Prostitution

Prostitution was a widely practiced industry across the Realms that involved people engaging in sexual services or performances in exchange for payment. Though some might seek the service out to slake lustful desires, others did so simply for companionship, looking to dispel their loneliness with a moment of intimacy. A person who worked in this field was commonly called either a prostitute, escort, coin lass (if female), coin lad (if male), or turncoin (also if male). However, there existed a much wider array of euphemistic and colloquial terms, some of which were used pejoratively. A prostitute could be of any race, sex, or gender.
==Description==
===Procurement Methods===
Prostitution could take place in a variety of forms. The first most common was street prostitution, wherein prostitutes waited on streets and alleys to attract and solicit clientele. In the rural, cold-climate reaches of the Realms, it was not uncommon for prostitutes to accentuate themselves to strangers by exposing their breasts and holding up a lantern to spotlight them. Once a prospective client was secured, they would then take them away to be entertained elsewhere, most commonly in either a rented room or down in a cellar off of the alleyway in which they made the transaction.
The rented rooms were frequently located above where an escort was doing business, atop some street-level shop that had no connection to them. Other times a prostitute and their client might take their tryst to a business known for its privacy and discretion, such as the bathhouses Hissing Stones and Black Sapphire Bath, or might rent out booths at a taphouse like The Lunge, or go to secluded public spaces like certain courtyards, a building's back stair, or even cemeteries, such as the City of the Dead.
The second most common form was that of a dedicated establishment run by an organizer, wherein prostitutes were given room and board in return for a cut of their earnings, and were usually open well into the small bells before dawn. Such establishments were referred to variously as brothels, bawdy houses, bordellos, cathouses, house of ill repute, houses of pleasure, joy-houses, pleasure houses, palaces of pleasure, pleasure palaces, and whorehouses. Such establishments were categorized as 'entertainment houses' and 'red-light businesses'.
In thieves' cant, brothels were sometimes referred to as 'academies'. This was due in part to some informal houses of pleasure masquerading themselves as schools for young nobles, a tactic that usually lasted until some public scandal revealed the truth. This didn't necessarily mean no actual schooling was going on in such establishments—Tartel's House of the Sword, a finishing school in Waterdeep, offered lessons in fencing and sword training in addition to its clandestine prostitution services. Similarly, some brothels masqueraded as simple rooming houses with discreet 'room service' from their 'house girls'; there were one or two of these in Crimmor, Amn, while Tabra's in Bargewright Inn was both festhall and rooming house.
Additionally, sometimes brothels or prostitution businesses were run more informally by the upper-floor tenants of a tallhouse or even by rural lasses converting an old farmhouse into a house of pleasure.
The more elaborate forms of in-house prostitution establishments were known as festhalls. These businesses were quite varied in their execution, combining aspects of many other entertainment venues into one, such as a tavern, a casino, a theater, a bathhouse, or a private club. Many offered specialized services such as crossdressing, gambling (of one's body or articles of clothing), mate-swapping, S&M, play-acting, striptease performances, interspecies congress, or other situations that visitors wouldn't dare to try outside of a club.
The third form that prostitution took was that of escort services. These businesses, such as the Hanging Lantern, worked by having clients make appointments with their roster of escorts to meet them at their house or some boarding room they were staying at. In some cases these expanded to be general hireling agencies, such as Elstearn's Escorts in Menzoberranzan.
===Economics===
The cost of dalliance with prostitutes could vary wildly based on a variety of different factors, such as their beauty, fame, or mere whims. Beauty in particular was an important factor in the profession. In Waterdeep for example, the escorts at the Gentle Mermaid charged 60 gold pieces per hour of their time and anywhere to ten times that amount for an entire evening, with 20% of their earnings being taken by the proprietor, whereas the escorts at The Jade Dancer charged 6 to 12 gp per half an hour.
Some entered into the profession under the notion that it was a good way to get "quick coin".
In the Dalelands, Turmish, and to a lesser extent other places in the Realms, lifeblood was looked upon negatively by prostitutes as "lost days of earning", as a number of men found that monthly stage to be unsavory. In such areas, "the Change" (i.e., menopause) was welcomed by escorts.
===Crime & Law===
The legal status of prostitution varied from nation to nation. For example it was considered legal in Waterdeep, Zazesspur, and the kingdom of Cormyr (despite King Azoun IV's rumored distaste for the profession). Meanwhile, it was illegal in the village of Nagarr and for a time in the city of Ravens Bluff.The module Dangerous Liaisons (2000) states that prostitution is illegal in the city, though prior sources like Gateway to Ravens Bluff, the Living City, as well as later sources, make no mention of its illegality. One source that lends some credence to the claim is Polyhedron #95's article "The Living City: In the Compter", as it twice mentions doxies being locked up in the Nevin Street Compter alongside the likes of other criminals.
