Session 6: The Rumor of Dead Gods

Initial characters involved:

• Shrain, dwarf cleric of Moradin.
• Ulther Stormwind, human fighter from Icewind Dale.

From Little Calimshan, Ulther and Shrain headed down the long road of the Outer City towards the district of Twin Songs. This is where evidence (their own and Rael's intel) indicated the statue-thieves had gone. It was already well into the night.

Twin Songs was a bit less run-down than the other districts of the Outer City, perhaps due to its proximity to Wyrm’s Crossing and Wyrm’s Rock, the fortress of the Flaming Fist. As the human and dwarf approached the ramp leading up toward the bridge of Wyrm’s Crossing, they saw a curios trio standing in the firelight—a human and a pair of mismatched elves. The human was fairly nondescript compared to his companions. One elf wore simple garments and carried little more than a pair of daggers, looking a bit rougher than most wood elves, with short-cropped hair, a “bandage” over one eye, and the scars of many brawls; the other, armored in scale male despite his slight frame and bearing a holy symbol...of Helm.

Helm, the Vigilant One, the Watcher, the god of guardians...slain many years ago. Already ill-favored by many due to his righteous involvement in the Time of Troubles, Helm's faith had only dwindled further since his death. But apparently, some kept his tenets alive.

In any case, the group didn’t look like Baldurians. Foreigners, then, just like Ulther, Shrain, and their other companions. Newly arrived to the city—and what a time to be visiting, with so much unrest.

New characters:

Symbol of Helm,
the Vigilant One

• Amaril, elf cleric of Helm.
• Pisqual "Piper" Dunraven, human rogue.
• Vaicht, elf monk of Kelemvor.

The trio were talking about what to do next, and Amaril had been explaining to his companions that he'd been led to Baldur's Gate because of a vision he'd received. In it, an aging human male in heavy plate armor lay dying in front of the shrine of Helm. Three shadow figures loomed over him, threatening, lurking, but not touching him.

As Amaril was describing this, they were attacked. A thin dart ricocheted harmlessly off of Amaril's armor, and as Vaicht and Amaril went to investigate the source of the dart, ruffians with crossbows came into view and took shots primarily at Amaril. Ulther and Shrain joined in to assist the newcomers, concluding that they're probably not deserving of assassination. And Shrain was taking it personally—thugs with crossbows in the dark bothered had earned his eternal ire. Amaril's spells lit up the dark and spewed fire upon their enemies.

The thugs were driven off, frightened by an excessive show of force, but the man behind the attack turned out to be a ritually-scarred human wearing armor beneath his cloak, a mace, and a caster of spells. With a mere gesture and foul utterance, he sent Piper tumbling to the ground, bleeding badly. Ulther, Shrain, and Vaicht took him down—one arm cut cleanly off—but in his death throes, the freakish man spasmed, bled more than he ought to have, and his bones seemed to pop and dislocate themselves. The result was that he looked like he'd been slain in far more violent a manner, a display that reminded Sharin and Ulther both of Duke Abdel's assassin.

Flaming Fist soldiers heard the commotion and came onto the scene. Ulther displayed the silver brooch and it inspired their cooperation. Nevertheless, the Flaming Fist took charge of the scene and carried the dead man's body back to the Wymr's Rock. Vaicht bound Piper's grave wound, and Shrain used a brief prayer from Moradin to revive him. The PCs followed, with the three newcomers allowed to join them on Ulther's allowance.

Symbol of Bhaal,
Lord of Murder

The PCs didn't initially find any clues on the corpse, but then Amaril spoke up and convinced the others to let him examine the body. Doing a thorough search, the elf priest revealed a dark red tattoo on the man's back which depicted a skull surrounded by a halo of tears. Or blood drops? He recognized it as the symol of Bhaal, the Lord of Murder, god of assassins....who also happened to be long dead. In fact, Bhaal had been slain before Helm, during the Time of Troubles.

But he knew of some old stories that suggested that Bhaal had some foreknowledge of his own death so he went among mortals and spread his essence. Old lore suggested that his foul dissemination involved Baldur's Gate somehow....

