Forgotten Realms Wiki
Forgotten Realms Wiki
Well met, adventurer...
58,529
pages
in: Buildings, Locations, Temples,
and 8 more
English

Plinth

Edit

The Plinth was a temple for all faiths and was the only temple located in the Trades Ward of Waterdeep.[1][2][3][4] It collapsed as a result of the Spellplague in the Year of Blue Fire, 1385 DR.[6]

Location[]

VirginsSquare-Plinth-1372

Map showing the location of the Plinth (labeled T38) circa 1372 DR.

The Plinth was located in the Trades Ward between the Way of the Dragon and the High Road.[1][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] The structure was bordered by three minor streets. Lathin's Cut came west from the High Road and passed the southern face of the Plinth. It intersected with Jelabril Street, which bordered the tower on the east, and Burdag Lane, which demarked the western edge.[8][14][15]

VGtW-Plinth

Map showing the immediate surroundings of the Plinth (highlighted in red), circa 1367 DR.

Structure[]

The Plinth was once the tallest building in the Trades Ward and frequently used as a landmark. It was a mighty needle-like tower, six stories tall, shaped as a slender four-sided pyramid with a flat top. Small balconies were placed around the tower at various levels. The flat roof of the tower was used as a landing site for griffons and other aerial steeds belonging to private citizens and the Griffon Cavalry.[1][2][3][4]

Activities[]

The Plinth belonged to the city and was supported by the Lords of Waterdeep and private donations.[16] In particular, during the Gods' Day celebration, merchants lowered prices to those that shared their faith and then donated the difference, either to a temple or to the city earmarked for Plinth upkeep.[17] The Plinth provided worship space for all faiths,[1][18] but the law prohibited sacrifice of any intelligent being to any god.[19] Despite this, people did fall (or were tossed) from the balconies every year.[2][4]

The Plinth was a refuge of warmth in the winter months for many of the city's poorer citizens.[2] Wisebeards frequently used the tower as place to offer their services.[20] Adventurers could almost certainly find a cleric willing to cast spells (perhaps for a price),[21] or get married.[22] At the other end of the social spectrum, the Plinth was selected by Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun as one of the locations for a secret portal that could be activated by someone carrying a lord's amulet and speaking a command word. The destination of this gate was a well-kept secret.[23]

Around the Year of the Shield, 1367 DR, Lyratha Talltankard could often be found holding sunrise prayers to Lathander at the Plinth. Shaundakul's priest, Juxril Thammarcast, also used the edifice to hold services.[24] The dwindling cult of Ao also met at the Plinth on rare occasions.[18] On Ahghairon's Day, the Plinth was one of the locations where celebrants left violets in honor of the first Open Lord.[25][26]

Defenses[]

The Plinth was guarded by the Watch around the clock, and the rooftop was held by the Guard as a landing place for citizens with flying steeds.[1][18]

History[]

The Plinth was originally owned by Lunaven Moonstar, a half-elf wizard and a priest of Selûne. In the Year of Bright Nights, 985 DR[27] (the same year that the Moonstar family was ennobled[28]), he dedicated an altar and shrine to the Moonmaiden atop his tower outside the city walls. It was then known as the Plinth of the Moon and Stars.[27] The city wall expanded to enclose the Plinth in the Year of Falling Stars, 1035 DR.[29]

Lunaven was ambushed and killed by Malarites in the Year of Slaughter, 1090 DR, and, using items found on his body, they ransacked and burned his tower. The Selûnites got their revenge less than two tendays later, but the Moonstar family decided to donate the ruined tower to the city in exchange for a plot of land where they would construct a new temple to Our Lady of Silver called the High House of Stars.[27][30][note 1] The Lords of Waterdeep rebuilt and refurbished the tower and opened it as an all-faiths temple simply called the Plinth.[27]

In Tarsakh of 1367 DR, a dozen followers of Cyric, the Dark Sun, disrupted all services at the Plinth by casting multiple darkness spells that engulfed the tower in complete darkness at highsun. Before they could be rounded up and escorted out of the city, they were attacked by followers of Tyr. In the skirmish, two Cyricists and four Tyrites lost their lives and the Plinth and a few adjacent buildings suffered some damage. The survivors (four Tyrites and ten Cyricists) were finally arrested and tried at the Lord's Court. The followers of Tyr were released after paying a fine and the followers of Cyric were banished.[31]

