Baldur's Gate

Baldur's Gate is a metropolis and city-state on the Sword Coast and Western Heartlands blend, on the north bank of the river Chionthar about twenty miles east from its mouth on the Sea of Swords. It is to the south of the great city-state of Waterdeep and to the north of the country of Amn, and is located along the well-traveled Coast Way road. A person from Baldur’s Gate is known as a Baldurian.

This wealthy port metropolis, which according to many accounts its population has superseded that of Waterdeep, is an important merchant city on the Sword Coast. Its strong watch and the presence of the powerful Flaming Fists mercenary company keep the city generally peaceful and safe.

Geography


Baldur's Gate has grown immensely over the past century. During the times of Abdel Adrian and the Dark Alliance, Baldur's Gate was a gigantic city confined inside of a Gate built by the traveler Balduran. This gate is known throughout the Western Heartlands and the Sword Coast as the Black Dragon Gate. However, after the Spellplague, not only did Baldur's Gate's population triple, but its area quadrupled. Inside the Black Dragon Gate, Baldur's Gate was divided into three districts: Bloomridge, the Twin Songs and the Wide. The Outskirts, which extend for miles North, South, East and West of Baldur's Gate, are divided into two districts: the Slums and the Wide. The Wide, which is a market extends into both the Outskirts and inside the Black Dragon Gate.

Bloomridge
The old "city core," Bloomridge is the center of Baldur’s Gate’s prominent aristocracy. Bloomridge is located inside the Black Dragon Gate and is inhabited by aristocracy. It takes up most of the area inside the Black Dragon Gate. It homes all the Taverns, Inns and Manors inside of Baldur's Gate that are well known. Inside Bloomridge, the Crypts of Ilmater lie.

Bloomridge houses many taverns often used by adventurers or nobles:
 * The Blade and Stars
 * A quiet inn known for its high qualities foodstuffs.


 * The Blushing Mermaid
 * Located in the northeastern section of Baldur's Gate, the Blushing Mermaid is an establishment known for its status as a hub of illicit business.


 * Elfsong Tavern
 * A tavern in the southeast known best for its strange haunting, a ghostly elven voice of unidentified origin that can be heard singing quietly at night. However, the voice has since faded.


 * The Helm and Cloak
 * An expensive but well-rated feasting hall popular with both locals and travelers alike. Its upper floor is also rented out to the vast majority of the Knights of the Unicorn.


 * Purple Wyrm Inn and Tavern
 * A Tavern much compared to the Elfsong, but it is more commonly used by merchants and those seeking adventure.


 * The Splurging Sturgeon
 * Located a bit south from the Blushing Mermaid, the Splurging Sturgeon is a small but well-known establishment


 * Three Old Kegs
 * Highly comfortable but only slightly expensive, the Three Old Kegs is perhaps the most highly rated establishment in Baldur's Gate.

There are many manors in Bloomridge as well, these manors are owned by the richest of Bloomridge's nobles and house many servants:
 * Bloodmire Manor
 * A spacious, gothic mansion that was overrun by monstrous experiments in the 1370s.


 * Firewind Manor (formerly House Felldane)
 * Mandorcai’s Mansion
 * A beautiful manor located in Bloomridge and owned by the tiefling Mandorcai.


 * Omduil’s Manor
 * A stately manor owned by the aged Harper sage Omduil.

Twin Songs
Located inside the Black Dragon Gate it is the Temple District of Baldur's Gate, the Twin Songs hosts temples to virtually any god, even evil gods like Bhaal and Bane. Baldur’s Gate has many places of worship. In 1369 DR there were 3 major temples, (devoted to Gond, Umberlee and Tymora ) and many shrines. The Twin Songs is the only place inside the Black Dragon Gate that unifies the cultures of all of Faerûn. These are all found in the Twin Songs District.

Outskirts
The Outskirts are often referred to as the Slums. The Slums extend much further than the Middle Class Area does. The Slums home peasants and poor people alike. They extend past the Winding Water to the Troll Hills, down the Coast Way a little around the Cloak Wood and all the way to the Fields of the Dead, south of the Troll Claws. The portion of the Outskirts around the Black Dragon Gate is a market called the Wide. The slums are home to many beggars and has a horrible smell. The cultures of all of Baldur's Gate and the rest of Faerûn is brought out in the Slums.

The Wide
The Wide is a marketplace inside the Black Dragon Gate and in the Outskirts. It is called the Wide because its stretches around Baldur's Gate and inside the Black Dragon Gate so widely. It is home to many beggars. Like the Slums, the Wide (on the Outskirts) brings together cultures from all around Faerûn.

Related locations
Though Baldur’s Gate is a self-contained city-state it holds a limited influence over neighboring regions and settlements due to its wealth and power.


 * Candlekeep
 * This fortress of scholars and books is the single greatest center of knowledge in all of Faerûn and was also the home of the fabled hero Abdel Adrian.


 * Cloak Wood
 * Located south of Baldur’s Gate, this aged forest is home to many terrible monsters - though its calm waters make it a tempting mooring spot for sailors in spite of this.


