In this city dominated by commerce, behind the prosperous trade, evil lurked in the shadows of the night.
Although temples of many good-aligned deities were located in this city, the influence of evil gods could not be ignored. The righteous paladins regarded this city as a disgrace, but due to unspoken political factors and Waterdeep's economic status, these paladins were powerless.
Good, bound by order, appeared so weak when facing the evil of order itself. In this regard, they were not even as effective as those chaotic good jesters.
The merchant caravan's ships arrived at the port. Tyche never doubted the evil in human hearts, just as she always believed in the good within them.
Having left the North, these profit-driven merchants immediately changed their tune. During their return journey to Waterdeep, Tyche received no food at all.
Although she didn't need it, the fact that the unscrupulous merchants discussed selling the beautiful maiden as a slave to nobles right in front of Tyche shocked her. It was no wonder that Waukeen, the goddess of commerce and wealth, had been stuck at intermediate power for so long.
Commercial activities without credit guarantees would collapse due to a minor accident or a lie. Not to mention, it was common for merchants traveling far from home to die from betrayal. Bandits and monstrous races in the wilderness could always emerge like weeds after rain, and dying on the road was a perfectly normal occurrence.
After sending those unscrupulous merchants to meet their goddess, Tyche unceremoniously seized all the valuables on the ship.
The sailors reacted with indifference. To them, it made no difference who was in charge.
Under Tyche's lavish spending of ill-gotten gains, the sailors quickly switched their allegiance. They even found the best buyers for the goods on the ship, and the money Tyche spent returned to her hands many times over.
One should not have high expectations for the sanitation conditions of the port. Seawater mixed with grass, hair, and even excrement was trampled by the coming and going porters and pack animals into a bizarre, rotten mud. As soon as they approached the port, the stench of feces and decay made Tyche's eyelids twitch. The splashing mud and water pressed down on Tyche's heart like a heavy stone.
The outermost part of the city was the slums. Tyche erected a wind-resistant barrier and stepped into this chaotic territory.
Poverty bred sin. To survive, men joined gangs to become thugs or thieves, while women, under the control of gangs, put on alluring displays, squeezing the last copper coin from the pockets of dockside sailors.
Tyche's arrival was quite conspicuous. The slums were a place that even tax collectors avoided, let alone a noble lady like Tyche.
Her slightly reflective cloak was spotless. Although her face was hidden beneath her hood, the fair skin of her hands was out of place in the dismal surroundings.
Tyche was not surprised that someone was secretly following her from the shadows. Waterdeep's extensive sewer system hid many evil cults and gangs. If she were truly the runaway noble lady they thought she was, unless a bishop-level cleric could be summoned to cast divine magic, no one would be able to find someone who disappeared in the slums.
Turning a corner, a heavily made-up girl pulled Tyche into a dilapidated house. The girl was only sixteen or seventeen years old, and her mature, cheap makeup seemed out of place on her face. The girl made a shushing gesture, carefully avoiding gaps to hide from potential sight.
After a while, the arguments and curses outside the door quietly faded away. Only then did the girl dare to breathe, clearly not as calm as she appeared.
"That runaway noble lady, I risked my life to save you. It's not too much to ask for a reward, is it?"
The girl wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and looked at Tyche, who was hiding in the darkness, with a raised eyebrow.
Chuckling lightly, Tyche took out a handful of gold coins and handed them to the girl.
"Not at all. Your kindness is priceless."
The girl did not smile but said with some difficulty, "Can I exchange them for copper coins? Even if I have gold coins, I can't use them. As soon as a third person knows I have gold coins, I'll be dead in the gutter and my remains will be sold to a necromancer by scavengers."
"A clever and restrained girl, you shouldn't be mired in this hell on earth."
Tyche didn't have copper coins, but she pretended to search her sleeves, not hesitating to turn gold coins into copper coins.
The girl hid the copper coins in her chest and said indifferently, "I have my own plans. You should worry about how to get out of the slums alive."
Seeing that Tyche remained silent, the girl patted her rustling chest and said, "Follow me. Your cloak is too conspicuous. You'd best find a way to cover it up."
Tyche readily agreed, taking the old black cloth the girl had found and covering her cloak with it.
Weaving through dilapidated, illegally built structures, the girl led Tyche to a clean community. The demeanor of these people was fundamentally different from those she had seen before. Although they were also gaunt and poorly clothed, the hope in their eyes was as dazzling as candlelight in the darkness.
Pointing to a wooden house in the center of the community, the girl said, "This is the temple of Ilmater, the god of suffering. His kind priests will take you back to the inner city."
As if hearing a friend's call, the girl responded loudly and then left a warning for this noble lady who had eloped: "Next time, don't be foolish enough to run into the slums alone. Your beautiful appearance and noble status will only bring you unimaginable misfortune!"
Tyche watched the girl smile as she approached a house and distributed the copper coins hidden in her chest to the barefoot children. The pure cheers of the children made Tyche chuckle. No matter how filthy the environment, there were always some beauties that could make a deity's heart, which had endured endless years, tremble and be moved.
The temple of Ilmater, the god of suffering, was no better than the surrounding houses. Tyche looked at the drafty walls and solemnly adjusted her clothes before knocking on the dilapidated wooden door.
The only item on the wooden door that indicated it was a temple was the high-hanging holy symbol. The hands bound by red thread were the symbol of the god of suffering.
This intermediate-power good deity possessed the portfolios of Endurance, Suffering, Martyrdom, and Fortitude, and was known as the Broken God or the Crying God. This kind-hearted deity willingly bore suffering for the world. He cared deeply for all children and young lives in the world and struck down those who dared to harm his protected beings.
Many people did not understand the teachings of the Crying God. He called upon his followers to help all the injured in the world, teaching that for priests, bearing suffering for others was the most sacred act. If you suffer for others, the Crying God will provide you with the courage and strength to persevere. Regardless of any pain or danger, one must uphold correct principles without wavering. One should stand up to stop all unjust atrocities.
Ilmater's church had many devout followers throughout the continent of Faerûn. In this cruel and realistic world, many sufferers, the sick, and the poor relied on the aid of Ilmater's church to survive. The people of many regions respected the church of the Crying God, and his priests often received generous assistance when providing free medical care everywhere.
Such a deity, who silently endured suffering for thousands of years, deserved everyone's respect!