Iron Crisis

Disaster / Destruction

The Iron Throne, a merchants’ consortium, contrived to cause an iron shortage throughout the area in order to enrich its members. Sarevok, the adopted son of an Iron Throne leader and one of the Bhaalspawn, took over the organization and sought to assassinate the dukes. His ultimate aim was to provoke a war with Amn and use the bloodshed to ascend to his true father’s throne.

The Iron Crisis was an event occurring in 1368 DR in which the Iron Throne plotted to destroy the iron supply of the Sword Coast by poisoning the iron from the mines of Nashkel with alchemy, having groups of bandits steal all of the untainted iron all along the coast and infiltrating rival trading companies with doppelgangers so as to drive them into financial ruin. This was so they would have a monopoly on iron in the region using a secret iron mine they had found in the Cloakwood, fueled by slave labor.

Rumours were put around that it was the nation of Amn that was causing the iron shortage, helped by several important figures in Baldur's Gate being assassinated and having the insignias of the Shadow Thieves dropped at the murder sites. All of this helped spark threats of war against Amn from Baldur's Gate, despite Amn's claims of innocence. Rieltar Anchev, the Iron Throne leader's foster son Sarevok would then become Grand Duke of the city and formally declare war. The Iron Throne would then sell their untainted iron to make weapons and make a huge amount of gold.

Unfortunately for the Iron Throne, another Bhaalspawn, Abdel Adrian, and their party of adventurers put a stop to their plans in Nashkel, defeated the bandits, freed the slaves, flooded the secret iron mine and killed most of the doppelgangers and assassins (but not before the way had been made for Sarevok to become Grand Duke). During Sarevok's crowning as Grand Duke however, Abdel Adrian  and company turned up to prevent the ceremony and thus, the war.