Waterdeep

Map of Waterdeep. Art by @echidnite

Waterdeep is a large, busy city and the capital of the Sword Coast. It is home to countless guilds and trade organizations who play a large part in city operations. Waterdeep is a 2-3 days' ride from the agricultural village of Daggerford and the Flotian Estates, and 2.5 days from Barovia. Waterdeep slightly smells like pistachios.

The entirety of Season 1 is spent in Waterdeep, Daggerford and in between. The Dragon Friends return to Waterdeep after the events of Season 5 to catch a ship away from the Sword Coast, spending three years in various other parts of Faerûn before returning to the city at the start of Season 6 and making it more or less their home base. The adventures of The Gribbits Detective Agency take place in the wake of Season 6's finale.

Some areas visited by the Dragon Friends include Uptown, the Waterdeep Undercity (also known as The Beggar's Court), and The Shipline.

Organizations

Appearing in the main series and spin-offs

• The Waterdeep Guild of Thieves, Tricksters and Beggars
• The Shipwrights' Guild - A corrupt guild in constant conflict with the Beggar's Court. Formerly led by Albrecht Rumsfeld. It's currently leader is the dwarf Lipton Rumsfeld.
• Artificer Cult - The villanous group of Season 1 also known as the Secret Cult or The Artificers. Likely disbanded as its leaders are killed, its plot foiled and the cult itself outlawed.
• Artificer Guild - Formerly part of the Secret Cult.
• Cult of Myrkul - Waterdeep's current most dangerous cult seeking to control the city without its inhabitants knowing. Eliza Delago of the House of Delgado is its leader.
• The New City Watch - The City Watch, but newer.
• Priests of Illmater - A religious group worshipping Illmater. Their priests bully the people in The Hate.
• The Gents - Bowler hat wearing gentlemen and -women ruling over The Hate. Led by Bill the Butler.

Appearing in the adventure module

• Drift Consortium (DriftCo) - A large collection of workshops and manufacturer sites producing and selling a variety of simple-to-use magical items across the Sword Coast. Their Waterdeep base of operations is located in the Castle Ward.

Points of Interest

Waterdeep is divided in a few areas, each with their own points of interest. Whoever has the most influence over the areas greatly depends on the events in the Twitch stream The Gribbits Detective Agency, or on fires breaking out.

The Beggar's Court

Also known as the Waterdeep Undercity. It's a network of sewers, streets and buildings located below the dockyard of The Shipline. It is the base of operations of The Waterdeep Guild of Thieves, Tricksters and Beggars.

• Meer's Offices - The headquarters of the guild and office of its missing leader, Janos Meer, the Beggar King.
• Quicklime House - An old house near the tunnels of the Undercliff. Formerly the manor of Tellerman Lime, it's now the headquarters of The Gribbits Detective Agency. It used to be on Limerick Street before said street fell through a sinkhole following a dragon's emergence from the House of the Artificer. It's a two story building with a large system of cellars below it, holding a strong smelling collection of cheeses.
• Allivant's Pie Shop

The Shipwright

The harbor and shipyard area of Waterdeep where people sing their shanty's and do a lot of drinking. It houses an entrance to the Beggar's Court.

• The Shady Dock - A tavern serving as the unofficial guild hall of the Shipwright's Guild.
• The Dry Docks
• Chadwicksmith's Lock and Tackle Shop - Sits on the border of Charcoal Flats and was run by Dolf Chadwicksmith.

Charcoal Flats

The Flats house an entrance to the Beggar's Court. Aside of that, it's been burned to the rubble by the great fire.

• Ruins of Castle Waterdeep - The former seat of power in Waterdeep. It has been left abandoned and it ruins after the area was scorched by dragon's fire.
• Ruin of the Yawning Portal

The Swoops

• Cliff's End Gallows - Home to a band of Kenku, including Drongo.
• Watch House
• Mount Waterdeep

The Quarter Arcana

• University of the Arcane
• Shrine to Mystra
• Free Bread Project

The Wide

• The Lord's Square
• Seat of the Open Lord
• Temple of Torm

The Coffiusmarch

Basically a huge graveyard. Currently under control by the Cult of Myrkul who have a number of underground tunnels leading from and to this area.

• The Guildbones
• Foot of the Anacaster
• City of the Dead

Toff Lane

• The Mariner's Opera House
• Temple of Gond
• Villa Delgado - Manor of the Delgado family and unofficial headquarters of the Cult of Myrkul.

The Guildhalls

• City Watch Headquarters - Base of operations of the New City Watch.
• Guild Halls - Just as the name implies I guess.

The Hate

A former fieldward now named after the acronymn of Helm's 8th Tenement Edict, a law designed to create housing for those hit by the great fire. Nothing came of it thanks to Strahd's takeover, leaving it a largely torn down area with tents scattered everywhere. It's located near the destroyed northern gates of Waterdeep.

• Temple of Helm - A religious temple for the god of chivalry, bordered up with planks, seemingly no longer in use for the purpose it once had.
• Slums
• Tavern(?) - A tavern serving as the headquarters of the Gentles, a bolar hat wearing group of criminals.

Unknown locations

• Uptown
• Temple of Mystra - The temple Freezo grew up in. Possibly the same as the Shrine of Mystra.
• General Pantaloons - A shop that sells uniforms and costumes. It was run by Clive Who before he was murdered by the Friends.
• Ruins of the House of the Artificer - The former public front of the Artificer's Guild, reduced to (burnt) rubble. Located in the heart of the Trades Ward at Limerick Street which may or may not have sunk into the ground. It's the unofficial tomb of Dilge.

Appearing in the adventure module

• Freezo's Bakery - This bakery is situated in a formerly (pre-fire) rich neighborhood, sandwiched between a haberdashery and a shop selling overpriced pins. Freezo bought the place as prices had plummeted due to the neighborhood being destroyed by the fire. Freezo left for Barovia in Season 2 and never returned.
• Grunwertz Trust Almshouse - Served as a home for hundreds of citizens after the great fire. Named after Leopold Grunwertz who has his office here. Depending on how events unfolded, this may have been burned down post-season 1's great fire.
• Manor Holstmann - The palatial manor with a ‘punishingly ostentatiously, and compensatingly long’ driveway built by Alexei Holstmann, a Barovian nobleman. Possibly abandoned or repurposed depending on how events unfold.
• Tower of the Order - Home to Waterdeep’s venerable Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors.
• Drift Consortium Campus - The headquarters of Drift Consortium sits located in the Castle Ward. It is a campus consisting of four buildings and a tiny park. The main building (a technomantic marvel with scooters!) holds the offices of Artie Stummer, Rowena Hollows and Mykon Drift.