History of Neverwinter

The Wailing Death was a magical disease that ravaged the city of Neverwinter in Tarsakh and Mirtul in the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR. Most of the citizens of the city were dead or dying within a tenday of the first reported case.

The Spellplague was a disaster that befell the entire multiverse when the Goddess of Magic, Mystra, was murdered by Cyric and Shar. Mystra's death triggered a collapse of the Weave, unraveling and reshaping flesh, stone, magic, and even spacetime.  A storm of virulent blue flames swept across the face of Toril and into the planes, until it reached the parallel world of Abeir, where its devastating effects also changed that world. In an instant portions of Toril and Abeir switched places, altering the geography of both worlds, destroying entire civilizations, and displacing large populations between the worlds. Many arcane spellcasters were killed instantly when the Blue Fire consumed them. Others were driven mad by the sudden, violent alteration of the Weave. Some were afflicted with Spellscars, magical blue markings that granted them newfound powers but often at devastating cost. Perhaps the most unlucky were those who survived but were transformed into disfigured "Plaguechanged."

The Ruining, also known as The Cataclysm, was the near destruction of the entire city of Neverwinter when nearby Mount Hotenow suddenly erupted.

The northern peak of the Mount Hotenow volcano exploded, sending a pyroclastic flow of superheated ash, fiery boulders, and lava directly into the city of Neverwinter. Buildings and people alike were consumed by flames, creating streams of ash and blood. Lava flowed into the city via the Neverwinter River, causing the water to rapidly boil away into a cloud of searing hot steam then giving way to a lava flow. Falling boulders demolished homes, and the air was filled with hot ash and burning gas that could incinerate flesh. Much of the city was burned to the ground and half of the population died in an instant.

The eruption also triggered a massive shockwave and a tremendous earthquake that caused some of Neverwinter's districts to sink and others to rise, creating steep cliffs within the city. These tremors tore the city apart and caused buildings to fall in on themselves, leaving much of the architecture badly damaged, if not reduced to rubble. Most surviving structures were those which were heavily or magically reinforced, such as military fortifications, public buildings, or the homes of powerful wizards or wealthy nobles. The many collapsed buildings broke and clogged the city's catacombs and sewers, turning them into a twisting underground maze that threatened to collapse further.

Castle Never was severely damaged in the catastrophe, killing all within its walls. Included in the casualties were King Bann Alagondar II and his immediate family, effectively ending the entire line of House Alagondar.