Trouble in Waterdeep – Session 1: The Gates of the Copper District
Welcome to the inaugural episode of “Trouble in Waterdeep,” our new campaign set in the legendary City of Splendors, played using Foundry VTT. Join our party as they arrive in Waterdeep and find themselves immediately thrust into one of the city’s most pressing, and ignored, crises.
Our story begins at the Last Drop Tavern, the party’s temporary home in the Dark Ward near the docks. While discussing their next move for earning coin, they overhear hushed conversations about a devastating plague striking the Copper District. This area, located in the southern ward, is described as a neglected warren of poor slums and crumbling foundries. The city’s official response has been one of stark indifference, primarily implementing a quarantine and simply waiting to see what happens.
Listeners will learn about the plague’s effects: it seems largely contained to the district, primarily afflicting humans and half-orcs, causing symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and high fever, and has led to many deaths. It’s been ongoing for at least a couple of weeks, with roughly half the district now sick. Despite the severity, the city council knows “absolutely nothing” about its cause.
Opportunity soon knocks (or rather, is posted on a flier). The powerful and long-standing House Blackwood has stepped forward, with Lady Mara Blackwood posting a notice seeking aid for relief efforts. They offer a seemingly meager reward of four silver shards per day for work. This sparks debate among the party – is it a genuine charitable act, a way to exploit the desperate, or a calculated public relations move for the family, particularly for Aer Blackwood, who has been named the heir? It’s even rumored the matriarch, Lady Westra Blackwood, might be one of Waterdeep’s mysterious Masked Lords.
Seeking more substantial information and reward, the party encounters Sandor Lachman, a member of the Copper District Council. Lachman confirms the council’s ignorance but presents a far more enticing offer from House Blackwood: a reward of 50 platinum sons for anyone who can discover the cause of the affliction. He provides the party with official documentation to navigate the quarantine gates if they agree to help. Interestingly, Lachman notes that relief workers who have entered the district so far have not contracted the plague.
On their journey to the Copper District gates, the party helps Rurik Amberforge, a wealthy dwarven merchant whose carriage is stuck. Grateful for their assistance, Rurik offers them passage through the heavily guarded quarantine gates using his merchant credentials, listing them as his employees. Along the way, they witness Lady Westra Blackwood’s own carriage bypassing the gates without even stopping, reinforcing Rurik’s observation of her indifference.
This session delves into the subjective nature of Waterdeep’s strict laws, including a discussion about the legality of resurrecting someone who has been executed. The party grapples with questions of risk versus reward, reputation versus potential contamination.
Join us as our adventurers gain entry into the quarantined Copper District, ready to uncover the secrets behind the plague and perhaps earn a substantial reward!