With legality came regulations on the industry. In Waterdeep, for instance, it was illegal to employ shapechangers without informing clients and to employ prostitutes through duress or slavery. Additionally, many places where the industry was legal had strict "zoning laws" regarding brothels and festhalls. And no matter the place in the Realms, even those where prostitution was permissible, it was of course highly illegal for one to traffic in the pimping of youths.
The industry's legality was called into question as, though for many it was a voluntary practice, prostitution could be exploitative or coercive. There were times and places in Faerûn and Kara-Tur where people were forced into becoming prostitutes through kidnapping, slavery, and trafficking or threats of violence towards them, their property, or their family and loved ones.
Because of regulations or outright illegality, the prostitution industry often fell under the grasp of criminal organizations. This included many thieves' guilds, the Brothers Six, black marketeers in Calimshan, the pirate lord Desharik, who forced many of Brynnlaw's inhabitants into enslaved courtesanship at Lady Galvena's Festhall, the crime lord Elaith Craulnober, the Iron Throne, the Shadowmasters of Telflamm, and some of the autonomous cells of the Cult of the Dragon in the 1370s DR.
This factor made harlots frequent contacts of rogues. Their connections with criminal groups were common enough that it was lampooned in the 15 century DR by a comedic play, Sapphiria's Booty, which centered on a madam that ran a thieves' guild out of her own festhall.
In some cases criminal organizations used festhalls as fronts for their illicit operations. For example, the Kraken Society operated out of the Three Rivers Festhall and the shapechanger society the Unseen was for a time based in the Hanging Lantern, starting in 1362 DR. There they illicitly employed doppelgangers as escorts. After the publication of Volo's Guide to Waterdeep revealed the true nature of their staff, the Unseen were forced to relocate their base of operations.
A more unusual form of criminal activity occurred in Ravens Bluff; it was not uncommon for inmates housed in the Knight's Ward and Lord's Ward of the Nevin Street Compter to have prostitutes smuggled in for them at night in exchange for a hefty bribe.
===Other Services===
Beyond the sexual services and performances that defined the prostitution industry, coin lasses and lads sometimes had more to offer their clients. Many viewed them as valuable sources of intel from the various clients they serviced, criminal or otherwise, as they were exposed to various bits of gossip and secrets. To this end, some festhalls sported escorts and dancers that were specially schooled in the art of conversation, becoming quite skilled at drawing information from out of people. Similarly, geishas were often experts at manipulation and made for ideal spies. For these reasons, the Harpers had a fair few members that were courtesans, Shindia Darkeyes employed (or kept as contacts) many courtesans and festhall girls in Waterdeep as information gatherers, and the Zhentarim had escorts at the Tesh Inn in Zhentil Keep that reported all intel back to them. In 1479 DR, Storm Silverhand even made an effort to revitalize the Harpers of Cormyr by seeking out people from all walks of life, including the escorts of brothels. Otherwise, prostitutes were willing to provide anyone information for the right amount of tenday stipend.
The pirate-frequented inn known as the Cutlass notably had lady escorts on staff that were skilled thieves and fighters. In addition to sexual services, they were expected to aid guests in making an escape if the authorities ever came in after them, whether it be by making a distraction or outright fighting to clear a way for them.
In cities where the scent-making market wasn't tightly controlled by guilds, most festhalls and even some street escorts would try to sell their clients perfume.
===Signage===
Generally, brothels and festhalls lacked any exterior signage indicating what or whom they catered to, leaving it on locals having the wherewithal to know. Often the proprietors of inns and taverns were more than happy to discretely answer queries of where someone could find one that would cater to their needs.
Some brothels and festhalls placed a discrete, carved wooden plaque in a shield shape on their entry door to signal that their proprietor was open to discussing catering to unusual desires, though not any particular services. There were two competing styles of badge, though how they came about was lost to history. The first style was of a carved or painted depiction of owl feathers—if painted, the feathers would be barred brown, beige, and white—with their pointed quills on the sinister (left-hand side) and their feather-ends on the dexter (right-hand side). The second style replaced the central feather with a depiction of a dagger, facing the opposite direction of the feathers (hilt to the left, point to the right).