At this point, Ulther wanted to get back on track. Trusting the newcomers more now, he broadly outlined what was going on in the city—some of which they'd gleaned during the day when they first arrived fresh from the road. He also told them that he was charged with investigating defacement and theft of the statues' hands. The whole city wanted justice, but three specific agencies wanted the culprits found and has tasked Ulther and his companions with finding them: Duke Silvershield, Marshal Ravengard, and more recently, Rilsa Rael of the Guild.

The PCs decided to ask around, so they started with a local water hole. Finding a lead, and the purchase of a substantial amount of watered-down, not-so-great ale, they went down by the banks of the river beneath the abutment of the Wyrm's Crossing bridge to talk to a local man the barkeep had called Squinty. He was a ragged, homeless-looking fellow, with a scraggly beard and a very ugly, if old, wound on his face that had long since taken his eye. Bribing him with ale, the PCs learned that a group of patriar youths had indeed reached the shore here by means of a ferry from the harbor. Squinty said they were nervous and they carried something in a backpack. He heard them say they were going to "Hadru's place" on Wyrm's Crossing—evidently Hadru, whoever that was, owed one of the kids' families a favor.

It didn't take long—by asking a Flaming Fist soldier—to find out that Hadru owned a pottery shop just a little ways down the street from Wyrm's Rock. Piper make short work of the lock on Hadru's front door, and they snuck inside—only to be confronted by the potter himself, who was rattled and swiveled a hand crossbow at them. The PCs couldn't keep their initial ruse up, but they eventually leveled with him and explained that they wouldn't tell on him if he revealed what he knew.

What Hadru knew: Six kids—patriar youths all—had come to him seeking a place to hide. They were in his cellar even then, hiding out. Since there was a balcony jutting from the cellar, which overlooked the river, there was concern that confronting them might make them do something rash.

Session 5: Defacement and Discrimination

Characters involved:

• Shrain, dwarf cleric of Moradin.
• Primeiro d’Pirazzi, human mage extraordinaire.
• Ulther Stormwind, human fighter from Icewind Dale.

At the Helm and Cloak, the PCs compared notes from their experiences in the city thus far: Primeiro and Ulther had been going about the streets, observing the polarizing extremes and moods of the classes. Both observed the Flaming Fist’s harsh treatment of the Outer City workers, the Watch’s treatment of the Lower City residents who came into the Upper City, and of course the general outrage at the recent vandalism and statue defacement. Meanwhile Shrain relayed his events in the Outer City, the attempted mugging, and the shadow figure who saved his life and demanded a meeting the next day at dusk in Little Calimshan.

Pictured: A Boo-less Minsc.

The next morning was drizzly and full of heightened outrage: This time the statue of the Beloved Ranger, Minsc and his miniature giant space hamster Boo, had been defaced. Disarmed, rather: Minsc’s hands were gone, and with them Boo. Where only the Upper and Lower City residents were angered by the previous day’s vandalism, now everyone was upset. Everyone loves Minsc and Boo, heroes of old and legendary companions of Duke Abdel himself from his adventuring days.

The PCs examined the area around the statue. Primeiro’s use of detect magic actually yielded two clues: (1) an enchanted gold, gem-studded brooch marked with the crest of Ravenshade (a patriar family known for its role in the gemstone trade) and (2) a magical dagger whose blade was marked with the crest of the Oberon—a patriar family who owns several drydocks in the Lower City. The PCs were forced to give up the brooch to the Watch who were on the scene, but managed to surreptitiously pocket the dagger without their notice.

To Shrain's dwarven eyes, it looked like the hands of the statue had perhaps been chiseled off with the dagger. There were even flecks of marble stuck to the blade, which was itself slightly bent, and the pommel was marred. Clearly, this act wasn't as precise or professional as the hand-thefts the previous night.

