The sewers of Baldur's Gate were a sanitation system of tunnels beneath the city[2] whose operation was maintained by the Master of Drains and Underways.[3]
Structure[]
Functionality[]
- Initial System
Due to the city of Baldur's Gate having geographically started life within a steep-sided bowl, the brute majority of its sewer system operated on gravity and pumps.[2]
This sewer system initially consisted of numerous clay pipes with narrow interiors, which could be as big as 6 feet (1.8 meters) in diameter in the largest, lowest sections of the sewers. These pipes were laid in flanged sections that fit into each other and were sealed with concrete. Pipes only got larger in the areas where they met, which were known as junction rooms.[2] Such rooms were typically built in areas where “plugs” were likely to occur in the system, so they had a tendency to back up during storms. Only a few of these rooms had surface shafts with iron rungs set in the walls for use as ladders. Those with access shafts always led up to unmortared, rectangular stone "manholes", that were located on the city streets. This ensured that any overflow onto the surface ran down the street, into gratings further away, and back into the system.[2]
The system's pipes ran horizontal, descending in parallel from the plateau around the bowl. They were flushed by cisterns, which were filled by pumps that pulled seawater uphill from the River Chionthar estuary. These pumps were powered by mules trudging in circles.[2]
As the Gate continued to grow over time, the descending length of pipes got increasingly-long and required the installation of "outer pumps," situated further and further away from the bowl. These were necessary to ensure that waste made its way to the edge of the bowl, where gravity could do the rest of the work and dump it out into the River Chionthar.[2]
The outer pumps were traditionally located in the fortified stone outposts of the Watch to ensure their mechanisms and mules were safe from mischief.[2]
- Expanded System
An underground passage that began on the Fisher's Wharf.
The initial system failed to account for the tidal nature of the Gate's river estuary washing untreated sewage back into the intake pumps, creating a cycle of sewage that propagated stench and disease. These issues were solved in part by a filtration system designed by the Church of Gond sometime prior to 1368 DR.[2][note 1]
This new filtration system placed beneath the Upper City a number of intermediate-flow pumps and stone cellar settling-chambers[2] with pipes and valves spanning the walls, with the chambers divided into three geographical areas (central, eastern, and western).[4] All together these circulated sewage through gratings and settling “wells” to treat it or use it in the flushing of waste. Both the gratings and the bottoms of these wells required regular cleaning.[2]
Those stone cellars notably connected to the Undercellar, the headquarters of the Iron Throne, and Ducal Palace.[4]
The other major addition of their new system was Sewer Keep,[2] a tower complex located in the Seatower district. This building was designed to treat and purify the waste that left the city's sewer system before emptying it out into the River Chionthar.[5]
Sewer Ecology[]
The creatures most commonly encountered in the central sewers beneath the Upper City in 1368 DR included: gray oozes, green slimes, mustard jellies, ochre jellies, and a tribe of kobolds led by Ratchild.[4]
The creatures most commonly encountered in the western sewers beneath the Upper City in 1368 DR included: ghasts, ghouls, phase spiders, as well as a sentient olive slime named Schlumpsha and his devoted sewerfolk followers.[4]
A swarm of giant beetles infesting the sewers.
Other creatures that could be found within the sewers on occasion included gelatinous cubes,[6] giant beetles,[7] giant centipedes,[8] rats,[6][7][9] giant rats,[10] carrion crawlers,[9] and otyughs.[7]
Surface Connections[]
One of Baldur's Gate's many manholes covers, decorated with the city's coat of arms.
