Waterdeep

Waterdeep, also known as the City of Splendors or the Crown of the North, was the most important and influential city in the North and perhaps in all Faerûn. It was a truly marvelous cosmopolitan city of great culture that attracted the most talented artisans, artists, and scholars from across the Realms, as well as a commercial hub for financial interests along the coast and beyond.

It was one of if not the most powerful and influential member-states of the Lords' Alliance, the coalition of nations and city-states that sought to maintain order along the Sword Coast and the North.

The original farming community of humans that developed into a settlement known as Bloodhand Hold before being conquered and renamed Nimoar's Hold. The name of "Waterdeep" was originally used by the sea captains docking at the port to trade, a moniker that originated from the city's outstanding natural deep-water harbor.

As of the late 14th century DR more than 100,000 people made their home in the city proper of Waterdeep.

Geography

Due to its great importance as a highly influential metropolitan city, Waterdeep was considered part of the Western Heartlands of the Realms, even though it lay 150 miles north of Daggerford on the shores of the Sword Coast North. The city sat "slightly above the 45 degree north latitude line on Toril."

The City of Splendors laid claim to the surrounding lands for approximately 100 miles beyond its walls.

The various roads to Waterdeep were well paved and well patrolled. The major trade routes included:

Trade Way, the trade route to the south.
Long Road, the inland trade route to the north.
High Road, the coastal trade route to the north, not to be confused with the stretch of the road that passed through the city.

Geographical Features

Waterdeep was built on the site of the ancient Elven settlement of Aelinthaldaar. It sprawled northward from the sea, spreading along the flanks of Mount Waterdeep, which used to be home to the Melairkyn, a mithral-mining Dwarven clan, and the entire length and great depth of the mountain was riddled with passages and tunnels, most of which were occupied by deadly creatures whose presence in the mountain predated the founding of the city itself.

The halls of Undermountain located beneath the city were a popular target for adventurers, who enjoyed the close vicinity of the city's main taverns and temples where aid could be purchased through donations.