# Chapter 6: Baldur's Gate *Source: Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn, p. 191* > [!readaloud] > > Baldur's Gate is a bustling metropolis where money comes first and life is cheap. Cosmopolitan and crowded, the city draws innumerable visitors from across the Sword Coast. > > Baldur's Gate was founded many years ago by the hero Balduran, but it quickly outgrew its founder's vision as merchants, pirates, and laborers expanded the town into a city. The city flourished because Baldur's Gate is perfectly situated as a trade nexus. Major roads along the Sword Coast and beyond meet where the wide and deep Chionthar River allows seagoing vessels easy access to Gray Harbor. > > The city is deeply stratified, both physically and socially. Wealthy aristocrats of the Upper City, called patriars, stay within their ivy-shrouded manors. Working people in the Lower City drive trade from roads and harbors. Refugees and poor residents make what homes they can in the Outer City. Sturdy walls and gates divide these three districts. > > Baldur's Gate has seen its share of dangers in recent years. Cultists of sinister gods promote murder, tyranny, and necromancy in shadowy lanes and hidden rooms. A powerful thieves' guild, so ubiquitous as to be known only as the Guild, lines its pockets at the expense of the citizenry and visitors. Innocent-seeming citizens secretly worship fiends or are fiends in disguise. Cargo from across the world provides the city with wonders and wealth, but it also conceals curses from distant lands. Danger and opportunity aplenty wait in the bustling city, and people who are smart or lucky can make a reputation and a fortune. ^3b0  ## Baldur's Gate Campaigns Baldur's Gate encourages tales of urban intrigue, vengeful antiheroes, and stakes beyond life and death. The city's denizens are flawed, cynical, full of life, and vulnerable to sinister threats. ### Gritty Urban Fantasy Trade is the paramount purpose of this busy, bustling city. A staggering amount of wealth flows through Baldur's Gate, but it's held by tight-fisted merchant houses and decadent aristocrats enriching themselves with no concern for the common good. The grim nature of Baldur's Gate is mirrored in its appearance. The city's yellow-marble and dark-wood buildings are perpetually grimy. Dark and dismal buildings loom within stout, stained walls. Although the city offers unparalleled opportunity, many live here because they have nowhere else to go. This is particularly true in the squalid Outer City, but even noble manors in the Upper City hold desperate occupants who can't conceive of a better life. Desperate people live in desperate situations in Baldur's Gate, seeking small measures of happiness despite their surroundings. ### Morally Ambiguous Characters Naive goodness has little place in Baldur's Gate. People keep to their own affairs and are unwilling to risk generosity to strangers. Moral flexibility is needed to thrive in this city. While truly wicked folk are rare, those willing to make accord with criminals or monsters can accomplish more than idealists. The heroes of Baldur's Gate are vigilantes doing what's needed to keep the worst elements of the city at bay. ### A Price for Everything Baldur's Gate runs on commerce, and anything can be found for sale within the city. The city's elite sell authority and justice. The city's seediest markets sell drugs, poisons, and lives. Similarly, every success earned in the city comes at a cost. A true love gained might have a fiendish heart, a treasure won could bear a sinister curse, and few victories are achieved without the blood of innocents. > [!note] Karlach Cliffgate > > The tiefling barbarian Karlach Cliffgate hails from the Outer City of Baldur's Gate. With a heart as big as her muscles, she's a fierce [defender](/3-Mechanics/CLI/items/defender-xdmg.md) of underdogs. Desperate for coin after her parents' deaths, Karlach became a bodyguard to the cutthroat politician Enver Gortash, but Gortash betrayed her and sent her to the Nine Hells. She spent a decade as a conscripted soldier in the eternal war between devils and demons, and her heart was replaced by an *Infernal Engine*. She appears in *Baldur's Gate 3*. ^karlach-cliffgate ## Power in Baldur's Gate Authority in Baldur's Gate is based on wealth, violence, or influence, and the city's authorities leverage all three. ### Council of Four Baldur's Gate runs on trade, but its government operates at the direction of influential elected rulers: the Council of Four. Consisting of three dukes and one grand duke, this body enacts laws, directs the Flaming Fist and the navy, and—perhaps most important in a trade city—collects taxes. The Council of Four is advised by an assembly of politicians known as the Parliament of Peers (see below). The current grand duke is Ulder Ravengard, an even-tempered soldier who rose to become supreme marshal of the Flaming Fist. Ulder used his experience to ensure his ascent to grand duke in an overwhelming election victory. Defying expectation and tradition, Ulder refused to give up control of the Flaming Fist; he works hard to meet his governmental responsibilities and his military obligations. He's an inspiration to idealists who long for greater fairness and prosperity in the city, but Ulder has a hard time balancing his roles. While his leadership in the Council of Four is remarkably progressive and he has led the city through recent tribulations, his inattention to the Flaming Fist has allowed the mercenary company to slide further into oppression and brutality. The other members of the Council of Four include the distant and ineffective Duke Dillard Portyr, the fiery priest Duke Brevek Faenor (Medium, Lawful Neutral [Archpriest](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/archpriest-xmm.md)), and the strong-willed Duke Belynne Stelmane, who is currently possessed by a mind flayer and struggles for control of her body and her actions. ### Parliament of Peers The Parliament of Peers is an advisory ruling body composed of fifty politicians, mostly patriars. The parliament meets in sumptuously appointed rooms in the majestic High Hall in the Upper City. The Parliament of Peers debates matters of policy, and members make formal recommendations to the Council of Four. Although the parliament doesn't have the power to enact laws, the council relies on influential parliament members to handle significant government affairs and execute the council's edicts, so the council follows parliament's recommendations more often than not. Intrigue is more intense in the Parliament of Peers than anywhere else in Baldur's Gate. Parliament members seek agents who can unearth secrets on their colleagues—or make their own damaging secrets permanently disappear. ### The Watch The Watch is a regimented military force bankrolled by patriars, headquartered in Watch Citadel in the Upper City, and tasked with defending that district and its residents. Although many Watch members never leave the Upper City in the course of their duties, a few might escort a patriar into another part of the city, participate in parades, or pursue spies or assassins into other districts. Watch members are essentially bodyguards for the patriars; they take this position seriously and consider themselves the city's elite forces. Watch members make scheduled patrols through the Upper City during the day, ensuring the district's businesses run smoothly and peacefully. The Watch also staffs the Old Wall separating the Upper City from the rest of Baldur's Gate, keeping an eye on comings and goings in the wealthy district. At dusk, the Watch expels everyone from the Upper City except residents of the district, their designated guests, and their authorized servants, all of whom receive a Watch token authorizing them to be in the district. Watch members pride themselves on knowing every individual who "belongs" in the Upper City after dark. Residents without a Watch token are unceremoniously ejected through the nearest gate into the Lower City. Evening Watch patrols are less scheduled and more combative. They are quick to jail intruders they encounter and are permitted to use force—even deadly force—if they witness a crime. As with all so-called justice in Baldur's Gate, the wealthy or well connected might get away with a stern warning or a fine, while the poor or desperate face far harsher punishments. > [!note] Why Not Let the Law Handle It? > > When characters come across criminal activity in Baldur's Gate, they might want to call the Watch or the Flaming Fist. But there are reasons for a party to handle such problems themselves. > > First, both these groups are notoriously corrupt. Residents know it's better to handle problems yourself or with a few trusted friends. > > Second, the Flaming Fist and the Watch aren't the protagonists of the game. It's not fun for the players to sit back and let nonplayer characters handle problems. > > Discuss with your players what role they'd like law enforcement to play in your game. If you need NPCs to efficiently address a crime—taking a defeated mugger into custody, for example—perhaps members of a local crew arrive instead. Crews can handle such tasks, allowing the characters to mete out justice in more heroic ways. ^why-not-let-the-law-handle-it ### The Flaming Fist  The Flaming Fist is the most powerful and influential mercenary company in Baldur's Gate. The Council of Four pays the Flaming Fist to defend the city, patrol its streets, and punish lawbreakers. The Flaming Fist is headquartered at the Seatower of Balduran, a massive fortress that juts into Gray Harbor. The group's red and gold heraldry is only slightly more well known than its members' smug sense of entitlement and their predilection to quash crime with violence. Because the company's supreme marshal, Ulder Ravengard, is too busy in his current role as grand duke to provide his characteristically firm, well-intentioned leadership, the Flaming Fist is sliding further into heavy-handed bullying and corruption. The Flaming Fist is authorized to mete out punishments for a crime in progress or for recent crimes in which witnesses describe a perpetrator to the Flaming Fist's satisfaction. The Flaming Fist is powerful and known throughout Baldur's Gate, but its authority has limits. The Flaming Fist defers to the Watch for enforcement in the Upper City, so its members rarely venture into the clean, landscaped streets of the patriars. Occasionally, however, patriars send the Flaming Fist abroad on personal missions, even as far as Chult. The Flaming Fist rarely patrols the Outer City, and only in large numbers with a specific goal, such as to capture a fleeing criminal or make a demonstration of might. Although the Flaming Fist staffs a fortress at Wyrm's Rock to collect taxes and raise the bridges of Wyrm's Crossing at night, the guards stationed there prefer working within the security of the fortress's walls. The Flaming Fist is more likely to contract outside agents, such as itinerant adventurers, to investigate crimes in the Outer City. The Flaming Fist is most active in the Lower City, but its members are rarely welcome there. They give preferential treatment to citizens they know and those who show obvious wealth. Favored citizens are more likely to have their problems solved and are less likely to receive a serious punishment when caught committing a crime. Newcomers soon learn what the city's poor have long known: a flogging, heavy fine, or incarceration can befall them simply for being near a crime scene when the Flaming Fist come around. Flaming Fist members with an interest in justice lament their company's heavy-handed reputation. Scrupulous mercenaries understand that facts can be more valuable than a reputation for brutal efficiency, so they surreptitiously leverage informers or independent agents when they want to ferret out the truth. ## People of Baldur's Gate  Baldur's Gate functions through the work of a diverse array of people and professions, from lofty noble families to hardworking dockworkers and traders who arrive with goods from far-off lands. ### Patriars Patriars are the elite nobility of Baldur's Gate. Patriar families enjoy staggering wealth and have established lineages that sometimes—with varying degrees of veracity—date back to the city's founding. Many patriars are heavily involved with businesses in Baldur's Gate and abroad. Other patriars rarely leave their manors in the Upper City and entertain few guests. These reclusive aristocrats stoke rumors of decadent debauches, devil worship, or worse. Some of these rumors only hint at the true villainy these depraved nobles pursue. Some patriars commune with the Dead Three, engage in abhorrent experiments, or plot to destroy Baldur's Gate in exchange for greater wealth and power. They are confident that their status makes them untouchable, and in most cases, they're right. Patriar manors cluster within the walls of the Upper City and tend to be opulent townhomes, with small front yards or courtyards with climbing vines and tall, narrow trees. Patriars vertically expand their residences as their means allows, adding extra stories or refurbishing underground storage chambers or crypts. > [!note] Patriar Interests > > Although Baldurians consider less wealthy patriars to be interchangeable, you can distinguish between families by emphasizing their unique interests. Here are some examples: > > **Bormul** has relations in Amn and owns profitable silver mines and wineries. > **Dlusker** hides its looming poverty by shuffling money between textile mills and slaughterhouses. > **Gist** owns profitable dye works. > **Miyar** supplies and refits caravan wagons. > **Nurthammas** owns Lower City warehouses and supplies ships departing on long voyages. > **Redlocks** secretly finances piracy and smuggling. > **Tillerturn** is a significant property owner in the city, leasing out many homes and shops. > **Whitburn** owns a large slate quarry east of the city that it's having trouble staffing. ^patriar-interests #### Station and Secrets Although pedigree and old wealth are allegedly the foundation of patriar society, patriars are reluctant to show proof of their claims. A written genealogy might hint at infidelities, accounting ledgers might show wealth buttressed by bribes or financial irregularities, and old deeds might be of dubious authenticity. Practically every patriar in Baldur's Gate harbors secrets just as each patriar hungers to learn the secrets that their peers conceal. Patriars instead prefer to generate outré displays of personal wealth and influence, whether genuine or fabricated, to demonstrate their station. Patriars one-upping one another can indirectly benefit the city by their patronage. Families might compete to see who can fund the biggest orphanage, the greatest number of artists, or the largest and most elaborate