Neverwinter, also known as the City of Skilled Hands and the Jewel of the North, was a bustling, cultured, and cosmopolitan city-state in northwest Faerûn. The city was a member in good standing of the Lords’ Alliance. Known for its craftsfolk and gardeners, the city’s multi-coloured-glass lamps, precision water clocks, exquisite jewellery, and magnificent gardens ensured the warm winters were colourful and the summers were rich with fresh fruit.
Neverwinter is a friendly city of craftsmen, who trade extensively via the great merchants of Waterdeep; their water-clocks and multi-hued lamps can be found throughout the Realms. Neverwinter gained its name from the skill of its gardeners, who contrived to keep flowers blooming throughout the months of snow—a practice they continue with pride. - Elminster
In 1451 DR Mount Hotenow erupted laying waste to the city and killing the ruling Alagondar family. Over a decade later Lord Neverember took advantage of the cities recent tragedies to aid his financial empire and hired mercenaries to rebuild the city.
By 1491 the city was fully rebuilt and word was spreading that Neverwinter had returned to its prime.