 * The Cimarine Isles
 * The Isles lie between the southern Sword Coast and the Moonshae Isles, and they are settled by genasi and Amn trade colonies.


 * Trollbark Forest
 * A large forest just North of Baldur's Gate that is inhabited by all sorts of monsters, it is also home to many bandits and thieves.


 * Troll Hills
 * The mountains just south of Trollbark Forest and North of Baldur's Gate. They are inhabited by many Trolls.


 * Warlock's Crypt
 * A city located in between Trollbark Forest and the Troll Hills, although it is primarily located on the Hills it does extend somewhat into the forest. It is the home to the Lich-Lord Larloch.


 * Wayfork Village
 * A growing village just North of Trollbark Forest, while it too was unaffected by the Spellplague, due to it not being a very large city, most of the Spellplague runners went to Baldur's Gate.


 * Wood of Sharp Teeth(Werewoods)
 * A very large forest that homes many lycanthropes, after his defeat Duke (Lord) Valarken retreated here and began to rebuild its ancient ruins. The villain Ikhal (he served under Valarken) was in charge of the lycanthrope army here and he was going to invade Baldur's Gate with them for Duke (Lord) Valarken. This plan was later thwarted and the lycanthrope civilization of the forest was badly damaged.

Early Years (Creation - 1358 DR


The city takes its name from the great seafaring hero Balduran. Long ago, Balduran sailed to the fabled Anchorome and returned with great wealth, which was used to build the wall around what became Baldur’s Gate. He left the city again, presumably to return to Anchorome, but never returned. It is now (as of about 1368 DR) an insult to misuse Balduran’s name. This can be done easily when attempting to describe a person who inhabits Baldur's Gate (the correct term is "Baldurian").

At the time, the growing town was controlled by local farmers who mercilessly taxed incoming shipments. This infuriated ship captains, who believed that since the harbor wasn't walled in, its traffic should not be taxed, and they eventually overthrew the farmers. The four eldest captains ruled the city together, and jokingly called themselves "dukes," which stuck.

When the city joined the Lords Alliance sometime in the century of 1200 DR, its main military force was the Company of the Crescent Blade. Eldrith the Betrayer, the leader of the Company, fought in three wars for them: The Sundering War, the Stillwater Port Siege, and the Campaign of the Black Horde. In 1235 DR, the year of the Black Horde, it is known that a huge horde of orcs massed up and besieged many countries. Owing its loyalty to the Lords Alliance, the Dukes sent out the Company of the Crescent Blade. Eldrith, however, betrayed the Duke's and her betrayal led to her death at the formation of the Onyx Tower. It is assumed that from 1235 DR onwards, Baldur's Gate used various policing forces including the Flaming Fists.

The Bhaalspawn (1368 - 1372 DR)
In 1368 DR, the Bhaalspawn Sarevok Anchev orchestrated a major conspiracy to send the city to war with Amn. Using his position in the Iron Throne merchant house, Sarevok made sure that the Sword Coast would suffer from an iron shortage. He planned to use the crisis to take control of Baldur's Gate as its new Grand Duke and then become a god by reviving his father, Bhaal. A rising hero, Abdel Adrian, however, killed Sarevok. Abdel then left Baldur's Gate for Amn, later Tethyr, and returned to Baldur's Gate once his adventures finished.

The Dark Alliance (1374 - 1376 DR)
Revived by her hate for Baldur's Gate, Eldrith the Betrayer spent her time brooding in the Onyx Tower and creating a Dark Alliance, she plagued the two most important parts of the Western Heartlands, Baldur's Gate and the Sunset Mountains. Three heroes, Vahn, Kromlech and Adrianna, attacked by a thieves guild serving the alliance, took refuge in the Elfsong Tavern where they started their vendetta against her. They saved Baldur's Gate from the thieves guild and its first undead crisis before leaving the city.

They wound up in the Onyx Tower where they slew Eldrith causing the collapse of the tower in the Prime Material Plane. Karne, a high ranking Zhentarim, then learned that the leadership of the Onyx Tower was passed on to his arch-enemy, the White Prince, Mordoc SeLanmere. The Zhentarim thus sent agents to prevent the opening of the Onyx Tower, a reading mistook by the Harpers who accidentally activated the tower.

The Tower came to Baldur's Gate and transformed its citizens into zombies. Five unlikely allies, Dorn, Borador, Vhaidra, Allessia and Ysuran, caused the Harpers and Zhentarim to form an unlikely alliance. This alliance led to the rescue of Vahn, Kromlech and Adrianna who joined the five. Together, the eight, slew Mordoc SeLanmere, saving Baldur's Gate from its third undead crisis.

Pre-Spellplague
Grand Duke Valarken, along with his General Ikhal, used a band of lycanthropes known as the Band of the Red Moon to attack Baldur's Gate. His attack led to the dissolution of Baldur's Gate's policing force and the Council of Four. Nearly successful, Valarken (now going by the title of Lord) was defeated by fellow Grand Duke Portyr and the Flaming Fists. The Flaming Fists then took over the role of policing Badur's Gate.