In the Year of Blue Fire, 1385 DR, the Spellplague caused many enchantments everywhere to fail and the Plinth collapsed as a result.[6]

Appendix[]

Notes[]

  1. ↑ There is a discrepancy in the date of the Plinth exchange. Powers & Pantheons (page 154) indicates it was the same year as the Malarites' defeat (1090 DR), whereas City of Splendors: Waterdeep (page 44) states the House of the Moon was completed two years after donating the Plinth, which puts it at 1095 DR.

Appearances[]

Board Games
Lords of Waterdeep

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Ed Greenwood (1987). Waterdeep and the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 25. ISBN 0-88038-490-5.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Ed Greenwood (January 1993). Volo's Guide to Waterdeep. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 105–106. ISBN 1-56076-335-3.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Adventurer's Guide to the City”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), p. 11. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Eric L. Boyd (June 2005). City of Splendors: Waterdeep. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 100. ISBN 0-7869-3693-2.
  5. ↑ Eric L. Boyd (June 2005). City of Splendors: Waterdeep. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 102. ISBN 0-7869-3693-2.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 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. 196. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
  7. ↑ Ed Greenwood and Jeff Grubb (September 1988). City System. Edited by Karen Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.), p. 12. ISBN 0-8803-8600-2.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Map 7/10 included in Ed Greenwood and Jeff Grubb, cartographers Dennis Kauth and Frey Graphics (September 1988). City System. Edited by Karen Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 0-8803-8600-2.
  9. ↑ Map 8/10 included in Ed Greenwood and Jeff Grubb, cartographers Dennis Kauth and Frey Graphics (September 1988). City System. Edited by Karen Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 0-8803-8600-2.
  10. ↑ Map included in Ed Greenwood (January 1993). Volo's Guide to Waterdeep. (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 1-56076-335-3.
  11. ↑ Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Campaign Guide”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), p. 51. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
  12. ↑ Map included in Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). City of Splendors. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 978-1560768685.
  13. ↑ Eric L. Boyd (June 2005). City of Splendors: Waterdeep. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 102, 105. ISBN 0-7869-3693-2.
  14. ↑ Ed Greenwood (January 1993). Volo's Guide to Waterdeep. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 130–131. ISBN 1-56076-335-3.
  15. ↑ Ed Greenwood (January 1993). Volo's Guide to Waterdeep. (TSR, Inc.), p. 132. ISBN 1-56076-335-3.
  16. ↑ Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Who's Who in Waterdeep”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), p. 19. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
  17. ↑ Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Adventurer's Guide to the City”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), p. 28. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Who's Who in Waterdeep”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), p. 62. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
  19. ↑ Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Who's Who in Waterdeep”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), p. 60. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
  20. ↑ Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Who's Who in Waterdeep”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), p. 69. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
  21. ↑ Eric L. Boyd, Ed Greenwood, Christopher Lindsay, Sean K. Reynolds (June 2007). Expedition to Undermountain. Edited by Bill Slavicsek. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 6. ISBN 978-0-7869-4157-5.
  22. ↑ Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Adventurer's Guide to the City”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), p. 57. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
  23. ↑ Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Campaign Guide”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), p. 73. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
  24. ↑ Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), p. 143. ISBN 978-0786903849.
  25. ↑ Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Adventurer's Guide to the City”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), pp. 26–27. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
  26. ↑ Eric L. Boyd (June 2005). City of Splendors: Waterdeep. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 15. ISBN 0-7869-3693-2.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 154. ISBN 978-0786906574.
  28. ↑ Eric L. Boyd (2005-09-28). Noble Houses of Waterdeep (Zipped PDF). Web Enhancement for City of Splendors: Waterdeep. Wizards of the Coast. p. 6. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved on 2009-10-07.
  29. ↑ Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Campaign Guide”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), p. 30. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
  30. ↑ Eric L. Boyd (June 2005). City of Splendors: Waterdeep. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 44. ISBN 0-7869-3693-2.
  31. ↑ Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Campaign Guide”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), p. 33. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
Français
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.
More Fandoms