Baldur's Gate

Baldur's Gate, also called simply the Gate, was the largest metropolis and city-state on the Sword Coast, within the greater Western Heartlands. It was a crowded city of commerce and opportunity, perhaps the most prosperous and influential merchant city on the western coast of Faerûn. 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.
The strong peace-keeping force known as the Watch, along with the presence of the powerful Gold Pact Knights Mercenary Guild, kept the city generally peaceful and safe. This inherent sense of security allowed the Gate to keep a tolerant and welcoming attitude towards outsiders, whether they were wealthy merchants, poor refugees or, as it historically attracted, less-scrupulous individuals such as pirates and smugglers.

Demographics

Mostly Illuskan Humans.

Government

Elective Crowned Republic - the city is governed by a Council of four - the Grand Duke, one of the four, serves as the monarch of the city, but the position is elected at the death (or abdication) of the reigning monarch. The Grand Duke's votes on the council count as two votes, making him the de-facto tie-breaker, but can also Veto decisions made by the remainder of the council, though stipulations exist that make this difficult.

Defences

The city has recently expanded outside its outer walls, but has multiple layers, divided by additional walls and multiple fortifications exist across the city, with each gate being the equivalent of a small keep. The city is unapproachable from most directions, sitting high above sea-level with a steep cliff surface between the narrow beach and the outer walls, and basically stretches across the entirety of a very poorly pronounced peninsula.

Industry & Trade

Baldur's Gate is a city of industry that produces jewelry, weapons, armor and metal for utility purposes as well as clothes and other practical crafts and breeds many horses.

Infrastructure

Baldur's Gate has an entire undercity that lay beneath the catacombs that lay beneath the sewers. The fact that the city has three vertical layers makes it much larger than anyone can safely assume. Numerous gates, enormous bridges and numerous layers of the primary city all makes the city come across as rather splendid.

Assets

Every gate in the city is essentially a small keep, and each of these are individually capable of being besieged. The numerous actual fortifications scattered across the city are also always kept stocked to repel a siege. The city has numerous armories permitting the city to draft a militia - all of which are located in the various fortifications. The city has a number of treasuries, but the city's main treasury is located in the Palace - it is generally assumed that the city is immensely wealthy.

Guilds and Factions

The Iron Throne is the overarching Merchant and Trade Guild in Baldur's Gate and the Western Heartlands, the Goldpact Knights control the mercenary business in the Western Heartlands. The Lionshield Coster merchant company operates here as well. The Zhentarim have a very small presence in the city, though subsidiaries only.

History

Founding

Originally, the harbor-settlement that came to be known as Baldur's Gate was a well-hidden meeting place for pirates, scavengers and "ghost lighters". These naer-do-wells used lights to trick ships sailing through the foggy coast, running them aground before pilfering their goods. After looting what they could, they sailed up the River Chionthar to the small bay, to their secluded haven called Gray Harbor.
In olden times, the seafaring hero Balduran returned home to Gray Harbor, from a voyage to the far-off continent of Anchorome, far beyond the elven isle of Evermeet. He had accumulated great wealth on this journey. After hiding some of his riches away in hidden caches, he ordered a great granite wall to be built for the protection of his home. Soon after, Balduran set sail on a second voyage to the continent and subsequently vanished, never to return.
After Balduran vanished, local farmers took control of the wall's construction and used it to protect their own holds and farmsteads, rather than the harbor.[40] Nearby townsfolk and other outsiders flocked to the fledgling town for protection and the hamlet swelled in size. The walled region of Gray Harbor came to be known as "Old Town", while newly-constructed buildings, between the southern wall and the harbor, were built in the portion thereafter known as "Heapside".

Tax Revolt

The division of the town by its great wall created a schism between the landowners of Old Town and Balduran's former associates, the captains and other seafarers of Gray Harbor. The Old Towners taxed the carts coming north from the harbor, through Baldur's Gate, which led to the ire of the seamen and their eventual refusal to pay.
As their anger turned to action, the smugglers, pirates and merchants of Heapside breached Baldur's gate and stormed Old Town by force. Just before they laid siege to the keep of High Hall, the four most-senior sea captains argued for the farmer-lords' surrender. After a quick vote, a truce was struck between the two parties and the retired captains were installed as leaders, jokingly known as "Dukes", of the rapidly-growing city that was earnestly renamed Baldur's Gate.

Expansion

Following the founding of the nation of Amn, trade skyrocketed in Baldur's Gate and the city expanded. This propensity secured the renewed connection between Old Town, which came to be known as the Upper City, and Heapside, now called the Lower City. The fate of all Baldurian citizens were entwined as one, a significance that was reflected in the expanded construction of the city wall. The bluffs of the Lower City were protected by two extensions of the Old Wall that continued south to the northern shores of the River Chionthar.
The city became the most powerful force in the Western Heartlands and despite its neutrality, joined the Lords' Alliance. The city was only recorded to have been called upon by the Alliance once, in the Year of the Black Horde, 1235 DR, when the eponymous legion of orcs attempted to invade. They sent their top military general, Eldrith, to drive them off. While she achieved victory at first, she eventually betrayed Baldur's Gate and was killed in the Marsh of Chelimber by Baldurian forces.

