As the sun sets and a crescent moon appears overhead, the streets of Dock Ward are filled with gaudily decorated carriages making their way from the noble villas of North Ward and Sea Ward down to the Shipwrights' Hall, site of the annual Shipwrights' Ball. Hundreds of men and women of noble bearing and attire make their way through the great doors and into the Hall of Sails beyond.

As each Waterdhavian citizen of noble lineage passes through the doorway, heralds call out their title, name, and house, "Lord Laskar and Lady Stelar Nesher of House Nesher. Lady Kara Ruldegost of House Ruldegost. Lady Tresh and Lord-Consort Ormaes Lanngolyn of House Lanngolyn. Lord Helm Kormallis of House Kormallis." Only the most socially prominent names garner any sort of reaction from the slowly thickening crowd, as their increasingly loud conversations drown out the formal introductions.

Within Shipwrights' Hall, guests are treated to an underwater wonderland. The Hall of Sails is festooned with great sea green tapestries covering the walls and hanging from the ceiling that are adorned with depictions of underwater life. Great banquet tables in the form of miniature sunken sailing ships stretch from one end of the hall to the other, buried beneath a mountain of seafood and seaweed. On closer examination, it is apparent that many of the offerings are actually rare delicacies from the deepest reaches of the Sea of Swords. The crowning delicacy is a modest-sized golden anemone, still in its shell, which must have cost as much to procure as the rest of the gala combined.

As you glance about, you do not immediately see anyone you know, although you recognize some of the more prominent guests. Feeling a bit unsure of yourself, you find yourself torn between sampling the buffet, joining in one of the many conversations going on about you, or wandering about until you spot someone you know. Some of the snippets of conversation you catch include the following:

"... that House Ruldegost brought more back from Amn last week than just wagonloads of textiles. I noticed that Lord Bly Ruldegost's escort tonight is Lady Ninvara Krimmevol of Ithmong, a Tethyrian noblewoman banished from that realm by a royal edict last fall..."

"... apparently Talmon Hiilgauntlet and Borgmar Jhansczil and their respective retinues each drew steel against the other last night, this time in the alley behind the High House of Roaringhorn. Before either family lost another hot-headed, young scion to their interminable feuding, however, the Blackstaff himself stepped out from the shadows and bid them go their separate ways ..."

"... although the wine isn't too bad for an Ammakylan vintage. Speaking of which, apparently Thyriellentha Snome directed a watch civilar under her command to harass one of House Ammakyl's caravans just long enough to ensure that a shipment of wine arrived very late to a dinner held by the Jewelers' Guild. As a result, House Snome damaged the reputation of its long-standing rival, but Captain Rulathon ..."

"... just announced the arrival of Lady Tresh Lanngolyn. She's scored quite the coup, what with the recent birth of her grandson. The cheek of that family to name the babe after Lord Ultas Maernos, his supposed grandfather ..."

"... they say the Mad Mage himself was abducted again, but this time by the Arcane Brotherhood of Luskan who replaced him with a shapeshifter ..."

"... believe that she would wear that sealskin cloak from last year. Not only is her outfit hopelessly out of fashion, but a close confidant hinted to me that such mantles were somehow linked to that scandal last summer surrounding the eldest Wavesilver scion who was banished by the Lords to Undermountain for his crimes ..."

"... believe that, once again, Svilarn Artemel and Thortan Ilvastarr are telling everyone of their supposed plans to form an adventuring company and explore some old hole in the ground in the Sword Mountains. More than likely, it's just so much hot air meant to impress the younger, more gullible noble daughters ..."

"... should weed out another crop of barbarian nobles from the northern cities with pretensions of being well-bred, but I did so enjoy the look on the face of Lady Onya Bladesemmer when ..."

"... that, despite the difference in years, House Irlingstar hopes to wed young Lady Ravenna to Arnagus the Shipwright, who, I should note, has yet to put in an appearance here tonight, despite his role ..."

"... thought I saw one of Kanulf Roznar's sons over their in the shadows just a moment ago. It must have been the light playing tricks on me once again, for Lady Estrip's Amnite cousins are certainly not ..."