In the country of Tashalar, as well as the regions known as the Border Kingdoms and Vilhon Reach, there was a practice of modifying these doorpost designs to signal if an establishment offered only same-sex services. Those that catered to only 'male-on-male' displayed parallel diagonal daggers, situated in the bottom-left and upper-right portions of the shield, with both pointing in the latter direction. Those that catered to only 'female-on-female' instead displayed daggers with broken tips, pointing down to the lower-left.
In regards to freelance escorts, particularly in Cormyr, it was quite common to place and light a lantern on the interior windowsill of their private residence as a signal that they were both home and open to conducting business.
==Culture==
While this industry might be considered in some places or by some individuals as a 'vice' (i.e., an immoral practice)In instances such Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms and Silver Marches, where "vice" is used as an umbrella descriptor alongside things such as gambling, it's uncertain if it should be interpreted by readers to mean that it's considered as such in-universe. or 'debauchery', most of the Realms was made up of sexually liberated societies,In one response on the Candlekeep forums, The Hooded One referred to this as, "...there's no Victorian-style Judeo-Christian morality in the Realms..." where even youths could be found knowledgeable of various sexual acts.
Even so, many in polite society found it crude to speak bluntly of the topic, as shown by to the wide range of euphemisms in existence. If not judged by society for their profession itself, a prostitute could be judged by others for being unhygienic, unskilled, or needlessly wanton. And to some, prostitutes were seen as outcasts, people for whom it wouldn't be noticed if they went missing. Some judgy goodwives and gossips would even try to paint uncleanliness and licentious behavior as characteristic of escorts. As for festhalls, in some places it was considered embarrassing to be caught going to one—this was not the case in Waterdeep.
On rare occasions, a brothel could prove to be the unlikely birthplace of a future adventurer. Notable examples of this were the hero Torm, a member of the Knights of Myth Drannor, and the would-be-god Cyric.
===Clothing===
The manner of dress for a prostitute varied from place to place, as they typically garbed themselves in whatever was locally allowed. In areas where people dressed more conservatively, for example, female escorts were fully clothed, albeit in garments that were held together with a series of rings to show off a strip of bare skin, all the way up their leg and torso. Such styles of clothing served as visual indicators to prospective clients that the escort was someone who desired being approached.
In areas where fashion was less conservative, an escort might garb herself in thin, low-cut dresses or blouses, regardless of winter air. Some wore beads or coins strung on ropes as decorative chains.
In the case of festhall escorts, some establishments provided their workers a specific form of dress; a trademark of the House of Purple Silks in Waterdeep was the sheer purple silken clothing worn by its escorts.
Many lady escorts were also known for their propensity for using makeup, such as mrathaera. Sometimes the makeup of an escort was derisively described by others as being "over painted". And for those escorts who lacked the luxury of regularly bathing, liberal use of perfume was used to cover up any malodorous odor, with body fragrances that were rather cheap.
===Demographics===
While the majority of escorts in the Realms were made up of humans and demihumans, one could sometimes encounter escorts that were of other races, such as lizardfolk or sprites. Even doppelgangers could be found working at some festhalls. Some were scandalously rumored to be welcomed by some festhall proprietors on account of their general skills and adaptability, but other times they were working covertly beneath a brothel-keeper's notice.
In the late 14 to 15 centuries DR, tieflings became quite popular as escorts, particularly in Amn and Waterdeep, due to many folk thinking of them as dangerous and relationships with them illicit. To this end, some festhalls especially sought them out as hires. Similarly, it was not uncommon for the misfortunate disabled masses of Faerûn to fall into being hired by brothels to provide specialized pleasures to their clientele.
In his notes for an unpublished manuscript on hags and witches, the famed monster hunter Rudolph Van Richten claimed that some changelings of green hags, those who lacked a drive for the performing arts, invariably ended up working in brothels.
In terms of age, people ranging from the young to the very old and wrinkled could be found selling their services in various parts of the Realms.