public fountains. An individual with astonishing wealth (or the appearance of astonishing wealth) and a legitimate-seeming claim to property or family in the Upper City can shoulder into the ranks of the patriars. But any newcomer must be prepared for political infighting and routine backstabbing from patriars who don't want more competition. ### Commoner Crews Commoners suffer from the brutal justice of the Flaming Fist and the snobbish whims of the patriars, but they have one advantage: sheer numbers. Without commoners to keep coin flowing from the docks and roads, Baldur's Gate would grind to a halt. Formal unions and guilds such as the Barrister's Guild exist, but most commoners find protection in the form of crews—loose associations of like-minded people who watch each other's back. > [!note] Joining a Crew > > Characters established in Baldur's Gate, due to either their background or their actions during play, might be invited to join a crew. Although you should provide opportunities for characters to aid crew members in distress, remember the obligation goes both ways: have crew members step in to thwart pursuing Flaming Fist mercenaries or share a useful lead during an investigation. Characters in a crew should feel like their support network is mutually beneficial. You can track this as presented in "Commoner Crew Renown" in the "DM's Toolbox" section later in this chapter. ^joining-a-crew Crews are organized by neighborhood, like the Gravemakers of Tumbledown or the Bloomridge Dandies, or by profession, like the Wisewoman Weavers. Not all these professions are legal or even well defined; for example, the Gateguides consist of lantern bearers who work as city guides. Some crews cross into organized crime: the Honorable Order of Moneylenders includes bankers, loan sharks, and burglars. > [!note] My Best Friends Are Evil! > > Although citizens might suspect their neighbors or rivals are evil, Baldurians judge by actions, not intentions. Antiheroes are supported and celebrated in Baldur's Gate as long as their treacherous or bloodthirsty activities protect the community. A Baldur's Gate campaign is a good place to play morally ambiguous or evil characters. There's plenty of other villainy to face, and Baldurians forgive rough treatment of those who deserve it. ^my-best-friends-are-evil The Harborhands is the most powerful crew in Baldur's Gate. The crew includes dockworkers across Gray Harbor, and a concerted strike can shut down river trade. The human harbormaster Darus Kelinoth (Medium, Lawful Neutral [Noble](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/noble-xmm.md)), who runs the port on behalf of the Council of Four, keeps an uneasy peace with the Harborhands. Crews don't just protect members' homes and workplaces—they also look after their livelihoods. Crew members walk each other home on foggy nights and fill the larders of members recuperating from illness. Close friendships and marriages bind crews together. Various crews might be rivals, but they unite when faced with trouble from criminals, patriars, or the Flaming Fist. Crew members can expect aid—a hot meal, a hiding place, or help in a fight—from members of any crew, not only their own. This aid creates a social debt of reciprocity that a crew must then discharge, which keeps crews working closely together. Competition between crews can be fierce but seldom reaches the level of an all-out street war. After all, neighbors or family members might work in different trades and be members of different crews, or coworkers might live in different neighborhoods and have divided loyalties. ### Urban Denizens Even with support from commoner crews, life in Baldur's Gate is hard. The city runs on coin, each one wrested from someone else. Baldurians expect unfair dealings, trickery, and treachery. Traders look to acquire the best price for cargo, underpaying riverboat crews and dockhands. Bakers fix prices to undermine competitors. Clerks adjust accounting logs to create larger payouts. Construction workers paid to look the other way let a cowled figure weaken a wall to cause an accident—and a new construction contract. Baldurians justify their own misdeeds with a shrug and an insistence that "that's life in Baldur's Gate." ## Danger in Baldur's Gate Evil plots permeate Baldur's Gate, and the urban environment creates opportunities for unique chases and escapes. ### The Dead Three The malevolent deities known as the Dead Three were once evil mortals named Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul. By dying during the Time of Troubles and rising again as quasi-divine entities, the Dead Three found a loophole to remain in Faerûn when other gods were forced to withdraw. Baldur's Gate holds a special interest for them, and their cultists secretly congregate in and beneath the city. A campaign involving the Dead Three might shift the focus from a single cult to a greater plan enacted by the three cults working together. A [Dead Three Scion](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/dead-three-scion-fraif.md) (see chapter 9) makes a good final villain for such a campaign. #### Bane Bane, the god of tyranny, is the mastermind of the Dead Three. He charges his followers to dominate others. His cultists are cunning warriors who tyrannize others through physical might and intimidation. They are often [Toughs](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/tough-xmm.md), [Warrior Veterans](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/warrior-veteran-xmm.md), or [Cultists of Bane](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/cultist-of-bane-fraif.md) (see chapter 9). Many of his followers gravitate to Baldur's Gate because rampant corruption here allows the ambitious and unscrupulous to gain power. Cultists who become members of the Flaming Fist often rise to positions of authority, which they eagerly abuse in their god's name. #### Bhaal Bhaal is the lord of murder—particularly murder that elicits paranoia and terror. His cultists have terrorized the city with carefully crafted murder scenes. Unlike followers of Bane who install themselves in the city's power structures, followers of Bhaal work in secret, infiltrating benign organizations while they plan grisly killings. Bane and Myrkul together barely restrain Bhaal's sadism, and Bhaal's cultists are difficult to control when their bloodlust strikes. They are often [Assassins](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/assassin-xmm.md), [Cultist Fanatics](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/cultist-fanatic-xmm.md), or [Cultists of Bhaal](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/cultist-of-bhaal-fraif.md) (see chapter 9). #### Myrkul Myrkul is a god of the dead. Although necromancy is within his grim interests, he also acquires lore by tormenting spirits of the departed. Myrkul's followers revere knowledge, particularly secrets, and view corpses and spirits as tools to power. Myrkul is aloof and calculating. His cultists—often [Death Cultists](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/death-cultist-xmm.md), [Priest Acolytes](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/priest-acolyte-xmm.md), or [Cultists of Myrkul](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/cultist-of-myrkul-fraif.md) (see chapter 9)—emulate his grim and eerie composure when animating the dead or tormenting a soul to procure its secrets. > [!quote] A quote from Karlach Cliffgate > > "I call the Dead Three 'Yelly,' 'Stabby,' and 'Moldy.' > > Don't tell them I said that." ### Crime Syndicates Several crime syndicates have their claws in Baldur's Gate, orchestrating thefts, murders, protection rackets, smuggling rings, vice peddling, and more. Some of these are vast networks stretching across the Sword Coast, such as the Shadow Thieves and the Zhentarim. The Zhentarim has a particularly tenacious hold on Baldur's Gate due to its close association with cults of Bane; Zhentilars (see chapter 9) further Zhentarim aims in the city. #### The Guild The most significant criminal syndicate in Baldur's Gate is a local organization known as the Guild. The Guild operates throughout Baldur's Gate, but it thrives in the Lower City. The Guild's no-nonsense human leader, the nondescript Nine-Fingers Keene (Medium [Spy Master](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/spy-master-xmm.md)), keeps the organization discreet. To push back against the rise of vigilantes and commoner crews interfering in Guild business, Nine-Fingers Keene insists that the Guild take a lighter touch against hardworking locals and instead focus criminal efforts on visitors, nobles, and those who thwart the Guild's schemes. All Guild crime in a neighborhood falls under the authority of a kingpin. Kingpins leverage threats and bribes to deflect the attention of the Watch and the Flaming Fist onto others. Characters working to put a stop to a rash of Guild-backed crimes might initially contend with a few [Spies](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/spy-xmm.md) or [Toughs](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/tough-xmm.md), but a confrontation with the local kingpin (perhaps a [Bandit Deceiver](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/bandit-deceiver-xmm.md) or a [Spy Master](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/spy-master-xmm.md)) is inevitable. ### Devil Cults Malevolent cults have always been a problem in Baldur's Gate, since the citizenry's "live and let live" attitude toward religion allows evil worship to fester. Recently, the city has seen a rise in cults that venerate and summon devils. A single powerful spellcaster might summon a devil into a rune-carved cellar or shuttered parlor, but more commonly a small group of like-minded cultists pool their power to bring a devil forth. Devils have much to offer desperate or greedy Baldurians: undeserved wealth, status-building connections, and more. Yet devils are far better negotiators than even the shrewdest patriars, so eager diabolists inevitably end up dancing to a devil's whims. Devils happily leverage secret shames to drive cultists to ever more depraved crimes. [Imps](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/fiend/imp-xmm.md); [Erinyes](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/fiend/erinyes-xmm.md); and Fiends that aren't devils, like [Cambions](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/fiend/cambion-xmm.md) and [Succubi](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/fiend/succubus-xmm.md), might also command a devil cult. ### Chases "Chapter 3" of the "Dungeon Master's Guide" presents rules for chases. The following suggestions supplement those rules in Baldur's Gate. #### Lawkeepers Intervene The "Dungeon Master's Guide" describes how to add another group to a chase. The following groups might become involved, pursuing the characters.  #### Complications The following complications work well in any Baldur's Gate neighborhood. You can use this table to replace or supplement the Urban Chase Complications table.  > [!note] One Evil behind Another > > To emphasize the intrigue and danger of Baldur's Gate, use plots where one of these villainous groups masquerades as another. For example, the characters confront a cult of Myrkul and discover that the Guild is manipulating the cult to sow terror while a greater crime is in the works. Or what seems like a simple smuggling ring by a scofflaw crew is being orchestrated by diabolists with a far more sinister goal. ^one-evil-behind-another ## Baldur's Gate Gazetteer > [!gallery] >  >  Baldur's Gate is one of the great cities of the Sword Coast, visited by countless traders and tourists every year. Anything can be bought here if a customer is willing to pay the price. But that price might be high or in a coin the buyer didn't expect. The busy markets near the port and the lavish homes of the patriars belie the deep corruption that permeates every corner of Baldur's Gate. Locals survive in the city by being cautious and trusting their crews. Visitors become marks for the city's many criminals. This gazetteer provides overviews of the sprawling city and its surroundings. Baldur's Gate has the following key areas: **Gates**. The city's neighborhoods are divided by several gates. **Upper City**. The city's decadent nobles live in the Upper City among ornate parks, upscale theaters, and government buildings. **Lower City**. The bulk of the city's hardworking population lives in the Lower City, a lively jumble of taverns, tenements, markets, and docks. **Outer City**. Life is cheap in the slums, caravan stations, warehouses, and criminal establishments that sprawl outside the city walls. **Sewers**. Baldurians know that vice and danger lurk in the sewers beneath their feet. **Beyond the City**. Few dare to settle in the treacherous terrain around Baldur's Gate, but it holds sites of knowledge and wonder. ### Gates Walls with enormous gates, carefully guarded and closed at night, separate the districts of Baldur's Gate. Secret passages between the districts allow risky transit for anyone looking to bypass the sharp eyes of the Watch and the Flaming Fist. #### Inner Wall Gates The following gates connect the Upper City with the Lower City. ##### Baldur's Gate The gate called Baldur's Gate once connected the city to the river docks. The city grew up around it, and the gate is so beloved and important that the city bears its name. ##### Patriar Gates Gond Gate, Heap Gate, Manor Gate, and Sea Gate are collectively known as the Patriar Gates. Although not as well trafficked as Baldur's Gate, these four gates are vital for commerce and travel. #### Outer Wall Gates The following gates are built into the Outer Wall surrounding the Upper City and Lower City. ##### Basilisk Gate Basilisk Gate is the main gate between the Lower City and Outer City. The crowded route leading through the gate is lined with statues of past heroes. The road from this gate leads through the Outer City and across the Chionthar River, connecting to the great Coast Way. ##### Black Dragon Gate Black Dragon Gate is the most direct way to go from outside Baldur's Gate into the Upper City. This well-guarded entrance is named for the stone dragon's head hung on it to commemorate the long-ago victory of a knight against a dragon. The road stretching from the Black Dragon Gate leads north to Waterdeep. ##### Citadel Gate Citadel Gate is the only access point to the Citadel Streets district of the Upper City, where the Watch is headquartered. ##### Cliffgate Cliffgate is small and rarely used, connecting the Lower City to the Tumbledown district of the Outer City. Some days, more corpses than people travel through this gate on their way to Dusthawk Hill's cemeteries. ### Upper City Surrounded by the Old Wall (the original wall built in Balduran's day before