The figures are four human cultists of Tiamat Jed by a
male human cult fanatic named Ultiss. These chaotic
evil worshipers ofTiamat have been sent by Arkhan
the Cr uel (see chapter 3) to retrieve the treasure stolenfrom the dragon queen's hoard on Avernus by agents
of Zariel-treasure given to Duke Vanthampur and her
sons to buy the loyalty of the Dead Three followers.
Guided by visions sent to them by Tiamat, the cultists
know when they're within 1,000 feet of her stolen loot. If
the characters took any of the treasure from a rea D30,
the cultists attack them to get it back. Otherwise, the
c ultists demand that the characters stand aside and not
meddle in their business. Once they secure the dragon
queen's lost treasure, the cultists plan to hunt down and
kill the Vanthampurs and anyone else in Baldur's Gate
considered to be an agent of Zariel. Cultists who s urvive
th is encou nter can show up at a later time to help or hin-
der the characters, at your discretion.
If it's present when the cultists of Tiamat confront the
characters, the invisible imp in area Dl quietly observes
the interaction before reporting back to Thurstwell Van-thampur at his family's villa.
WHERE NEXT?
Convinced that his two older brothers conspired to kill
him, Mortlock Vanthampur urges the characters to cap-ture or kill Amrik at a dockside tavern called the Low
Lantern. The adventure assumes that the characters
visit this location next. If the characters require an ad-
ditional incentive to go after Amrik, Mortlock assures
them that his mother values Amrik's well-being enough
to negotiate for his release if the characters capture him.
He suggests that it would be most unwise to oppose a
duke of Baldur's Gate without leverage. If the characters
decide to attack Vanthampur Villa instead, skip to the''Vanthampur Villa" section (page 32).
Having conquered the Dungeon of the Dead Three,the characters should advance to 3rd level before
they head off to the Low Lantern or Vanthampur Villa.
MORE DEAD THREE ENCOUNTERS
Characters who clear out the Dungeon of the Dead Three
might encounter more servants of Bane, Bhaal, o r Myrkul
in other parts of Baidu r's Gate. These villains (see appen-
dix D) usually operate as mixed groups of Banites, Bhaa-
lites, and Myrkulites. Here are a few appropriate encoun-
ters for a party of four or five characters of 3 rd to 5th level:
Abduction Squad (for 3rd-level characters). Four fists of
Bane, t hree night blades, and two necromites ofMyrkul
try to capture one or more city residents, in the hopes of
torturing or ransoming them.
Murder Squad (for 4th-level characters). An iron consul
with two fists of Bane as bodyguards uses three night
blades as scouts and assassins to pick off random
passersby. A skull lasher of Myrkul provides magical
support, casting darkness spells to confound foes and
facilitate escape.
Revenge Squad (for 5th-level characters). A black gauntlet
of Bane comes after the characters with two reapers of
Bhaal and a master of souls, who commands an undead
force of six skeletons or four zombies.CHAPTER l I A TALE OF TWO CITIESLow LANTERN
The Low Lantern is an aging, three-masted merchant
ship permanently docked on t he east side of the harbor.
Far past the point of being seaworthy, the vessel was
converted into a tavern and gambling house that is
open all day and night. The dice game Baldur's Bones
is just as popular here as in other taverns throughout
Baldur's Gate (see the "Taverns in Baldur's Gate" side-
bar, page 16).ABOUT T H E TAVERN
The Low Lantern's location is marked on map 1.1 (page
13), while map 1.4 shows its interior. Describe the
tavern to the players as follows:
Fog obscures the Low Lantern until you get within a
hundred feet of it , whereupon its tall masts and creaking
bulk come into view. The converted ship has rigging but
no sails, and is anchored to the wharf by thick chains. A
wooden staircase climbs from the wharf's edge to the
main deck. A lantern at the bow casts an eerie green light
to signify that the tavern is open for business.The Low Lantern is quiet during the day, with just a few
patrons drinking and gambling below decks. The place
comes alive at night, and is a popular site for conductingclandestine meetings with some of the city's least scru-
pulous inhabitants, including pirates and off-duty Flam-
ing Fist mercenaries.The owner and proprietor is Laraelra Thundreth. a
middle-aged female human mage known as ''the Cap-
tain" to her staff and regular patrons. Laraelra is neutral
and doesn't concern herself with the private affairs ofher cliente/e, nor does she mind when visitors get rowdy
or turn violent-as long as they're wilLing to pay for dam-
ages afterward. In public, Laraelra is often seen with
her crab familiar perched on one shoulder. From dawn
till noon, she retires to her cabin (area L4) to eat, rest.
and read her spellbook.The Low Lantern serves drinks and snacks, but no
meals. At any given time, the staff includes two kenku
bartenders and six bouncers (human thugs). The staff
operates in three eight-hour shifts, with one group leav-ing as the next shift arrives.
TAVERN PATRONS
The Low Lantern attracts the city's least affluent resi-
dents, as well as foreign merchants and sailors with coin
to lose. Patrons who are present during the characters'
initial visit include the following:• Grimboot (lawful evil duergar), a gruff, cross-eyed leg
breaker who collects debts for the local thieves' guild• Hitoshijade (neutral human commoner), a drunken
sailor from a merchant ship called the Golden Gull,
owned by the Irlentree patriar family
• jorunn Nighbury (neutral human commoner), a shy
horse breeder e mployed by the Belt patriar family but
burdened by gambling debt