14th Century

The Flaming Fists began operating in Baldur's Gate in the early 14th century DR. In the Year of the Banner, 1368 DR, the Bhaalspawn Sarevok Anchev orchestrated a major conspiracy to send the city to war with Amn. The plan failed and within two years all Bhaalspawn were killed due to the actions of the future Grand Duke, Abdel Adrian.
Later that year, the city was nearly overwhelmed by the scores of refugees that were displaced from their homes by the conflict surrounding the Shining Lady and her crusade. The Flaming Fist joined with nearby armies to form a Coalition that met the rising threat at Dragonspear Castle.
A group known Xantam's Guild moved into Baldur's Gate early in the Year of Lightning Storms, 1374 DR. Three adventurers, Vahn, Kromlech, and Adrianna arrived and thwarted the guild's plans in the city. Joined by the Harpers, they discovered the thieves guild to be only part of a larger plot involving Eldrith the Betrayer and her dark alliance. Eldrith's disciple, a vampire known as Mordoc SeLanmere sought to destroy the city in the years that followed. In the end however, Mordoc too was defeated and the city saved in the Year of the Bent Blade, 1376 DR.
In the following decade, Faerûn suffered the Spellplague, a cataclysmic event that reshaped both civilizations and the land itself. Fortunately, Baldur's Gate was unharmed from the effects of the blue fire that rained from the sky. As it was known throughout Faerûn as an "open city", the Gate became a haven for a great number of refugees that fled the destruction that wracked the lands around the Sea of Fallen Stars. Within a matter of years, the population of the city tripled. Mercifully, the city was able to support itself following these years of intense growth and expansion.

Mid 15th Century

During the mid-1400s, the Grand Duke Valarken, General Ikhal and the Band of the Red Moon attempted to usurp the leadership of Baldur's Gate. The failure of his attack led to the reformation of the Baldurian government, with the newly-formed Parliament of Peers offerring assistance to, and electing the members of, the Council of Four. Abdel Adrian replaced Valarken as both Grand Duke and Marshal of the Flaming Fist.
By the Year of the Ageless One, 1479 DR, Baldur's Gate was Faerûn's most powerful and important city, and it was once again stable. At this time, it was no longer bothered by Valarken and Amn. It maintained a positive relationship with the nation of Elturgard and the other powers of the Western Heartlands. However, the expansion proved to turn the city on its heels, threatening to send it into civil war.

Murder in Baldur's Gate

While making a public speech on Returning Day, in the Year of the Narthex Murders, 1482 DR, Grand Duke Abdel Adrian was attacked by a man named Viekang, the only other remaining Bhaalspawn. Viekang fell, but in that instant, Abdel ADrian was transformed into the Slayer, an avatar of the long-dead Bhaal and ceased to exist.
The remaining Council of Four blamed the Grand Duke's death on agents of the Guild, the city's most prevalent thieves' group, and enlisted a group of adventurers help investigate the tragedy. Shortly after, the city experienced a sudden spike of criminal activity including robberies[46] and vandalism, which caused the Flaming Fist to cracked down on some shadier establishments in the Lower City and Outer City regions. As the Baldurian Parliament responded by passing bewildering sumptuary laws, stating that citizens had to wear attire befitting their station, vandals removed the hands of five beloved statues that decorated the city.
Despite the best efforts by the adventurers, the Watch and the Flaming Fist, whose leadership was assumed by Ulder Ravengard, the city erupted into chaos. As city workers went on strike and the Upper City was placed on a lockdown-curfew at mid-afternoon, the merchant-class of the Lower City became incensed and unruly. As Outer City residents protested against the city officials, petty vandalism escalated to arson and even kidnappings. In response, the free press of the city, known as Baldur's Mouth was shut down and the new leader of the Fist instituted a series of illegal tribunals.
After a group of Outer City residents clashed with a contingent of Flaming Fist soldiers in the district of Norchapel, riots erupted throughout the Lower and Outer City regions. After an explosion erupted in Bloomridge, the city was placed under martial law. The adventurers hired by the Council discovered the chaos in the city was a result of the Grand Duke Torlin Silvershield's plot to destroy the corrupted Baldurian Parliament, in a dramatic immolation of stockpiled smokepowder, and sever the Guild's subversive influence over Baldurian officials. He revealed himself as the Chosen of the re-ascended god of murder, Bhaal, before he was slain by the adventurers of Baldur's Gate.

Tourism

Baldur's Gate has a number of famous districts, establishments and buildings that many yearn to visit. Tourists are common in The Gate.

Architecture

European Gothic Medieval (think Medieval London or Paris).

Geography

A coastal metropolis found in the area called the "Western Heartlands" in the geographic region of Faerûn known the "Sword Coast", found right at the mouth of the River Chionthar.

Natural Resources

Lumber, metals, furs, stone, fish, game, agriculture and gems.

Founding Date

322

Alternative Name(s)

The Gate

Type

Capital

Population

~150,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Baldurian

Owner/Ruler

Ulder Ravengard

Ruling/Owning Rank

Grand Duke

Owning Organization

Lords' Alliance

Characters in Location

• Abdel Adrian
• Balduran
• Gregorian Gorion
• Ulder Ravengard