## The City **Population:** 125,000 (mostly humans) **Government:** Council of Four and Parliament of Peers (patriar nobility) **Defense:** [[Flaming Fist]] mercenaries and the [[Watch]] Even the most hardened adventurers watch their steps in Baldur's Gate, where lives hold prices in copper and greed proves deadlier than dragon fire. If something can be given a price, it's for sale somewhere in Baldur's Gate. Drugs and poisons sit on shelves alongside 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. Crime flourishes under the control of The [[Guild]], which oversees almost every organized criminal act, from dockside gambling rings to blackmail at patriar garden parties. The [[Flaming Fist]] protects residents without the barest hint of civil delicacy, while [[The Watch]] exists only to serve the wealthy Upper City. Those who cut purses or throats make a decent living here, their talents traded as briskly as those of any other professional. ## The Districts ### Upper City The wealthiest district, enclosed by the ancient Old Wall and perched on hills above the harbor. Home to patriar manors, grand temples, and the Wide marketplace. Entry through patriar-controlled gates is restricted to those with proper credentials or coin. The Watch keeps these streets safe from common crime—the biggest threat to patriars here are other patriars. **Key Features:** Patriar manors, [[The Citadel]] (Watch headquarters), [[The Wide]] (main marketplace), grand temples to [[Gond]], [[Tymora]], and [[Umberlee]] ### Lower City The bustling commercial heart surrounding [[Gray Harbor]], perpetually shrouded in thick fog that makes it perfect for conducting business of all kinds. This is where commerce happens—where cargo is loaded and unloaded, where deals are struck, where the city's economic engine churns—but the wealth ultimately flows upward to the patriars above. Merchants and traders live alongside laborers and artisans. Laws here are often treated as suggestions, and everyone has a secret to keep. **Notable Neighborhoods:** - **Bloomridge:** Wealthiest Lower City area with rooftop gardens and fashionable boutiques - **Eastway:** Gateway neighborhood full of inns and caravan supplies, dangerous for the unwary - **Heapside:** Working-class district near the docks - **Brampton:** Poorest Lower City neighborhood, notorious for smuggling **Entry Toll:** 5 copper pieces at any of the three main gates ([[Baldur's Gate]], [[Basilisk Gate]], [[Cliffgate]]) ### Outer City The sprawling, lawless tangle beyond the city walls where anyone without citizenship lives. No representation, no protection from the Flaming Fist. Communities here are tight-knit by necessity—a person's honor and connections are what keep them alive. **Notable Areas:** - **[[Wyrm's Crossing]]:** Massive bridge spanning the Chionthar River, lined with shops and homes - **Rivington:** River village of anglers and mills, controlled by the Rivington Rats gang - **Little Calimshan:** Walled Calishite community that fiercely maintains independence - **Twin Songs:** Spiritual melting pot with shrines to every god imaginable - **Blackgate:** Shield dwarf ironsmith community serving travelers on the Trade Way ## Useful Information **Green Lights:** Establishments open for business hang lanterns with green glass panes. On foggy nights, these cast eerie green light across the streets. **Trade Relations:** Member of the [[Lords' Alliance]] alongside [[Waterdeep]] and [[Neverwinter]]. Tense relationship with [[Amn]] to the south. Major trade partner with [[Port Nyanzaru]] in [[Chult]]. **Religious Tolerance:** Unusually broad—even non-criminal worship of fiends and the [[Dead Three]] goes unchallenged in areas like Twin Songs. **Local Saying:** Baldurians often identify themselves by their nearest gate rather than revealing crew or family affiliations. "Gondgater," "Dragongater," and similar terms are widely understood. ## What You Can Find Here - **Mercenary Work:** The city's reputation attracts sellswords, and wealthy patrons pay well - **Rare Books:** Travelers heading to [[Candlekeep]] stock up here, creating a market for exotic tomes - **Anything Illegal:** If the Guild doesn't run it, someone's doing it anyway - **Secrets and Information:** The city's whisper-markets know everything - **Opportunity and Death:** Often in equal measure, sometimes simultaneously ## Survival Tips - Pay your tolls and bribes when expected - Don't trust the fog—or those who use it - The Guild runs everything it wants to run; work with them or die trying to oppose them - Patriars play a different game with deadlier stakes - In the Lower City, neighbors watch each other's backs - In the Outer City, you're on your own unless you've earned your community's trust