Baldur's Gate
Baldur's Gate was one of the largest city-states on the Sword Coast, within the greater Western Heartlands. Despite its long-standing presence as a neutral power, the leaders of Baldur's Gate were members of the Lords' Alliance of powers in the west.
Structure
Baldur's Gate was ruled by four Grand Dukes, whose membership composed the Council of Four. They were elected by the citizens to serve for life or until they wished to retire. The Council served as a member of the Lords' Alliance, which included Waterdeep and Silverymoon, among other nation-states.
After an attempted coup by former Grand Duke Valarken, Baldur's Gate's government underwent a major restructure and the newly-created Baldurian parliament elected the Dukes. For a time the city was ruled by Grand Duke Portyr at the behest of parliament.
This changed again however, sometime before 1479 DR, as the Council of Four was reinstated. They were still aided by the Parliament of Peers, who continued to serve as their electors as well as a legislative body. These 50 or so influential Baldurians met to discuss city matters and made recommendations to the council.
Culture
Baldurians took great pride in the inclusiveness of their city. It was a place anyone could call home, or start a new life within, regardless of race, creed or personal history. Despite its dense population and crowded streets it was remarkably clean and safe for citizens and visitors alike.
As a whole, citizens of Baldur's Gate did not tolerate drunk and debaucherous behavior.
Demography and Population
Adventurers were a welcome presence in the Gate, many of whom came from the far corners of Toril to seek opportunities for fame, fortune or whatever alluring endeavour presented itself. Even those from unlikely walks of life found themselves enticed by the stories that filled the city's taverns and inns, giving in to the temptation of thrill and excitement.
Many lower and working-class individuals lived in the streets of the Lower and Outer City regions. While low-skilled laborers and dock-workers ensured goods arrived to their destinations in the Gray Harbor, tradesfolk such as tanners, smiths, garment-makers and the like produced their goods throughout the city. The industry of these laborious individuals drove the economy of the greatest mercantile power of the Sword Coast.
The merchants of Baldur's Gate were famous across the Realms for their heroic work ethic, keen sense of business and outright gumption.
The wealthy patriar families were the nobility of the Upper City. While their lives were viewed as the epitome of luxury and opulence, many were civic-minded benefactors that genuinely strived to improve their home city. This Baldurian elite-class was limited to a few select human families, along with the dwarven Shattershields; no matter how rich any businessmen or merchants became, they could not buy their way into the Baldurian patriar.
Military
While the Fist always kept a strong contingent within the city's walls, they doubled as the city's standing army and were free to hire themselves out in external conflicts as long as they were never aligned against the city. At the behest of their leaders, they even embarked upon journeys to the then-newly-discovered continent of Maztica. After a century of serving as defenders of the city, they had become so entwined with the fate of its well-being, they operated as the de facto police force for domestic concerns and its bulwark for threats from abroad.
In addition to the 1,700-plus soldiers of the Flaming Fist, the Grand Dukes commanded a navy of a half dozen ships with crews of at least 40 men each.
Religion
Like most great cities, Baldur's Gate had many places of worship scattered across its districts. For instance, Twin Songs accepted all faiths and hosted a great diversity of temples and shrines dedicated to nearly every deity. Even shrines devoted to the worship of evil powers, such as Bane and Bhaal, were tolerated by the city's Flaming Fist soldiers.
Despite the city's inclusiveness, three deities predominated the worship of Baldurian citizens. For favor and safety at sea, the veneration of Umberlee has been a mainstay throughout their history. The favor of Tymora was often sought for greater wealth and prosperity with regard to trade, gambling and mercantile endeavors. Lastly, as continual expression of gratitude for the technological blessings bestowed upon the city, the worship of Gond was widespread, even beyond his temple and museum.
In addition to the myriad of religious groups that flocked to the city's temples, a number of small cults and esoteric societies kept their home within the Gate.
Foreign Relations
Throughout its history, Baldur's Gate had little stake in the affairs of others. For the most part, the city was respected as a neutral power, that never involved itself with the politics and conflicts that arose between the other states of the Sword Coast and the Western Heartlands. Perhaps more importantly, Baldur's Gate, while undoubtedly a rich prize, was so well-defended by its massive walls and well-trained Flaming Fists soldiers that few ever seriously considered invading and occupying the city.
Historically, Baldur's Gate has had a long enmity with its southern neighbor, Amn, which nearly resulted in war during the iron crisis of the 1360s. Over the next century however, the only major threats to Baldur's Gate were the pirates operating out of the ruins of Luskan or the merchants of Waterdeep, who resented the city's continually-growing wealth and power.
Laws
The government of Baldur's Gate maintained a strict and complex legal code that consisted of a series of regulations, official decrees, and treatises that were nigh incomprehensible for anyone but the city's barristers and some patriars. By and large, laws favored these individuals along with foreign diplomats, the Flaming Fist, and members of the Watch. Citizens of the city proper and those living in the Outer City were afforded far fewer considerations. Some of the local laws included citizen and consumer-friendly Public Health Act and the Civilian Protection Order and their violation, determined by consumer complaints, was investigated by the agents of the Council of Four. Targets of such investigations were ordered not to interfere and not to leave the Gate or be held in contempt of the Council. That being said, anyone who obeyed the laws could walk freely through the city's streets.
Anyone caught in the act of breaking the law was immediately apprehended and punished, either by the Watch or the Flaming Fist. Typically, the punishment fit the crime. Lesser crimes, such as violence or thievery, warranted a public whipping or removal of a finger. Those who broke agreed-upon contracts were sentenced to forced labor while disturbing the peace or public lasciviousness led to public shaming by night in the stocks.
The city of Baldur's Gate issued hostelry licenses to proprietors of inns and taverns within the city walls. Lodging business could not legally operate without said license.
Dyes, fish, lamp oil, trade-coinage
Stone
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