Bhaalspawn Crisis

The emergence of the Bhaalspawn, and the disappearance of the Grand Duke, led to chaos in Baldur's Gate. The Flaming Fist regiments guarding the lower city were the first to mobilize against the Bhaalspawn, though their attacks were uncoordinated. Eventually, forces of the Watch would arrive from the Upper City to assist.   In addition, a variety of adventurers who were in Baldur's Gate at the time, moved to strike against the Bhaalspawn, chief among them Jessabelle Leonin.

The rampage of the Bhaalspawn lasted for a few hours, during which most of the lower city was either damaged or destroyed. After the first hour, the Flaming Fist became more coordinated once Blaze Ulder Ravengard took charge and began directing battle formations. Particular focus was given to keep the Bhaalspawn pinned in already destroyed areas, preventing further damage to the city.   During the final confrontation, as the Bhaalspawn grew weaker and more erratic, the Flaming Fist pulled back to attack from a distance while a group of adventurers, being more willing to put their own lives at risk, moved in to finish the attack. The final blow was ultimately struck by Jessabelle Leonin, who toppled the monstrosity with a great axe to the forehead.

The day after the Bhaalspawn's defeat, Baldur's Gate held a city-wide funeral and mourning for Grand Duke Abdel Adrian. Though no on was sure whether it was him or Viekang that became the Bhaalspawn, none doubted that to his dying breath Adrian loved Baldur's Gate.   To honor Adrian, the city's Council of Four would only seat three. The empty seat was left to symbolize the hole left by Adrian's passing, though some claimed that the seat Adrian was held was instead cursed and no one wanted to take it.   The crisis propelled many Baldurians into the spotlight, reshaping the political arena of Baldur's Gate overnight. Ulder Ravengard, a career member of the Flaming Fist, replaced Adrian as Marshall of the Flaming Fist and within a few years as Grand Duke. Jessabelle Leonin was declared a hero of the city and given a noble title and privileges.   Much of the Lower City needed to be rebuilt, greatly increasing the wealth and social standings of those owning building companies. Among these groups, Alexander Rake would rise among them all to become the most influential and wealthy non-noble in the city.

The Bhaalspawn Crisis would lay the foundations for many of Baldur's Gate's future conflicts.

During the chaos of the fighting, Max, the child of future Watch Oversar Maxwell Solloway, died. Solloway's wife, Lysara, allowed herself to be possessed by the ghost of the serial killer Jack of Smiles to erase her grief. Taking the persona of Lysara the Grin, the possessed woman would dominate Baldur's Gate's underworld for the next decade, until her exorcism at the hands of the Breadwinners.   In addition, the Baldur's Gate Uprising had many of its roots tied to the Bhaalspawn Crisis. The uprising's leader, Alexander Rake, gained much of his fortune and influence through his efforts rebuilding the city. In addition, many of the members of the Cult of the Dragon, who participated in the uprising, were disfranchised Baldurians, who had either lost their homes, businesses, or livelihood in the crisis. The fact that the crisis only significantly harmed the Lower City fueled the class conflict.   Ulder Ravengard, who became both Marshall of the Flaming Fist and Grand Duke as a result of the crisis, refused to hand off either position, resulting in him becoming the most powerful statesman Baldur's Gate has had in decades.   Interest in religion and the gods experienced a resurgence after the crisis, as many tried to find solace and peace. While this did result in a few Baldurians joining cults, such as the Cult of the Dragon, it saw a marked increase in donations and attendance at temples to gods such as Helm, Lathander, Ilmater, and Torm. The latter's temple, especially, gained so many new followers that a new temple was constructed.

It is not hyperbole to say that almost every citizen of Baldur's Gate was affected by the crisis in some way or another. Most Baldurians could name one person they personally knew off that had been killed in the crisis and many more that had been physically, mentally, or financially wounded.   Outside of the city's High Hall now stands a statue to Abdel Adrian, regarded still as the greatest statesman Baldur's Gate has ever known. Most Baldurians actively seperate his great deeds and love for the city with his potential role in the Bhaalspawn Crisis. Of those who do talk about, it is far more common to lay the blame at the feet of Veikang, as either the one who became the Bhaalspawn or the one who forced Adrian to become one. Only a very small minority harbor resentment towards Adrian for his role in the crisis. The majority of this group were among the worst affected by the monster's rampage and bitterly blame all from the Upper City for not adequately helping them in the years that followed.   No buildings have been rebuilt on the site where the Bhaalspawn finally fell to Jessabelle Leonin's axe. Instead, the square has been converted to a memorial park. In the center is a stone obelisk, 20 feet tall, that reads "Let this spot be a hole that may never be filled. Let their names never be forgotten."