the city spread to the river and around Dusthawk Hill), the grand Upper City houses the city's elite and the seats of power. The Upper City is carefully monitored by the well-paid Watch. Upper City neighborhoods include Watch-controlled Citadel Streets, elegant Manorborn, ostentatious Temples, and the open-air market called the Wide. #### Helm and Cloak The Helm and Cloak is made up of two inns: the oppressively solid Helm, which bears a fire giant's imposing helmet over its entry, and the airy and elegant Cloak, which bears a cloak dedicated to Sune hanging over its porch. So many passages link the two neighboring buildings that they're usually discussed as a single enterprise. The Helm and Cloak is upscale, providing high-quality food and lodgings with skillful service. It is a popular place for well-to-do bards and romantics to stay because the surroundings don't distract from their efforts to be the center of attention. The marble unicorn bust at the center of the Helm's large and comfortable common room is a popular token of good luck. Long ago, a band of well-intentioned noble scions from along the Sword Coast gathered to engage in lively adventures. This group was informally headquartered at the Helm and Cloak and met in the common room near the lucky statue. Like-minded locals joined the group to improve their city. This group became known as the Knights of the Unicorn, although whether this name derives from the lucky mascot or the founders' adoration of Lurue, a god of unicorns, is a topic of debate. Although Baldur's Gate eventually grinds away the good intentions of similar groups, the Knights of the Unicorn has continued its good work in and around Baldur's Gate to this day. Two retired members, the humans Vedren and Halesta (Medium [Knights](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/knight-xmm.md)), purchased the Helm and Cloak and now run the establishment, acting as mentors to continue the group's noble legacy. #### High Hall A soaring castle of polished, yellow marble, the High Hall is the seat of city government. The Council of Four has its offices here. Gold-edged tapestries drape the meeting rooms of the Council of Four and the Parliament of Peers. Ample nooks containing statues and fine furniture provide private places for whispered conspiracies or backstabbing intrigues. Most non-politicians who visit the High Hall—from patriars to commoners—do so as part of court proceedings, which are so biased in favor of the wealthy that trials barely take a few minutes. Well-paid magistrates pat themselves on the back for running the most efficient courts on the Sword Coast before retiring to their manors to enjoy a suspiciously decadent lifestyle. Barristers who pursue actual justice are rare. Adventurers might need to appear in court to defend themselves or an ally. The High Hall includes administrative offices, libraries of legal and historical lore, and a museum containing Balduran's regalia. Anyone seeking information about the city might brave the bureaucracy of the High Hall to browse this trove of lore. Legends say that peering into the founder's legendary spyglass, even through the thick glass of its display case, provides wondrous visions of distant places. > [!gallery] >  >  #### Unrolling Scroll The Unrolling Scroll is an elegant temple of Oghma built around a wide reflecting pool. The vaulted roof above the pool bears exceptional acoustic properties, carrying even the softest voices across the venue. The site is a popular place for weddings or speeches, even among those who don't worship Oghma. Patriars will postpone a family wedding for multiple tendays to secure a reservation at the venue. Despite its longstanding popularity, the Unrolling Scroll is declining. Brevek Faenor, who once held a position at the temple, left to lead services to Gond at a nearby temple called the High House of Wonders. Now that he's joined the Council of Four, Brevek nurses his old grudge against the Unrolling Scroll by diverting funds away from it, pushing the temple into desperate economic times. ##### Speaking Chambers Private rooms called Speaking Chambers surround the temple. These rooms serve as worship spaces and as galleries where priests of Oghma teach oratory, diction, music, and musical theory. Spiritual activities at the Unrolling Scroll are provided by [Priest Acolytes](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/priest-acolyte-xmm.md) and [Performers](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/performer-xmm.md). The priest in charge of oratory and diction lessons, an elderly human named High Speaker Thaulem (Medium [Performer Maestro](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/performer-maestro-xmm.md)), is particular about the students he takes on. His office is wallpapered with awards received by his past students. Musicians offer lessons in music and musical theory. The chambers ring with the sounds of [flute](/3-Mechanics/CLI/items/flute-xphb.md), [viol](/3-Mechanics/CLI/items/viol-xphb.md), and yarting—an instrument akin to a guitar. The curate, a pious dwarf named Valgagar (Medium, Lawful Neutral [Priest](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/priest-xmm.md)), has served at the Unrolling Scroll longer than anyone else. He loiters around the Speaking Chambers, gruffly extolling the virtues of the spoken word over music. ##### Reflective Pool The Unrolling Scroll's reflective pool provides inspiration from Oghma, but not without dedication. Anyone who spends 12 consecutive hours looking at their reflection in the pool sees their reflected face shift into a vision that inspires their next creation. Since anyone who isn't an inhabitant of the Upper City is ejected after dark, inspiration seekers approach the pool at dawn and stay all day, becoming unexpected guests at any ceremony or event occurring that day. ##### Other Areas Within the ring of Speaking Chambers, a wide colonnade separates the "artistry" from functional rooms such as kitchens, storerooms, and a bookbindery used exclusively for holy texts. Tight security isn't needed in these chambers despite their open layout, because priests work at the Unrolling Scroll around the clock and quickly intercept unfamiliar intruders with a long-winded diatribe about being respectful when on holy ground. #### Watch Citadel  The Upper City's police force uses the Watch Citadel as their barracks, armory, training grounds, and jail. An iron-fisted dwarf named Osmurl Havanack (Medium, Lawful Neutral [Warrior Veteran](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/warrior-veteran-xmm.md)) is the citadel's high constable and marshal of walls. High Constable Havanack understands that the patriars demand unquestioned integrity from the Watch, and he punishes misconduct harshly. Watch Citadel holds the only horse stable within the walls of Baldur's Gate. This stable houses the Watch's well-trained mounts, which they principally ride in parades and as honor guards. In time of great need, the Watch uses its horses to respond to crises, but officers are aware that charging horses through the streets is likely to cause panic. Watch Citadel sits at the heart of a small, walled neighborhood called Citadel Streets. Businesses that cater to the military, such as weaponsmiths and tailors, thrive here. Crossing through the closely guarded Citadel Gate—the only gate into Citadel Streets—can be a challenge, but this is the best place to eavesdrop on Watch members to learn their internal politics, patrol routines, and concerns. Watch members commiserate with each other in a row of taverns called Last Watch Row. Patriar Watch officers live in manors elsewhere in the Upper City, while non-patriar officers live in the Watch Citadel or in modest family homes in other Upper City neighborhoods. The few manors in Citadel Streets are owned by wealthy non-patriar citizens of the Upper City. These citizens use their homes to flaunt their wealth and leisure to low-ranking Watch members. #### Other Sites Other notable sites within the Upper City include the following. ##### Bormul House The patriar Bormul family living in this stately town house has no reason to be suspicious of the unassuming crates deposited in their basement by a visiting relative a year ago. They also don't realize that the recent murders by a serial killer named the Basilisk Prowler (Chaotic Evil [Ghost](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/undead/ghost-xmm.md)) originate from their house. The Basilisk Prowler hunts around Basilisk Gate but is tied to the grave goods in the crates, which the relative left behind to rid his estate of the haunting. For now, the ghost remains undetected. ##### Cottle's Wainwright Once a humble wagonmaker's shop, Cottle's Wainwright, near Black Dragon Gate, now manufactures carriages for patriars visiting the countryside or for those aristocrats able to afford to rent Watch mounts for temporary personal use. The business's former owner, Narwin Cottle (Medium [Noble Prodigy](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/noble-prodigy-xmm.md)), recently turned over day-to-day production to his staff so that he can concentrate on running a magical coach service using his custom-built horseless coaches (see "Cottle's Carriages" later in this chapter). ##### Eomane House The Eomanes arrived on the social scene by acquiring a large manor in the Upper City, but they eschew Upper City connections. Instead, they hold indulgent parties for aspiring socialites from the Lower City. Since these guests risk run-ins with the Watch in the Upper City after dark, they have little choice but to endure the increasingly bizarre and sadistic "games" held in the manor. The four Eomanes fell into secret worship of Bhaal, and they're preparing a slaughter masquerading as a party to demonstrate their devotion. (The "Blood Night" adventure later in this chapter details how the characters might become involved in this murderous spree.) ##### Harbreeze Bakery Locals love the sugarbread loaves produced by Harbreeze Bakery, but it's better known for its wide array of teas. Patriars like to sip tea and gossip, making the gregarious human owner Ellyn Harbreeze (Medium, Lawful Neutral [Spy](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/spy-xmm.md)), one of the best-informed citizens of the Upper City. ##### Lady's Hall The inconspicuous Lady's Hall is the temple to Tymora in Baldur's Gate. The building doesn't have enough space for large services—which few adherents of Tymora attend anyway, except on special holidays—so its priests minister in the adjacent plaza. These priests lead troubled petitioners inside the temple for personal pleas to Tymora. If a priest realizes that mortal involvement would be a better way to correct a serious injustice, they seek out adventurers who loiter in the plaza. ##### Ramazith's Tower Ramazith's Tower is a six-story tower made of red brick that contrasts starkly with the yellow-marble buildings common to the Upper City. It was built by the famed wizard Ramazith, whose death was as mysterious as the sudden wealth that funded his tower. Ramazith's tower sat vacant for years before an inquisitive human named Lorroakan (Medium [Mage](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/mage-xmm.md)) acquired it. Humbled by a recent failed bid to achieve immortality through undisclosed means, Lorroakan now seeks brave souls to catalog his tower's contents, some of which are protected with traps and dangerous. ##### Rillyn House The impoverished Rillyn family was returned to prosperity by the efforts of the canny human Yvandre Rillyn (Medium [Warrior Veteran](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/warrior-veteran-xmm.md)). Yvandre left Baldur's Gate to become a mercenary and returned home with great personal wealth and a desire to teach combat skills to others. Her Rillyn School, occupying the wide yard next to Rillyn House, has become an elite academy for swordplay popular with patriar scions. ##### The Wide The Wide is the most prominent outdoor market in the city. People buy and sell items in makeshift stalls in other open-air public venues across the city, but city law forbids outdoor sales within the city other than at the Wide. This restriction ensures that businesses elsewhere in the city can be conveniently taxed, and by pushing open-air business to the Wide, tax collectors ensure the city reliably receives its cut of this trade. Jedren Hiller (Medium, Lawful Evil [Bandit Crime Lord](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/bandit-crime-lord-xmm.md)) is the notoriously corrupt Bailiff of the Wide, who leverages preferential stall placements to line his own pockets. The Wide's most popular landmark is a statue commemorating one of the city's greatest heroes, a Rashemi ranger named Minsc who fought for the city with his miniature giant space hamster, Boo. ##### Three Old Kegs The inexpensive inn and tavern called the Three Old Kegs is popular among the Flaming Fist. Several warriors who retired from that company live there. Their presence makes the tavern and the area around it one of the safest public places in the Upper City. ##### Watchful Shield The Watchful Shield is a shrine to Helm that is popular with mercenaries and bodyguards. Members of the Watch and the Flaming Fist sometimes come here to have serious wounds tended, as the clergy waives the usual required donation for anyone injured while defending another. ### Lower City The Lower City's streets clatter with traffic, its shops ring with people at work, and its homes echo with the laughter and cries of city life. Here, commoners gather in crews for protection. Lower City neighborhoods include fashionable Bloomridge, poverty-stricken Brampton, cosmopolitan and thief-riddled Eastway, residential Heapside, rough-and-tumble Seatower, and the commercial Steeps. #### Blushing Mermaid When sailors and traders along the Sword Coast think of Baldur's Gate, they think of the Blushing Mermaid. Within this boisterous, mazelike taproom and inn, booze is plentiful and brawls are common. No one of any sense enters without a weapon or tough companions, as a fight is likely to break out at any time—and often multiple times each night. Bar fights ending in fatalities aren't uncommon, and the back alley always has room for a corpse or two. The Blushing Mermaid takes its name from a macabre trophy hanging above the welcome desk: a life-size wooden mermaid with a wide smile. Nailed to the mermaid are several shriveled severed hands whose owners didn't pay their tabs. ##### Rooms Although the Blushing Mermaid rents rooms, rest doesn't come easy in a noisy building where burglars are regulars. Each room bears heavy locks, but wise patrons share a room and keep a watch. The inn's secrecy is an additional defense; the Blushing Mermaid's rooms aren't numbered, and most are down