===Distribution===
Some of the many settlements on the continent of Faerûn where prostitution was seen in practice, either legally or illegally, were Almraiven, Ankhapur, Arabel, Arrabar, Athkatla, Baldur's Gate, Bargewright Inn, Beregost, Berdusk, Bezantur, Brynnlaw, Caer Callidyrr, Calaunt, Calimport, Carradoon, Citadel of the Raven, Dagger Falls, Dusklan, Elturel, Essembra, Eveningstar, Halruaa, Hill's Edge, Hillsfar, Hlondeth, Hulburg, Immersea, Immurk's Hold, Innarlith, Iriaebor, Juniril, Khôltar, Longsaddle, Luskan, Luthcheq, Lyrabar, Maeruhal, Manshaka, Marsember, Mimph, Mirabar, Moontassel, Mosstone, Neverwinter, Noanar's Hold, Oeble, Ordulin, Ormpetarr, Ormpur, Procampur, Purl, Pyarados, Ramekho, Ravens Bluff, Red Larch, Riatavin, Saradush, Scardale, Scornubel, Selgaunt, Shadowdale, Silverymoon, Snowtown, Spandeliyon, Starmantle, Sundabar, Surthay, Suzail, Tantras, Telflamm, Tilverton, Trademeet, Triboar, Tyraturos, Ulark, Uthmere, Velen, Veltalar, Waterdeep, Westgate, Wheloon, Yartar, Yhaunn, Zazesspur, and Zhentil Keep.
In terms of countries or general regions, prostitution had been noted at various places in Amn, the Border Kingdoms, Calimshan, the Moonsea North, Mulhorand, Sembia, the Sword Coast North, Tashalar, Tethyr, the Vilhon Reach, and other parts of Southern Faerûn. More broadly, modest festhalls and brothels could be found in most caravan stops and ports throughout the Realms, no matter how small or rural. And some escorts were found to travel across Faerûn, sometimes alongside caravans or armies that were traveling beyond their borders for war, even going to such far-flung places as the freezing mining settlement of Fireshear.
In the Underdark, the settlement of Tradesport was famed for its brothels, which were said to be the best in all of the subterranean realms. Other settlements in the Underdark known for having escorts included the svirfneblin city-state of Blingdenstone with its Golden Hills Hearth, the drow city-state of Ched Nasad, Iltkazar with its Merciful Court, Skullport, Sshamath, the drow city of Ust Natha in its sole tavern, and the drow city-state of Menzoberranzan. One had to look hard to find the city's brothels, though most were situated in the districts of Duthcloim and Narbondellyn. Nearly all of Menzoberranzan's brothels exclusively employed male prostitutes, the one exception being the Jewel Box, which prostituted enslaved female drowIt's possible that brothels within most Lolth-influenced drow settlements similarly had only male-escorts, based on the gender roles within udadrow societies, though there is not enough information on the topic to say for certain. that were smuggled-in prisoners of war. Beyond brothels, a number of destitute drow in the impoverished Braeryn district worked the streets as lady escorts, soliciting to creatures of any race.
Beyond the continent of Faerûn, women of the evening could be found in the city-state of Huzuz in interior Zakhara. In the land of Kara-Tur, prostitution was the domain of the yujo or korobi geisha, geisha who were trained in the art of sex. On the island nation of Wa they were notably found in the pleasure districts of Chozawa, Nakamaru, and Semmishi. Generally only the wealthy and powerful could afford their services. In the neighboring Hordelands, brothels could be found outside the walls of Port Ghaast.
Beyond their homelands, skilled Kara-Turan escorts, as well as other skilled escorts from across Faerûn, could be found at the Goblet and Gems in Mirabar. Similarly, the Tesh Inn boasted professional escorts from far-away Calimshan, Chessenta, and Chult.
Past the Prime Material, the city of Grodd had brothels, parts of the Domains of Dread saw prostitution, and prostitution could be found in the floating city of Sigil.
Prostitutes sometimes congregated, or were restricted to, certain areas of settlements. In Athkatla, courtesans typically lived along the Path of Silk Flowers, while in Waterdeep a fair few prostitutes lived on the upper floors of buildings along Theln Lane, where they were known to drop rope ladders down from their balconies to awaiting clients. In Zazesspur, brothels had their own discreetly fortified subdivision within the Players' Quarter.
Many escorts were found to ply their trade on the Street of Lanterns in Iriaebor; Deekin Street in Neverwinter;The description for the "Courtesan wear" in the game mispells it "Deeken street". Furlough Street in Skullport; Phorn's Lane in Tilverton; Howling Cat Court, Jester's Court, Street of Whispers, and Two Flask Alley in Waterdeep; Thorn Lane in Yartar; and Thread-Biters' Lane in Zazesspur. In the city of Calimport, they were found in what was referred to as "Red Veil Sabbans" – one of these could be found in nearly every ward, such as the Qhibal Sabban of the Shackles Ward.