After searching around the statue, the PCs went to High Hall. There they finally met, at last, with Duke Torlin Silvershield, the High Artificer of Gond, in his offices. A tall, athletic, middle-aged man with immaculate armor and vestments, a neatly-trimmed salt-and-pepper beard, and calculating eyes, he seemed personable enough. The PCs had declined to meet with him on their first day in favor of meeting with Ulder Ravengard, and the duke acknowledged this fact briefly. He admitted that Ravengard was a good man and meant well for Baldur's Gate, but that he didn't think the Flaming Fist marshal sees the bigger picture—and that Ravengard has all the subtlety of a charging gorgon. The duke said that Ravengard thinks he can solve all problems with sheer force of arms. Sadly, the political and social situations in the city cannot be solved that way.

Duke Silvershield

Silvershield thanked the PCs for their service to the city thus far, anyway; had they not interfered in the Wide on that fateful day, more innocents would have been killed. But now he asked them if they would assist him in finding the truth behind the assassination of Duke Abdel, who had been a close friend of his. The PCs had proved themselves capable and had already shown to have an interest in bettering the state of things. Silvershield said he believed the Guild was responsible for Abdel's death, with its association with crime, deception, “foreign gods,” and even dark magic. The assassin had clearly not been a normal man, and must have been more than a mere hit man. Abdel had been murdered publicly; it was an act meant to be seen and mourned by many.

Silvershield was asked about Abdel's half-brother: according to the old stories, Abdel's fame came from his adventuring days, when he saved Baldur's Gate from imminent war. His half-brother, a warlord named Sarevok, was rumored to be possessed of evil, perhaps even divine powers. Some say he was even an agent of an evil god, one slain during the Time of Troubles but not quite forgotten. Sarevok had manipulated the now-disreputable merchant company known as the Iron Throne into instigating conflicts between Baldur's Gate and Amn. But Abdel had slain Sarevok and ended that scheme.

Sarevok

When asked about the sumptuary laws, Silvershield sighed and shook his head. He seemed to sympathize. "The Parliament has my hands tied," he said, and said perhaps in the days to come, he could convince them to reverse the laws. However, before he could trust the PCs with too much information, about his own efforts or even the Guild, he tasked them with finding the culprits behind the theft of the statues’ hands. The defacement of the Beloved Ranger could not be ignored. If they could find the guilty parties, the PCs were to bring them straight to Silvershield in the Upper City—ideally, the High Hall itself.

Primeiro asked, given the evidence they’d already acquired (he did mention the Ravenshade brooch), what the likelihood of a patriar family being responsible. Silvershield didn’t shy away from this possibility. If evidence could be found that a patriar was responsible, they would face the Council of Four's justice. But again, the culprits must be brought to him, not be turned over to the Flaming Fist and made into a public spectacle. Shrain mentioned the Waterdeep connection with the assassin's weapon, and Silvershield admitted the possibilities of foreign powers striking against Baldur's Gate. But clearly, he believed their enemy was within the city.

And so the PCs set out to continue their own investigations. They questioned the lady of the house at Ravenshade Manor and learned that her son, Vendyr, had not yet returned from a revelry on the previous night. She remarked that he was likely with another boy, Marek Oberon. The PCs confirmed the Oberon-Ravenshade connection when they went to one of the Oberon shipyards in the Lower City and even made the acquaintance of one of the ferrymen who provide boat access across the harbor. They wanted to question a ferryman who’d have been on duty during the evening hours (named Wald) but his friend said he wouldn’t be back until the evening again.

They also met with Ravengard again, for the Flaming Fist had employed the boy Allyck to find them. When they'd concluded their initial questioning, the PCs walked to the Sea Tower of Balduran, where the Flaming Fist marshal was in the midst of training exercises, squaring off in mock combat against four of his soldiers.

Ravengard told them their efforts to close down the Oasis and the Low Lantern had been largely successful—the Guild would have lost a foothold and meeting place in the Lower City without the latter—but that it would have been more successful had they captured Laraelra Thundreth, the Guild-affiliated sorceress. Ravengard went on to ask them what they'd been involved in since then and he spoke of his anger and concern about the many damaged statues. Ultimately, he wished them to find the culprits—like Silvershield—but he wanted the guilty parties brought to him there at the Seatower for processing. The Seatower of Balduran is a prison as well as a fortress. The guilty parties, he said, would face public trial.

