Descent into Avernus

ALOUR'S GATE BEGAN AS A HARBOR TOWN

where traders would meet with "ghost light-

ers" - folk along the Sword Coast who used

lights to lure fogbound ships to shore. When

those ships ran aground, the ghost lighters

would scavenge the wrecks and haul their

plundered goods to Baldur's Gate, nestled on

the north shore of a bend in the River Chion-

thar, and sell their booty. In the years since,

Baidu r's Gate has grown into a walled city. To-

day, its foggy streets run red with the blood of unfortu-

nates who fall prey to evil opportunists, many of whom

count themselves as nobles, traders, pirates, and assas-

sins. An army of mercenary soldiers called the Flaming

Fist keeps order in the city, and these soldiers answer

to Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard. The members of the

Flaming Fist don't care about justice; they crave power

and coin, nothing else. But despite the Fist's reputation

for cruelty, the Grand Duke is widely regarded as an

honorable and reasonable man.

The city of Elturel, capital of Elturgard, is located

much farther inland along the River Chionthar. Whereas

Baldur's Gate has a well-earned reputation for being a

nest of vipers, Elturel is seen as a beacon of faith, order,

and high culture. The two cities have endured a long,

bitter rivalry that originated when Baldur's Gate began

stealing cargo and coin from ships heading to and from

Elturel, stifling that city's sea trade. Though the conflicts

between Baldur's Gate and Elturel have always faJlen

short of open warfare, relations between the cities have

been tense for a long time- too long, some would say.

CHAPTER l I A TALE OF TWO CITIES

FALL OF ELTUREL

A tenday ago, Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard left Baldur's

Gate with a company of Flaming Fist soldiers on a dip-

lomatic mission to Elturel, accepting a formal invitation

from Elturel's High Overseer, Thavius Kreeg. Raven-

gard did not go eagerly, however. It took months of per-

suasion by his fellow dukes-the other three members of

Baidu r's Gate's ruling Council of Four- to convince him

to accept Elturel's invitation and leave the city in their

capable hands. Duke Thalamra Vanthampur was es-

pecially convincing, having gathered petitions from the

nobility as well as leaders of the common rabble.

Not long after Ravengard arrived in Elturel, the city

was dragged down into the Nine Hells-wiped off the

map. Given the distance between the two cities, it's no

surprise that the residents of Baldur's Gate didn't bear

of Elturel's fate until refugees from Elturgard start-

ing arriving in droves. Rumors concerning Elturel's

disappearance spread like wildfire, stoking fears that

Baldur's Gate might be next. At the same time. panic

swept through the ranks of the Flaming Fist, which sud-

denly found itself without a strong leader.

In the grand duke's absence, the government of

Baldur's Gate continues to function under the three

remaining dukes- Belynne Stelmane, Dillard Portyr,

and Thalamra Vanthampur. Duke Portyr has gone so

far as to recall his niece, Liara Portyr, from her post as

commander of the Flaming Fist at Fort Beluarian in

Chult, in the hopes that she can keep the Flaming Fist

in check. However, it will take time for her ship to arrive.

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