The Misty Beard

Located at the edge of the North Ward where its noise and crowding create as few problems as possible, the signboard of the Misty Beard depicts a laughing bearded sailor. Beads of water glistening in a rainbow all over his beard and minor enchantments make them gleam, sparkle, and change hue from time to time.

The Beard is famous for being staffed largely by "exotic" and "monstrous" beings from all over the Realms: lizard men, killmoulis, myconids, spectators, and even, in the kitchens and cellars, skeletons and zombies. There are also shapeshifting and illusion-using creatures on staff. For most in the city, it's the only time they are likely to see such persons and their presence attracts both thrill-seekers, and visitors of the creatures' own kind. All are welcome, in an uneasy truce enforced by the magical means if necessary.

The tavern itself is clean and well-maintained, a solid-looking stone building with large arched windows, downspouts carved into the likenesses of beautiful winged maidens, and a steeply pitched slate roof. Inside is a well-lit jumble of booths and cozy chairs salvaged from sales all over the city. The rooms all open into a central well, where various stairs curve and zigzag up and down and winged waiters dart from bar to table with single glasses.

The Beard has a more varied and well-stocked cellar than most anywhere in Waterdeep. Between the range of drinks and the promise of safety backed by the Tzuntzin sisters' wands, it attracts a steady stream of the curious. A rare few human citizens are comfortable regulars, but it is a very popular place for low-income merchants to use to impress out-of-town visitors or as a neutral meeting place for merchants and others engaged in difficult negotiations.