Baldur's Gate

Geography

Baldur's Gate is located to the south of the great city-state of Waterdeep, north of Amn along the well-traveled Coast Way road, that passed over the Wyrm's Crossing, through the Outer City and into the Gate proper. It is nestled on a stretch of poor soil, within a natural bay that formed on the north bank of the River Chionthar about 40 miles (64.4 km) east from its mouth on the Sea of Swords.   As the minstrels of the 14th century described it, the city was a crescent moon that wrapped around the great harbor, though in the century that followed it grew well beyond that form. While the terrain of the Upper City was flat and level, the Lower City was built over steep bluffs that overlooked the Gray Harbor.  

Weather

The region surrounding Baldur's Gate received an abundance of drizzling rain and sleet with frequent-occurring fog that rolled through the city's streets. This excessive precipitation was well-mitigated with an advanced water system where underground basins collected the run off rainwater, maneuvering it through subterranean aqueducts that emptied it into massive cistern beneath the Temples District.   Despite the city's engineering and cleanliness, this continual rain led to regular growth of mildew accompanied by a musky smell that permeated the city's cellars. To abate the slippery stone streets, it was sometimes necessary to spread straw or gravel along the wet cobblestones.  

Society

Baldurians took great pride in the inclusiveness of their city. It was a place anyone could call home, or start a new life within, regardless of race, creed or personal history. Despite its dense population and crowded streets it was remarkably clean and safe for citizens and visitors alike.   As a whole, citizens of Baldur's Gate did not tolerate drunk and debaucherous behavior.  

Customs

Unlike other cosmopolitan cities, Baldur's Gate was home to few formal festivals and gatherings. In addition to celebrating Highharvestide in autumn, Baldurians celebrated The Breaking every spring, marking the day when the last hunks of ice broke away from the Gray Harbor, freeing it for safe trade. They also held public celebrations for Returning Day, which commemorated Balduran's return to his home city following his famous expedition across the Trackless Sea.   Every so often, Baldurians would gather together on a street around a grouping of crates, barrels and other impromptu seating to share stories and tales with one another. These cobble parties, so named for the cobblestone roads on which they were hosted, were marked by special "rose-red" torches that could be purchased from the local fireworks shop.  

Religion

Like most great cities, Baldur's Gate has many places of worship scattered across its districts. For instance, Twin Songs accepts all faiths and hosts a great diversity of temples and shrines dedicated to nearly every deity. Even shrines devoted to the worship of evil powers, such as Bane and Bhaal, are tolerated by the city's Flaming Fist soldiers.   Despite the city's inclusiveness, three deities predominates the worship of Baldurian citizens. For favor and safety at sea, the veneration of Umberlee has been a mainstay throughout their history. The favor of Tymora is often sought for greater wealth and prosperity with regard to trade, gambling and mercantile endeavors. Lastly, as continual expression of gratitude for the technological blessings bestowed upon the city, the worship of Gond is widespread, even beyond his temple and museum.   In addition to the myriad of religious groups that flocked to the city's temples, a number of small cults and esoteric societies kept their home within the Gate.  

Demonym

People and things from Baldur's Gate were known as "Baldurian". The term "Balduran" was never used—misusing the founder's name even like this was a grave insult to his memory and the city alike.  

Heraldry

The city's coat-of-arms was a single ship, with raised sails, floating across still waters in front of a clear blue sky. While the ship represented both the city's role as a trading hub and its founder, Balduran, the calm sea signified its peaceful neutrality and the sky its promising future.  

Government

Since its famous tax revolt, Baldur's Gate was ruled by four Grand Dukes, whose membership composed the Council of Four. They were elected by the citizens to serve for life or until they wished to retire. The Council served as a member of the Lords' Alliance, which included Waterdeep and Silverymoon, among other nation-states.   After an attempted coup by former Grand Duke Valarken, Baldur's Gate's government underwent a major restructure and the newly-created Baldurian parliament elected the Dukes. For a time the city was ruled by Grand Duke Portyr at the behest of parliament.   This changed again however, sometime before 1479 DR, as the Council of Four was reinstated. They were still aided by the Parliament of Peers, who continued to serve as their electors as well as a legislative body. These 50 or so influential Baldurians met to discuss city matters and made recommendations to the council.  

City Officers

The Council of Four were served by five deputies, city officials that oversaw their subordinate bureaucrats and maintained the daily needs of Baldur's Gate. Their titles and responsibilities were as follows:

• Harbormaster: Managed operations of the Gray Harbor, assigned tariffs and taxes on imported goods, and maintained the records of all goods shipped in or out of the city
• High Constable and Master of Walls: Castellan of the Watch Citadel
• Master of Drains and Underways: Maintained operations of the city's drains, sewers, waterways and aqueducts
• Master of Cobbles: Oversaw construction and maintenance of all city roads, bridges and non-water-related, stone infrastructure
• Purse Master: Collected taxes, invested city funds, directed payment to city officials, and oversaw the Bailiff of the Wide

 

Taxes

Historically, the Baldurian people had a complicated relationship with taxation at the hands of city officials. Excessive gate tolls incited a transformative revolution in the city in its formative years, leading to the formation of its preeminent form of governance. Ironically, that same governing body enacted nearly identical taxers that remained for hundreds of years. By the 15th century, city officials collected tolls from passersby at nearly every cite gate, through a vast, far-reaching bureaucracy that was constantly under threat of corruption.  

Laws

The government of Baldur's Gate maintained a strict and complex legal code that consisted of a series of regulations, official decrees and treatises that were nigh incomprehensible for anyone but the city's barristers and some patriars. By and large laws favored these individuals along with foreign diplomats, the Flaming Fist and members of the Watch. Citizens of the city proper and those living in the Outer City were afforded far fewer considerations. That being said, anyone who obeyed the laws could walk freely though the city's streets.   Anyone caught in the act of breaking the law were immediately apprehended and punished, either by the Watch or the Flaming Fist. Typically, the punishment fit the crime. Lesser crimes, such as violence or thievery, warranted a public whipping or removal of a finger. Those who broke agreed upon contracts were sentenced to forced labor while disturbing the peace or public lasciviousness led to public shaming by a night in the stocks.   The city of Baldur's Gate issued hostelry licenses to proprietors of inns and taverns within the city walls. Lodging business could not legally operate without said license.  

Crime

Throughout its history, various thieves guilds had risen and fallen in Baldur's Gate, including the one led by Alatos Thuibuld, Xantam's Guild and the Hands of Glory. Since the fall of these groups in the late 14th century, the Guild, led by Nine-Fingers emerged as the predominant thieves' organization in Baldur's Gate. Nearly all of the smaller gangs of the Outer and Lower City regions owed at least some obedience to this influential organization.  

Foreign Relations

Throughout its history, Baldur's Gate had little stake in the affairs of others. For the most part, the city was respected as a neutral power, that never involved itself with the politics and conflicts that arose between the other states of the Sword Coast and the Western Heartlands. Perhaps more importantly, Baldur's Gate, while undoubtedly a rich prize, was so well-defended by its massive walls and well-trained Flaming Fists soldiers that few ever seriously considered invading and occupying the city.   Historically, Baldur's Gate has had a long enmity with its southern neighbor, Amn, which nearly resulted in war during the iron crisis of the 1360s. Over the next century however, the only major threats to Baldur's Gate were the pirates operating out of the ruins of Luskan or the merchants of Waterdeep, who resented the city's continually-growing wealth and power.