Ravengard even offered to give the PCs an honory rank in the Flaming Fist, granting them the uniform and authority of a flame (a lieutenant) with none of the corresponding duties; instead, they would report directly to him. Their task now was to bring in those who were responsible for the statue vandalism. While the PCs accepted the new uniforms (white tabards displaying the Flaming Fist livery and their ranks), they weren't convinced that it was best, at this time, to go about openly with the uniforms on. Still, they took them.

From the Seatower, the PCs intended to meet with the mysterious man who bid them come to Little Calimshan at dusk—not a fact they'd shared with Ravengard or Silvershield. There was still just enough time, so they crossed the harbor, then headed toward Basilisk Gate to the Outer City. On the way, they passed by the Shrine of Suffering. Primeiro had not, until then, met Brother Hodges, the humble priest of Ilmater who cares for the shrine and offers meager copper pieces and food to the poor who gather there.

Symbol of the Flaming Fist

The tired but friendly cleric beckoned them over and told them that someone had been looking for them: a lamp lass by the name of Chesserie who didn't know their names but wanted to find the "heroes of the Wide." Hodges said she'd be waiting by Heap Gate, the eastern-most gate to the Upper City and one of the several that only patriars are permitted to use.

Since it wasn’t too far off their course, the PCs agreed to look into this and they walked to the gate. There, a tired, disheveled young girl, bearing the lantern-staff of a lamp lass, was drowsing near the steps of the gate. When she realized who they were, she said she had something important to tell them, and she didn't know who else she could trust. Allegedly, a group of older kids—patriar kids—had come through the gate last night (from the Upper City) and had paid her well to lead them to the docks, and the ferry boats, and had tipped her exceedingly well to be quiet about it. But she couldn’t; she was afraid they’d done something bad. They were nervous and they carried a big backpack.

When the PCs thanked her for the information, she said, “Promise me. Promise me you’ll bring back Boo!”

Everyone in Baldur’s Gate loves Boo.

Have you seen this hamster?

At dusk, they did as they'd agreed the previous night: They went to the gate of Little Calimshan to meet with a stranger. The stranger appeared, hooded as before, and beckoned them inside the gates, then led them up a flight of stars, across a series of catwalks and backyards, and finally into a dark, empty lot behind a building.

Ushering them inside, he showed them into a room with flickering oil lamps hanging from copper chains and a fire pit in the center. Multicolored rugs and cushions blanked the floor in Calishite style. Heavy drapes obscured the walls and ceiling, creating the impression of being inside a tent. Sitting at the fire was a turbaned man with dark skin, a wrinkly face, and wrapped in an ornate, brocaded robe. The stranger sat beside him, then threw back the hood and tore away the false beard he wore. She wore. She was a young woman with shaggy hair, dark eyes, and skin that suggested a mixed heritage.

"Thank you for coming," she said. "I didn't know if you would, but I had great hope." The woman introduced herself as Rilsa Rael, owner of the pawnshop they were in—the Calim Jewel Emporium—and she admitted that she did work with the Guild. She said by now they'd have heard many terrible things about the Guild, that it was the scapegoat for the Watch and the Flaming Fist both. But Rael insisted that the Guild was the only protection the common people had against the unjustices of the city—especially for the lawless Outer City. For example, at the Calim Jewel Emporium overpays for the trinkets and trash that the poor bring in, using the money it secures through clandestine—and yes, often illegal—means.

The Guild, while many believe it to be a criminal organization, ultimately works to redistribute wealth to support those who are trodden upon by those with money and power. "Baldur's Gate is a merchant's town," she explained, "and gold greases its wheels." You have to pay to get in, and you often have to pay to get out. According to Rael, the government, the law enforcement, the wealthy are themselves corrupt. Toll and tax agents frequently demand bribes or confiscate alleged contraband, targeting folk from the Outer City because they know no one listens to the complains. The poor of the Outer City are being kept poor.

Only one voice, Rael said, existed for the poor: Duke Abdel Adrian. With him gone, things would only get worse. Were already getting worse, as they themselves had no doubt seen.

