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KanzenAU
Senior Scribe

Australia
763 Posts

Posted - 04 Oct 2016 : 09:44:51

I've just gone through my copy of Death Masks again, trying to sort out who the Lords are at the start, and who they are at the end. The Lords at the start are easy, but the Lords at the end are much less clear.

There is a question at the bottom of all this for those who read the novel, though hopefully this will also serve as a resource for some those interested.

Lords of Waterdeep, Early Mirtul, 1491 DR
There are 20 Masked Lords at this time (according to Laeral), although no more than 16 ever meet in public. Including the Open Lord, they number at 21.

Nammandus Gorlar, the first slain, in street outside home

Avner Ravelmark, the second slain, in his own stables

Barkeld Haelinghorse, the third slain, in his home

Ondreth Tolvur, the fourth slain, at Nandartowers

Oszbur Malankar, the fifth slain, drowned in his fishpond, sardonic, purring Sembian wine seller and collector whose family had relocated to Waterdeep when troubles with "Netheril" started

Dathanscza Meiril, the sixth slain, half-elf sorceress, independent sellor of stain-glass, tapestries, draperies, killed by Tasheene in workshop

Ammaskur Gwelt, the seventh slain, moneylender, landlord, investor, killed in fire in Diamond Club by Tasheene, may or may not be Netherese

Belgantur Haelhand, the eighth slain, red-faced mountain, retired swordsmith who owned several gnome and halfling iron-smelting and casting businesses in Secomber that shipped to Waterdeep nigh daily, a Cazondur loyalist, killed by Cazondur in the street

Landarmyn Voskur, the ninth slain, lean and tall, wealthy ship fleet owner and Sword Coast property investor, a Cazondur loyalist, killed by Cazondur

Ieirmeera Stravandar, the tenth slain, female, independent, spirited, distinctive low smoky voice, killed by Drake

Khaliira Arhond, the eleventh slain, female, independent, spirited, killed by Qasmult

Braethan Cazondur, the twelfth slain, wealthy landlord, killed by Suthool's poisoned dagger in Lordsmoot

Kassalra Maremthur, a carefully expressionless lady, shrewd, grown very rich making and selling ointments and philters in beautiful blown glass vials, a Cazondur loyalist, unmasked by book's end

Gruthgar Hrimmrel, a saturnine retired shipwright, very active landlord, a Cazondur loyalist, unmasked by book's end

Lammakh Heirlarpost, a frowning, restless, loud, take-charge sort, inherited mother's importation business , specializing in connecting guilds with raw ingredients, a Cazondur loyalist, unmasked by the book's end

Sarathlue Serendragon, a half-elf female, independent, spirited, unmasked by book's end

Omin Dran, a human male, owns Acquisitions Incorporated

Unnamed male lord 1

Unnamed male lord 2

Unnamed male lord 3

Laeral Silverhand, Open Lord

Lords of Waterdeep, Mid Mirtul, immediately after Cazondur's death, 1491 DR
There are 17 Masked Lords immediately after Cazondur's death (according to the Seneschal), including the returned Mirt the Moneylender. Including the Open Lord, they number at 18.

Pre-existing Lords that are likely to stay on:

Laeral Silverhand, Open Lord

Mirt the Moneylender

Omin Dran

Unnamed male lord 1

Unnamed male lord 2

Unnamed male lord 3

New lords voted in that are seen as Lords before book's end:

Zereth Keltaerond, wealthy investor and moneylender of Calishite heritage and trade connections, had been proposed by Cazondur loyalists

Perengal Yuskalaunt, unlovely but unfailingly polite, shipping fleet owner, known for diplomatic skill, had been proposed by Cazondur loyalists

Halark Tarncrown, wealthy merchant investor, had been proposed by Cazondur loyalists

New Lords voted in that are not known to have definitely accepted the role:

Zuzeena Qeldur, 'Lady Sharptongue', owns a score of shops across the city selling everything from lingerie to cheese, had been proposed by Cazondur loyalists

Cadraethe Haulhenarr, nonguild maker of staircases and ornamental shelving, had been proposed by Cazondur loyalists

Vaelra Kallo, dressmaker from North Ward, proposed by one of the unnamed male lords, but approved by Cazondur loyalists

Pre-existing Lords that have been unmasked, future status unknown:

Kassalra Maremthur

Gruthgar Hrimmrel

Lammakh Heirlarpost

Sarathlue Serendragon

That's 16 so far, and we need 18 for the Seneschal's claim to be correct. I can only presume the remaining 2 are drawn from the following 4 (or, he's got his numbers wrong):

Lords proposed by either Serendragon or the unnamed male lords, but not seen being voted in within the book:

Daranthra Xathnout of Trades Ward, oxen-tender, "Lady of the Hoof", knows much of lower Dessarin. Proposed by Sarathra Serendragon.

Belmark Chelvurr of Castle Ward, keeps hiring registry for caravan outriders and guards for costers using the city. Proposed by neutral lords

Emmura Flanthyn of South Ward, of Flanthyn's Fastwares, who raced fresh fruits and vegetables and small necessities to shops all over the city. Proposed by neutral lords

Ildunstran Wurth, of Dock Ward, who dealt in fishmeal and night soil and fertilizers, and in conveying bulk root vegetables from Secomber and the Dessarin to market stalls in the Deep. Proposed by neutral lords.

PHEW! Wrapping up...
This number may of course be reduced further within the same day, as I find it unlikely the unmasked Lords will retain their roles, dropping the total number of Lords to 14. There's a second possibility here too, in that the Seneschal quoted the wrong number, and there should be 2 less Lords than he says. This would prevent us having to take from the list of Lords that were never voted in. Without these guys, the number at the end could be as low as 12: Laeral, Mirt, the 3 unnamed males, Omin, Zereth, Perengal, Halark, Zuzeena, Cadraethe, Vaelra.

Either way, recruiting drive time. Which is good, because it gives the DM more breathing room. I find it likely the 4 that the neutral lords liked will be voted in properly, getting the number to 16, and then more will be added in at the DM's discretion.

I thought you said you had a question...
My main question to anyone who read the novel is, am I missing anything in the list of Lords at the end of the book? I feel like there's a passage somewhere that might make it clear who all the Lords are, and I've missed it on this second pass.
I realise that in the old-school, we were never supposed to know who all the Lords are, but if it's there in the book, I'd like to know.

An additional question is, if anyone knows which 4 of the original 20 Lords were the not-purebred human ones. Meiril and Serendragon were both half-elves, but I remember the rest being human, perhaps implying 2 of the unnamed are not humans?

Either way I expect there may be Lords not known about, but any gaps people can help fill would be appreciated. I will eventually re-read the book in full, but I've got lots of other novels to chow through too.

Edit: made the second list a bit clearer.

Regional maps for Waterdeep, Triboar, Ardeep Forest, and Cormyr on DM's Guild, plus a campaign sized map for the North

Edited by - KanzenAU on 04 Oct 2016 10:00:30

sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist