The Wide

The Wide is a district in the Upper City of Baldur's Gate that serves as a vast open-air marketplace and plaza. It is a place where Baldurians and outsiders alike gather together to gossip, trade, debate politics, discuss issues of the day, or otherwise conduct their business within the city. Its reputation as a market and public forum is well-known across Neril.

The main attraction of the Wide is the vast number of temporary stalls and booths that are operated by merchants, artists, artisans, fortune-tellers, hedge wizards, sages—or whomever has a service or good to sell within Baldur's Gate. A great variety of commodities are offered within, from textiles and spices from southern Neril to locally-made tools or silk from foreign lands. These stalls often feature brightly-hued awnings that catch the eye, and their purveyors offer prices that are lower than anywhere else in the city. Tables are set up between the stalls, upon which folks can sit and take a brief reprieve from the bustle of the crowds. The typically musky smell that permeates the Gate is masked by the scent of spices, tobacco, and roasted meats that are prepared nearby.