@TheEdVerse A Death Masks nobles question, if I may. In Blackstaff Tower, we were told several houses were combined (ex: Phull + Ulbrinter = Phulbrinter, Belabranta + Eltorchul + Phylund = Belbrundel, Kothont + Thorp = Kothornt). In Death Masks, tho, we see some returned.

— Alex O'Meara (@alex_omeara) October 14, 2018

In these cases, did the combined house break apart into the original houses or does it still exist but the original houses have also been rebuilt from other family members outside Waterdeep? Also, can we assume the dead houses as of BT (Anteos, Bladesemmer, Brossfeather, Estelmer, Gralhund, Hunabar, Melshimber, Thunderstaff) have also been restored, possibly as part of Laeral's restoration?

Thanks so much for the Realms! 30 years of enjoyment!

— Alex O'Meara (@alex_omeara) October 14, 2018

1) Almost all of the combined noble houses and “dead” noble houses of Waterdeep are back. In a very few cases, relatives from distant farflung places all over Toril returned to claim them (and were able to prove their claims), but in the

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 14, 2018

2) vast majority of cases, the noble houses were “restored” by the selling of noble titles (as seen in the superb CITY OF THE DEAD novel by Rosemary Jones). Lord Neverember saw it as an excellent way to line his own pockets, swell city

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 14, 2018

3) coffers, and reward supporters (at the same time increasing his influence among the Masked Lords in future, as he could put forward candidates for lordship from among “his” new nobles—that is, nobles he ennobled, who came from

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 14, 2018

4) Neverwinter or who were his business associates, or who owed him money/favors).
And yes, this happened offstage and shouldn't have, but with no novels or DRAGON articles of the old style or regular Realmslore web columns, opportunities to cover this sort of lore are fewer now.

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 14, 2018

That… actually sounds awesome and ups the conflict exponentially. Leaves Laeral with a fifth column of Neverwinter supporters she can’t do a lot about. Overtly, anyway. I can’t imagine the merged houses like someone stealing their ancestral name, either.

Thanks much! A pleasure! Yes, there are many unhappy nobles grumbling about how Waterdeep has "fallen" from what it once was, "in my greener days." (And some of them have the coin and drive and nastiness to do something about it.) Bwoohahahaha, and so forth. ;}

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 14, 2018