Baldur's Gate

Geography

Baldur's Gate was located to the south of the great city-state of Waterdeep, north of Amn along the well-traveled Coast Way road, that passed over Wyrm's Crossing, through the Outer City and into the Gate proper. It was nestled on a stretch of poor soil, within a natural bay that formed on the north bank of the River Chionthar about 40 miles (64.4 km) east from its mouth on the Sea of Swords.
As the minstrels of the 14th century described it, the city was a crescent moon that wrapped around the great harbor, though in the century that followed it grew well beyond that form. While the terrain of the Upper City was flat and level, the Lower City was built over steep bluffs that overlooked the Gray Harbor.

Fields and Soils

The shallow soil around Baldur’s Gate makes for poor farming, but the grazing is good, so herders keep sheep, cattle, goats, and horses.

River Chiontar

The River Chionthar flows west along the southern edge of the Fields of the Dead. Baldur’s Gate sits some forty miles from the coast and a few miles east of the head of tide, making its harbor safe from rising waters unless exceptional rains inland cause flooding. Sailing to the city in a seagoing caravel takes about a day.

Bluffs

Nearly sheer cliffs border the River Chionthar for leagues east and west of the city. The bluffs are yellow granite, as are the city’s walls and most of its buildings. Most Gate roofs are made from gray slate that comes from a Fields of the Dead quarry.

Coast Way

The Coast Way goes south to Calimshan, passing through settlements the size of hamlets and kingdoms and everything in between.

Trade Way

An ancient path of travel, the Trade Way runs north from Baldur’s Gate to Waterdeep. Nearest Baldur’s Gate, the road is mostly gravel, but some crumbling, granite-paved segments remain from ancient attempts at empire building. Further afield, the Trade Way becomes a dirt track that the area’s frequent, light rains, often reduce to sludge. The old road vanishes in the Fields of the Dead, separating into various trails taken by traders and travelers depending on the season and reports of bandits. When travelers come within sight of Dragonspear Castle, it resumes a more regular course.

Weather

The region surrounding Baldur's Gate received an abundance of drizzling rain and sleet with frequent-occurring fog that rolled through the city's streets. This excessive precipitation was well-mitigated with an advanced water system where underground basins collected the run off rainwater, maneuvering it through subterranean aqueducts that emptied it into massive cistern beneath the Temples District.
Despite the city's engineering and cleanliness, this continual rain led to regular growth of mildew accompanied by a musky smell that permeated the city's cellars. To abate the slippery stone streets, it was sometimes necessary to spread straw or gravel along the wet cobblestones.

Green Lights in the Fog

Fog. One of the reasons why pirates find Gray Harbor attractive is the thick fog that shrouds the river, the docks, and most of the Lower City. The persistent fog makes it easy to conduct illicit business or commit a murder without anyone catching sight of the “interaction” through a spyglass. The fog sometimes creeps into the Upper City as well, but here it’s much too thin to veil crimes.
Green Lights. In Baldur’s Gate, lit lanterns fitted with panes of green glass are hung outside of permanent establishments to indicate that they’re open for business. On foggy nights, these lanterns cast the city’s lively taverns, brothels, dance halls, and festhalls in eerie green light.

Alternative Name(s)

The Gate

Type

Large city

Population

125,000 (mostly humanoid)

Inhabitant Demonym

Mostly Humanoid, but a variety of races inhabit this place such as Elves, Dwarves, Half-orcs, Githyanki, Yuan-ti, Tabaxi, Sahuagin, etc.