===Religion===
Among the Faerûnian pantheon, festhalls were solely within the portfolio of the goddess Sharess, known to some by titles of "Festhall Madam" or "Patroness of Festhalls". She was revered by professional escorts that took pride in their job. Small shrines to Sharess could be found in almost every festhall in Faerûn and many Sharessan priests and priestesses ran pleasure houses in large cities, such as the Sharess' Caress in Baldur's Gate and The Cat's Meow in Ordulin.
In some places, professional escorts viewed the wild festivals held by Lliirans as disruptive to their business, as for many those nights of revelry led to trysts. Such was the case in the city of Hill's Edge with its temple Cry of Joy. And in some instances the Church of Sune were found to run festhalls, such as the Smiling Siren. In general though, temples of the Faerûnian faiths didn't operate overt brothels, nor did they seek to compete with or eliminate free-enterprise prostitution.
Among the Dark Seldarine, some drow prostitutes revered the goddess Zinzerena, with some even serving her as clerics.
More malevolently, cults dedicated to the archdevil Glasya and the demon prince Malcanthet tended to operate brothels as fronts for their temples. Moreover, aspects of Malcanthet were interested in and sought out the same sorts of worshipers as the Church of Sharess. And the Order of the Dark Caress, an Amnian Sharran cult, recruited prostitutes through the promise that Shar would provide them beauty and long lives.
==Terminology==
===Euphemisms for the Service===
Many clients or establishments in the Realms were seen to use euphemisms to refer to sexual services. This included such terms as "companionship", "favors for coin" or simply "favors", "privacy", "renting their charms", "social purposes", and "warmshoulders service" in Sembia. In the city of Yartar, a common euphemism used for those going to Thorn Lane was to say they were going there to "improve their cultural relations."
One colloquial term for those seeking to employ the services of an escort was "brothel cruiser".
===Procuring===
Organizers of prostitution may be known as pimps or procurers if male, or madams, matrons, mothers, mistresses, or procuresses if female. Alternatively, the terms pandererAny terms with this footnote, regardless of whether they are defined in their original source, have been found to be real-world terms being used by Realms authors to convey the same meaning. or wencher could be used regardless of gender. And the term doxy was sometimes used to refer to a group of madams who oversaw a select roster of male prostitutes. Matrons could often be just as alluring as the escorts they managed and sharing in their proclivity for makeup.
===Euphemisms & Terms for Workers===
There existed a wide range of both general and specialized terms used across the various regions of the Realms for prostitutes. These terms of address shifted based upon the time, place, and the social standing of either an escort or the individual describing them. Below are some of the many that have been documented:
;Alley girl: A derogatory term for a prostitute, implying one was coarse and lowclass. It was usually applied to those who plied their trade in alleyways. Many a lad received their first sight or fondle of bared womanly flesh by visiting one in daylight with what copper pieces they managed to scrape together. The term was known to be used in Waterdeep.
;Alley whore: A more harsh version of the above pejorative.
;Banner: A general term for a male prostitute.
;Bawd: A term used for either a prostitute or a procuress. This term saw use in the cities of Selgaunt, Sigil, Spandeliyon, and around the Inner Sea.
;Bedwarmer: A neutral term, acceptable in open polite society, to refer to a prostitute of either gender that was dependable and trustworthy. However, it could also refer more broadly to a personal maid who literally warms a rented bed with a bedpan and then leaves. The term was commonly used in the nation of Sembia.
;Bell-ankle: A term popularly used in south Faerûn to refer to prostitutes willing to entertain "walk-in" clients. It was derived from a regional practice, one that was dying out by the late 1300s DR, of wearing chiming bells on one's ankles when dancing or making love.
;Boldshake: One of the more mild pejorative terms of address for a prostitute. It was mild enough that one could say it freely in mixed company, or not be taken as an insult.
;Bright spear: The male equivalent of the term 'highcoin lady'.
;Catclaw: A term for a prostitute that delighted in domination or rough sex. Such individuals were willing to accept payment to seduce others or to enhance a client's status by acting the role of a slave, spouse, conquered war-captive, or former rival who has become a willing lover smitten by their sexual prowess. Sometimes this would go so far as the wearing of chains and willingly accepting abuse to sell the charade.
;Chalice: A poetic or polite term for a prostitute. The term was derived from a common poetic tools of referring to women as a cup that a male drinks from or a vessel that receives his seed.
;Coin lad: () A general term for a male prostitute.
;Coin lass: () A general term for a female prostitute. See also: 'highcoin lass'.
;Coinlass of the Evening: See: 'Lady of the evening'.
