Darkness shrouds the Sword Coast. The near-successful summoning into Faerûn of Tiamat, the Queen of Dragons, was thwarted only by the heroic actions of the now-mythic Stormwatch. The War of the Dragons ended three years ago, but the legacy of those terrible days remains.

The vast theft of millions of gold pieces from the cities, towns, and villages of the Sword Coast has changed the lives of everyone. Now new forces seek to fill the vacuum, and there are growing concerns and dark rumours about the Cult of the Dead Three, who rise in blood-soaked cellars, abandoned farmhouses, and twisted groves deep in the woods.

The fall of Tiamat has exacerbated tensions between the city of Baldur’s Gate and nearby Elturel. Refugees from the wars still seek permanent homes and the redistribution of recovered wealth has created conflict between rulers. A gathering has been called for in Elturel to address grievances and seek a common ground. The leaders of Baldur’s Gate have dispatched a reluctant Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard to lead negotiations with Thavius Kreeg, decades-long High Overlord of Elturel.

A band of enthusiastic recruits (and assorted uninvited guests) accompanies leaders from each city, gathering during the extended political negotiations to swap gossip and assist Elturel with recent troubles…

A walled city bathed in golden sunlight

BALDUR’S GATE GAZETTE

Baldur’s Gate began as a harbour town, where traders would meet with “ghost lighters” - folk along the Sword Coast who used lights to lure fogbound ships to shore. In the years since, Baldur’s Gate has grown to become one of the great walled cities of the Sword Coast.

Today, its foggy streets run red with the blood of unfortunates who fall prey to evil opportunists, many of whom count themselves as nobles, traders, pirates, and assassins. Dark times have befallen the city, and some say it is the result of a deeper evil corrupting the hearts and mind of the populace.

An army of mercenary soldiers called the Flaming Fist keeps some kind of order in the city, and these soldiers answer to Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard. Despite the Fist’s reputation for cruelty, the Grand Duke is widely regarded as an honorable and reasonable man. Baldur’s Gate is ruled over by The Council of Four: Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard, Duke Belynne Stelmane, Duke Dillard Portyr, and Duke Thalamra Vanthampur.

Religions : Dead Three (Bane, Bhaal, Myrkul), Gond, Helm, Ilmater, Oghma, Siamorphe, Tymora, Umberlee

BALDUR’S GATE BACKGROUNDS

If you wish you can choose from one of the factions below, but really anything goes - pirates, religious zealots, tinkerers, etc. The main factions in Baldur’s Gate include:

  • Flaming Fist. The city’s mercenary army, funded by the Council of Four. Violent and thuggish, barely held in control by Duke Ravengard’s iron will.
  • The Watch. Bankrolled by the Patriars of the City, seen as glorified bodyguards for the city’s elite.
  • The Guild. If you have to ask, you don’t belong. Helmed by various kingpins who report to Nine-Fingers Keene, the thoughtful and pragmatic leader of the Guild.

ELTUREL GAZETTE

The holy city of Elturel - the capital of Elturgard - sits upriver from Baldur’s Gate on the Chionthar River. Whereas Baldur’s Gate is a cutthroat city policed by mercenaries, Elturel is a lawful city of pious folk watched over by knights of Helm, Torm, Tyr, and Lathander. The two cities couldn’t be less alike.

Whenever Baldur’s Gate has tried to seize too much territory in Elturgard’s eyes, Elturel has responded by imposing a heavy tax on shipments headed downriver. This sort of economic brinkmanship coupled with radically different religious viewpoints has created bad blood between the two cities, though neither city has been eager to test the military might of the other.

Order in Elturgard is kept by an organisation of knights called the Hellriders, so-named long ago when a group of riders descended into the Nine Hells on horseback to fight a holy battle against the denizens of those realms. Despite the ominous name, the Hellriders are the polar opposite of the Flaming Fist, noble of purpose and intent on maintaining Elturgard’s status as a bastion of holiness. Which is not to say they are perfect - some accuse them of arrogance, whilst others infiltrate their ranks to take advantage of the power thus granted.

Elturel is ruled over by Thavius Kreeg, who saved the city from a vampire lord by summoning a radiant sphere called The Companion, which vanquished the vampire and his spawn and still bathes the city in holy light like a second sun. Kreeg was hailed as the city’s saviour, and has ruled as High Overseer ever since. Under Kreeg’s decades-long rule, Elturel embarked on a path to becoming not just a holy city but the holy nation of Elturgard.

Religions: Helm, Torm, Tyr, and Lathander

ELTUREL BACKGROUNDS

Characters may choose from the following factions, or anything else that fits the city. Religion plays a strong role in the City, a power for both good and, less visibly, evil.

  • Hellriders. An elite company of mounted warriors that protects Elturgard. The Hellriders aren’t immune from corruption, but they are a far cry from the troubled Flaming Fist. If you choose this faction, you will start as a Chevall, an initiate Hellrider.
  • The Order of the Gauntlet. Led by the indefatigable Ontharr Frume, the Order of the Gauntlet are a dedicated, tightly knit group of like-minded individuals driven by religious zeal and/or a finely honed sense of justice. The Gauntlet strikes hard and fast, without waiting for the blessings of distant temples or the permission of rulers.

HOUSE RULES

  • Characters. You can select character options from the Player’s Handbook, Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, Volo’s Guide to Monsters, and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes.
  • Character Backgrounds. Your character may come from either Baldur’s Gate or Elturel.
  • Point system. 15 in each of the 6 stats. These can be moved around on a 1 for 1 basis to a maximum of 18 in any stat.
  • Flexible racial attributes. You can apply racial bonuses to any attribute rather than those described. You cannot apply two sets of bonuses to the same attribute.
  • Burgeoning Heroes. Each character begins with 5 extra hit points.