Descent into Avernus

(Nancy Kaufman) #1
VEN THE MOST HARDENED ADVENTURERS
watch their steps in Baldur's Gate, where lives
hold prices in copper and greed proves dead-

lier than dragon fire. Baldur's Gate has a rep-


utation for being a rough place, where crime
and opportunity walk hand in hand, and
where anything can be bought, sold, or seized
at swordpoint. If something can be given
a price, it's for sale somewhere in Baldur's
Gate. Drugs and poisons sit on shelves along-

side tinctures and remedies. Trade goods from Chult,


mechanical wonders from Neverwinter, tomes of magic
from Calimshan, and the most believable counterfeits of
each can all be found in the city's stalls.
The Flaming Fist, a mercenary company paid for

by the city, protects residents without the barest hint


of civil delicacy. The Watch, the guardian force of the


wealthy Upper City, exists only to serve the patriars-
the city's detached upper class. Meanwhile, crime flour-

ishes under the control of the Guild, which oversees


almost every organized criminal act, from dockside

gambling rings to blackmail at patriar garden parties.


Either under the Guild's auspices or in defiance of them,


those who cut purses or throats make a decent living in


the city, their talents traded as briskly- and often just as


openly-as those of any other professional.


For all its shadows and dark dealings, Baldur's Gate is


not without its lights. Some residents earnestly seek to


make the city a safer place by banding together to make


their own sort of imperfect but effective justice.


BAL.DUR'S GATE CAZETfEER

HISTORY OF BALDUR' s GATE


Since its beginning as a quiet backwater community,


Baldur's Gate has undergone a dramatic transformation,


becoming the hub of danger and adventure it is today.


FOUNDING BALDUR


1
S GATE

Centuries ago, the hero Balduran spent years questing


in lands across the Sea of Swords and beyond. When


finally he returned to his village of Gray Harbor, he


brought fantastic wealth with him, much of which he


gifted to friends and family. These boons greatly im-


proved Gray Harbor's fortunes, launching businesses,

expanding its docks, and seeing the creation of a de-


fe nsive wall around the town. In honor of their heroic

patron, the citizens came to call one of their new wall's


passages Baldur's Gate. Within a generation. though.


the gate became synonymous with the community, and


the settlement known as Baldur's Gate began appearing


on maps of the Sword Coast.

The city's surprising growth attracted all manner of


people. Peasants affected by raiding and war, farmers


rendered penniless by famine and drought, pirates seek-


ing a neutral port- all types saw a chance to put their


mark on the rapidly growing community.


ORDE R I N BALDUR's GATE
As the city swelled, questions of law and taxation arose.

The community's eldest families- largely those wealthy


enough to afford homes within the city walls-came

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