twisting halls or behind hidden panels. Guests rest when no one other than the proprietor, the boisterous human Captain Grisly (Medium [Pirate](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/pirate-xmm.md)), knows where they are. Captain Grisly's only loyalty is to coin and to the mysterious patriar who funds her establishment. ##### Criminal Contacts The Blushing Mermaid is infamous as a nexus for meeting criminals or conspirators with interests ranging throughout the city. The Guild places agents here looking for work or to exchange information; currently, the sly halfling Aubrin Merrymiles (Small, Chaotic Neutral [Scout Captain](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/scout-captain-xmm.md)) is the resident contact for anyone seeking the Guild. The Zhentarim and other criminal syndicates also keep members in residence at the Blushing Mermaid, but anyone seeking them out needs the right password to avoid a knife in the guts. Although the Blushing Mermaid is a notorious haven for crime, the Flaming Fist never visits it or pursues criminals who pass beyond its wooden mermaid. Baldurians point to the establishment as proof of the Flaming Fist's obvious corruption. #### Garmult's House of Mastery > [!gallery] >  >  The talented martial artist Garmult (Medium, Neutral Good [Gladiator](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/gladiator-xmm.md)) earned their way to second in command of the Bannerless Legion, a crew of freelance mercenaries and bounty hunters. With this position came the obligation to run the House of Mastery, the training school and alehouse that serves as the crew's headquarters, if only because the Bannerless Legion's human leader, Dezri "Guts" Lamouer (Medium [Warrior Veteran](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/warrior-veteran-xmm.md)), didn't want the trouble. Garmult took to the position with gusto, creating a safe if rowdy place where aspiring warriors can learn the basics of fighting and celebrate their accomplishments. It wasn't long before Garmult's name was appended to the establishment, which suits Garmult's ego just fine. The Bannerless Legion isn't particularly welcoming of outsiders, but Garmult is friendly to anyone who can beat them in a fight. Over drinks upstairs, Garmult gladly shares leads about people who need guarding or bounties to be claimed in exchange for a nominal finder's fee. These jobs are too delicate or politically sensitive for the Bannerless Legion to handle, such as guarding an unpopular patriar who wants to visit the Outer City or recovering a killer hiding out within an influential Harborhands crew. ##### Lessons Fighting lessons and group sparring matches occur in an open atrium on the ground floor ringed by balconies where crowds cheer on participants. Garmult insists that sparring at the school be nonlethal and consensual. Not everyone in the Bannerless Legion agrees with Garmult's predisposition for closely regulated violence, but they don't dare contradict the school's leader at the risk of becoming unwelcome in the bar on the building's top floor. The building's steep stairs pose a serious problem to anyone too deep in their cups. ##### Garmult's Grudge Garmult harbors an ardent hatred for the patriar Yvandre Rillyn. Yvandre's former career as a mercenary with the Flaming Fist taught her fighting skills she passes on to other patriar scions in her Rillyn School in the Upper City. Garmult isn't foolish enough to think that patriars would send their children to learn elegant swordplay at a rough-and-tumble school in the Eastway, but nevertheless considers Yvandre an upstart competitor. Garmult is looking for aspiring warriors to engage in a formal duel against the rival school—or to enact some sabotage if Yvandre rebuffs Garmult's challenge.  #### Gray Harbor Gray Harbor, a deep harbor on the Chionthar River, is one of the busiest ports on the Sword Coast. Enormous powered cranes contributed by the temple of Gond loom over wharves and floating docks. The dock is busy at all hours with ship traffic from as close as Rivington and as far away as Chult. Human harbormaster Darus Kelinoth (Medium, Lawful Neutral [Noble](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/noble-xmm.md)) oversees ship traffic, ensuring the city collects appropriate taxes from the river trade. These heavy taxes make smuggling a lucrative but harshly punished career at the docks. The true power at the docks—the large dockworker crew known as the Harborhands—cares little whether its work comes from legitimate or illegitimate sources, as long as it gets paid fairly. Legends tell of a river monster named Ol' Cholms that lurks in the depths of the harbor. A recent spate of mysterious sinkings might be due to something as simple as sabotage, or Ol' Cholms might be reawakening. Harbormaster Darus might loosen his tight purse strings to hire adventurers who can deal with Ol' Cholms. The [Sahuagin Warriors](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/fiend/sahuagin-warrior-xmm.md) that lurk in the harbor aren't likely to make such an expedition easy. #### Water Queen's House The Water Queen's House is the oldest temple in Baldur's Gate. Devoted to Umberlee, the capricious ruler of the seas and sea monsters, the Water Queen's House squats at the end of a stone pier as if it were ready to tumble into the Chionthar River. The muddy stone structure is strong, though; its base extends deep into the stone beneath the river. The temple is staffed by twenty waveservants, women widowed or orphaned by the sea. It is closed to outsiders; waveservants near the pier take donations and requests for Umberlee's intercession. The waveservants reverently walk these gifts down stone stairs into the water, but the gifts serve a fell purpose: the priests of the Water Queen's House deal regularly with [Sahuagin Warriors](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/fiend/sahuagin-warrior-xmm.md) and a trio of [Sahuagin Priests](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/fiend/sahuagin-priest-xmm.md) that lurk in the river. The sahuagin avoid troubling Baldur's Gate, thanks to these offerings, and the waveservants point out specific ships or seaside buildings they want the sahuagin to destroy. Anyone approaching the Water Queen's House from underwater is fair game for the sahuagin. The waveservants in the Water Queen's House are led by the commanding human Allandra Grey, (Medium, Chaotic Evil [Priest](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/priest-xmm.md)). Allandra has noticed sahuagin gathering in greater numbers in the waters near the temple. She's tried to keep them at bay by recruiting two [Water Elementals](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/elemental/water-elemental-xmm.md), but she worries the sahuagin won't remain passive much longer. To keep her temple's arrangement with the vicious sahuagin a secret, she seeks to hire adventurers to discover what's causing them to swarm. The situation is more serious than Allandra realizes. The sahuagin priests have already usurped control of Allandra's elementals and are preparing for the arrival of their leader, a [Sahuagin Baron](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/fiend/sahuagin-baron-xmm.md) named Skurr, who rides a [Hydra](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/monstrosity/hydra-xmm.md). When Skurr arrives, the sahuagin will murder their way through the city, starting at the Water Queen's House, until they recover a sacred conch brought to the city by an unscrupulous trader. #### Other Sites Adventurers might find the following sites within the Lower City to be of interest. ##### Baldur's Mouth The human Ettvard Needle (Medium, Chaotic Good [Commoner](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/commoner-xmm.md)) runs the Baldur's Mouth news agency from a modest warehouse in Heapside. He publishes news from government sources and his own network of rumormongers in an eponymous broadsheet. Not only a repository for gossip, the broadsheet is also a good source for risky job opportunities, as Ettvard hires freelance investigators to ferret out rumors he can publish. ##### Blade and Stars A round shield once hung above the door to the unassuming Blade and Stars inn. The shield belonged to Aurayaun, one of the two owners, and bore the image of a curved blade that twinkled with motes of light like tiny stars. The shield disappeared one night not long ago, along with Aurayaun. Her wife, Lupin (Medium, Chaotic Good [Commoner](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/commoner-xmm.md)), has received parcels with shattered bits of the shield painted with constellations. The last piece just arrived, and she seeks adventurers who will follow this strange starry map and bring Aurayaun home. ##### Candulhallow's Funeral Arrangements Corpses across Baldur's Gate are collected by the Candulhallows, a family of elves who have worked their trade in Baldur's Gate as long as anyone can remember. Their public service is marred by rumors that the Candulhallows are necromancers or worse. These rumors barely touch the truth: the family's matriarch, Leylenna Candulhallow (Medium, Neutral Evil [Mage](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/mage-xmm.md)), is a necromancer with ties to a cult of Bhaal operating beneath the city. ##### Counting House The Counting House is a windowless stone building at the edge of the harbor. It operates as a bank, currency exchange, and private vault under its dwarf proprietor, Rakath Glitterbeard (Medium, Lawful Evil [Bandit Captain](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/bandit-captain-xmm.md)). Just as there is much more to the Counting House than meets the eye—its vaults extend deep into the stone beneath the building—Rakath is more than he appears. Not only does he lead the city's banking crew, the Honorable Order of Moneylenders, but he's also the Guild kingpin for the Steeps. ##### Eastway Expeditions Eastway Expeditions is an outfitter specializing in goods for explorers heading to distant Chult. Its tiefling owner, Scalm Shilvin (Medium [Spy](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/spy-xmm.md)), runs a side business in getting people onto outgoing ships in secret, providing safe escape from Baldur's Gate for people who need it. ##### Elfsong Tavern One of the most popular taverns in Baldur's Gate, the Elfsong Tavern is operated by its elf proprietor, Alan Alyth (Medium [Commoner](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/commoner-xmm.md)). The tavern's boisterous patrons hush at irregular times when a disembodied song fills the tavern, lamenting a love lost at sea. ##### Harborside Hospital Those who can't afford priestly aid for their injuries come to Harborside Hospital in the Brampton neighborhood. An efficiently run facility with separate wards for each city neighborhood, the hospital has been instrumental in containing the spread of illness throughout the city. The hospital is near Cliffgate, where bodies can be carried to the city's graveyards. ##### Hissing Stones The Hissing Stones is an elegant Chessentan bathhouse in the Seatower neighborhood that is popular for clandestine assignations. Patrons wear only the thin robes provided by the bathhouse, making it safe. The bathhouse is a good place to meet with members of the Reveler's Union, who sell secrets to the highest bidder. ##### Insight Park Once a dump in the Lower City's southeast corner, Insight Park is now a popular destination for residents. A dwarf named Torimesh (Medium, Lawful Neutral [Druid](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/druid-xmm.md)) used his magic to grow a pleasant forest atop the heaped trash. Torimesh can pull bark from one of the trees to divine the future, but he does so only in exchange for cryptic favors. ##### Jopalin's Once a seedy tavern, Jopalin's is now an elegant teahouse. The tea is secretly laced with subtly addictive moonflower leaves that drive customers to return. [Toughs](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/tough-xmm.md) from the tavern cause anyone who might expose their racket to disappear. ##### Low Lantern Low Lantern is a raucous feast hall situated in an unseaworthy old ship—only the sturdy dock it's lashed to keeps it afloat. Patrons on the upper deck have an excellent view of the harbor, while patrons belowdecks engage in gambling or skulduggery. ##### Mandorcai's Mansion Appearing out of nowhere on a vacant lot more than twenty years ago, Mandorcai's elegant mansion soon became the talk of the Bloomridge social scene. Its master, the inscrutable wizard Mandorcai, famously hosted parties that he barely attended. Mandorcai disappeared one evening as mysteriously as he came, but the house remains, boarded up and empty. Those peering through its shuttered windows swear they've seen rooms shift and change while chain-wrapped creatures ([Chain Devils](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/fiend/chain-devil-xmm.md)) drift through them like sinister spirits. ##### Seatower of Balduran The headquarters of the Flaming Fist, the Seatower of Balduran juts into Gray Harbor on a rocky islet. Festooned with siege weaponry mechanically enhanced by Gondian ingenuity, the fortress is well equipped to repel maritime incursions into the city. It sits atop three levels of dungeons that serve as a prison the Flaming Fist keeps full of dissidents and petty criminals. ##### Seskergates When the Sesker merchant family died under tragic circumstances, their manor, called Seskergates, was purchased by a scheming human from Athkatla named Imbralym Skoond (Medium, Neutral Evil [Mage](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/mage-xmm.md)). Imbralym and his sinister entourage of [Mage Apprentices](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/mage-apprentice-xmm.md) are tearing up the manor's interior in search of a magical tome. Hidden tunnels into the sewers brought other malevolent monsters, including a [Nothic](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/aberration/nothic-xmm.md); these creatures have allied with Imbralym and joined the search. ##### Shrine of the Suffering This simple shrine to Ilmater, called the Shrine of the Suffering, stands at the edge of a public plaza filled with desperate people seeking Ilmater's grace. Several levels of simple crypts extend beneath the shrine, where even the poor in the city can afford a simple niche so they can be buried on holy ground. ##### Smilin' Boar The halfling Jentha Allinamuch (Small, Chaotic Good [Commoner](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/commoner-xmm.md)) chose the stodgy Bloomridge neighborhood to open her bawdy breakfast restaurant, the Smilin' Boar. Her scandalously named dishes have caused a stir, and business is brisk. ##### Sorcerous Sundries Sorcerous