This thread is a brief synopsis of what has been happening in Waterdeep. The year is 1492 DR (Dalereckoning), the Year of Three Ships Sailing. It is the first day of the first tenday of Kythorn. There has been word about an incident being called the Death Masks incident, where several citizens were killed and discovered to have been part of the Masked Lords of Waterdeep. Fortunately, that incident has been resolved thanks to the efforts of the Open Lord, Laeral Silverhand and many others working under her, as of last year, but that incident seems like old news compared to the recent outburst of gang warfare in Waterdeep! You've only been here for about a tenday, and while sometimes things seem relatively normal, there's always some rumor or story you hear about fights breaking out in alleys. The main perpetrators behind these incidents are the Zhentarim, also known as the Black Network, known for their snake emblems, and the Xanathar's Thieves' Guild, whose symbol appears to be a circle with lines outstretching from it. It's a very curious situation, though - the city had seen some relative peace until several tendays ago when the gang violence escalated in an explosive way, for unknown reasons. One wonders what might be going on in the shadows, but one thing is clear that your safety is not guaranteed, despite the City Watch's best efforts. There might be a profitable existence to come from all of this for a bunch of intrepid adventures such as yourselves. However long you've known each other and what you've done together up until now is up to you; whatever the case may be, you have decided to take a break inside the popular Yawning Portal tavern, which often attracts adventuring sorts and is even run by a former adventurer named Durnan, a generally taciturn man of few words who is typically found behind the bar but is known to wield a greatsword with incredible skill. The Yawning Portal is so named due to the massive hole or well that sits in the middle of the tavern. It is an entryway into the dungeons of Undermountain, where sometimes you have seen far braver and more experienced souls travel to by way of a pulley elevator, located between the dining tables and bar, and protected by a waist-high stone wall to prevent customers and objects from falling inside. Still, lately, things have been getting a bit rowdy - there's been at least one incident of a fistfight breaking out between patrons, and it is suspected the recent gang war might be to blame... You get the sensation something big is going to happen soon, and you want to be there for it, for one reason or another...