Baldur's Gate/The Wide

The Wide was a district in the Upper City of Baldur's Gate that served as a vast, sprawling marketplace. It was a place where Baldurians and outsiders alike could gather together to gossip, trade, debate politics and discuss issues of the day, or otherwise conduct their business within the city. It's reputation as a market and public forum was well-known across Faerûn, as far away as the nation of Thay.

Description
The main attraction of the Wide were the vast number of temporary stalls and booths that were operated by merchants, artists, artisans, fortune-tellers, hedge wizards, sages—or whomever had a service or good to sell within Baldur's Gate. A great variety of commodities were offered within, from textiles and spices from the Shining South to locally-made tools or silk from foreign lands. These stalls often featured brightly-hued awnings that caught the eye, and their purveyors offered prices that were lower than anywhere else it the city.

Tables were set up between the stalls, upon which folks could sit and take a brief reprieve from the bustle of the crowds.

The typically musky smell that permeated the Gate was masked by the scent of spices, tobacco and roasted meats that were prepared nearby.

Activities
During daylight hours, the Wide was absolutely packed, with shoppers and visitors standing shoulder-to-shoulder.

To manage deliveries through the crowds, the young and strong couriers wore tall poles strapped to their torsos, at the top of which was attached the load they were tasked with delivery. These "pole-carters" were offered significant protection from thieves while in the market and carried their goods in a traditional fashion when they entered into the narrow streets of the surrounding city.

Notable Locations

 * Businesses:
 * Harbreeze bakery:


 * Landmarks:
 * The Beloved Ranger: The only permanent structure within the marketplace proper was a statue of the heroic Rashemi adventurer Minsc. The statue was "destroyed" by a surge of wild magic in the early 1480's.


 * Temples:
 * Rose Portal: A stone archway that served as a shrine to Lathander
 * Unrolling Scroll: The major shrine of Oghma featured a podium from which Baldurians could disseminate knowledge and wisdom to their fellow citizens