Neverwinter/Neverdeath

Neverdeath, also called the Neverdeath Graveyard, was the burial ground and cemetery of Neverwinter. It was named for a common blessing given over the dead: as long as the city remained in summer, it was believed that the dead would not turn into undead.
==Description==
Neverdeath consisted of two wide, roughly square areas of the city surrounded by a thick and looming black wall of stone and wood pierced by stark black gates. Each of these was a sprawling cemetery: the so-called Main Graveyard was located in the northeastern of the two sections, while the southwestern section was known as the Pauper's Section. The graveyards included sprawling rows of tombstones interspersed with old trees, crumbling statues, and mausoleums. These mausoleums were interconnected via underground catacombs that extended under both cemeteries.
The graveyard was considered sacred to Kelemvor, and doomguides from the Eternal Order of Kelemvor were responsible for protection of the area. 
==Geography==
It was located within the Neverwinter city walls, and lay on the southern edge of town near the Protector's Enclave. A cobblestone street surrounded the graveyard, and no buildings were built within 50 paces its outer walls.
In Neverdeath's same location on the Shadowfell were Evernight's Graveyard (coinciding with the Pauper's Section) and the Corpse Market (coinciding with the Main Graveyard).
==History==
Neverdeath was a centuries-old burial ground for the people of Neverwinter. It was struck hard by the Spellplague of as well as by the Ruining of , which collapsed buildings, exposed graves, and changed the elevation of some sections to create small, jutting cliffs scattered with bones and coffins. It was left to fall into disrepair, becoming overgrown with withered grasses and clogged with rubble and overgrown brush. Although its walls had become cracked, they were patched and the eastern edge of the graveyard became the southern anchor of The Wall that fortified Neverwinter against the horrors of the Chasm. 
The graveyard was still used to bury the dead—albeit with much simpler markers and haphazard graves than before the disasters—until Thayan forces under Valindra Shadowmantle seized the graveyard in the mid-to-late 15 century DR, despite the best efforts of the doomguides. The Thayans began to use their necromancy spells to raise the corpses buried in Neverdeath as undead minions, and used the mausoleums as a base. The place became so haunted that even daylight appeared murky within the graveyard's walls. By , the number of undead was growing at an alarming rate and unattended corpses might spontaneously rise from the dead, leading people to become fearful of the graveyard and preferring to cremate their dead instead of burying them in Neverdeath. The gates were always kept closed, and if ever they opened, it would draw the attention of concerned onlookers.
Also in 1479 DR, the Red Wizard Tolivast hid in Neverdeath while cursing the Crown of Neverwinter. While Tolivast had control over a small army of undead, he was chased down by a group of adventurers that killed him, retrieved the Crown, and destroyed most of his undead minions. Around the same time, yet another Red Wizard necromancer named Jack began raising undead in the cemetery.
Finally, following the events of the Siege of Neverwinter, the Neverwinter Guard turned its attention to Valindra's activities in Neverdeath, and sent the Heroes of the Sleeping Dragon Bridge to assist the Kelemvorites—led by Doomguide Volahk—in ending her plots. From the Kelemvorites' last foothold of Doomguide's Watch, the adventurers started by culling the undead, rescuing Doomguides throughout Pauper's Field, and reconsecrating the area. The adventurers also delivered the phylactery of the lich Zarifrax to Volahk, ended a Thayan effort to revive a dangerous ogre named Arleon the Unforgiven, helped the Harper agent Windle to thwart a plot by the Cult of the Dragon, and clashed with Valindra's forces at the Clockwork Tomb. Ultimately, they succeeded in driving out the Thayans from the graveyard, and were able to report evidence of her future plans to Neverwinter's Sergeant Knox.
Sometime in the 1480s DR, Neverdeath became the site of infighting by members of the Cult of the Dragon between traditionalists and the followers of Severin Silrajin, who were seeking the remains of Cruven Gantara with the aid of the green dragon Charthraxis. The Harpers coordinated efforts to thwart both factions, led by an agent named Boward.
The graveyard continued to be infested with undead as of at least .
==Notable Locations==
===Main Graveyard===
The Main Graveyard was the northeastern walled-in half of the graveyard. The thick western wall separating it from the Pauper's Section was the site of numerous towering mausoleums with interconnected catacombs. Notable locations in the Main Graveyard included:
* Craftsman's Rest, an old section of the cemetery containing ornamental tombs and graves. Craftsman's Rest in turn contained:
** A shadow crossing to Evernight located in the center.
** The Artisan's Tomb.
** The Waterclock Guild's Crypts, a massive complex beneath an unassuming mausoleum dedicated the city's Waterclock Guild.
* Hallix Mausoleum, the humble family tomb of the Neverwinter Hallix family.
* Merchant's Landing, a section where many of the most prominent merchants of Neverwinter were interred. 
* The Monini Crypts, the family tombs of the Neverwinter Monini family. 
===Pauper's Section===
The Pauper's Section, also known as Pauper's Field or the Pauper's Graveyard, was the southwestern walled-in half of the graveyard. It was a hilly area that traditionally served as the place where Neverwinter's poorest were buried, and which became a site of mass graves following the Ruining. It contained more simple headstones and tombs than the Main Graveyard. It's communal catacombs dated back to the establishment of Neverdeath, and had been built by a handful of civic-minded citizens. Notable locations in the Pauper's Section included:
* Crypt of Vers Never, a presumably empty tomb that was once intended for Vers Never.
* Graves of the Lucanis family.
* The Lynching Tree, a site where accused criminals were buried.
* A nondescript tomb recognizable only by an inscription above the doorway reading "Home Again, To Rest Forever". This tomb was connected to the Dolindar Tomb in Evernight via a Crevice of Dusk.
* The Rift, a ravine formed during past disasters.
* Soldier's Memorial, a burial section for military veterans. Soldier's Memorial in turn contained:
** The Soldier's Monument.
** The Wizard's Tomb.
==Inhabitants==
As of 1479 DR, corpses were said to shamble about the graveyard at all hours. This included skeletons, wights, and zombies (including zombie hulks).
Any visitors to Neverdeath found themselves assailed by lesser undead creatures that burst from the ground. Many of these were servants of the Thayans, and were meant not only to deter intruders but to provide advance warning of any threats to their operations. At this time, living cultists and gnolls allied with the Thayans also became active in the area. Despite these dangers, unscrupulous individuals were known to hunt for treasures in the graves.
==Appendix==
===Notes===
===Appearances===
===External Links===
* 
===References===
Category:Graveyards
Category:Haunted locations
Category:Locations in Neverwinter
Category:Locations on the Sword Coast North
Category:Locations in Northwest Faerûn
Category:Locations in Faerûn
Category:Locations on Toril