Beregost

Beregost was a town on the Coast Way, halfway between Baldur's Gate and Amn. It was a popular stop for many visiting merchant caravans, especially those en route to Waterdeep in the north or to the Sea of Fallen Stars in the east.

Description
In the 14 century DR, Beregost was a small town of about forty main buildings, smaller structures placed on the outskirts of town, and larger family states were built outside of the town's borders. The grandest structure in Beregost was the Song of the Morning temple complex to the east of Beregost's center. Further away stood a ruined shell of an old castle atop a hill of what used to be the Ulcaster School of Wizardry. The Wizards' Doom Creek rivulet streamed off the ruined school's hill and towards the coast, across the Coast Way.

Geography
Beregost stood 200 miles away from the border of Amn in the Lands of Intrigue on the part of the Trade Way known as the Coast Way. The library fortress of Candlekeep was Beregost's western neighbor, separated from the Trade Way by the Way of the Lion that started not far north of the town's edge, about a day's journey on horseback. Despite its distance from the shores of the Sea of Swords, Beregost was still considered to be a coastal town.

One of the more troubling neighboring settlements was the Upperdark colony of illithids – Tellectus, not far from Beregost. However, it was abandoned after an adventurers' raid sometime before 1370 DR.

Government
In 1368 DR while Beregost's offical government was a five-person town council, in reality, the town was run by the governor, Kelddath Ormlyr, who is also the high priest of Song of the Morning a major temple to Lathander. By 1372 DR, Beregost was recorded as having no "official government", though Most Radiant Ormlyr was still in charge.

The town's temple strictly controlled the expansion of Beregost. It was allowed to grow towards the coastline, away from the ruined school of magic. Throughout the years, rich Amnian families attempted to claim lands around Beregost to strategically place their mercantile operations on the Coast Way.

Beregost owed its independence to historically pleasing any neighbors with big enough armies. If occupied, the town simply waited for the occupants to destroy themselves with time through internal struggles or via battles with other rivals who wanted to claim Beregost as their own.

Trade
Beregost was considered a trade settlement, but it received a healthy dose of caravaners and adventurers who helmed caravans to the south – into Amn, Tethyr, and Calimshan. One popular merchant caravans route moved between Baldur's Gate and Beregost.

An especially pleasant blend of pipeweed was produced in Beregost. Sheep were let graze the pastures to the west of the town. Other forms of farming were encouraged by the town's government, as well as starting new businesses. The clergy of Lathander grew potatoes and flowering herbs on the eastern side of the temple.

Defenses
The town was policed by the guards from the temple – two hundred men-at-arms, as well as Flaming Fist from Baldur's Gate.

History
Beregost began as a small farming village, established some time after the to support the school of magic run by the wizard Ulcaster, on the opposite side of the Coast Way. The school was destroyed in the by Calishite mages and only the ruins remained. Tales of ghosts that haunted the school's ruins caused the town to develop further on the west side of the Coast Way, leaving the hills east open for livestock.

Despite the loss of the school and the worldly travelers it could bring, the settlement of Beregost thrived, growing into a large town and an important trading center.

The brought an epidemic of the Coast Plague to Beregost. The disease was brought to the town via a caravan from Murann, Athkatla, Purskul, or Crimmor where it ended lives of twenty percent of population.

Circa Eleint of the, a malicious merchant named Shairksah of Beregost crated deadly magical crab-like beasts to threaten his rivals with. Previously, Shairksah's crab monstrosities were used to wreak havoc in Amn, resulting in his banishment from the merchant nation.

In the, Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun traveled to Beregost where he owned a house under the alias of unsightly pox-scarred Aldhan. On Kythorn 14, while in Beregost, the archmage passed the famed Paalar's Artbook to a traveling sage Ryssik Fharval, secretly the infamous Fzoul Chembryl.

Rumors & Legends

 * A magical gate connected Beregost to the Heralds' Hall of Swordsmere. The location of the gate was known only to the members of the Heralds of Faerûn.
 * Beregost's locals feared the ruins of Ulcaster School of Wizardry. It was rumored to be inhabited by restless phantoms of its magic-wielding inhabitants. Volothamp Geddarm mentioned the ghosts in one of his guidebooks, stating the creature was a wizshade. Other dangers such as traps and gates that led to part unknown were also present.

Temples

 * Song of the Morning, the temple of Lathander that dominated Beregost in terms of influence upon its citizens in the late 14 century DR.

Shops

 * High Hedge, the estate keep of a conjurer wizard Thalantyr to the northeast of Beregost. Thalantyr was a moody man but offered a trove of powerful magical items for purchase.
 * Kagain's Shop, a shady shop that belonged to dwarf Kagain. It was a front for his caravan guard business in the late 14 century DR.
 * Thunderhammer Smithy, a blacksmith shop that offered excellently-crafted weapons by the larger-than-life "Thunderhammer" Fuiruim in the late 14 century DR.

Inns and Taverns
As of 1368 DR, has one tavern and three inns.
 * Burning Wizard, a bustling tavern just as popular among visitors as it was with the locals, located north of the Wizards' Doom Creek rivulet.
 * Feldepost's Inn, an old and comfortable inn, popular among the elderly.
 * Jovial Juggler, part inn, part dancing, and drinking club, the Jovial Juggler was a favorite among the young people of Beregost.
 * Red Sheaf, the largest inn in Beregost, known for its fast service. The Sheaf offered no entertainment and was favored by merchants who wanted to hold quiet business meetings.

Organizations

 * Bold Axe of Beregost, an adventuring troupe who ventured down the Crumbling Stair in the late 14 century DR.
 * Craumerdaun, an Amnian merchant family that established a horse-breeding estate in Beregost by the late 14 century DR.
 * Faulkon's Trading, a merchant company operating out of Beregost as of the late 14 century DR.

Individuals

 * Gurke, a dwarf who was robbed by a band of tasloi in the Cloak Wood in 1368 DR.
 * Halindar Droun, a bard author of Tears Never Cease ballad penned in 1330 DR.
 * Landrin, a gnome whose home became infested with giant spiders in 1368 DR.
 * Mirianne, whose husband died in 1368 DR during a trip to Amn, ambushed by ogrillon bandits.
 * Red Sword, the member of the Heralds of Faerûn residing in Beregost.
 * Shadow Thieves of Amn maintained presence in Beregost though Silhouette Idriane Nethis in the late 14 century DR.
 * Zhurlong, hin thief active circa 1368 DR.

Apperances

 * Adventures
 * Hoard of the Dragon Queen
 * Novels
 * Baldur's Gate &bull; Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad
 * Elminster: The Making of a Mage &bull; The Lost Library of Cormanthyr &bull; Swords of Eveningstar
 * Video Games
 * Baldur's Gate
 * Video Games
 * Baldur's Gate