Rael asked for their help. She knew they were already working for the Flaming Fist (representative of the Lower City and the law) and had potentially made agreements with Duke Silvershield (representative of the Upper City and the government), but she believed they were interested only in themselves or their visions of the city—not the everyday people who work and support Baldur's Gate. Certainly not the poor.

When asked about the vandalism and the statues, Rael admitted that the Guild had been involved in some of it. She said she knew of some people who might be connected to the stolen statue hands from the first night, and she was already looking into that—but the Guild had nothing to do with the defacement of the Beloved Ranger. Quite the contrary, even the poor of the Outer City were fond of that folk hero and his diminutive companion. She said that if the PCs wished to help her, they would indeed find the guilty ones behind that crime—and she, too, suspected it was the work of patriar youths—but she told them not to hand over the culprits to Silvershield. If the youths are returned to their families, they'll get a slap on the wrist, nothing more; their crimes will be hushed up, and the commoners of Baldur's Gate will be taxed to cover the damages. What Rael—what the Guild—wanted was true justice. In some ways, she wanted what Ravengard wanted, but she doesn't suggest a drawn-out, expensive trial under the care of the Flaming Fist. The families of the youths should be made to pay for the crimes—in gold and in humiliation. It should not fall on the poor, nor on the Guild.

Rilsa Rael

Toward that end, Rael suggested that the PCs bring the culprits to the Counting House by the docks in the Steeps district. There, its owner, a dwarf named Rakath Glitterbeard, would process them first and ensure that their families would be financially accountable. So the PCs would face a choice soon enough: hand them over to Silvershield, to Ravengard, or a clerk sympathetic to the Guild.

Rael's informants suggested that the youths had ventured to the Twin Songs district, the Outer City section near Wyrm's Crossing. So the PCs agreed to head there straightaway. It was already dark. Rael thanked them for coming and hoped they would help her. If she proved their interest in justice by bringing the culprits to the Counting House, she would trust them with more information. She said the Guild, too, wants to discover the truth behind Abdel's assassination.

Session 4: Hands Off

Characters involved:

The symbol of Moradin, the Dwarffather

• Shrain, dwarf cleric of Moradin.
• Zelder, halfling rogue.

While their companions pursued errands of their own, the dwarf Shrain and the halfling Bezelder (Zelder for short) met and conversed in the comfort of the Helm and Cloak, the city’s finest inn; their stay was being covered, for now, on the coin of Duke Silvershield—whom the PCs had yet to meet. There was, however, a missive that had arrived for them: they were to meet the duke in the morning at the 9th bell in the High Hall.

Zelder, for his part, was just as new to the city as the others. He’d come from Neverwinter on a business errand for his family—involving medical supplies for the Flaming Fist mercenary organization—and had spent this last day in the city observing the various and mostly-ugly moods of Baldur’s Gate’s populace. Mostly in the Lower City. Down by the docks of Brampton and Eastway, especially near the Low Lantern, he’d witnessed Flaming Fist soldiers giving the immigrant workers—who came in each day from the slums of the Outer City—a hard time. Normally they idled after their day’s work in the local taverns, but now the Fist was getting rough with them, hurrying them back out of the city proper. It seemed Ravengard’s suspicion that the Guild operated out of the Outer City was intensifying.

The night passed easily. While the others were still plagued by bad dreams, Shrain’s memories of any nightmares were minimal—perhaps his holy work in Gond’s temple had helped.

Shrain and Zelder went alone to meet with Silvershield. Tredek was off to the High House of Wonders to seek out a library, while Ulther and Djarek were otherwise occupied. In the High Hall, the mage Imbralym appeared and was immediately discouraged to see that only two members of the party had deigned to appear (no fault of their own!), and of those only one was one of the “heroes of the Wide” (Shrain). The mage sighed, truly disappointed, and said they’d have to reschedule.