The Spellplague
Unlike Luskan, Baldur's Gate thrived in the Spellplague. This angered the pirates of Luskan who began to torment the city, though their attacks were weak and could be easily defended. The Wide, Baldur's Gate's marketplace was greatly expanded and modernized, while the Twin Songs and Bloomridge too were greatly expanded in size. The Wide's population swelled (as the Black Dragon Gate held only the wealthy) and outside the Wide came the cities outskirts. The Outskirts became inhabited of people who fled the Spellplague, the Outskirts are a bit of vagrant lands, with smell of different cultures from Luskan to Chult, all fleeing the Spellplague.

Attack of Ikhal (1434 - 1435 DR)
In 1437 DR, an Amnite Spy was returning to Amn with valuable information about the nation of Elturgard, he was kidnapped but was later rescued by the Flaming Fists. However, a mysterious group called the Twilight Brotherhood gained the information which threatened the relations of Baldur's Gate and Elturgard.

The new thieves guild of Baldur's Gate decided to follow the steppes of Xantam's Guild and caused a major undead crisis. This crisis, for a time, caused the Elfsong Tavern's ghost to be reanimated. However, the ghost soon returned to peace but left its song playing once again.

The Flaming Fists were then requested by Candlekeep for the return of the Tome of Twisted Truths, written by Mage Maradros. It was stolen by a High Scribe Nithu who decided to sell it to the highest bidder. However, before he could do so, the Flaming Fists returned the tome and destroyed it.

Taking advantage of the various turmoils, Ikhal, who had rebuilt the ruins of the Werewoods into a lycanthrope city attacked Baldur's Gate. Ikhal then kidnapped Ameerah, the daughter of noble Mazak al'Azeem, for a ritual. He sacrificed Ameerah and was about to march on Baldur's Gate, however, the Flaming Fists managed to assassinate him, leaving the Lycanthrope army with no leader and causing it to disband. 

As of 1479 DR, Baldur's Gate not only became Faerun's most powerful and important city, but it also once again become stable. No more is it bothered by Valarken and Amn. It maintained a positive relationship with the nation of Elturgard and the other regions in the Western Heartlands.

Economy


Baldur’s Gate is the greatest center of trade along the entire Sword Coast, having out-competed both Waterdeep and Amn in recent years.

In 1368 DR, stone was usually imported from Mirabar via Luskan for use in construction, having been magically transported. This is an expensive process. By 1479 DR, with Luskan in disarray and with no functional port, along with the destruction caused by the Spellplague across the lands, it is unclear if this trade still occurs.

Baldur’s Gate contains a very effective thieves' guild, as well as a powerful and honest mercantile guild, the Merchant's League. Additionally, the Knights of the Shield and the Knights of the Unicorn are both active in the city. Various thieves guilds have risen and fallen in Baldur’s Gate including Xantam’s Guild and the Hands of Glory. Since the fall of both, the new thieves' guild has arisen.

Government
Baldur’s Gate was once ruled by four grand dukes, the Council of Four. Shortly before the Spellplague, the rulers included Duke Eltan, the then leader of the Flaming Fists, Belt, a powerful warrior and divine spellcaster, Liia Jannath, a mage and Entar Silvershield, the richest man in Baldur’s Gate at the time, but also a strong warrior in his own right. The Council is also part of the Lords' Alliance, which includes Waterdeep and Silverymoon, among others..

Since the attempted coup by Valarken, however, the government underwent a major revision and the only grand duke today is Portyr, who rules at the behest of the Baldurian Parliament.

Foreign relations
At present, Grand Duke Portyr and the Baldurian Parliament are uninterested in involving Baldur's Gate in the affairs of others. For the most part, the city is respected as a neutral power in relation to the other states of the Sword Coast and the Western Heartlands, a reputation it earned in part through its open door policy towards refugees during the fallout of the Spellplague. Perhaps more importantly, Baldur's Gate, while undoubtedly a rich prize, is so well-defended by its massive walls and well-trained Flaming Fists protectors that few would ever seriously consider invading and occupying the city.

Historically, Baldur's Gate has had a long enmity with its southern neighbor, Amn, which nearly resulted in war during the Iron crisis of 1368 DR. Recently, however, the only major threats to Baldur's Gate are the pirates operating out of the ruins of Luskan or the merchants of Waterdeep, who resent the city's growing wealth and power. Baldur's Gate has allies in the Lords' Alliance and the nation of Elturgard.

Appearances

 * ''The Halfling's Gem
 * Baldur's Gate
 * Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance computer game
 * Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II computer game

Non-canon
'' Games are superseded by the higher-ranking novels in continuity. Games, where they contradict sourcebooks or novels, are considered non-canon. ''


 * Baldur's Gate computer game

Sourcebooks
2nd Edition D&D 3rd Edition D&D 4th Edition D&D

Baldurs Tor