The Palace of Waterdeep, also known as the Lords' Palace[2] and previously often called Piergeiron's Palace,[3] was the residence of the Open Lord of Waterdeep.[4][1]
Location[]
The white marble palace was located at the foot of Mount Waterdeep at the intersection of the Street of Silks and Waterdeep Way. In the courtyard in front of the palace stood Ahghairon's Tower, and just to the north were the palace stables, paddock, and guard barracks.[1]
Structure[]
The palace featured a Lantanese "golemwork clock" called 'Timehands' that comprised dials on three faces of its highest tower. Two bells of different tones would ring out each hour, marking the hour with their number of rings.[3]
Interior[]
Inside Piergeiron's Palace was located a rare place of Aoist worship, with a spacious chapel lined with oaken pews. Bright painted plaster walls were decorated with gold, silver, and carved limestone and its marble floors were covered with exotic carpets from Shou Lung and illuminated with jeweled chandeliers. At the center of the furthest wall stood a large intricate stained glass window—the Eye of Ao. It gazed down on the chapel's visitors in radiant indifference.[5]
A deep well could be found in the prisons and dungeons of the Palace. It was gated with enchanted oaken doors, magically and physically barred, and ensorcelled with the message "DO NOT OPEN UNDER PAIN OF DEATH." The welled path connected the palace with Undermountain.[6]
Activities[]
The Palace served multiple functions for the administration of the city. It was the main office for many of the city's officials including City Watch, City Guard, and city clerks. The Lords' Court also met in a large chamber on the second floor.[1]
There were embassies here from many other countries and cities, although they were not required to be on the palace grounds. Guest quarters for foreign dignitaries without embassies were also available.[1]
History[]
The Palace was built over the ruins of an abbey dedicated to Chauntea that was destroyed during the Second Trollwar in the mid–10th century DR. In the 1370s, relatively harmless ghosts of Chauntean monks and clerics could still be seen occasionally roaming halls and staircases that no longer existed, passing through the walls of the modern-day castle.[7]
The construction and instillation of 'Timehands' was completed in the Year of the Malachite Throne, 1445 DR.[3]
The four meetings of the Council of Waterdeep were hosted in the Lords' Palace some time during the 1480s DR.[2][note 1]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Canon material does not provide a year for the Tyranny of Dragons storyline, but in a forum post, Greg Marks stated it was set in 1489 DR. However, the events of the Tyranny of Dragons are discussed in the novel Archmage, which is set in 1485/1486 DR and has events that necessarily put it after The Rise of Tiamat. Since this inconsistency has not been cleared up, this wiki will use the vague term "1480s DR" for events related to this storyline, though it is most likely no latter than 1486 DR.
Appearances[]
- Adventures
- The Rise of Tiamat
- Novels
- The Abduction • The Diamond
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Eric L. Boyd (June 2005). City of Splendors: Waterdeep. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 96. ISBN 0-7869-3693-2.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Steve Winter, Alexander Winter, Wolfgang Baur (November 2014). The Rise of Tiamat. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 19. ISBN 978-0786965656.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 198. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1987). Waterdeep and the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 15. ISBN 0-88038-490-5.
- ↑ J. Robert King and Ed Greenwood (July 1998). The Diamond. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 1. ISBN 0-7869-0872-6.
- ↑ J. Robert King and Ed Greenwood (July 1998). The Diamond. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 4. ISBN 0-7869-0872-6.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (2000-05-17). Part Six: The Monks of the Three Candles (HTML). Realms by Night. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2000-08-16. Retrieved on 2021-01-03.