Imbralym Skoond

And then he was interrupted by an attendant, for it seemed there'd been a new incident in the city. No, five new incidents. Vandalism of a higher order. The hands of five prominent sculptures/statues had been removed—cut or broken off. Four in the Lower City, one in the Upper City: 

• Seasearpent Tamed by Umberlee,  near the Water Queen's House, temple of Umberlee (Lower City)
• Fury of the Fist, near the Seatower of Balduran
• Balduran Looks Out to Sea, overlooking just out of the eastern gate
• Six Wise Machinists, outside the High House of Wonder
• Faithful Shopkeeper Meets the Honest Trader, just outside the Counting House near the docks

Shrain and Zelder set out to investigate the missing hands and assess the damage firsthand. They examined three of the five, searching for a link between them, some common theme, but couldn’t quite deduce a pattern. They'd even spoken with the wavemistresses of the Water Queen's House and Zelder climbed up the stone serpent to look closer at the Bitch Queen's maimed arms. The PCs did concluded, however, that the damage and theft had been the work of a professional stoneworker; Shrain was a dwarf, after all. The hands of all the statues had been broken off cleanly, with tools, and the fact that the deed had been done without being seen or heard (at least, in any way that mattered) was a testament to the thieves’ skill. Upper and Outer City residents were particularly bothered by the severe vandalism; Outer City residents were just amused.

They’d also secured permission, approved by Imbralym Skoond on behalf of Duke Silvershield, to examine (within the bowels of High Hall, under scrutiny of the Watch) the weapon that Duke Abdel’s assassin had used to kill him. It seemed an ordinary, nonmagical short sword, bent at the tip where it had punctured his plate armor. Shrain made thorough sketches of it, and upon leaving High Hall, both halfling and dwarf ventured toward the Outer City late in the day to visit their blacksmith acquaintance, Mareak, to get his opinion. On the way, they stopped by Brother Hodges, the Ilmatari priest at the Shrine of Suffering, to get his take. Noting that the shrine depicted two giant stone hands, they pondered a connection there. But Hodges had little to offer, and said he had nothing to hide. The PCs questioned the homeless men and women gathered at the shrine, but learned nothing substantial.

When they found Mareak, the dwarven smith looked at Shrain's drawings and concluded that the short sword used by Abdel's assassin was fairly run-of-the-mill, simple in design, and certainly not masterwork. If he had to say where it came from, he'd suggest Waterdeep; some of the stylizations in its design were popular among Waterdhavian blacksmiths.

On their way back towards the city gate, however, they were pursued by thugs—two humans and a half-orc—who attempted to corner and rob them. The PCs turned off the main road and entered a dark series of alleys between the shacks that made up the “buildings” of the Outer City.

When the thugs came in close and called out for them to hand over their money, cherubic Zelder surprised his gruffer companion with a burst of speed: with a stab of first his short sword and then his dagger, the rogue quickly ran through one of the would-be muggers. Together the cleric and rogue took down the muscular half-orc, with Zelder hanging back and loosing arrows at the brute. Though he employed divine spells and his axes, Shrain fumbled with his weapons and even took a stab from the human who’d led them. He was not having a good time of it and was getting sour on the whole of Baldur’s Gate. But as the third thug went down, Shrain called on Moradin to spare the man’s life and stabilize what would have been a mortal injury.

As Shrain looked around the vicinity, he was rewarded with a crossbow bolt to the chest from another shadow-lurking assailant. Though, this one skulked in the shadows and seemed more efficient than the thugs. The bolt dropped Shrain to the unconscious. Drawn by the sound, Zelder came around the bend…only to find the assailant dangling off the ground against a wall, being garroted with a long chord by another shadow figure. Quickly Zelder broke out his healer’s kit and stabilized the dying Shrain.

In the Outer City.

When the assailant stopped gasping and twitching, he was dropped to the ground. Zelder greeted his unseen helper, and asked for help in fixing his dwarf companion. A narrow face in a shadowed hood looked down at him from the top of the wall. The man spoke in a thin voice and said simply, “You will meet me in Little Calimshan at dusk tomorrow, by the gate.” After agreeing, Zelder watched as a potion vial dropped down to him even as the figure disappeared.

Zelder used the potion of healing to revive Shrain, and together they carried the unconscious thug (the one they'd spared) towards the city, intent on handing him over to the Flaming Fist at the gate. Then they'd conclude their day at the Elfsong Tavern, which they’d heard about but hadn’t yet visited.

