lords to arrive in complete anonymity aboard some of the six returning vessels to the New World. Orist Moonbow, however, was outraged by what he's witnessed and insisted on immediate action. Meanwhile, Orist spent his time teaching locals of Qoral to mark metal – an exotic material in Maztica, and a young Maztican man named Tocil joined Orist Moonbow as an apprentice Harper.[1]
By the Year of Rogue Dragons, 1373 DR, the new location of New Waterdeep on Maztapan Island was fully rebuilt and prospering once again.[8]
Notable Locations[]
- Guardian's Gate, the temple of Helm in New Waterdeep.[1]
Inhabitants[]
Organizations[]
- Church of Helm, the main religion of New Waterdeep as the church sponsored the colonization efforts.[1] Waterdhavian church strongly disapproved of New Amn's brethren and their overzealous religious practices and conversions of the locals.[7]
- Harpers, fund their way to the New World through sea trade routes and established clandestine operations in New Waterdeep. Three agents of note were Lady Syllia Adarbrent, Farid al-Nisr, and Orist Moonbow.[1]
- Helmfasts, were the New Waterdhavian guild of harbormasters and shipwrights who had offices, workshops, and warehouses on the mainland of the Borderlands as well as the Maztapan Island.[1]
Individuals[]
- Laos Raventree, the leader of the noble House Raventree in Maztica in the late 14th century DR.[1]
- Majuvix, one of the New Masked Lords of New Waterdeep selected from the local Mazticans who received education in Faerûn and returned to New Waterdeep in 1370 DR.[1]
- Trythos of Tiythosford, the honorable paladin Open Lord of New Waterdeep in the late 14th century DR.[1]
- Tomas Dannark, Laos Raventree's consort and the second in command in the New Waterdhavian Church of Helm in the late 14th century DR.[1]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 Steven E. Schend (August 1997). “Book Two: Amn”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Lands of Intrigue (TSR, Inc.), pp. 62–63. ISBN 0-7869-0697-9.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Steven E. Schend (August 1997). “Book Two: Amn”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Lands of Intrigue (TSR, Inc.), p. 60. ISBN 0-7869-0697-9.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 150. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
- ↑ Maps included in David Sutherland III, Dennis Kauth (August 1991). Maztica Campaign Set. (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 1-5607-6084-2.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (August 1997). “Book Two: Amn”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Lands of Intrigue (TSR, Inc.), p. 18. ISBN 0-7869-0697-9.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Steven E. Schend (August 1997). “Book Two: Amn”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Lands of Intrigue (TSR, Inc.), p. 39. ISBN 0-7869-0697-9.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Steven E. Schend (August 1997). “Book Two: Amn”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Lands of Intrigue (TSR, Inc.), p. 61. ISBN 0-7869-0697-9.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 154. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.