Neverwinter
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| The Jewel of the North, The City of Skilled Hands |
With 400 professional soldiers in its standing army, Neverwinter can muster by far the largest fighting force on the Sword Coast. Neverwinter is still recovering from a plague that killed one in three citizens and brought industry to a standstill, but seems poised to reclaim its position as an economic powerhouse and regional leader. Ambitious farmers and merchants make their way to the Jewel of the North, taking advantage of the unprecedented labor shortage. They move north in huge caravans for protection.
Dagult Neverember, the Lord Protector of Neverwinter, is also the Open Lord of Waterdeep. When the plague swept through Neverwinter, Lord Dagult invested much of his considerable fortune in evacuation and prevention measurements, personally hiring over 30 plague doctors to wear his insignia and minister to the afflicted. He is well loved by the populace for these measures. If it were it not for the actions of the Churches, it's likely that Lord Dagult would have been able to leverage his massive investments in the cities rising industry to become the richest and most powerful man on the Sword Coast. Instead, he is barely clinging to life.
Someone has been poisoning Lord Dagult, and his best efforts to stop it have been totally ineffective. Who or whatever is poisoning him seem to be intent on crippling him and striking at his family. A large and impulsive man of action, Lord Dagult is not well suited to a shadow war, and his inability to protect himself and his family in the heart of his manor has shaken him. After his daughter began vomiting constantly, he begged the Harpers for help. So far the poisonings have abated, but the Harpers have not been able to locate the source. Every day that goes by is another opportunity for the perpetrators to gain access again, and strike at one of the greatest members of the Lord's Alliance.
Sounds like an excellent opportunity for the heroes to bring down another oppressive human tyrant who has fooled the masses into adoring him!
ReplyDeleteAlso, the plague is over right? The heroes aren't at risk of being infected if they visit?
Finally, why does "The City of Skilled Hands" have only feet on its insignia?
The city takes great pride in its regional football team, the Neverwinter Embers, owned by Lord Neverember. Each foot represents a Coast Cup win.
ReplyDeleteThe plague has died down, yes. Some outlying villages and farms are still under quarantine. The plague doctors and the Children enforce it. The Children are a group of madmen, snatched from asylums around the Sword Coast and trained by the doctors using a variety of alchemical, neurological and physiological techniques. Traditionally they fill the role of soldier and police when plague is rife.