- The underpass of the Basilisk Gate had a manhole entrance into the sewers.[1]
- In the center of the alleyway behind the Glitter Gala was a manhole entrance into the sewers.[1]
History[]
Around 1368 DR, an ogre mage took refuge in the sewers and used domesticated carrion crawlers to cause a string of disappearances in eastern Baldur's Gate, luring victims to the sewers and having them eaten by the crawlers after robbing them. Eventually Gorion's Ward was hired by the Flaming Fist to investigate the disappearances and they confronted the ogre mage within the sewers.[4]
At some point while managing the sewer system and the city's water utilities, Duke Thalamra Vanthampur stumbled upon the subterranean Dungeon of the Dead Three.[11] She would go on to use her authority as the minister of the Department of Drains and Underways to ensure its secrecy,[12] having the portion of the sewers that were beneath Vanthampur Villa cordoned off[13] and building a bathhouse above the dungeon.[11]
Around 1492 DR or 1494 DR,[14][note 2] sewer maintenance supervisor Shaleen Zoraz was leading an effort to extend the sewers beneath the Lower City into the Dungeon of the Dead Three. Not wishing for her secret to be stumbled upon, Thalamra had Shaleen kidnapped and imprisoned beneath Vanthampur Villa.[13]
In the Year of Three Ships Sailing, 1492 DR, a mad mage by the name of Aelis Siryasius took up residence in the sewers and populated his small portion of the system with a small army of grease mephits, grease elementals, and greaseballs.[1]
Rumors & Legends[]
- Rumors abounded of the Blushing Mermaid having a connection to the sewers.[15]
- The Three Old Kegs was said to contain a secret passage linking it with a sewer shaft that came to the surface near the Black Dragon Gate.[16]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ This date is estimated based on the video game Baldur's Gate, which is set in 1368 DR, depicting the city's sewers as having this new filtration system.
- ↑ Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus is set in 1492 DR per the "Baldur's Gate Gazetteer" section (p. 159) and a clarification from the adventure's lead writer. Baldur's Gate III, which is a direct sequel to Descent into Avernus set immediately after its events, is also set in 1492 DR. In an apparent error, pages 7 and 47 of Descent into Avernus describes certain events as occurring "fifty years" after 1444 DR (1494 DR).
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Appearances[]
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References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Larian Studios (October 2020). Designed by Swen Vincke, et al. Baldur's Gate III. Larian Studios.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Ed Greenwood (2021-07-25). Sewers of Baldur's Gate (Tweet). theedverse. Twitter. Archived from the original on 2021-07-25. Retrieved on 2021-07-25.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Matt Sernett, Steve Winter (August 20, 2013). “Campaign Guide”. In Dawn J. Geluso ed. Murder in Baldur's Gate (Wizards of the Coast), p. 38. ISBN 0-7869-6463-4.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 BioWare (December 1998). Designed by James Ohlen. Baldur's Gate. Black Isle Studios.
- ↑ Adam Lee, et al. (September 2019). Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus. Edited by Michele Carter, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 192. ISBN 978-0-7869-6687-5.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Snowblind Studios (December 2001). Designed by Chris Avellone. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. Black Isle Studios.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Black Isle Studios (January 2004). Designed by David Moldanado. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II. Interplay.
- ↑ Adam Lee, et al. (September 2019). Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus. Edited by Michele Carter, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 177. ISBN 978-0-7869-6687-5.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Adam Lee, et al. (September 2019). Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus. Edited by Michele Carter, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 193. ISBN 978-0-7869-6687-5.
- ↑ Adam Lee, et al. (September 2019). Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus. Edited by Michele Carter, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 183. ISBN 978-0-7869-6687-5.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Adam Lee, et al. (September 2019). Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus. Edited by Michele Carter, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 21. ISBN 978-0-7869-6687-5.
- ↑ Adam Lee, et al. (September 2019). Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus. Edited by Michele Carter, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 32. ISBN 978-0-7869-6687-5.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Adam Lee, et al. (September 2019). Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus. Edited by Michele Carter, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 37. ISBN 978-0-7869-6687-5.
- ↑ Adam Lee, et al. (September 2019). Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus. Edited by Michele Carter, et al. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 978-0-7869-6687-5.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1994). Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast. (TSR, Inc), p. 20. ISBN 1-5607-6940-1.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1994). Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast. (TSR, Inc), p. 26. ISBN 1-5607-6940-1.