Session 3: Sightseeing and Vandalism

Characters involved:

• Tredek, half-orc barbarian.
• Shrain, dwarf cleric of Moradin.
• Ulther Stormwind, human fighter.

With the Low Lantern shut down—Tredek's and Ulther's clubs made sure of that—the PCs waited while more Flaming Fist soldiers arrived to secure it. Thundreth had escaped, but the rest of her crew were bound up and the ship itself given a cursory search that yielded very little. Lord Talborn, cleric of Sune, had aided the soldiers and kept his companions on their feet.

With some bits of fruit taken from the galley, Tredek coaxed over the gray and turquoise parrot that had flown down from the ship's rigging. Soon had it perched upon his arm. Finding some string, he secured it to his arm. The parrot whistled and spoke only a few words, and it did so from time to time throughout their city travels that day. “This ship is closed!” (echoing Tredek’s new battle cry), “Lady Captain”, and “Ravengard!” chief among them.

The dwarf cleric Shrain rejoined the group and they talked about where to go next. They’d done, to the best of their ability, what Marshal Ulder Ravengard had asked them to do. But now what?

They heard a child's voice cut through the din of the morning dockworkers coming in. "Harken, people of Baldur's Gate, to Baldur's Mouth! The land changes, and Baldur would have his people know!" It was a crier for the Baldur’s Mouth, some sort of local news source in the city. He was selling, for a single copper piece, copies of a neatly-scrawled broadsheet that detailed the events of the day before: Duke Abdel’s assassination. It even included rough sketches of the "heroes of the Wide," the PCs themselves. The PCs had never seen such perfect handwriting before, and wondered at how so many duplicate copies could be made.  Magic? But all had heard that Gond, the god of innovation and labor, was one of Baldur’s Gate’s patron deities, and Tredek had even heard of “mechanical scribes” associated with his church. Perhaps this was their purpose?

After being thanked by one Lower City resident—whose son evidently had lost all his gold gambling at the Low Lantern—the PCs headed up toward the Upper City, wondering if they could still find and meet with Imbralym Skoond, the mage who first approached them in the Wide the day before, who evidently represented one of the city's other dukes—Duke Torlin Silvershield. Soon they met with Allyck, the kid the PCs met the day before, and who they hired as a guide. Now he was to lead them to their next destination: the Three Old Kegs.

Progress to the Upper City was slowed, as the Flaming Fist had blocked off several avenues in the Lower City and redirected the crowds. The reason: the funeral procession for Duke Abdel Adrian. Citizens of all statue and class were grim, and many wept openly—particularly those with less means. Abdel had been some kind of uniting force, a ruler whom all people loved. While waiting for the procession to pass and the streets to clear, the PCs noticed a well-dressed, red-haired elf regarding them with interest from across the street. When the procession had passed, the elf was gone. They hadn't seen too many full-blooded elves in Baldur's Gate thus far.

At last, the PCs made their way into the Upper City and to the Three Old Kegs, a quiet but immense tavern. Imbralym Skoond was not there, but they did speak with some of establishment's patrons—including an ugly, but personable fellow at the bar who introduced himself as Alstan. The talk of the town was about what the Parliament of Peers would do next. The Parliament, it seemed, was formed some years ago when two dukes had been assassinated and the government of Baldur’s Gate needed an easier way to elect new dukes to the Council. With Duke Adrian slain, who, and when, would they elect a new one? And of course tavern talk included speculation on Abdel’s freakish assassin, and what agency he had come from? Had it been the work of the Guild (as Ravengard insisted), or the plot of foreign powers—rivals Calimshan or Amn, perhaps?

With no sign of Imbralym, the PCs went to the High Hall, the city's chief governmental building and a fortress in its own right. Not as bustling as it might usually be—the city's mourning and miserable quality was everywhere—they gave their names and then Imbralym appeared. He said, "I am sorry you declined to meet with my master." Willing to speak with Silvershield now, the PCs were told by Imbralym that they were welcome to stay at the Helm and Cloak, an upscale inn, for at least one night. Imbralum would inform his master that the PCs would meet with him now, though he couldn't promise when. The events of the day, the funeral, and other matters of state were clearly keeping him occupied. Still, Imbralym would call on them as soon as they were able.