;Courtesan: A professional "hostess" employed by a ruler at his court to entertain important visitors. While such a job need not be sexual in nature, more akin to a courtier, it more often than not was. One's tone of voice or local knowledge implied the sexual side of the profession if it existed. The term was known to be used in Athkatla, Calimport, Elversult, throughout the nation of Mulhorand, Nakamaru, Neverwinter, Ravens Bluff, and across the Sword Coast North. In the land of Zakhara, the term was instead used to refer to concubines. Some referred to geishas as being the Kara-Turan equivalent of Faerûn's courtesans.
;Darksail: A term used for prostitutes that only performed sex under the cover of a mask or magical disguise, such as the shiftmask spell. In the city's early days, many elves and half-elves did so using that spell.
;Daedra: A derogatory term of address for a prostitute. It could also be used to imply that someone was sexually promiscuous.
;Demimondaine: () A term for a prostitute or courtesan that may have been used in the city of Zazesspur.The narrator for War in Tethyr is written inconsistently as to whether they are meant to be speaking in-universe or not. As "demimondaine" (a French term dating back to the 19th-century) is used only by the narrator, not a character, the existence of the term in-universe is debatable.
;Dollymop: A term used in Planar Cant to refer to a prostitute.
;Doxy: () A term used for either high-class prostitutes or a procuress. The term was particularly used for women who were the shared mistresses of a select roster of male prostitutes. It was known to be used as a term for prostitutes in the settlements of Halruaa, Hlondeth, Mimph, Ramekho, Ravens Bluff, Selgaunt, Skullport, Suzail, and Waterdeep.
;Escort: A general term for a prostitute. It was sometimes gendered by referring to someone as a 'lady escort' or 'gentleman escort.'
;Festhall downdancer: Sometimes shortened to just 'downdancer', this was a term used to refer to dancers at festhalls that would flirt, dance partially or fully unclad, and provide sexual services.
;Festhall girl: A general term for a female prostitute that worked at a festhall.
;Footwarmer: A neutral term for a paid companion of the opposite sex. Over time it became increasingly applied to aging, less athletic and adventurous prostitutes. More literally, it simply meant someone willing to provide companionship to the lonely in bed.
;Glimmersheath: A term used to refer to female, or crossdressing male, prostitutes of striking beauty.
;Goldglint darling: A general, though overly polite or poetic, term of address for a prostitute.
;Gold tigress: A prostitute that delighted in wrestling or fighting with their clients, and to be 'conquered' by them, or to bite and claw them.
;Good-time girl: A general term for a prostitute.
;Hard-currency girl: A term for a prostitute that implied one wasn't willing to extend credit. The term had largely fallen out of fashion by the 14 century DR, as by that time very few people did so. It primarily persisted in plays, where it was used as a leering, excessively dramatic and 'scandalous' term.
;Harlot: A derogatory term for a prostitute.
;Hidecoin: A term for a prostitute of either gender that practiced utmost discretion and secrecy to hide their trade as an escort.
;High-coin/Low-coin: More specific variations of the term "coin lass". These opposing terms referred to the quality of, and rates charged by, either a prostitute or brothel. "Quality" in this case referred variously to a prostitute's physical beauty, cleanliness, degree of provocativeness of their dress, and their acting capacity to show a joy for their work and portray what a client desired. It could also refer to the surroundings in which a prostitute operated. Often for further specificity these terms would be suffixed by girl, lad, or lass. Those of highcoin were generally of a higher class, bathed regularly, and were better dressed than everyday commoners.
;Highcoin lady: Though similar to the above, the term specifically applied to escorts who put on a certain manner of speaking, dress, and acting to put on the illusion of nobility. This was usually done for the purposes of both dazzling younger clientele and attracting those who were interested in the nobility.
;Houseboy: A polite term of address for a male prostitute that was used among the Waterdhavian nobility. The term possibly derived from the occurrence of some nobles giving over one of their villa's guest houses to such escorts.
;House escort: A general term for a prostitute that worked at a brothel.
;House girl: A term used in the city of Crimmor by brothels which masqueraded as simple rooming houses to refer to their prostitutes.
;Joy-boy/Joy-girl: A general term for a prostitute that saw use in Zazesspur.
;Kisscock: A derogatory term of address for a prostitute. It could be used to imply that someone was sexually promiscuous.
;Kisscoin: A polite, affectionate term of address for a prostitute.
;Lady of easy virtue: () A mild derogatory term for a prostitute.
;Lady of the evening: (; ) A term for a prostitute that implied the capacity to function as an escort in social situations. Some such women were hired solely for appearances and not any intercourse.