Sundries is a tall tower with a stained-glass domed roof. It has residences in the upper levels and a popular magic shop on its lowest levels. Its proprietor is an eccentric human wizard named Rivalen Blackhand (Medium [Mage](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/mage-xmm.md)). Adventurers like dealing with Rivalen because he pays in coin for magic items and doesn't ask questions about bits of blood or bone on these items. Rivalen's frequent dealings with the Guild have made him a cunning negotiator, and Guild agents accost wealthy sellers who earn his disdain. ### Outer City > [!quote] A quote from Karlach Cliffgate > > Hey, Cliffgate, that's me! Our family lived just outside the gate we're named for. My folks worked in Cliffside Cemetery. Were buried there too. Later on, I moved them to a Lower City graveyard so I could visit more often. Hi, Mum. Hi, Dad. The most dangerous district in Baldur's Gate, the Outer City is the only place many travelers and citizens can afford to dwell. It's lively with the noise of animals, as it's filled with stables, slaughterhouses, and other industries forbidden within the city walls due to regulations against admitting animals larger than a peacock. Outer City neighborhoods include elegant and fortified Little Calimshan, quiet Norchapel, eclectic Sow's Foot, workaday Stonyeyes, devout Twin Songs, and foggy Tumbledown. (For Rivington, considered by some part of the Outer City, see "Beyond Baldur's Gate" below.) #### Cliffside Cemetery The foggy neighborhood of Tumbledown sits against Dusthawk Hill right outside Cliffgate. The neighborhood's principal purpose and greatest industry is the Cliffside Cemetery, a repository for the dead of Baldur's Gate. Though wealthy patriars are laid to rest in family vaults beneath their manors, poor but pious folk pay for a niche in the Shrine of the Suffering's crypts, and dockside murder victims end up in the harbor, everyone else comes to Cliffside Cemetery. Tumbledown is home to embalmers, coffin makers, gravediggers, professional mourners, and other people whose job revolves around the cemetery. Although such people might otherwise know a cemetery remarkably well, Cliffside Cemetery is a veritable maze of mausoleums, monuments, and worn headstones. This maze is vertical as well as horizontal, since the cemetery is built into Dusthawk Hill. Cemetery guides make good money leading visitors to sites of interest. Dusthawk Hill is riddled with natural caverns, and the ground shifts from time to time, jumbling graves' contents and opening dangerous fissures—some with disinterred corpses or coffins protruding from their sides. In Baldur's Gate, grave robbery is distressingly common. Baldurians long ago learned to bury their dead without valuables, but robbers speculate the oldest graves still hold treasures for the taking. Undead are a constant problem in Cliffside Cemetery, from mindless [Zombies](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/undead/zombie-xmm.md) to hungry [Ghouls](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/undead/ghoul-xmm.md) and even [Vampire Spawn](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/undead/vampire-spawn-xmm.md). The local Gravemakers crew arms and trains its members to repel undead from their neighborhood in addition to their duties as gravediggers and caretakers. #### Hamhocks Slaughterhouse The largest slaughterhouse in Baldur's Gate is in the Sow's Foot neighborhood, where the residents are too poor to protest the odors. Hamhocks Slaughterhouse was recently infiltrated by cultists of the Dead Three, whose ritual murders drew attention to Sow's Foot that even the patriars couldn't ignore. Weeks ago, the largest contingent of the Flaming Fist to brave the Outer City in years stormed the slaughterhouse and brought the cultists to justice. Business at the slaughterhouse quickly returned to normal. At least, that's the public perception. In truth, Nine-Fingers Keene, leader of the Guild, orchestrated the assault, leveraging her extensive network to expose the cultists and spur the Flaming Fist into action. Hamhocks Slaughterhouse is now firmly in the Guild's control, and it's become the Guild's largest operation outside the Lower City. The Guild uses shipments of meat to smuggle small goods, deliver messages, and poison targets throughout Baldur's Gate. The affable aasimar administrator Kopali Dunn (Medium, Neutral Evil [Death Cultist](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/death-cultist-xmm.md)) runs the operation and reports to Nine-Fingers Keene. However, Kopali is double-crossing the Guild. A secret follower of Myrkul, Kopali is searching the slaughterhouse for relics of the Dead Three rumored to have been overlooked in the Flaming Fist raid. These investigations are easily justified by her hands-on administration, so she hasn't yet drawn suspicion. Whatever Kopali is looking for promises to bring a new era of death to the slaughterhouse. #### Whitkeep Hostel > [!gallery] >  >  A bright spot of whimsy in Baldur's Gate, Whitkeep Hostel is a commune of mostly gnome artists scaled for small folk. Spontaneous art fairs, eccentric art installations, and colorful tents surround the hostel. Whitkeep Hostel sets a pleasant tone for the entire Whitkeep neighborhood, although the actual labor of running the neighborhood's tanneries, gardens, and trade shops leaves the residents with less time for whimsy than the hostel's residents enjoy. The forest gnome Rust Red (Small, Chaotic Good [Performer Maestro](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/performer-maestro-xmm.md)) runs Whitkeep Hostel—to the extent he deigns to take charge of anything. Artists must respect only a few rules: residents must respect the art of others and spend one day each tenday without lifting any tool used to create art. This is intended to encourage a day devoted to hostel chores or repairs, but some guests shirk this duty to rest while insisting they're following the rule. Baldurians from across the city come to the eclectic concerts, plays, and gallery exhibits in and around Whitkeep Hostel. The hostel's main venue, Six Antlers Hall, is the preeminent place for such shows, and performers commonly fight over who has scheduled which days. Recalcitrant artists use Six Antlers Hall even when a rival is there, sometimes creating inspired, artistic mashups. The hostel's laissez-faire, open-door policy recently led to tragedy. Three artists bunking in the same room were murdered in their sleep. Rust Red is keeping the killings quiet, having told only his recent paramour Eegru Hobbledown. Rust Red asked Eegru to help dispose of the bodies without realizing that Eegru is actually to blame. "Eegru" is a guise for a [Succubus](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/fiend/succubus-xmm.md) named Lhunza who took the form of a gnome animal trainer to corrupt the commune from within. Several artists in residence have fallen under Lhunza's influence, turning aspects of their art eerie and sinister. Lhunza's trained "animals" are [Imps](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/fiend/imp-xmm.md) intent on murdering residents too close to uncovering the truth—and Rust Red is next on their list.  #### Wyrm's Crossing When travelers reach Baldur's Gate from the south, they see a bridge across the Chionthar River that's covered in haphazard wooden structures and bisected by a stone fortress. This bridge is Wyrm's Crossing, the only river crossing for miles. ##### Toll Station Wyrm's Crossing was built as a toll station capable of supporting heavy wagonloads. The Flaming Fist collects the required tolls—plus a bit more—as travelers pass through the huge stone tunnel leading through the keep at the bridge's center. Drawbridges at either end of this tunnel allow the Flaming Fist to block access to the city, which it does daily from dusk until dawn and in emergencies. ##### Wyrm's Rock The toll station is part of the Flaming Fist fortress of Wyrm's Rock, named for the long-dead dragon that laired on the islet. The fortress's two upper levels contain barracks, armories, officers' quarters, and enormous mechanisms to operate the drawbridges. A dungeon level houses prisoners and leads to a small dock at the fortress's base where the Flaming Fist keeps a few fast boats to intercept river traffic. The fortress's commander is the unpopular dwarf Gardak Horn (Medium, Neutral Evil [Mage](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/mage-xmm.md)), whose soldiers wonder how to best arrange his long, fatal fall into the river. ##### Precarious Community To either side of the fortress, the bridge is covered in a wild arrangement of buildings. Many are cantilevered out from the bridge's sides, hang beneath it on ropes, cling to its support pylons, or extend upward to totter precariously above its surface. Here, brave or desperate folk ply travelers with their wares, pick pockets, offer their services as guides, or beg for coin to pay their tolls. Businesses specialize in extracting coin from new arrivals or pulling a few last coins from departing travelers; food stalls, taverns, gambling dens, outfitters, city guides, map sellers, and more jostle for space. #### Other Sites Other Outer City sites include the following. ##### Balduran Looks out to Sea The mysterious magical statue known as Balduran Looks out to Sea appeared at the edge of the Tumbledown neighborhood after Balduran disappeared for the last time. The twelve-foot-tall statue looks over the city and river to the west. The statue moves slightly each year, raising a spyglass or shifting its gaze slightly. Surveyors determined that the statue always looks toward Balduran's Tomb in the distant forest (see "Beyond Baldur's Gate" below). ##### Blackgate Although it's outside the walls of Baldur's Gate, Blackgate isn't technically part of the Outer City. Situated northwest of the city outside the Black Dragon Gate, Blackgate is home to stables, traders, and dwarf blacksmiths that command high prices, and patriars make up most of Blackgate's clients. Blackgate also has significantly less crime and poverty than Outer City neighborhoods to the east, in part due to the Watch's occasional presence while officers guard shopping patriars, but also due to defense-minded crews like the Ardent Smiths. ##### Church of Last Hope The scholarly human Mother Aramina (Medium, Lawful Good [Priest](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/priest-xmm.md)) runs the Church of Last Hope, a combination of multi-denominational chapel and asylum. Mother Aramina takes in those who need quiet rest and treatment for mental-health problems, and she occasionally ventures into the city to offer sanctuary to those in need of such care. It's not clear how she knows someone in the city will need her aid, but her appearance is always timely. ##### Danthelon's Dancing Axe Danthelon's Dancing Axe, an overstuffed outfitter shop, sells any goods an adventurer might need, from weapons and camping gear to saddles and armor. The shop's name comes from the enchanted axe that hovers around the shop after hours to keep potential thieves at bay. The energetic dwarf proprietor Entharl Danthelon (Medium, Neutral Good [Commoner](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/commoner-xmm.md)) falsely claims to have once been an adventurer but is nevertheless a trove of useful advice and job leads. He shares the best opportunities with courteous purchasers who don't haggle with him much. ##### Dusthawk Hill Generations of masons have pulled stone from Duskhawk Hill, an enormous hill of yellow granite, to construct the manors and temples of Baldur's Gate. Still, Dusthawk Hill towers above the Outer City and the city's outer walls. Sea caves beneath Dusthawk Hill flood and empty with the tide, providing a risky place for hiding smuggled goods or fugitives. These tunnels, collectively called the Riverveins, have never been completely mapped. In addition to being a hideout for [Bandits](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/bandit-xmm.md) and a lair for [Stirges](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/monstrosity/stirge-xmm.md), the Riverveins conceal long-hidden treasures and untold secrets. ##### Garynmor Stables and Menagerie Garynmor Stables and Menagerie has two locations: one in Blackgate and another in Stonyeyes. For a reasonable fee, travelers can board their mounts at one location and pick them up at the other to avoid violating the city's prohibition on large animals within its walls. The Stonyeyes location includes a menagerie of strange and dangerous animals, which Baldurians enjoy as a somewhat risky zoo. ##### Oasis Theater In the walled neighborhood of Little Calimshan, refugees and visitors from Calimshan are surrounded by the styles and food of their homeland. Until the neighborhood closes in the late afternoon each day, visitors are welcome at establishments like the Oasis Theater, one of Baldur's Gate's premier entertainment venues. Performances at the Oasis Theater are lively and display phenomenal theatrics, using movable clockwork scenery and realistic illusions to enhance the shows. ##### Sweetjen's Spices This spice shop hangs precariously from the side of Wyrm's Crossing, north of Wyrm's Rock. People from Baldur's Gate can access the shop after dark, when the shop switches from selling mundane spices to selling drugs and powerful poisons.  ##### Unruly Flesh The squat massage parlor called Unruly Flesh in the Twin Songs neighborhood is sandwiched between a shrine to a nameless god of destiny and a woodcarver offering holy symbols from imported wood. The Unruly Flesh's proprietor is a silent, lanky human massage therapist known as Bonepincher (Medium [Cultist of Myrkul](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/cultist-of-myrkul-fraif.md); see chapter 9). Bonepincher keeps a small staff of obsequious attendants (Medium, Neutral Evil [Priest Acolytes](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/priest-acolyte-xmm.md)). Although the attendants insist their master is nonreligious, that's a lie: the group venerates Myrkul. Bonepincher marks patrons having "the right kind of bones" with a magical unguent that inflicts debilitating pain. The attendants bring the pain-wracked victim to the parlor's back rooms, where Bonepincher removes the treasured bones to add to his gory shrine. ### Sewers Secret vice dens, covert passages, slimy cesspits, and monster lairs fester below the streets of Baldur's Gate. Although Baldurians collectively call these "the Sewers," many parts are free from offal and odors. No single creature knows the full extent of this network. #### Dalliance Down An avant-garde nightclub for discerning and wealthy Upper City residents, Dalliance Down can be reached only via the city's sewers. Gondolas replete with pomanders provide the only access to the spot, and the masked gondoliers who pole their visitors through the muck are the model of discretion. Past the metal doors into the club, the filthy tunnels give way to elegance—hanging chandeliers, rich tapestries, and black flowers. Private booths ring a shadowy dance floor, and padded nooks for clandestine conversations abound. Nurra (Neutral [Ogrillon Ogre](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/giant/ogrillon-ogre-xmm.md)) collects the significant door fee and ejects troublemakers. The well-stocked bar is tended by the affable human Titus Dorrevan (Medium, Neutral Evil [Cultist Fanatic](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/cultist-fanatic-xmm.md)), who merely shrugs when asked where he acquires such delectable hors-d'oeuvres—or who owns the nightclub. The owner, a robed [Satyr Revelmaster](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/fey/satyr-revelmaster-xmm.md), spends evenings mingling while disguised as a tiefling hedonist named Prudence. Dalliance Down isn't accessible when the sewer tunnels are running at their fullest, such as after heavy rains. Patrons caught in the nightclub when the waters rise must wait there, possibly for days. The claustrophobia and desperation sometimes plunge visitors from sensuous debaucheries to hellish torments, and survivors rarely speak about what they endured. #### Sewer Keep > [!gallery] >  >  Three stone towers collectively called Sewer Keep loom over the Chionthar River, ostensibly to capture and purify the city's waste before it's released downstream. Although this civic project had the best of intentions, funding dried up shortly after the towers were completed. ##### Sewerkeepers A small group of humans (Medium [Druids](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/druid-xmm.md)) and their three loyal [Shambling Mounds](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/plant/shambling-mound-xmm.md) do what they can to purify the city's effluence. These hardworking druids are members of the Sewerkeepers crew and are among the few associates who aren't smugglers, killers, or thieves. The human Genamine Kopali (Medium, Neutral Evil [Assassin](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/assassin-xmm.md)) runs the crew and works closely with the Guild. The Sewerkeepers occasionally work as paid guides or monster hunters in the sprawling Sewers's dangerous areas, where fatalities can be high. The Sewerkeepers survive these encounters, even when their charges don't; rumors that the Sewerkeepers lure the gullible into the sewers to rob and kill them are, in fact, true. ##### Flood Towers The Sewerkeepers call the three towers the Flood Towers. A cunning valve design pushes water up into these towers, one after another, and back into the river, rather than flooding the complex of storage chambers and bunk rooms built beneath the towers. The druids traverse the narrow passages between the tops of the towers, sealing the hatches behind them as they engage in purifying rites. They assign a single shambling mound to each tower, where the mounds' bodies absorb pollutants. When effluent runs thick, they move all three creatures into each tower in turn. Other Sewerkeepers use the flow through Sewer Keep to dispose of evidence, dunk prisoners during interrogations, or hide heavy caches of treasure impervious to the flowing water. The druids would protest these sinister uses if they knew about them, but Genamine keeps them in the dark. ##### Maintenance Woes Two Sewerkeeper technicians recently died within a few days of each other, and none of the remaining members know how to maintain the keep's hydraulic valves. Genamine insists she'll address this problem, but her negligence puts the entire crew at risk of a sudden, noisome flood. #### Undercellar A network of tunnels and storage chambers called the Undercellar sprawls beneath the Wide, the Upper City's open-air market. Although a few regular vendors in the Wide use the easily accessed chambers to store goods intended for sale, more people know the Undercellar for its entertainment venues. Bars and gaming dens—bright, noisy sparks of life in the ancient warren—are connected by gloomy tunnels. The tunnels double back on each other and are riddled with old cracks and peepholes used for spying and skulduggery. Guild agents keep to the shadows of the Undercellar, where they sell drugs, poisons, and forged documents. Although the best-known entrances to the Undercellar are beneath the Wide, other ways to access it include secret tunnels from the Sewers. A gang of toughs called the Cellarers keeps order in the Undercellar. People assume that the Watch and the Flaming Fist have an agreement with the gaunt, smarmy Heltur "Ribbons" Ribbond (Medium, Neutral Evil [Assassin](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/assassin-xmm.md)), human leader of the Cellarers and kingpin of the Undercellar. Ribbons doesn't reveal how he arrived at this truce with the peacekeepers, but it likely involved bribery, given the staggering sums traded in his underground domain each day. #### Other Sites Most residents don't realize the locations below exist beneath their feet. ##### Bhaal's Abattoir A botched magical ritual long ago teleported a stout stone tower into the Sewers upside down. This isolated, inverted site has served as a refuge for explorers and a secret storage area for smugglers, but now it's the domain of two rock gnome followers of Bhaal (Small [Cultists of Bhaal](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/cultist-of-bhaal-fraif.md); see chapter 9). Once butchers in the Whitkeep neighborhood, these wicked killers started carving up travelers as well as animals. When their villainy was uncovered, they fled into their shop's basement and made their way to the inverted tower. Dubbing the establishment Bhaal's Abattoir, the cultists prey on underground travelers as they plan a kidnapping spree in Bhaal's name. ##### Heap Passage The gates to the Upper City close every night, so rare clandestine passages into the Upper City are popular with thieves and spies. One of these routes is the Heap Passage, which leads through tunnels from a warehouse basement in Heapside to a crypt beneath a ruined home near the Wide. The self-appointed toll keeper of this narrow passage is the sneaky halfling Reedy Margew (Small, Chaotic Neutral [Scout](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/scout-xmm.md)). Margew knows which stones can shift to entomb people taking the passage, and she demands a toll to keep Heap Passage safe. She closes up the passage and disappears if the Watch or the Flaming Fist enters the Sewers. ##### Offalscape A chain of three natural caves, each overlooking a single gentle whirlpool of sewage, is the domain of three [Otyughs](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/aberration/otyugh-xmm.md). They find the atmosphere in their caves appealing and have set up a few scavenged tables and chairs to draw people in to enjoy the view. Needless to say, the otyughs haven't had much luck and are considering kidnapping "guests." ##### Underjunction Recent sewer renovations below the Steeps neighborhood caused three connecting sewer tunnels and the cistern they fed to fall into disuse. A human named "Patch" Hallavan (Medium, Chaotic Neutral [Pirate Captain](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/pirate-captain-xmm.md)) sold his ship to finance a blood-sport arena in the newly dry space called Underjunction. The arena is one of the hottest gambling operations in the city. The arena's current champion is the orc Gongar (Medium, Neutral Evil [Gladiator](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/gladiator-xmm.md)) who used to serve as Patch's bosun. Patch is making so much money that the Guild feels obligated to intervene, but Nine-Fingers Keene hasn't yet decided whether to approach the pirate-turned-ringmaster with an open hand or a fist. ### Beyond Baldur's Gate Great roads to and from Baldur's Gate—the Coast Way to the south and the Trade Way to the north—cut through wild, dangerous, and sparsely inhabited terrain. Even on the well-traveled Chionthar River, it's wise to keep a blade close at hand. > [!gallery] >  >  #### Balduran's Tomb Balduran's Tomb is a cylindrical stone building deep in the forest southwest of Baldur's Gate, south of the Chionthar River. No tracks or trails lead to it, as the building disappears each year and reappears somewhere else. The only clue to finding it is the gaze of the mysterious statue called Balduran Looks out to Sea (see above), which magically redirects its gaze toward the building each time it changes location. The building bears a human-size statue of Balduran that matches Balduran Looks out to Sea, making it clear the two are somehow connected, but it's only local lore that names this building "Balduran's Tomb." No one is definitively known to have bypassed the strange glowing wards that block the building's entrance, but scrying revealed a spiral staircase leading down into the forest floor. Recently, an adventurer told stories throughout the Lower City taverns that he'd not only seen Balduran's Tomb but figured out the pattern to shift the wards and descend the steps. He spoke of humanoids radiating brilliant light and a great machine with spinning lenses glowing with a color he couldn't name. He awoke on the forest floor days later, and he's hoping to return to the tomb to investigate further. #### Candlekeep > [!gallery] >  >  The famous library of Candlekeep stands atop a crag overlooking the Sea of Swords, a few days' travel south of Baldur's Gate. The stone citadel holding the books, scribes, and shrines consists of several tall towers encircled by a heavy wall. Powerful magic ensures that visitors can enter only through the citadel's massive metal gates. Candlekeep maintains a staff of over three hundred individuals called Avowed. Several [Archmages](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/archmage-xmm.md) are always in residence to handle problems or hostile visitors. Anyone seeking entrance to Candlekeep must pay its well-known toll: a single book that's not already in the library's massive collection. Five Avowed [Priests](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/priest-xmm.md) stand at the front gate, examining texts visitors present to gain entry. Booksellers and forgers alike in Baldur's Gate run a brisk trade in books "guaranteed" to grant admission to Candlekeep. Once an individual is admitted entry, they must agree to four rules known as the Orders of Accordance: - No fighting - No stealing - No copying - No damaging, marking, or otherwise modifying the works Individuals who break these rules are banished from Candlekeep and seldom allowed to return. The human governor of Candlekeep is Janussi, the Keeper of Tomes (Medium [Archmage](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/archmage-xmm.md)), who's held her position for more than a decade. She is assisted by individuals known as readers, experts in a given scholarly field who are also responsible for administrative tasks. You can learn more about Candlekeep in the Candlekeep Mysteries adventure anthology and in the 2024 novel *The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin*. #### Rivington Rivington is a small community of fishers and millers along the south shore of the Chionthar River. Clustered around the southern end of Wyrm's Crossing, Rivington is sometimes considered part of the Outer City. As in any Outer City neighborhood, the Flaming Fist expects deference and obedience when its officers visit, but they don't care much about policing the community's problems. The people of Rivington don't consider themselves part of Baldur's Gate. The river creates enough of a barrier that they ignore the city's woes, and they're keenly aware that the Wyrm's Crossing drawbridges keep them out each night, instead of protecting them from the wilderness to the south. Nevertheless, Rivington fishers row to the city to sell their catch or engage in light smuggling. ##### Markets Rivington's shops hold goods that visitors to the city might want, but not as many illicit substances as the sketchier Wyrm's Crossing. Rivington General is a smithy whose dwarf master smith and proprietor, Gyldro Angleiron (Medium [Commoner](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/commoner-xmm.md)), sells arms and armor for those braving the wilderness or Baldurian taverns. ##### Rivington Rats Rivington's local criminals are the Rivington Rats. Unlike the Guild, the Rats aren't well organized; and unlike commoner crews in Baldur's Gate, the Rats don't provide protection to locals. The Rivington Rats recently came under the leadership of a disgraced human actor named Arvensel Raffer (Medium, Chaotic Evil [Performer Maestro](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/performer-maestro-xmm.md)). Arvensel puts on an outward show of being cautious and easily cowed, but he's quietly training his gang to be more effective swindlers. He plans "performance shows" where he releases his newly minted con artists on trade caravans leaving the city, but for now his Rats are little match for canny Baldurians. ## Baldur's Gate Stories Adventures in Baldur's Gate typically feature themes such as urban adventure and people as monsters. The following section contains specific advice on these themes and how to use them in your adventures.  ### Urban Adventure Urban settings allow for a wide variety of adventure opportunities. Danger lurks in shadowed parks, down narrow alleys, and in the bright salons of aristocrats. An urban adventure is, in some respects, easier for characters. Healing and supplies are usually close at hand. In many cities, the local guard can be useful allies (although rarely in Baldur's Gate, where the guard is notoriously corrupt). Foes tend to be people, so it could be easier for characters to lie or bargain their way out of a dangerous situation. At the same time, urban adventures pose unique difficulties. The characters have less freedom to unleash destructive spells or effects, for fear of harming innocent people and their property. Just as the heroes can quickly call for allies, so too can urban villains. Particularly in intrigue adventures, people might not be who they seem, so the characters risk being betrayed. Characters in urban settings must keep their wits about them. ### Hidden Villains Foes in an urban adventure are seldom feral monsters. Instead, they hide sinister actions behind a veneer of social acceptability. Even villains who consider commoners to be worthless rabble prefer to minimize unwelcome attention. Non-Humanoid villains who can disguise themselves among the citizenry—such as doppelgangers, succubi, or vampires—thrive in an urban environment. Inhuman villains typically try to appear sophisticated, such as an incubus that owns a profitable hostel or a sea hag with a penchant for frilly shirts. More often, however, urban villains are Humanoids. These foes aren't necessarily monstrous in appetites or appearance; they are villains because of what they are willing to sacrifice and who they're willing to hurt, whether they're murdering for pleasure or demolishing a tenement to clear space for a private garden. ### It's Who You Know With so many people interacting with the characters in an urban setting, it's useful if the party can count on local support. In Baldur's Gate, commoner crews are the best source of widespread local help, although they aren't traditionally powerful and have limited areas of influence. Having a good relationship with the Flaming Fist and the Watch can be helpful in Baldur's Gate, since smoothing the way past infractions or gaining information about an official investigation can make adventures easier. However, corrupt peacekeepers are likely to betray the adventurers if someone with deeper pockets or greater influence gets involved. Criminals can also be a valuable resource, even for law-abiding adventurers. Most criminal organizations don't want to cause too much damage to the city's people or infrastructure, or they'll have nowhere left to ply their trade. All but the most despicable criminals in Baldur's Gate have a personal code and join forces to protect their territory. Because criminals tend to be easy to motivate with money, adventurers can pay someone to get information, lose a tail, or hire muscle. ### Cottle's Carriages When characters in Baldur's Gate need to get around, one of the best methods is a series of mobile teleporters built by Narwin Cottle. Cottle's Wainwright has produced and put into use more than a dozen of these conveyances, which appear to be elegant carriages. Most roam the Upper City, with occasional trips into the Lower City or even the Outer City to drum up interest. The distinctive carriages are causing quite a stir, even among the majority who don't know about their magical abilities. Cottle's carriages are uniform in appearance. They are flat black in color, with thick curtains obscuring the interior. Each has a basic carriage shape, complete with a driver, but the citywide ban on large animals means they aren't pulled by horses. Instead, an intangible magical force that manifests as illusory horses pulls each carriage at the same speed as a pair of normal horses. The interior is dark and comfortable, with the only unusual feature being a series of small dials built into the inner side of the door. Although anyone can pay a carriage driver for transport throughout the city, a person who pays for admittance and sets the proper combination on the dials can open the door to a different one of Cottle's carriages elsewhere in the city. Each carriage has a unique combination to receive teleporting riders. Cottle shares the combinations only with trusted patrons. Still, a few mathematically perspicacious riders have deduced Cottle's combinations and have learned to hack the system. Anyone in the know who's looking for quick passage might enter a carriage, spin the dials, and hope the door opens somewhere more hospitable. See "chapter 4" of "Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn" for more details on Cottle's Carriages. ## Baldur's Gate Conflicts  Campaigns set in Baldur's Gate involve two conflicts. First, corrupt patriars in charge of the city worship devils and the evil gods known as the Dead Three. Second, the criminal syndicate known as the Guild preys on commoner crews and terrorizes the city's population. ### Corrupt Patriars Many patriars in Baldur's Gate have turned to diabolical pacts, political dominance, and worship of the Dead Three. #### A Corrupt Patriars Arc A campaign involving corrupt patriars might follow this broad outline. ##### Levels 1–4 Introduce this conflict through the use of the adventure "The Lost Library of Lethchauntos" in chapter 7. By level 4, the characters attract the attention of the Eomane family; use "Blood Night" in this chapter, after which the characters have a Bastion in the Upper City. ##### Levels 5–10 As the characters rise in power and notoriety, they are drawn into the schemes of power-hungry politicians. You can use "The Shadow Parliament" in this chapter. ### Crime and Commoner Crews Commoner crews occasionally break the law to survive the dangerous streets of Baldur's Gate. But serious crime in the city is monopolized by the Guild, a ruthless syndicate no one—save the characters—dares oppose. #### A Commoner Crew Arc A campaign that involves working with the commoner crews of Baldur's Gate might follow this broad outline. ##### Levels 1–4 This conflict first appears when the characters join one or more commoner crews. You can use "Tide of Teeth" in this chapter to introduce the Harborhands, and the characters can begin earning renown with the crew according to the renown rules below. ##### Levels 5–10 The characters' allies among the crews live in fear of the Guild, and when the party defends the crews against the Guild's aggression, they draw the attention of Nine-Fingers Keene. You can use "Clockwork Memories" in this chapter. ## DM's Toolbox This section provides tools useful for adventures in Baldur's Gate. ### Renown in Baldur's Gate You can use the renown rules in "chapter 3" of the "Dungeon Master's Guide" to track the relationships the party builds with important organizations in Baldur's Gate, such as commoner crews, the Flaming Fist, or the Guild. Significant deeds might grant renown with more than one group. #### Commoner Crew Renown Characters earn renown with Baldur's Gate's commoner crews by defending crew members against threats, freely giving aid and money to crew members in need, or supporting solidarity among the city's working class. Track characters' renown with commoner crews altogether, rather than with each crew separately.   #### The Flaming Fist Characters earn renown with the Flaming Fist when they act within the law, arrest criminals, and silence those who question the Flaming Fist's methods.  #### The Guild Characters earn renown with the criminal syndicate known as the Guild when they create a distraction so Guild operations run smoothly, provide leads about easy or lucrative targets, or engage directly in Guild business.  > [!quote] A quote from Karlach Cliffgate > > To survive in the Guild you've gotta be quick as a rat and clever as... also a rat? Listen, all I know is I'd rather get stabbed in the front than the back. ### Baldur's Gate Bastions The adventure "Blood Night" provides an opportunity for characters to gain a town house in the Upper City as a Bastion. In addition to granting a base of operations, this event makes the characters legal residents of the Upper City, allowing them to be out in the Upper City after dark without being expelled by the Watch—that is, as long as they display enough of the outré wealth or carefree indolence cultivated by Upper City residents to look like they belong. The town house detailed on the map represents the party's combined Bastion. As characters gain levels, they can build onto the house by renovating empty rooms, adding additional floors, or discovering basement levels that were previously unknown. A significant improvement—like those gained at higher levels using the Bastion system—might represent purchasing of an adjacent house and connecting the two to create a large manor. The hirelings in the party's Bastion are provisionally loyal, but they'll never be entirely trustworthy. Coin is the greatest motivator in Baldur's Gate, so betrayal is common. #### Bastion Events The Bastion Events table in the "Dungeon Master's Guide" describes random events that affect a Bastion. You can tailor these events to Baldur's Gate as follows. ##### Criminal Hireling The exposed hireling is a member of the Guild, and the Flaming Fist seeks them out. The local Guild kingpin strongly hints that the characters should pay the bribe or suffer future troubles. ##### Lost Hirelings The hirelings aren't missing—they've been murdered. Evidence suggests they were participating in a devil cult that demanded sacrifices from within its own ranks. ##### Refugees The refugees are from the Outer City or otherwise desperate and downtrodden. They seek a permanent home in the city. ##### Request for Aid A patriar hires the Bastion's defenders to supplement security at a last-minute celebration at their manor. ### Encounters in Baldur's Gate You can roll `1d20` on the table below to generate encounters for a party of any level traveling around Baldur's Gate. Alternatively, roll `1d10` if the characters are in the Upper City, `1d10 + 5` if the characters are in the Lower City, or `1d10 + 10` if the characters are elsewhere (such as in the Outer City or the Sewers). Once you've used a given encounter, remove it from the table and create a new one to replace it. > [!embed-table]- Baldur's Gate Encounters >  ## Tide of Teeth *Solve a dockside murder.* - **A Location (Baldur's Gate) Adventure for Level 3 Characters** - **Situation.** Harborhands crew members discovered two stevedore corpses near a dilapidated dock, both chewed as if by sharks though they were safely on the dock. The Harborhands worry about this strange attack, as they should. An imp named Cracklebone is orchestrating covert sahuagin raids from an abandoned ship named the Fearsome Grimace. - **Hook.** The proud human leader of the Harborhands crew, Cadmin Marniok (Medium, Lawful Neutral [Tough Boss](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/tough-boss-xmm.md)), hires the characters to investigate Narrowlady Dock, where the bodies were found. ### Encounters The adventure consists of these encounters. #### Narrowlady Dock Two [Indifferent](/3-Mechanics/CLI/variant-rules/indifferent-attitude-xphb.md) dwarf Flaming Fist members (Medium [Guards](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/guard-xmm.md)) keep everyone away from Narrowlady Dock with assurances that the Flaming Fist is "solving the problem." This is a lie; the guards rolled the corpses off the dock and are hanging around until they can report back that they found no clues. A character can take an [Influence](/3-Mechanics/CLI/actions.md#Influence) action and convince the pair to leave with a successful DC 10 Charisma ([Deception](/3-Mechanics/CLI/skills.md#Deception), [Intimidation](/3-Mechanics/CLI/skills.md#Intimidation), or [Persuasion](/3-Mechanics/CLI/skills.md#Persuasion)) check or buy them off for 10 GP. The guards also leave if the characters try to start a fight, grumbling, "I hope you get the trouble you're so eager to find." #### Dock Clues Blood spatters cover the area where the stevedores were killed, and blood trails lead over the side of the dock. The only ship near the site is an unseaworthy vessel called the Fearsome Grimace. The ship has sunk up to its gunwales in Gray Harbor, and it's afloat only because it's lashed to Narrowlady Dock. A character who takes a Study action and succeeds on a DC 12 Intelligence ([Investigation](/3-Mechanics/CLI/skills.md#Investigation)) check realizes that the corpses were recently rolled over the side of the dock by the Flaming Fist. A character who takes a [Search](/3-Mechanics/CLI/actions.md#Search) action and succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom ([Perception](/3-Mechanics/CLI/skills.md#Perception) or [Survival](/3-Mechanics/CLI/skills.md#Survival)) check identifies tracks of the killers—the splayed, scaled feet of sahuagin. #### In the River Two [Hunter Sharks](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/beast/hunter-shark-xmm.md) have eaten the dead stevedores. They try to eat anyone in the water. #### The Fearsome Grimace Use the Ship map in the "Dungeon Master's Guide" for the derelict ship. The exterior water level is 5 feet higher than depicted on the map, and the thick wooden gangplank descends from Narrowlady Dock to the main deck. #### Main Deck The ship's dilapidated condition is evident on its main deck, where rotted rigging barely clings to the masts and tattered sails hang like forlorn laundry. A thin cord across the end of the gangplank connects to the rigging, which functions as a [falling net](/3-Mechanics/CLI/traps-hazards/falling-net-xdmg.md) trap. In addition, the large hatch over the main hold breaks if a creature moves onto it, like a [hidden pit](/3-Mechanics/CLI/traps-hazards/hidden-pit-xdmg.md) trap, except that the fall into the partially flooded hold doesn't deal damage. See chapter 3 of the "Dungeon Master's Guide" for both traps. #### Forecastle The elevated front of the ship bears an enormous windlass used to haul up an anchor, but the chain dangles limply over the side. A [Pole of Angling](/3-Mechanics/CLI/items/pole-of-angling-xdmg.md) is jammed into the windlass. Manipulating the windlass or its chain stirs up four [Lacedon Ghouls](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/undead/lacedon-ghoul-xmm.md) that are under the ship; the ghouls climb the exterior of the ship to fight the characters. #### Sterncastle The ship's elevated stern has mounts for two ballistae. The ballistae look to be in excellent condition apart from several white seagull feathers adhered to each. Both ballistas are in fact [Mimics](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/monstrosity/mimic-xmm.md) that like to eat seabirds. #### Hold The rotted, mold-crusted hold is flooded 2 feet deep with river water and is Difficult Terrain for creatures that lack a Swim Speed. Six [Reef Sharks](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/beast/reef-shark-xmm.md) lurk under the overturned jolly boats, awaiting prey or sahuagin orders. #### Forward Cabin Water in this cabin, where the sailors once bunked, is ankle deep and thick with blood. Two [Sahuagin Warriors](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/fiend/sahuagin-warrior-xmm.md) and a [Swarm of Lemures](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/fiend/swarm-of-lemures-xmm.md) are messily devouring an enormous eel. If the characters descend from the main deck, one warrior flees to warn Cracklebone, then it makes a stand with the sharks in the hold. An old hammock holds a pouch with 75 GP and a [Potion of Healing](/3-Mechanics/CLI/items/potion-of-healing-xdmg.md). #### Aft Cabin The finery of this captain's cabin has long ago turned to rot. Cracklebone the [Imp](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/fiend/imp-xmm.md) is here with a loyal [Sahuagin Priest](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/fiend/sahuagin-priest-xmm.md). They immediately initiate combat with intruders but retreat to the hold for reinforcements if outmatched. Tacked to one wall is a tattered map of the docks with plans for several river attacks drawn on it in blood. #### Conclusion If the characters return to Cadmin after exploring the Fearsome Grimace, he gives them 100 GP for defeating the sahuagin and another 100 GP for Cracklebone's map. ## Blood Night *Survive a lethal invitation.