But before settling in at the new—and obviously more comfortable—inn, they knew they should check back in at Wyrm's Rock to report to Ravengard, and to inform their other companions where they'd be staying. On their way, Allyck offered to take them to Brother Hodges, an Ilmatari—a priest of Ilmater, the god of suffering.

Brother Hodges worked out of a shrine to the Crying God, a stone monument depicting the worn hands of Ilmater lashed with rope. There he doled out meager food to the homeless and the poor, but when the PCs appeared, he pulled them aside and spoke with them. He offered his services, and advised them on other places in the city where they could seek spiritual council—the High House of Wonders (Gond's temple, but politically tied), the Lady's House (Tymora's temple), and other shrines—but he warned them against going to the Water Queen's House (Umberlee's temple). He spoke about Duke Abdel Adrian and his concerns about the plot behind his assassination. Brother Hodges seemed an honest sort, with a genuine concern for those less fortunate, but he admitted he had no political clout in this city and wouldn't be of much help in matters of influence.

They spoke for a while with him about old legends, the Time of Troubles, and the dead gods. It seemed Bhaal, the Lord of Murder, the god of assassins, played some sort of role in Baldur's Gate's past, and Abdel himself, even though Bhaal himself had been slain during the Time of Troubles. Remembering the creature at the Wide, Shrain decided they were at some kind of risk of possession. He wanted to perform some sort of ritual of excorcism on himself—neither Tredek nor Ulther protested but neither were they interested.

Eventually, the PCs returned to Wyrm's Rock. Ravengard was not present, but they passed along the news of their new inn of choice. At some point, the PCs also visited the High House of Wonders, the majestic, white-pillared temple of Gond. Full of workshops and engineering wonders, it offered many sights and showed an echelon of holy workers: brick-makers, building-repairers, smiths, and other craftsman all plying their trade in the sacred name of Gond. Shrain, convinced after their talk of dead, evil gods, asked the Gondsmen if he could purified. So they put him to work to do the holy labor of the Wonderbringer, while the others retired to the Helm and Cloak.

The Helm and Cloak was opulent indeed, and the PCs' first night was paid for on Silvershield's coin. They got a good night's sleep and awoke the next morning feeling far more rested than before—having had only brief nightmares. The next morning, some sort of disturbance drew them back outside. Notices were being posted about some sort of new (or returning) sumptuary law:

By decree of the Council and with concurrence of Parliament:
   To preserve the decency of citizens and promote the general weal, all citizens of Baldur's Gate must attire themselves in a manner befitting their station. Furs, silks, damask, velvet, samite, and satin are forbidden to all but those numbered among the patriars, as is jewelry incorporating inlaid gems or magical properties. Those who violate these terms are subject to fines or imprisonment.

Baffled at this, the PCs wandered out and found arguments starting between members of the Watch and the Lower City merchants. It seemed those of comfortable means but not part of the nobility, the patriars, often did display their wealth in their appearance. Evidently, this wasn't acceptable anymore. The well-to-do, of course, were not bothered with this at all. Later, they even witnessed a Watchman tearing the jewelry off of a Lower City merchant's wife on the street, in plain view of everyone, and casting it to the cobblestones.

There were also reports of vandalism and theft spreading around the city, mostly in the Lower and Outer cities. Signs hung up or painted on walls or properties of the state. "Down with the Patriars!" and "Free Baldur's Gate!" seemed to be common slogans. The PCs even spotted a pair of youths in an alley painting up a banner. Confrontation of the vandals nearly turned violent, but the PCs decided to let them go; their banner was something about the Flaming Fist.

Tensions were rising, clearly between the classes and various organizations.

The PCs continued to roam the city and seek information. Tredek decided to return to the temple of Gond and ask for a library. Perhaps more could be learned about Baldur's Gate's history, or Abdel Adrian himself.