;Lady of Waterdeep: A special title held by the senior courtesans of Piergeiron's Palace. They were afforded personal arms and status comparable to a Waterdhavian noble.
;Ladies of the Golden Hills: A collective title in Blingdenstone for the lady escorts of the Golden Hills Hearth. The name was in reference to the legends of several lost goddesses in the Gnome pantheon.
;Laugh-lad: A male equivalent of the term 'highcoin lass', referring to a prostitute of high quality and cost.
;Lickhips: A derogatory term of address for a prostitute. It could be used to imply that someone was sexually promiscuous.
;Lightskirt: A mild term for a prostitute. It could be used to imply that someone was sexually promiscuous.
;Looseskirt: A term referring to a woman as being open and willing to engage in sex. It was often employed in polite society as a non-explicit way to refer to prostitutes.
;Low-lantern lady: A euphemism for a prostitute that referred to a practice in Calimshan, the Vilhon Reach, and other parts of Southern Faerûn wherein one would dance and disrobe before making love, doing so all whilst under the subdued amber or red glow of almost-shuttered lamps (with panels exhibiting of one of those two hues).
;Low-rent: A more derisive adjective for describing an escort as a low-coin lass.
;Mask dancer: A term unique to Cormyr, it referred to a performer of the Mask Dance.
;Night dancer: A general term for a dancer at a festhall.
;Night-comfort lass: () A general term for a female prostitute.
;Nightskirt: A Suzailian term for prostitutes of sophistication that could be passed off as noble women.
;Nightworker: A general term for a prostitute.
;Notch-tooth: A gender-neutral term for prostitute that was used in the city of Zazesspur. The term was derived from the fact that prostitutes in the city typically worked along a street known as Thread-Biters' Lane.
;Painted lady: () A general term for a female prostitute.
;Playpretty: () A term used to refer to female prostitutes that were being solicited by soldiers or sailors. It could also be used as a term of address for prostitutes in general.
;Pleasure girl: () A general term for a female prostitute that was used in Calaunt, Suzail, and Waterdeep.
;Pleasure queen: A term used to refer to the head professional escort of a festhall, though it could also be used to refer to escorts in general.Crown of Fire seems to use the term "pleasure queen" more broadly to refer to festhall escorts as a whole.
;Red-roof girl: A term used in the city of Procampur to refer to either an adventurer or a prostitute. The name derived from the fact that all buildings in the city's Adventurers' District sported red roof tiles. The term was also the namesake of a bawdy song, called I'm Quite the Red-Roof Girl.
;Sarken: (): A term unique to Calimshan and the more southerly regions of Faerûn. It referred to a cultural phenomenon in those areas of attractive escorts and festhall dancers that sported neatly styled beards, often dyed a vivid blue, purple, or mauve hue. Some were known to publicly cover their beards with face-veils, leaving them uncovered only when performing or engaging in intimacy. Those who eschewed from covering their beards would sometimes shave themselves in front of a partner to excite them.
;She-eel: A term that could be either connotative or derogatory. In the former case, it meant a prostitute with a very supple body and willingness to use her skills for adventurous sex or to increase a client's pleasure. In the latter case, it could refer to an unpleasant prostitute that was liable to rob clients or take payment and then slip away.
;Slapthigh: A descriptive, not pejorative, term for a prostitute that was low-rate or coarse.
;Slyblade: A term for a female prostitute that cross-dresses to woo female clients, disguise herself from male clients that know her true identity and profession well, or provide protection against the disapproving or law enforcement.
;Snakehips: A term for a professional prostitute (or any willing sexual partner) that was willing to make love on precarious, often public sites. The term implied that such a person was an exhibitionist and either acrobatic, a contortionist, or simply open to trying such things. Such precarious sites included atop wagons, on high windowsills, in high tree boughs, while hanging from a balcony or ropes, while on horseback, etc.
;Soiled dove: A general term for a prostitute in Waterdeep.
;Street walker: A general term for a prostitute, more specifically referring to those who plied their trade through street prostitution instead of working at a brothel or festhall.
;Strumpet: A general term for a prostitute; it was known to be used in a derogatory manner in Procampur.
;Trollop: A general term for a prostitute. It was in use as far back as , when some in the Calim Empire were known to use it in a derogatory manner. Centuries later, some in Netheril were using it as such. And in the 14 century DR, it was still seeing use as a pejorative in Cormyr and Ravens Bluff. Alternatively, the term was sometimes used as a way to describe something as low quality, such as in the phrase, "load o' trollop".