* - **A Location (Baldur's Gate) Adventure for Level 4 Characters** - **Situation.** The four wicked scions of Eomane House (see "Upper City ") host a party that's secretly a murderous competition to honor Bhaal. - **Hook.** The characters are invited to a decadent party at Eomane House on the wrong night. ### Encounters > [!gallery] >  >  The adventure consists of these encounters. #### Pleasant Welcome A [Spy](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/spy-xmm.md) serving Trentellar Eomane invites characters into the library, serves drinks, and introduces other guests, who tell the characters about the four Eomane siblings. #### Murder Contest Dolandre Eomane's booming voice echoes through the house, gleefully informing guests the house is now magically sealed and the Eomanes are competing to murder the most guests for their patron, Bhaal. The other guests scatter and try to hide or escape. #### Eomanes The Eomanes roam the house separately. The family members are as follows: - **Dolandre Eomane.** Dolandre (Medium, Lawful Evil [Performer](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/performer-xmm.md)) relishes in the violence, with a [Barbed Devil](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/fiend/barbed-devil-xmm.md) named Mister Pointy Hugs at her side. - **Nysene Eomane.** Nysene (Medium, Lawful Evil [Noble](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/noble-xmm.md)) pulls animals from a [Bag of Tricks](/3-Mechanics/CLI/items/bag-of-tricks-xdmg.md) (rust) to torment her quarry. - **Russora Eomane.** Russora (Small, Neutral Evil [Mage Apprentice](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/mage-apprentice-xmm.md)) instructs four [Imp](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/fiend/imp-xmm.md) minions to help her fight. - **Trentellar Eomane.** Trentellar (Medium, Neutral Evil [Cultist Fanatic](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/cultist-fanatic-xmm.md)) commands four bloodthirsty [Spies](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/spy-xmm.md) who consider him a divine agent of Bhaal. #### The House Doors and windows exiting the house can't be opened and have Immunity to all damage. #### The Survivor Before the party, the Eomanes ritually murdered their hirelings—whose corpses adorn various rooms—but they missed a human hireling named Bilwen (Medium [Guard](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/guard-xmm.md)) who is hiding in the barracks. Bilwen shares that the only escape involves climbing down the outside of the house from the rooftop garden. #### Ghost in the Garden The Lawful Neutral [Ghost](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/undead/ghost-xmm.md) of the former owner of the house, Fellumbur Delce, haunts the garden at night. The Eomanes murdered him when they moved in. He can be put to rest by sharing the house's deed, which he hid in the library before he died. (The Eomanes don't know about it.) Fellumbur promises the deed to those who kill all four Eomanes. Killing them also unseals the house's exits. #### Conclusion If the characters defeat the Eomanes, they can keep the manor as their Bastion. ## Clockwork Memories *Protect an inventor from the Guild.* - **A Location (Baldur's Gate) Adventure for Level 7 Characters** - **Situation.** A Gondian inventor named Flurn Eightspoke has unlocked a way to preserve a person's memories in a clockwork brain. He doesn't realize his test subject was a Guild informant, and now the Guild wants both Flurn and his mechanical creation destroyed. - **Hook.** A smith offers the characters a discount in exchange for checking on his former boss, the inventor Flurn Eightspoke, at his Heapside workshop. The smith has heard rumors that Flurn ran afoul of the Guild but can't imagine what the good-natured inventor could have done to deserve this attention. Alternatively, mechanically oriented characters hear that Flurn has completed a great invention and stop by to check it out. ### Encounters The adventure consists of these encounters. #### Eightspoke Workshop Use the Roadside Inn map in the "Dungeon Master's Guide". Use the ground floor only; the upper floor is a rooftop patio and a single room where Flurn sleeps. The workshop is a cluttered, noisy place that smells of cut wood and wet metal. Apart from Flurn Eightspoke (Small, Lawful Neutral [Priest](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/priest-xmm.md)), eight [Commoners](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/commoner-xmm.md) work as apprentices throughout the workshop. #### Clockwork Guards Six [Nimblewright Soldiers](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/construct/nimblewright-guard-fraif.md) (see "chapter 9") patrol the workshop grounds, including its roof, in pairs. They ignore the characters as they patrol. #### Meeting Flurn Flurn meets the characters. He has a perpetually puzzled look on his face but a friendly demeanor. Flurn gives the characters a quick tour, concluding with his planning room. He is oblivious to Guild agents who have recently been casing his workshop, and he knows of no trouble. #### Storage Barn The covered barn to the west looks like a stable but it holds supplies: iron ingots in one stall, lumber in another, screws and bolts in another, and so on. A suit of [Animated Armor](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/construct/animated-armor-xmm.md) keeps inventory on a slate board bolted to its chest. #### Assembly Room The workshop's goods are assembled on the three tables in this room. At least some of Flurn's apprentices are here around the clock. A mechanical fox named Flywheel (use the [Weasel](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/beast/weasel-xmm.md) stat block, except it's a Construct rather than a Beast) prowls this room, demanding frequent head pats. #### Forge The room south of the assembly room is a hot, crowded forge. Molds for several sizes of clockwork gears are stacked haphazardly. A small office connected to the forge holds plans for metal pieces, out of the way of errant embers. #### Planning Room The large room to the east has several drafting tables. The walls and tables bear hundreds of half-finished schematics that demonstrate Flurn's genius. The planning room holds two items of interest: a brain in a jar that Flurn is using as a model (it belonged to an accountant who knew the secret identity of Heapside's shadowy kingpin), and a mechanical person with its clockwork brain exposed (use the [Flesh Golem](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/construct/flesh-golem-xmm.md) stat block). The brass and iron brain is a whirring marvel. Flurn has the mechanical person sit up and asks it to solve a few complex equations on a notepad, but before the demonstration gets too far, the Guild makes its move. #### The Guild Strikes The Guild attack comes in two phases: first, a [Bandit Deceiver](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/bandit-deceiver-xmm.md) and two [Spies](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/spy-xmm.md) come to the workshop's west entrance to loudly complain of shoddy work. The apprentices try to mollify them, but when Flurn approaches, the Guild agents try to kill him and any characters accompanying him. Meanwhile, an [Assassin](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/assassin-xmm.md) sneaks over the roof to locate and destroy both the physical brain and the mechanical person. The assassin is disguised as an innocent apprentice. The ruse lets him slip past the workshop's nimblewright guards. The assassin fights if confronted or if given the opportunity to complete the mission. #### The Guards Activate Once any attempt is made on Flurn's life, his nimblewrights become [Hostile](/3-Mechanics/CLI/variant-rules/hostile-attitude-xphb.md) to everyone who doesn't work at the workshop. Their programming compels them to hunt intruders, which includes the characters. You can use the nimblewrights in pairs or even as a big group to challenge the characters—or to help them if the characters struggle against the Guild intruders. #### Valuable Memories If the characters save Flurn and his mechanical person, the mechanical creation takes the notepad and writes, "They came for me because I know Gregor Undarin, flower merchant, is secretly Guild kingpin of Heapside." The mechanical person might also share details of Gregor's shady accounts or the location of Gregor's hidden vaults of ill-gotten treasure, leading to future adventures. Either way, this knowledge earns the characters the Guild's enmity for as long as Gregor is in power. ## The Shadow Parliament *Conspire against the followers of Bane.* - **A Location (Baldur's Gate) Adventure for Level 9 Characters** - **Situation.** Followers of Bane infiltrated the Parliament of Peers as a "Shadow Parliament," eager to convince the rest of the parliament to seize additional authority over trade, defense, and taxation. The Council of Four can't formally stop this legally proper procedure, but the council insists that debates on it be held publicly at the Unrolling Scroll. Banites work to eliminate politicians opposed to the power grab, including the human philanthropist Roxus Nalbeth (Medium, Lawful Good [Noble](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/noble-xmm.md)). - **Hook.** Allies who fear their authority being undermined, such as a commoner crew, arrange for the characters to help Roxus Nalbeth at the debates. ### Encounters The debate takes place at the Unrolling Scroll (see "Upper City "); you can use its map for this adventure. #### Ambush On the way to the Unrolling Scroll, the characters are ambushed by a [Cultist of Bane](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/cultist-of-bane-fraif.md) (see "chapter 9") and two [Warrior Veterans](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/warrior-veteran-xmm.md) dressed as Flaming Fist members. They level a spurious accusation of criminal activity as a pretext to attack. If the characters search the cultist, they find a tattoo of Bane's symbol on him. #### Debate Preparation The characters meet Roxus in a reserved room at the Unrolling Scroll. He shares rumors that a secret, tyrannical "Shadow Parliament" is gaining followers within the Parliament of Peers, and this debate is the last chance to keep the Shadow Parliament from seizing control. If the characters share they were ambushed by followers of Bane, Roxus surmises that cultists of Bane are probably behind the clandestine organization. #### Opening Remarks The entire Parliament of Peers is in attendance around the reflecting pool for the debate's opening remarks, as are the members of the Council of Four. Roxus's remarks on the important distinctions between leadership and tyranny stir the crowd. Three [Water Elementals](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/elemental/water-elemental-xmm.md) erupt from the pool to cause mayhem; when they turn to Roxus, the characters are the only ones who can intervene and save him. Characters with a Passive Perception of 14 or higher spot a dwarf (Medium [Cultist Fanatic](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/cultist-fanatic-xmm.md)) in the crowd subtly directing the summoned elementals and might notice that she bears the same tattoo as the earlier cultist. #### The Debate Roxus is shaken by the attack, and he asks the characters to take his place. (If Roxus didn't survive, another parliament member or a commoner crew ally asks the characters to fill this role). There are three debate rounds against patriars who support the power grab, listed below. Only one character can participate in each round, but different characters can participate in ensuing rounds. Victory in a round requires a successful DC 18 Charisma ([Deception](/3-Mechanics/CLI/skills.md#Deception) or [Persuasion](/3-Mechanics/CLI/skills.md#Persuasion)) roll, but a participating character who succeeds on one of the additional checks listed with each patriar below makes the Charisma check with Advantage. Intersperse the debate checks with reactions from the audience, such as gasps as the characters reveal secrets and applause if they win a round. - **Arvin Dlusker.** A successful DC 15 Intelligence ([History](/3-Mechanics/CLI/skills.md#History)) or Wisdom ([Insight](/3-Mechanics/CLI/skills.md#Insight)) check reveals that Arvin's debate position is motivated by desire to reverse his family's severe financial losses. - **Brevek Faenor.** Duke Brevek Faenor's arguments in favor of expanding Parliament authority draw surprised gasps from the audience. A successful DC 15 Intelligence ([History](/3-Mechanics/CLI/skills.md#History) or [Religion](/3-Mechanics/CLI/skills.md#Religion)) check reminds the character of Brevek's tense history as a former priest of Oghma here in the Unrolling Scroll. - **Tallis Whitburn.** A successful DC 15 Intelligence ([Nature](/3-Mechanics/CLI/skills.md#Nature)) or Wisdom ([Perception](/3-Mechanics/CLI/skills.md#Perception)) notes slate dust on Tallis's garments, showing she has resorted to helping with manual labor at her understaffed Whitburn quarry. #### The Vote If the characters win at least two debate rounds, the measure to expand the Parliament of Peers' authority is voted down. Otherwise, it passes, and the Council of Four summarily approves it. #### Treachery at the Bindery Regardless of the vote's result, Roxus (or his valet if Roxus died) informs the characters that Arvin Dlusker and Tallis Whitburn have surreptitiously entered the Unrolling Scroll's bookbindery. There, the characters find both patriars ([Nobles](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/noble-xmm.md)) talking with two [Bandit Deceivers](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/bandit-deceiver-xmm.md). The politicians are asking about their next orders now that the vote has been decided; the bandits are tattooed cultists of Bane who are orchestrating the Shadow Parliament. The bandits fight to silence the characters, but the patriars retreat. In addition to the four conspirators, two [Priest Acolytes](/3-Mechanics/CLI/bestiary/humanoid/priest-acolyte-xmm.md) of Oghma work here. The acolytes have the [Charmed](/3-Mechanics/CLI/conditions.md#Charmed) condition and treat the bandits favorably, but they don't join the fight. #### Conclusion After the bookbindery battle, the patriars are unwilling to talk about the Shadow Parliament. The two acolytes, however, tell everything they overheard if the characters remove the Charmed condition from them. Their public testimony disgraces Arvin and Tallis and drives the Shadow Parliament back underground—for now.