;Trull: A general term for a prostitute. It was in use as far back as , when some in the Calim Empire were known to use it in a derogatory manner. In the 14 century DR, it was still seeing use as a pejorative in Cormyr and Waterdeep.
;Turncoin: A general term for a male prostitute.
;Twilight Lady: () A term used in the city of Tantras to refer to the escorts of the House of Twilight.
;Two copper: ( ) A derogatory prefixal adjective for describing an escort as a low-coin lass. It could be paired with either benign terms, such as courtesan, or other pejoratives, such as trollop or whore.
;Wanton: A derogatory term for a prostitute. It could be used to imply that someone was sexually promiscuous. It was sometimes used as an adjectival prefix with other terms, such as "escort".
;Warmflank: A polite manner of referring referring to prostitutes. It was considered acceptable in open polite society, even in the midst of children or disapproving elderly matrons.
;Warmvelvet: A term for a prostitute that was young, physically attractive, and had a penchant for either teasing, putting on alluring act, or fostering an air of mystery. In the city-states of Silverymoon and Waterdeep it alternatively meant a youthful woman of nobility or wealth that was pretending to be a meager prostitute, either for a sense of thrills or to get away from an unpleasant home life.
;Whiplover: A term commonly used in the Lands of Intrigue (namely Amn, Calimshan, and Tethyr) to refer to those who willing to be whipped in exchange for money. It originated as a mild slur towards Banites, Loviatans, and Sharrans. It could also be used more broadly to refer to any sexual masochists or masochistic Ilmatari.
;Whore: A derogatory term of address for a prostitute of either gender.
;Willing-arms: A term usually meant to refer to someone as the "village whore", i.e., the most prominently promiscuous person in a small settlement.
==Organization==
Prostitutes sometimes banded together to form organizations for the purposes of mutual aid and protection. Some such groups included the Aged Evening Escorts Benevolent Trust in Marsember, the banditeering Raunstrar, and the Reveler's Union of Baldur's Gate. In major cities, most professional escorts were known to join formal or informal guilds that were led by Sharessan priests.
In the Backlands, there were the Halfway Ladies, a group of mostly moon elf escorts that frequently did business at the isolated Halfway Inn. They were notorious for their high-class manners and style of dress.
==Notable Prostitutes==
:See Courtesans
* A Waterdhavian escort of unknown name once became the recipient of Wythyndle's Round Book after the wizard Noustlas Mnarrath threw it out his window. After a couple years, when her increasing age was causing work to dwindle, she sold the book in 1355 DR to the merchant Obelos Braeril for enough coin to retire in relative luxury.
* Annalynn, a courtesan in Tradesmeet who met Gorion's Ward.
* Belarla, a pleasure-queen and member of the Harpers that operated in Zhentil Keep in the 14 century DR.
* Bensyl Iyrivvin, a lady escort and member of the Harpers who was working at the Blushing Mermaid festhall in Waterdeep in the 14 century DR.
* The Cat Lady, a renowned lady escort in Ravens Bluff in the 14 century DR.
* Dansarra, a dancer and prostitute in Riatavin who was later the namesake for the city's chapbook Dansarra's Delights.
* Daransa, proprietor of Daransa's Moontouch in Suzail and a Harper contact.
* Dhannaera, the operator of a finishing school in Suzail. On the side she discretely hired herself out as an escort to a select few, specializing in pleasuring awkward and sexually inexperienced young noblemen or the sons of wealthy wannabe-nobles.
* Garlatha Nightcowl, a Waterdhavian prostitute and private investigator.
* Loene, a member of the Company of Crazed Venturers who at one point worked as a pleasure girl.
* The Masked Minstrel, a famed yet mysterious Waterdhavian lady of the evening and minstrel.
* Moirah, a spellscarred prostitute in Ormpetarr in the 15 century DR.
* Murathauna Darmeir, a prostitute that published a memoir in 1338 DR titled Forty Years Loose-Gowned: Memoirs of a Noble Lowcoin Lass.
* Nalune Tassarat, an Ormpurran escort who used her investments in criminal rackeets to build luxurious pleasure houses in her city.
* Oelaerone, another pleasure-queen of Zhentil Keep and member of the Harpers in the 14 century DR.
* Redrantha Vaulheron, an Athkatlan prostitute turned prominent landlord.
* Tathla Nightstar, a woman who was famous as a courtesan in Calimport before moving to Waterdeep to become the madame of the Purple Palace festhall.
==Appendix==
===Notes===
===Appearances===
===External Links===
===References===
Category:Industries
Category:Professions